Former Hagerstown Calvary Pastor Dies

Posted by Terry White on March 31, 2011  |  1 Comment

J. Norman Mayer, 79

MARCH 2, 1932-MARCH 29, 2011

J. Norman Mayer

J. Norman Mayer, 79, of Hagerstown, Md., passed away Tuesday, March 29, 2011, at his home.

Born Wednesday, March 2, 1932, in Cresson, Pa., he was the son of the late Francis Nelson Mayer and the late Mary Marjorie Glass Mayer.

He graduated in 1949 from Altoona High School. He then graduated from Buffalo Bible Institute/Houghton College in 1958. Upon graduation, he was ordained into the gospel ministry. He was a minister at many churches, including Altoona Bible Church, West Wyomissing Chapel, and Hagerstown Independent Church. He retired in 1997 from Calvary Grace Brethren Church.

He also attended Narramore School of Psychology in Rosemead, Calif. He was involved in radio and TV ministry from 1962 until 2010. He was involved with the Eastern Ministerial Union of Central Pennsylvania. With two other ministers, Norm helped inaugurate the Washington County Fundamental Ministers Association and served on the board for the Gospel Mission of  South America. He was a true teacher of the gospel and in higher educational institutions for the local communities.

He was actively involved in the Washington County community for many years with the Hagerstown Fire Police and with sports officiating. He was a member of the Mason-Dixon Chorus and Rotary Club. From 1995 until 2010 he drove limousines, vans and funeral coaches for Kerfoot Livery Service and also for Classic Limousines.

He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Dorothy Rhodes Mayer; daughter, Dorothy Ruth Upton, of Hagerstown; two sons, James Norman Mayer and wife, Kristin, of Mount Joy, Pa., and Joel Nelson Mayer and wife, Denise, of Kansas City, Mo.; sister, Marjorie Anne Hudson of Taylor, Mich.; brother, Gene Nelson Mayer of Hagerstown; seven grandchildren, Richard Upton, Lindsay Spreadbury, Melody Mayer, Nicole Reitz, Christopher, Nathaniel and Benjamin Mayer; five great-grandchildren, Brittany and Brooke Upton, Oliver, Karen and Tedric Reitz; and many other close relatives.

He was preceded in death by son-in-law Ronald Upton.

Services will be held Saturday, April 2, 2011, at 10:30 a.m. at the Douglas A. Fiery Funeral Home, 1331 Eastern Blvd. North, Hagerstown MD 21742, with the Rev. Douglas A. Courter officiating.

Family will receive friends at the funeral home from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, April 1.

At Norm’s request, inurnment will be private and at the convenience of the family.

Online condolences may be expressed at www.douglasfiery.com.

Grace Students Protest National Debt

Posted by Terry White on March 29, 2011  |  1 Comment

Oberbrunner Anecdote on ‘Preaching Today’

Posted by Terry White on March 29, 2011  |  No Comments

The following anecdote by Kary Oberbrunner, associate pastor of discipleship and leadership development at the Grace Brethren church in Powell, Ohio, is currently posted on “Preaching Today” from Christianity Today, Inc.:

Kary Oberbrunner

Kary Overbrunner, author of Your Secret name, shared a story about his encounter with an older man named Bob. While Kary was at the local gym, trying to stay focused on his exercise routine, he noticed an elderly man fumbling with an MP3 player and headphones. At first, Kary tried to ignore the man, but as the man was becoming more frustrated with the technology, Kary reluctantly introduced himself and asked if he could help.

The man dejectedly explained, “Hi, I’m Bob, and I love jazz, but I can’t get it on this dumb player.”

When Kary asked Bob if he had heard of iTunes, Bob shot back, “‘I’ what?”

It slowly dawned on Kary that God had placed Bob in his path for a reason. So they set a date when they could spend some more time unraveling Bob’s MP3 troubles.

Kary continues the story:

Against his initial wishes, I visited him at his apartment. Turns out his wife had died a couple years before, and all his earthly possessions were crammed into a small apartment. She had been their main breadwinner, so the bank repossessed his house when he was unable to make payments.

Bob and I made a makeshift space in his back room near his desktop computer. One at a time I imported his jazz CD collection onto his hard drive, intending to transfer the MP3s eventually to his player. While importing his music, Bob and I talked about life, his wife, and God.

The weeks following I checked in on Bob often. Kind of funny how two guys who are complete opposites can become the best of friends, all because of an MP3 player.

Bob is 71. I am 32. Bob is black. I am white. Bob doesn’t have much money. I have more than I need. Bob is an ex-convict. I’ve never been to jail. Bob is a widower. I’m married. [In short], we’re opposites.

A short time later I invited Bob to church, deeply desiring for him to meet Jesus. After a few invitations, he eventually accepted and sat with my wife and me last spring. If he felt awkward sitting in our mostly white church, he didn’t let on.

After the service … [we] knelt near the altar, and Bob told Jesus that he wanted to follow him. Bob confessed that he wanted to stop trying to control his life and invited Jesus to take over …. Bob wept and when I looked into his eyes I noticed the distinct peace that now defined his face.

Bob changed my life and the life of my church. I get more joy from him than he’ll ever understand. Whenever I say goodbye to him at the YMCA or hang up the phone after talking with him, he always tells me to “give his love to my family.” He wants me to baptize him this June at our next baptism.

I’m saddened by the reality that I almost missed Bob simply because I was too engrossed in my own little world.

 1 of 1

Kary Overbrunner, “‘What About Bob?’ How That Question Changed My Life,” New Man. eMagazine (4-14-09)

GBIF To Assist Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church In Completing the “Hub”

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on March 28, 2011  |  No Comments

Work continues on the Hub at the Winona Lake, Ind., Grace Brethren Church.

The Grace Brethren Investment Foundation (GBIF) is providing the financing necessary for the Winona Lake, Ind., Grace Brethren Church to complete a new building project called the “Hub.” The church’s strategic plan is to retrofit, remodel, and expand an existing building known as the Youth Center to a multi-functional facility to be called the “The Hub.”  The facility will serve as a multi-use hub for training and development for students, for college-age young adults, and for community groups. The expansion will include new bathrooms, a classroom-capable gathering area, and a multi-use courtyard/lobby.  The retrofit will ensure that people of all ages, both from the church and from the community, can benefit from this multi-use facility.

The church has received faith commitment promises from the congregation of around $1 million over three years and in excess of $300,000 has already been contributed.  The total project cost is approximately $1.3 million.  The goal is to wind-up with a low long-term mortgage amount.

“Once again the GBIF is honored to assist  Winona Lake in their latest step of faith.  The “Hub” will most certainly be a tremendous new gathering area not only for youth, but for people of all ages and the community at large.  We are excited to see how God will use the new facility.” said Ken Seyfert, executive director of operations for GBIF.

Scanning Work to Begin Soon on Brethren Publications

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on March 28, 2011  |  No Comments

On online archives of Brethren publications from the mid-19th century to the year 2000 is nearing reality as the Brethren Digital Archives committee met on Monday, March 28 at Winona Lake, Ind. With more than $15,000 in hand the group is ready to begin scanning the first set of old documents, many of which are crumbling on library shelves.

At today’s meeting, the group made plans to begin delivering publications to scanning centers by early summer. They have partnered with Lyrasis, the nation’s largest regional membership organization for libraries and information professionals, to see the venture completed. It is hoped to scan 22 periodicals and 10 almanacs that are attributed to the Brethren movement as part of this first phase. The final documents will be available at no charge on the Internet Archive.

Included in this project are publications attributed to the Grace Brethren movement: the Brethren Missionary Herald magazine, which published from 1939 to 1996 and two academic journals published by Grace Theological Seminary, Grace Journal (1960-1973), and Grace Theological Journal (1980-1991).

The Brethren Digital Archives committee met today at CE National in Winona Lake, Ind.

A second phase will begin as soon as funds are raised. This will include oversized publications and ones that are not bound, which is a requirement of the grant under which the first phase is being done.

If you would like to donate to the archives project, donations may be sent to the Brethren Missionary Herald Company, Box 544, Winona Lake, Ind., 46590, or the Brethren Heritage Center, 428 Wolf Creek St. Suite No. H1, Brookville, OH 45309-1297. Be sure to designate Brethren Digital Archives with your gift.

Volunteers are also needed to check the accuracy of the documents once they are scanned. If you would like to help, call the Brethren Heritage Center at (937) 833-5222 or email mail@brethrenheritagecenter.org.

Spring FGBC World Now Available

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on March 25, 2011  |  No Comments

Information about church planting, topics of scholarship by Grace Brethren pastors, and a look at the news of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches is all found in the new Spring 2011 issue of FGBC World, the quarterly magazine for the people and congregations of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches.

The magazine is currently in the mail to individual subscribers and will be delivered in bulk to Grace Brethren Churches. If you’d like a sneak peak at the content, check out the FGBC World website, fgbcworld.com.

Audio Interviews with ‘God of Hope’ Author Posted

Posted by Terry White on March 24, 2011  |  No Comments

'God of Hope' author J. Davis Illingworth, Jr.

Three separate eight-minute radio interviews with “God of Hope” BMH author J. Davis Illingworth are now available by clicking here.

The interviewer is Hugh Hewitt, host of a nationally syndicated radio show heard in more than 70 cities with more than two million listeners a week.  Hewitt is also a New York times best-selling author and professor of law at Chapman University Law School and has received three Emmys for his work on the Los Angeles PBS station.

Illingworth, in these three interviews, explains the “God of Hope” multi-media project by which he hopes to reach ten percent of the world’s population with the gospel. His book and accompanying small-group study guide (written by BMH’s Jesse Deloe) are available from online and in-store booksellers everywhere or at www.bmhbooks.com or by calling toll-free 1-800-348-2756.

Washington Church Leader Melvin Curfman Dies

Posted by Terry White on March 23, 2011  |  1 Comment

Chuck Winter of Sunnyside, Washington, has informed us of the passing of Melvin Curfman of Sunnyside. He and his wife, Charlotte, were founding members of the Toppenish Grace Brethren Church and later relocated to the Sunnyside Grace Brethren Church. Mel was passionate about Christian camping and was instrumental in developing Clear Lake Grace Brethren Camp. The following obituary appeared in the Yakima newspaper.

 Melvin Curfman passed away peacefully in his home March 21, 2011, after a short battle with cancer.

Melvin was born in New Mexico on October 7, 1931. At six years old, the Dust Bowl devastated their family farm and forced his family to move to the Yakima Valley in search of more fertile land. Mel grew up in Granger and from a young age displayed a hard work ethic and an aptitude for ingenuity and creating with his hands.

Mel knew Charlotte from church and they were married in a double-wedding with Charlotte’s sister in Sunnyside on March 17, 1950. Three children – Ron, Bob, and Kathie – soon followed. Mel worked hard at farming but struggled to make ends meet. When Mel’s farm-grown ability to build and repair equipment was recognized by the owner of The Farm Shop, he was offered a job as a machinist on the spot.

 Mel would later own and operate The Farm Shop, where he designed, fabricated, and repaired farm equipment. He found satisfaction in helping others solve problems by restoring, modifying, or creating new equipment. His spreaders and mixers can still be seen operating around the valley.

Faith in Christ was central to Melvin’s life. Along with Charlotte, he was a founding member of the Toppenish Grace Brethren Church. He worshipped and served faithfully alongside the church family there before relocating to the Sunnyside Grace Brethren Church.

He was passionate about Christian camping and served for many years on the board of Clear Lake Grace Brethren Camp, where he was able to use his talent and skill to develop the campground. In addition to shouldering several major construction projects there, he also spent countless Saturdays repairing and maintaining the facilities.

In his retirement, Mel refused to slow down. Everywhere he went, Mel saw opportunity to improve things until they were right and beautiful. He continued to improve the campground at Clear Lake. He worked tirelessly to transform an old gravel pit into beautiful “Curfman Park,” where family and church events are now held. When the Outlook cemetery fell into disrepair, he was instrumental in restoring it to its current beauty.

He loved to spend time in his wood shop, where he created and gave away bowls, cups, vases, and board games. Despite all the hard work, Mel always had time for friends and family, whether it was camping, playing yard and table games, working on a project together, or having lunch at Jack-in-the-Box.

In both his living and his dying, Mel placed his hope steadfastly in His Savior, Jesus Christ. In Christ, Mel died holding to the promise of resurrection. So too, in their grief his family now believes firmly that Mel’s death will ultimately be swallowed up in the victory of Christ’s resurrection. “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:54-57).

Melvin leaves behind a legacy of combining Christian faith and service with hard work and innovation. He is survived by Charlotte, his wife of 61 years, sons Ron (Melody) and Bob (Dinah) Curfman, daughter Kathie (David) Copenhaver, brother Troy (Kathleen) Curfman, sister Bema Lou (Claire) Floyd, and sister-in-law Avis Curfman. His grandchildren are Silas (Natalie) Curfman, Rachel (David) Cantu, Sara (Troy) Titus, Katie (Justin) Carter, Caleb (Tara) Curfman, Adam (Susie) Copenhaver, Alyssa Copenhaver, Ronnie Curfman, Bobby (Lindsee) Curfman, Collin Curfman, and Austin Copenhaver. He is fondly remembered also by his great-grandchildren, Jonah, Adia, Isaiah, Gabriel, Simon, Elijah, Calvin, Tyler, Micah, Aksel, Alaythia, RJ, Max, and Lailah. Melvin is preceded in death by his parents and by brothers Wilford and Clifton Curfman.

A viewing will be held Friday, March 25, from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Smith Funeral Home in Sunnyside. A memorial service will be conducted Saturday, March 26, 10:00 a.m. at the Sunnyside Grace Brethren Church. A graveside service will follow at Outlook Cemetery.

Memorial funds will be used for new tables in the dining hall at Clear Lake Grace Brethren Camp, and can be sent to CLGBC, PO Box 938, Sunnyside, WA 98944. Those wishing to sign Melvin’s online memorial book may do so at www.funeralhomesmith.com.

Maitland Church Plant Concludes Effort

Posted by Terry White on March 21, 2011  |  2 Comments

Kirt Henman and Tyler Zielasko, who have been active the past several years in pioneering NewSpring Church, a Grace Brethren church plant in Maitland, Florida, have informed members of their flock that the core group has reached the end of its resources, is not able to sustain further activity, and will be closing.

In a note to those who have been part of the effort, Henman said, “We talked about what God has to say when things in our life do not go as we expect or plan.  We celebrated the great God that we serve, and His goodness to us.

“Tyler and I would like to thank all of you who prayed, served, and were a part of NewSpring.  We consider it a privilege to be your pastors.

“Please pray for the Henmans and Zielaskos in this transition time as we look for new jobs, the sale of our homes, etc.”

Heidi Sisson’s Father With Jesus

Posted by Terry White on March 19, 2011  |  2 Comments

Heidi Sisson, GBIM missionary to Central Africa.

The website of Grace Brethren International Missions this Saturday morning is reporting the following regarding GBIM missionary Heidi Sisson, who serves in the Central African Republic:

Todd Scoles Remembered by BMH Board

Posted by Terry White on March 19, 2011  |  No Comments

Linda Scoles (seated, center, dark sweater) received a "Divine Servant" statue from the Brethren Missionary Herald board in honor of her late husband, Todd, who was BMH board president (Daron Butler photo)

The board of the Brethren Missionary Herald Co., a national organization affiliated with the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches, met this past Thursday and Friday in Winona Lake, Indiana, for their annual spring board meeting.

A special part of the meeting included an informal dinner for board members, employees and spouses at the home of BMH executive director Liz Cutler Gates, at which Linda Scoles (seated, center, dark sweater) and her daughter Rachel were presented with a 1/3 size bronzed sculpture of “The Divine Servant” (Jesus washing Peter’s feet) in honor of their husband and father the late Todd Scoles.

Todd Scoles, who was serving as BMH board president, convened the October, 2010 meeting of the board and two days later died unexpectedly while riding his bicycle. Board members and BMH employees shared memories of Todd and his leadership and supported his family with love and prayers as the evening concluded.

GBIM missionary Barb Wooler, who had just been named vice-president of the board at the October meeting, moved into the president’s position and led this March meeting of the board. Agenda items, in addition to financial and publishing reports, included significant discussion about BMH’s role in the CHARIS movement, plans for the upcoming summer national conference of the FGBC, and a phone consultation with the new moderator of the FGBC, Pastor Robert Fetterhoff of Wooster, Ohio.

Vision2020 Leadership Conference Now Online

Posted by Terry White on March 18, 2011  |  No Comments

The Vision2020 Leadership conference is now online!

Featuring:

• Be strengthened and challenged through great speakers including Brad Powell, Jim Custer, Dan Allan, Jeff Bogue, Jim Brown, and Bob Fetterhoff.
• Gain added value through preconference options including “The Blessing”, Women’s Leadership Studies, Antioch Certification.
• Rejoice in news from our National Ministries during Breakfasts, Lunches and Dinners.
• Enjoy amazing hospitality from Wooster Grace Brethren Church.
• Join the Grand Finale’ of all three Operation Barnabas teams.
• Celebrate new churches.
• Commission new missionaries.
• Pray! Pray! Pray!
• See what the Bible says about God’s glory and the mission of the church.
• Relax because your children are cared for in Child Care and Kids Konference.
• Arrive in style by car or from one of three regional airports.
• Anticipate more as plans for Vision2020 advance.

NEWS FLASH! Wooster Ohio a popular summer vacation destination and hotels rooms will be difficult to find if you wait. Reserve a room as soon as possible!

Check out the web page: www.vision2020now.com

Vision2020 is the annual conference of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches (FGBC) to be held this summer in Wooster, Ohio. This conference will mark the beginning of a new decade for the FGBC. We are encouraging every pastor and leader of an FGBC church and anyone who has a passion for ministry to come to the Vision2020 Leadership Conference.

Justinianos Request Specific Prayer

Posted by Terry White on March 18, 2011  |  No Comments

UPDATE & URGENT PRAYER FOR JAPAN

We have received this email from Ralph Justiniano in Japan:

“Dear friends,
“Again, our thanks to you for your concern and faithful prayer for all of us in Japan.

“I have an urgent prayer request: could you pause and take time now to pray? This is urgent, but also something potentially victorious.

The biggest concern right now is a worsening of the situation with the nuclear plant in Fukushima. From the original disaster at the plant, there has been an attempt to bring in an auxiliary power cable needed for pumping sea water in to keep the nuclear fuel rods cool. If this project can be completed, the potential catastrophe there can be reversed 180 degrees.

The person overseeing this project is a Christian man named Naoyoshi Sato. This project seems to be much more difficult than anyone expected. Please pray that the hand of the Lord would be on our brother in Christ so that the project would be successful. May the Lord be glorified in the resolution of this grave situation.

“Here is a recap of areas we can use prayer:

1) “No further damage to the reactors; success for Naoyoshi Sato’s power cable project. The potential for further disaster still looms.
2) “Protection for the many workers trying to control the situation in the high radiation zones, including Naoyoshi Sato and his crew.
3) “Relief for the nearly half million people in temporary shelters with an inadequate amount of blankets and resources to keep them warm, as well as comfort for the thousands grieving who have lost family members.
4) “Wisdom and resources for the relief efforts. We will be coordinating with CRASH, a Chrisitan Relief Organization, to see how best we can be of help.”

Brubakers to Hold Discussion on Grief

Posted by Terry White on March 18, 2011  |  No Comments

Mike and Margie Brubaker will be conducting a Fireside Dialogue Monday, March 21 on handling grief. Mike is an associate pastor at the Grace Brethren Church in Frederick, Md., Margie is employed at Vital Sources as a licensed clinical professional counselor.

Mike and Margie will highlight a biblical view of grief with Scripture passages that demonstrate its reality, role in our lives, and the presence of God through it all. A strong practical thread will address personal issues like knowing how to be with someone walking through loss. What do I say? What do I NOT say? How can a church minister effectively during grief? What do we need to know that will equip us for truly caring for grieving people?

The dialogue will begin at 2:30 pm, Monday, March 21 at CE National’s Russell Center on the campus of CE National at Winona Lake, Indiana.  Everyone is invited to attend. Contact cenational@cenational.org with questions.

Chico, CA, Church Calls Pastor

Posted by Terry White on March 18, 2011  |  No Comments

Matthew Raley

Church consultant Mike Martin sends the following update regarding the Grace Brethren church in Chico, California:

Thank you all for your prayers and the speaking support we have received.  We would especially like to thank Jan Brumbaugh and his wife Charlene for their support during January (all five weeks!).  We also enjoyed Tom Avey on February 6th and Jim Romero of Auburn on February 13^th.  We look forward to Kevin Ong next week, and John McIntosh from Simi Valley GBC will be here for both services on March 13^th.  The congregation has really opened up since the first of the year and we feel God moving in our midst again.  I am still looking for speakers for the March 20^th and March 27^th morning services.

I am also pleased to announce that GBC, Chico has found a pastor.  He spoke to the congregation yesterday morning and was voted in last night at our Annual Business meeting.  It would seem that the search went far too quickly as we expected it to take at least 6 months, but everyone feels strongly that this is from God.  His name is Matt Raley, and he is currently Senior Pastor at Orland Evangelical Free Church (since 1999). 

• Matt grew up in Chico and his grandparents were members of our church (his grandfather an Elder). 
• He went to elementary school next door to the current location of the church, though the church was a Baptist congregation at that time.
• He is a graduate (MDIV) of Western Seminary in Portland, OR and is currently in a PhD program at Southern Seminary in Louisville, KY.
• Matt also plays violin with the North State Symphony and tutors music students at the University here.

When Matt was contacted by the GBC Search Committee, he immediately advised the Elder Board at his church.  After some discussion, they told him they supported him and that if God did move him to GBC that they would also send 30 attenders of the Orland church that live in Chico with him  to GBC (Orland is about 30 miles west of Chico).  This group includes three professors at CSUC.  Needless to say, there is a desire to start a ministry to college students.

April 3^rd the Orland church is planning a special service to both send Matt to Chico and commission a new work in Corning (about 10 miles north of Orland).  They have invited GBC, Chico and I will be working on the logistics for that in the next few weeks.  Matt has developed a successful ministry in Orland, with mature leadership.  They started out with less than 100 attenders and now have more than 250 in two services.  Matt also chaired a work to start a Christian school and the church opened an Alzheimer’s care facility.  The church and the Raleys’ are very respected in the community. 

I am now thinking we should plan an installation service for April.  If any of you have any outlines for a service I would appreciate your suggestions.  Matt’s first service as the pastor of GBC, Chico will be April 10^th.

VisionOhio Gives Church Planting Update

Posted by Terry White on March 18, 2011  |  No Comments

Tony Webb, who works with VisionOhio, one of the Fellowship’s premier church-planting organizations, sends along the following updates from church planting efforts.

New Grace Brethren Churches in Ohio: I had shared in my last prayer communication about a Gatherer/shepherd/elder (GSE) effort to planting a new Grace Brethren church in Ft Recovery. To update you on this project, the team there: Pastor Nick and Charlene and Nick and Stacey are going to invest six months worth of prayer walks in Ft Recovery as they take on this project. I think they are doing a great thing! Pray for them and for Ft Recovery.

Continue to pray for other new works God is stirring here in Ohio.

Johnstown: Keep us in your prayers as we continue to work at the formation of our new Grace Brethren church here. Cathy and I are working with another couple, Wes and Libby, to form this new work and penetrate our immediate area. We are continuing the neighborhood gathering events and also focusing on determining who we are and how we wish to communicate who we are to those for whom God has already prepared their hearts.

White Stone: We continue on with our work in the Polaris, North Columbus area. We meet on Wednesday nights and our recent prayer focus has been on others with whom we can share the White Stone vision and story. Pray for us as we engage others. Pray as well for our White Stone Bible study we are doing on Fridays at lunch time. God is stirring hearts and allowing us opportunities to meet new people.

One a day Symposium: We had our second One a Day Symposium last week. These events are for the purpose of building kingdom relationships in Ohio among groups that preach the powerful, life transforming gospel of Jesus Christ. Our goal is to share the “one new church a day in Ohio” vision and building relationships for communication, prayer and other support areas. Our best numbers is around 80 new churches a year in Ohio, we are asking and praying for a new church a day, or 365 new churches in Ohio in a year. Please continue to pray for this.

Greater Columbus team: Our VisionOhio 2020 Future Story has directed our attention to work at forming teams of leaders to help the various visions of local churches to work together for greater penetration of a metropolitan area with the gospel. These team’s goal is to “find visionary ways to cooperate” together (from our Future Story) and work as effectively as possible together. A group of Grace Brethren pastors from around Greater Columbus met two weeks ago and are in a three-week prayer cycle seeking how God wants us to build this team here in Greater Columbus – pray for this process and these wonderful co-laborers here in Greater Columbus.

GSE to West Penn District: I have the great privilege to share together with our Grace Brethren brothers in West Penn at their district retreat. I am looking forward to sharing how the Gatherer/shepherd/elder model for forming new churches works. Please pray for this opportunity and how God might be able to use the GSE in Western PA for His sake. The retreat is May 1-2.

Retreat for 35 year old and younger leaders: On April 1-3 the leaders of the five church planting efforts in our fellowship (Tim Boal, Nathan Bryant, Neil Cole, Dave Guiles and myself) are hosting a retreat in which we have invited leaders 35 and younger to come away for two days. Our desire is to seek God with what He would have for us during this time. Pray for the two-day event and ask God to continue to make Himself clear to us as we pursue Him and others who do not yet know Him.

Fund Raising: The most amazing thing happened with the last prayer letter I sent out in February. I hit the “send” button and in the next 24 hours God sent two more financial commitments in support of us – it was amazing! Thanks for praying. Right now it seems that I am about $5-6,000 short of full support for 2011. Thank you for financially supporting me and thank you for praying for me – it is all very obviously felt and seen! God is amazing – and so are His people!

Greenville (OH) to Host Worship Workshop

Posted by Terry White on March 16, 2011  |  No Comments

Worship Workshop 2011

March 19, 2011

10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

at Greenville Grace Church
Workshop Cost: $5 (includes lunch)

Worship Workshop 2011 is a 4-hour seminar designed to edify the church by teaching  musical skill and Biblical conviction to those who serve in music.  This event is not a music lesson, but is meant to encourage the body of Christ by training its servants from a Biblically-centered perspective.

Visit our About page for a detailed list of this year’s breakout sessions and schedule.  To register for the workshop, visit our Registration Page.

Want to Win a ‘Manly Bible?’

Posted by Terry White on March 16, 2011  |  No Comments

From this morning’s Columbus (OH) Dispatch:

Pick the  brackets, and earthly reward is ‘manly’ Bible

By Meredith Heagney

Stanley writes a blog for the men’s ministry at the church. The brackets contest is aimed at attracting more men to the blog.

A “Y” chromosome is not a prerequisite for playing. Neither is church membership.

The brackets can be filled out online, and participation is free. Only eight people had signed up by yesterday, so the chances of winning could be a lot better than in an office pool.

Ann Mayo, the director of the Center for Sport Management at Seton Hall University in New Jersey, has never heard of a church hosting a pool but said it’s proof that “the NCAA tournament has pervaded every kind of atmosphere.”

Playing for a Bible helps keep things in perspective, Stanley said. A huge fan of the Buckeyes, he admits that he’s gotten so wrapped up in a sporting event that he’s prayed for the outcome, even though he knows that’s ultimately unimportant.

In fact, “if God found it more glorifying to him that Michigan win a football game against the Buckeyes, I would be OK with that,” he said, even though “it almost makes me choke as I say that.”

“The truth is, I want God to be glorified regardless of who wins the game.”

To join the quest to win the Bible, go to www.thefrontieratgrace.com.

Japan Earthquake Relief Fund, News Updates

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on March 14, 2011  |  No Comments

Grace Brethren International Missions, who administers the emergency relief fund for the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches, Relief Agency Brethren, has announced a partnership with other mission agencies.

Posted on gbim.org today:

Wayne Hannah, Regional Director of Asia, been in regular contact with Ralph and Joan Justiniano in Tokyo, our Team Leader for Japan.  They have contacted a number of mission organizations and Japanese church groups to discover the best possible channel through which our Grace Brethren family worldwide can respond and provide relief.  One such partnership of missionary groups and Japanese evangelical churches has emerged and we are confident that any and all relief contributions will be used in the best possible way to provide a Christian response to this disaster.

If you’d like to donate toward providing relief for Japan in the wake of the 8.9 magnitude earthquake and resulting tsunami, click here.

As of Monday afternoon (March 14), only people in Japan may volunteer to provide physical relief help. At this time, no teams are being created to travel to Japan to offer assistance.

In other news, pastors of Grace Brethren congregations in Hawaii have reported little or no damage as a result of the tsunami that was expected to hit Hawaii on Friday, March 11.

From Ted Kirnbauer, pastor of Grace Fellowship in Waipahu, Hawaii, late Friday:

The tsunami hit Oahu at about 3:30 a.m., exposing reefs before surging onto beaches and up canals. The wave height however was only about 3 feet – nothing like our normal images of a “tsunami.”

I heard that a few buildings on Maui and some boats on Oahu  were damaged but to my knowledge there was no major damage or any deaths. Praise God for that!

We opened the church Thursday night for some people who had to evacuate their homes but the threat passed around 11 a.m. and all roads were opened.

Other than schools being closed, life is back to normal – 75 degrees, sunny skies and 10-15 mph trade winds. God is good.

Thanks for your aloha and prayers!

Later Friday evening, Ted reported:

It seems like more details have come in since the news update that I read before I wrote to you and there is more damage than I heard when I wrote – some areas have estimated damage of ten million dollars, and there were larger waves that also came in though reports seem to conflict.

From Frank Figueroa, pastor of Waipio Grace Brethren Church, Mililani, Hawaii:

We are all fine, but let’s please continue to pray for those in Japan.

Beau Stanley Writing New Men’s Blog

Posted by Terry White on March 14, 2011  |  No Comments

Beau Stanley, who is on the pastoral staff of the Grace Brethren church in Columbus (Worthington), Ohio is writing a new men’s blog .

Beau’s dad, Mike, notes in an objective, unbiased comment, “ Beau is a gifted writer as proclaimed by many others than me. I have read the blogs for the past two months and frankly I am impressed with his insight and wisdom. “

The blog may be accessed at  thefrontieratgrace.com

Mike Stanley also notes, “Once you reach this page if you click on the Word Press icon you can get the blog sent to your smart phone each day. The articles are generally short (man size) and to the point. May you be blessed by reading these as I have.”