BMH Editor's Blog

Bart Blairs to Join Medicine Hat Church Planting Team

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

Bart Blair, worship leader

After nearly nine years of involvement and music/worship leading at the Grace Brethren church in Mississauga, Ontario, Bart Blair has announced that God is leading Bart, his wife Elizabeth, and their three children to move across Canada and join with the new church-planting team in Medicine Hat, Alberta.

Full information, including an informative video making the announcement, may be seen by clicking onto http://www.bartblair.com/.  Your prayers and support for the Blairs as they join the Edwards planting team in Medicine Hat will be appreciated.

Psalms Book in Honor of John Davis Published

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

Interpreting the Psalms for Teaching and Preaching was published in August by Chalice Press (St. Louis). Twenty scholars wrote chapters about the Psalms and dedicated their work to Dr. John Davis, longtime professor and former president of Grace College & Seminary.

Dr. John J. Davis

The contributors include present and former Grace faculty members: Marty Abegg, Richard Averbeck, Herb Bateman, Ken Bickel, Bernon Lee, Tiberius Rata, and Brent Sandy. Students and colleagues of Dr. Davis at other institutions who also wrote chapters for the book include David Dockery, Walter Kaiser, Eugene Merrill, Richard Patterson, etc. Bateman and Sandy assembled the contributors and edited the book.

The preparation of the book was first announced by Grace president Dr. Ron Manahan at Commencement 2004 upon the retirement of Dr. Davis. The goal of the book is to help people in local churches to experience the psalms in life-changing ways. The book’s special contribution is guidance for appreciating the affective power of poetry so that the psalms can penetrate the heart of hearts.

‘Your Secret Name’ Tonight at 7

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

If you’re within driving distance of Winona Lake, Indiana, BMH would encourage you to attend the Kary Oberbrunner event “Your Secret Name” to be held at 7 p.m. this evening, Tuesday, September 7, in McClain Hall auditorium on the Grace College and Seminary campus (building with the white steeple) in Winona Lake, Indiana.

Oberbrunner, who is on the staff of the Grace Brethren church in Powell, Ohio, and has written several previous books, including Called, published by BMH, will discuss concepts from his latest book and will focus on how to become free from difficult issues that often entrap believers.  More information is available at http://yoursecretnameindiana.eventbrite.com/

ICDI Live Drill Event Today at 4:30 p.m. EDT

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

The excitement has been building as ICDI approaches its live drill event with partner Charity: Water! Make sure you check it out online.

It starts today, Tuesday, September 7, at 4:30pm ET. The webpage for Charity’s September campaign contains great photos and videos about the Central African Republic, ICDI, and the Bayaka people.

This project will raise $1,700,000–all of which will go to ICDI to be used for water projects in the Central African Republic. Already $200,000 has been raised.

For more information, log onto http://www.icdinternational.org/wells.html

The live-drill website is http://www.charitywater.org/september/  or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/charitywater

Greensboro Church Plant Moves Ahead

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

Pastor Zach Doppelt of Ghent Grace Brethren Church in Roanoke, VA, sends along this encouraging good news:

Daniel and Teressa Pierce, Greensboro North Carolina, recently received approval for their future church plant, Greensboro Grace, to be a recognized incorporation. They view this process not only as a way to receive funding for ministry, but more importantly as the “first of many steps toward establishing ourselves in the community.”

The Pierces moved from Murphy, NC, to the Piedmont Triad area of Greensboro in July, and have already developed relationships with many people in their neighborhood and beyond. They have hosted seven families who are prayerfully considering the possibility of joining this new church community, and one of those families already committed to relocate to the Greensboro region to become a part of their core team and will arrive Saturday!

In the midst of experiencing blessing on their ministry, the Pierces continue to pray for their daughter-in-law who has been diagnosed with melanoma. These spots have been removed and the family is grateful for the many prayers on their behalf.

Daniel, who most recently pastored in Greenville, Ohio, and Teressa continue to seek prayer for new relationships, further ministry resources and positive training opportunities for their core team members. Please remember the Pierce family as they carry out the Great Commission of making followers of Jesus in the Greensboro area. They expect to launch this new church sometime in 2011.

GBB Announces Fall Outpost

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on September 7, 2010  |  1 Comment

Grace Brethren Boys (GBB), the discipleship program for young men, has announced plans for its Fall Outpost. It will be held October 1-3, 2010, near White Star Park, Gibsonburg, Ohio, in the Fremont, Ohio, area.

Plans for the weekend include camping, fishing, and a night hike with a park naturalist. Tim Soule will be the speaker for the weekend.

Click here for more information.

Editorial Assistant Joins BMH Staff

Posted by Terry White on September 3, 2010  |  No Comments

Kelsey Warren

Marion, Ind. native Kelsey Warren has joined the staff of the Brethren Missionary Herald Company, Winona Lake, Ind., as editorial assistant. In her new role she will help with the editorial needs of BMH Books and FGBC World, serve as the office receptionist, and take orders for BMH Books, among other responsibilities.

A May 2010 graduate of Taylor University, she has a B.A. degree in English literature with minors in English writing and studio art. Her concentration was in new media communication. Since late May, she has worked as an intern in the BMH office.

She comes to BMH with extensive publication experience with the art and literature journal of Taylor University, and has worked at the university’s writing center with college students, graduate students, and faculty on their writing. She studied abroad in London, England, in 2007 and she has given a number of presentations at academic gatherings and conferences.

In a few weeks, she and Nathan Mitchener will be married. They plan to live in Columbia City, Ind.

In addition to her literature and academic work, Kelsey is also a runner, having run five mini-marathons, one marathon, and various 5-12K races.

Cathy Abbitt Obituary

Posted by Terry White on September 1, 2010  |  7 Comments

Cathy Abbitt

Catherine Sue Abbitt of 205 – 6th Street, Winona Lake, Indiana, passed away on Tuesday, August 31, 2010, at 11:15 p.m. at her residence in Winona Lake, Indiana at the age of 49.

She was born on June 23, 1961, in Goshen, Indiana, to the late Russell Keith Brown and Peggy Sue (Tice) Brown. Catherine was married on June 18, 1983 in Nappanee, Indiana, to Tom Abbitt, who survives.

She was a 1979 graduate of Goshen High School, Goshen, Indiana, and then continued her studies and graduated in 1983 with a degree in education from Grace College, Winona Lake, Indiana. She was a third grade teacher at Jefferson Elementary School, Warsaw, Indiana, where she has worked since 1997.

Catherine has been a resident of Kosciusko County, Indiana for the past 21 years, and she was a member of Community Grace Brethren Church of Warsaw.

She will be lovingly remembered by her husband, Pastor Tom Abbitt (Winona Lake, Indiana); two sons: Nathan (wife Jamie) Abbitt; Matthew Abbitt (both of Winona Lake, Indiana); one daughter: Amy Abbitt (Winona Lake, Indiana); one brother: Dave (wife Lynn) Brown (Goshen, Indiana); and two sisters: Kim (husband Greg) Binkerd (Warsaw, Indiana); Ellen (husband Mark) Beer (New Paris, Indiana). She was preceded in death by her parents.

No calling is planned, a memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 4, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. at Community Grace Brethren Church, 909 South Buffalo Street, Warsaw, Indiana officiated by Pastor Tim Clothier. Funeral arrangements were entrusted to Redpath-Fruth Funeral Home, Warsaw, Indiana.