BMH Editor's Blog

GBIM Acquires New Stewardship Director

Posted by Terry White on August 31, 2011  |  No Comments

David and Mickey Kaufman

Grace Brethren International Missions, Winona Lake, Indiana, has announced that longtime TEAM missionary Mickey Kaufman will be joining GBIM as Director of Stewardship Ministries.  Her first day with GBIM will be September 19.

David Guiles, GBIM executive director, commented that in the search for more effective supporting services, “one concern consistently rose to the top of the list—how to help new and existing staff members create and maintain a healthy support team. Toward that end, we invited Mickey to join our staff.”

Working with Dave Lewis, Stewardship Mobilizer with GBIM, Kaufman will focus on developing appropriate methods for training and coaching staff in creating and maintaining a support team; developing increased relational contact with current and prospective major donors; and overseeing ongoing national campaigns to increase financial and prayer support.

Kaufman began her ministry in her hometown of Escanaba, Michigan, and has worked with the American Sunday School Union, with a church in Kentucky, and service with TEAM in France, Russia, and since 1999 at TEAM’s headquarters in Wheaton, Illinois.

Kaufman said, “Being at the home office of a mission organization is like being at the Pentagon for a military organization. So that the ‘troops’ out there can do the job they need to do, the people here provide support ministries to insure the missionaries’ success and safety.”

Kaufman’s first day with GBIM will be Monday, September 19.

Pastoral Changes/Additions in the FGBC

Posted by Terry White on August 30, 2011  |  No Comments

Here are some news items regarding pastoral personnel in the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches.

The North Central Ohio district on Wednesday, September 14, will examine pastor Mark Abel of Southview Grace Brethren Church in Ashland, Ohio, for ordination and pastor Rick Dale of the Lexington Grace Brethren Church for licensure.
Capital City Grace Church, a relatively new and growing Grace Brethren church plant in downtown Columbus, Ohio, is looking for someone to lead 35-45 people in contemporary worship in an intimate atmosphere during Sunday morning services.  Reply to Eric – eric@capitalcitygrace.com
http://www.capitalcitygrace.org

Church staff additions include Evan Uhl and Adam Borsay  to the staff at Upper Arlington (Ohio) Grace Brethren Church.  Mike Yoder was installed this past Sunday as senior pastor at the Columbus (Worthington) Grace Brethren Church.  Marysville, Ohio, Grace Brethren Church has added Kelvin Cooke as an associate on staff.  Larry Edwards, formerly of Ashland Southview, is the new pastor of the West Kittanning (Penna.) Grace Brethren Church.

Galegor Storm Report: ‘A Roar But No Fury’

Posted by Terry White on August 30, 2011  |  No Comments

The Steve Galegor, Jr., family, who work in evangelism and church planting with Albanians from their home in Clifton, New Jersey, sent the following report on their encounter this week with Hurricane Irene.

After a couple of days of cleanup, I am getting back to you all to let you know that we appreciate your prayers in the fact that Sunday’s storm passed by with a roar but no fury per se.  I have checked in with most of our Albanian believers and friends and none had any major incidents – just a few roof leaks here and there and the damp basements here and there as well.

We had protection from the trees which were really swaying on the back side of the storm on Sunday afternoon.  The eye passed about 15 miles east of us and it was quite ominous and awesome to the see the clouds spinning

Steve Galegor, Jr.

across the expanse of the sky as they were.  Our home sprang a few leaks in the roof over night Saturday into Sunday so we were up setting up buckets in the attic under the drips.  All is dried out now and more leaves and branches from the yard than we can remember for a long time.

We are grateful to the Lord for His protection and missed being with His covenant community over the weekend.  Would you pray as we hope to gather the New Jersey and Brooklyn churches together this weekend for a meal and joint worship service in our backyard on Sunday.  We haven’t  all been together for quite some time. It is timely as we are working on a church covenant together that will serve to strengthen and build unity within the churches.  Pray as Steve prepares and teaches toward that end.

Again, we thank you for your prayers and concerns on our behalf.  Thanks for standing with us.

Columbus Ordains Three

Posted by Terry White on August 30, 2011  |  No Comments

Three associate pastors of the Grace Brethren Church of Columbus (Worthington) were ordained to the ministry this past Sunday, August 28, the same day as the church’s new senior pastor, Mike Yoder, was installed. The three, along with their wives, knelt at the front of the church as elders laid hands on them and prayed for success in their ministries. The three newly-ordained pastors are Beau Stanley, Jonathan Wiley, and Gary Webb (Bill Palmateer photo).

Medicine Hat Gets Ready for September 11 Launch

Posted by Terry White on August 30, 2011  |  No Comments

Canadian church planter Bart Blair reports, “On Sunday, August 28 we held our first Sunday morning service at the Galaxy movie theatre in Medicine Hat. After three months of Sunday evening services, this was an exciting and monumental move in our progress toward launch.

“We have not yet invited the public to our services, as we are still in preparation mode, but our team has grown to about 30 people (including children). It is very exciting to see how God has brought the pieces together necessary for a successful launch.

“The first Sunday in the theatre was an adventure. Most of our audio and video equipment is still in transit to Medicine Hat so we had to improvise and simplify to make everything work. But all-in-all, it was a great morning and we are all very excited about what is to come as we officially launch on September 11.

“We were quite excited to be able to host  two events (Great Canadian Adventure and the Grace Trans Canada Summit) which saw more than 150 people from Grace Brethren churches across the U.S. and Canada join us in the Hat to serve the community and raise the awareness of the Grasslands launch.

“We washed cars (for free), hosted park programs (for free), collected junk & garbage (for free), gave BMX and skateboard clinics (for free) and a whole lot more. We also partnered with Habitat for Humanity and a local women’s shelter to provide some much-needed labour in preparing residences for new occupants.

“You can CLICK HERE to view photos from the GCA week and/or visit the Grace Summit Facebook page to see photos from that week.”

Grace to Sponsor Lyceum Series September 16

Posted by Terry White on August 30, 2011  |  No Comments

Dr. John Fea

John Fea, historian and chair of the Department of History at Messiah College in Pennsylvania, will be speaking on “Was America Founded as a Christian Nation?” on Friday, September 16, at 7 p.m. in Westmin­ster Hall on the Grace College campus, Winona Lake, Indiana.

Grace history faculty member Jared Bukholder says, “John is a committed Christian and takes a balanced approach to this contentious question, presenting the topic in a way that does justice to the complexities and challenges of historical interpreta­tion.”

The event is free and open to the public and is based on Fea’s recent book of the same title. The Fea lecture is also commemorating Constitution Day (September 17). For more information, contact Jared Burkholder at burkhojs@grace.edu.

Grace Grad David Floyd Named OrthoWorx CEO

Posted by Terry White on August 30, 2011  |  No Comments

David Floyd

OrthoWorx today announced that David K. Floyd, a 1983 Grace College grad, will join the Warsaw, Indiana-based community group as Chief Executive Officer, effective September 6, 2011. Mr. Floyd most recently served as Worldwide President of DePuy Orthopaedics, a Johnson & Johnson Company headquartered in Warsaw.
“We are delighted that David has agreed to join our organization as Chief Executive Officer,” said Cheryl R. Blanchard, PhD, chair of the OrthoWorx Board of Directors. “David’s industry experience as the global head of a multi-billion dollar orthopedic enterprise, his leadership in the creation and launch of OrthoWorx, and his deep connections to the Warsaw community make him ideally suited for this position.”
Mr. Floyd was a founding member of the OrthoWorx Board of Directors and served on the board until April 2011. He also has served as chair of the organization’s Transportation and Logistics Initiative. He began his orthopedic industry career at Zimmer in Warsaw in 1987 and is a graduate of Grace College in Winona Lake, Indiana.

“I am delighted to join OrthoWorx and to be able to draw on my experiences in leadership and in the orthopedic industry in a different way—to help the Warsaw region continue to thrive as the orthopedic capital of the world,” said Mr. Floyd.

He continues, “The formation of OrthoWorx was a recognition that the Warsaw area must continue to advance and adapt to new global pressures if it is to retain its status as a world-class center of research, development and manufacturing. In its first two years, OrthoWorx has made excellent progress on a number of initiatives and has built important collaborative relationships with community stakeholders. I am excited about working with the Board and our executive director, Brad Bishop, to continue that work. The orthopedic industry has been a great Indiana success story and I believe it can continue to be a powerful driver of our region’s overall economy.”

Mr. Floyd joined DePuy Orthopaedics as U.S. President in September 2007, coming from Abbott Spine, where he served as President of the worldwide spine business. He has held executive leadership positions in several companies, including President of Centerpulse Orthopedics and President and CEO of AxioMed Spine Corporation.

He is an alumnus of the Miller Graduate School of Business at Ball State University and the Kosciusko Leadership Academy. He serves as a Director of the Orthopedic Capital Foundation and on the President’s Advisory Council and the Strategic Planning Committee for Grace College.

Grace Brethren Congregations Fare Well in Face of Irene

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on August 29, 2011  |  No Comments

Volunteers from Gateway Church in Pennsylvania assisted the Red Cross in setting up two shelters in Avon Grove and Downingtown, Pa.

As Hurricane Irene set target on the eastern seaboard late last week, the editors at BMH wondered how Grace Brethren congregations in the region were faring in the face of the impending storm. We contacted a few pastors who we thought might be in the path of the storm, which was then expected to be a level 3 hurricane when it hit land.

By late Friday, at least one Grace Brethren congregation, Awaken Church in Virginia Beach, Va. (Michael Pumphery, pastor), had cancelled services, announcing on its Facebook page:

Due to the hurricane, we have decided to cancel this weekends worship gathering. We will be updating the website with information regarding possible relief work on Sunday. Please contact us if you need anything at all. Please take all the right precautions to be safe this weekend!

Late Monday Pastor Mike reported: “We were going to meet to do relief work, but there wasn’t really enough damage for us in our area besides just loss of power.  We are doing well though.”

On Sunday, at Gateway Church, a Grace Brethren congregation in Parkesburg and Elk Creek, Pa. (outside of Philadelphia), volunteers assisted the Red Cross in setting up shelters.

“We cancelled our services this morning and encouraged folks to serve their neighbors or come and serve at the shelters,” reported Pastor Mike Silliman on Sunday afternoon. “Instead of going to church, we brought the church to the people. We gave rides to workers, emptied trash, served food, and showed a movie using the church’s projector and sound system. Some of our members played with the children and did various crafts with them. The Avon Grove shelter cared for 160 people last night with the potential of serving many more tonight.”

Another suburban Philadelphia church ministers to the homeless and shared concerns about potential flooding as a result of the storm.

“We are along the banks of the Schuylkill River in Pottstown, where our mobile shelter supplies are stored at our MAIN St Shelter Intake Center,” says Pastor Kork Moyer of the Still Waters Home Churches and Worship Center. He helps oversee a seasonal homeless shelter in the area. “The Intake Center is located below ground and is nearly prepared for reopening in November, as we are anticipating dismantling the entire thing, fearing another flood.  We are hoping that it will not develop into a repeat of the 2006 Schuylkill flood where we had to evacuate, and cleanup set us on our heels for the next sheltering season,” he added.

“We are hoping for the best, praying first for our homeless friends living in tent communities this summer, as we try to keep them safe during the storm, praying that we are able to save our supplies, as we potentially will be called upon to open early, should folks become displaced, for strength, and lastly we are always in jeopardy of close due to low financial contributions, and are hoping God will provide what we need as deficits rise along with more, and more need,” concluded Pastor Kork.

In another Philadelphia suburb, church members didn’t expect to receive the brunt of the storm. “We are about 100 miles from the ocean and are expecting some nasty weather here but we don’t anticipate any major damage,” said Pastor Bob Greenwood of the New Life Community Grace Brethren Church in Souderton on Saturday afternoon. “The worst of it is expected at 8:00 Sunday morning. We have cancelled Sunday school hour and will have only our church service at 10:30. We’ll use that time for corporate prayer for effected locations. “

Continue to pray for people and churches in areas that have been impacted by the storm.

Mike Yoder Installed as Columbus Pastor

Posted by Terry White on August 28, 2011  |  No Comments

Mike Yoder (right), along with his wife, Letitia, and their four children, participated in the pastoral installation service this morning at the Grace Brethren Church of Columbus (Worthington), Ohio. At left is executive pastor Jim Augspurger

Mike Yoder was installed this morning as the fourth pastor of the Grace Brethren Church of Columbus (Worthington), Ohio.  Former GBIM Executive Director Tom Julien was the speaker. The service was followed by a massive potluck lunch under tents in the church’s parking lot.  Yoder, 40, previously spent about a decade as a missionary in Germany with the Grace Brethren International Missions.

Wooster Church Is On Mission In Asia

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on August 26, 2011  |  No Comments

South East Asia from Teri Myers on Vimeo.

The volunteers from the Grace Brethren Church in Wooster, Ohio, recently visited the orphan home they sponsor in Southeast Asia through Asia’s Hope. Here’s a video report of that trip.

Racing Grace Alum Known as ‘Faster Pastor’

Posted by Terry White on August 26, 2011  |  No Comments

If you take a look at the website for Crossroads Community Church in Madison, Ohio, you can find a picture of Pastor Mike Haury, dressed up in a suit and flashing a warm, inviting smile as he sits in front of an open Bible. Now imagine him wearing a racing helmet and traveling at speeds of over 100 miles per hour in his own supermodified stock car.

Haury, who has come to be known as the “Faster Pastor,” races his car once or twice a month at the Lorain County Speedway in Elyria, Ohio, where he also serves as the track’s manager.

To read the entire story, click here.

Moving Forward After the Death of a Pastor

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on August 26, 2011  |  1 Comment

Pastor David R. Plaster, 1949-2010

Today’s Columbus, Ohio, Dispatch, includes an article about what happens when a pastor suddenly dies. Jim Augspurger, administrative pastor at the Grace Brethren Church on the north side of Columbus, is quoted regarding the response following of that congregation when David Plaster, then pastor of the church, died in March 2010 after being ill for two months.

On Sunday, Grace Brethren Church of Columbus will install a new pastor, the Rev. Mike Yoder, 40, from Chicago. The Westerville church, which has Sunday attendance of about 2,400, lost its former pastor in March 2010. The Rev. Dave Plaster, 60, died from a neurological disease after feeling ill for only about two months.

The church took some time to grieve and put together a team of seven associate pastors to cover Plaster’s preaching duties, said the Rev. Jim Augspurger, executive pastor. He took over much of Plaster’s administrative responsibilities.

“The nice thing about a larger church is there are lots of people to pick up the different areas and the different aspects of the ministry that Dave did,” Augspurger said.

Read the complete story here.

A Pearl in a Field

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on August 26, 2011  |  No Comments

John McCollum, executive director of Asia’s Hope, a cooperating ministry of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches that is dedicated to providing care for orphaned children who are at high risk of sexual and economic exploitation in Southeast Asia, is traveling in India. He is investigating the possibility of expanding the ministry in that country.

This morning, he blogged about the experience. A portion of it is below. (Read the complete post here.)

The views alone are probably worth it. I mean, I can see the Himalayas from my hotel window. That is, quite objectively speaking, pretty cool. But I’m not here for the postcard panoramas — the real beauty to be found in Northern India is in its towns, its villages, its churches. As we’ve traveled throughout West Bengal and Sikkim, skirting Nepal, Bhutan and China, we’ve seen villages without schools, hospitals or jobs. In these villages, most families are so poor that they can barely feed their own children, much less the orphans in their midst.

That doesn’t stop some of them from trying. Tiny churches across the regions have become by default drop-in centers, daycare facilities and even orphanages. We’ve met the pastors, have joined in their worship services, and have cried out to God for the resources to help them care for these precious kids. Apart from the people of God, these kids, who face a life of abject poverty and exploitation, have no hope. No means of transformation. No bootstraps to pull on, no safety net to catch them if they fall.

And that’s why we’re here. We’ve seen what can happen when God’s people work together, when rich brothers and sisters in places like Goshen, Indiana and Montreal, Quebec reach their hands out to their poor brothers and sisters in places like Battambang, Cambodia and Doi Saket, Thailand. We’ve seen kids — homeless and hopeless, filthy and forlorn — transformed by the love of God into healthy, happy and hopeful children who are destined for excellence, not exploitation.

And we want more.

It’s not going to be easy, and it’s not going to be cheap. But each kid living as an orphan in a remote mountain village in Northern India is as precious to God as your child or mine. We’ve seen the need, we have the strategies and the experience necessary to save dozens – maybe hundreds of these kids. How can we turn away?

Jesus told the story of a man who found a pearl of immense worth hidden in a field; the man sold everything he had to buy the field and take possession of the pearl. We’ve found such a treasure in the mountains of West Bengal and Sikkim, and with your help, we’d like to lay hold of it.

More – much more – to come.

Read the complete post here.

Four Couples Complete Church-Planting Assessments

Posted by Terry White on August 25, 2011  |  No Comments

A group of four couples were assessed for church-planting potential this week by the North American Church Multiplication Center. The assessment was held at the Sandberg Leadership Center on the campus of Ashland Theological Seminary in Ashland, Ohio.

Back L to R: David Miller, Mark Artrip, Bill Ludwig, James Hunt. Middle: Ron Boehm, Sarah Miller, Kristin Artrip, Jennifer Ludwig, Rachael Hunt, Chery Boehm. Front: Tony Webb, Ned Denlinger, Rick Clark, Martin Guerena (photo courtesy of Ron Boehm).

The Resident Assessment Center is a ministry of the North American Church Multiplication Institute < http://www.facebook.com/l/QAQBd0WvvAQA7VeHQF9VnqQvi34gtT0VP_7C7Wwkb9A1Q4w/www.multiplication-training.org/ChurchPlanterAssessment.html> in Ashland, OH. In service to the Church, NACMI offers a quality 48 hour resident assessment during which candidates are interviewed (Riddley system), observed and evaluated with reference to their readiness for the work of church planting. Dr. Terry Hofecker is the director of NACMI and Ron Boehm is the assessment coordinator.

All the assessors have been trained to interview candidates, evaluate and compose a written report of their findings. The purpose for the assessment is not to train or counsel, but to predict the degree of success one might expect the candidates to have based on their past performance and the skills they have demonstrated.

This week we assessed four candidates and their wives. Three candidates were associated with the Brethren Church and one with the FGBC. Bill Ludwig is the director of church planting for the Brethren church and wanted to experience what it was like to go through the process. Bill has also taken our class to be an assessor and is seeking certification. The other three candidates are pursuing the Lord’s will about planting churches in Arizona, Ohio, and Canada.

For more information, contact Ron Boehm <nacmiboehm@multiplication-training.org>.

Grace College Names Bailey Weathers New AD

Posted by Terry White on August 25, 2011  |  No Comments

Bailey Weathers has been named the new Director of Athletics at Grace College, Winona Lake, Indiana. Weathers has extensive administration and coaching experience at the NCAA Division I level and also has years of experience working with the United States National Swimming Team.

“I believe Grace College is an incredible place. The faculty, staff and the student body grow together to change each other’s lives and prepare the students for the world ahead,” Weathers said. “I believe athletics can be a unique part of that relationship, and I am excited to have the opportunity to work with our coaches to maximize the development of the student-athletes at Grace.”

Most recently Weathers served as the Executive Head Coach for Club Wolverine in Ann Arbor, Mich. At Club Wolverine, Weathers oversaw a staff of 19 year-round coaches along with eight coaches from the University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University.

Overall, Club Wolverine works with more than 400 swimmers from the ages of 6-28. In 2008 Club Wolverine had 42 athletes qualify for the US Olympic Trials and had four Olympic team members. In 2009 Weathers’ club produced six members of the USA Swimming World Championship team.

“Bailey is uniquely qualified with his gifts and experiences to be a coaches’ coach who can provide godly leadership for the athletic department,” said Grace College Provost Bill Katip. “He knows what it means to achieve athletic excellence at the premier level, and thus he is the perfect person to lead us onto continued success at even higher levels.”

Prior to Club Wolverine, Weathers had three successful head coaching tenures at NCAA Division I swimming programs.

From 1995-2005 Weathers was the head women’s swimming coach at the University of Notre Dame where he led the team to nine consecutive Big East Conference championships. Weathers was named the Big East Conference Coach of the Year six times.

Weathers also a three-time Metro Conference Coach of the Year winner and a National Independent Conference Coach of the Year during his time as the head women’s swimming coach at the University of South Carolina.

Weathers was given NCAA Division I Coach of the Year honors in 1986 as the head women’s swimming coach at Southern Illinois University, fielding nine All-Americans in his two-year experience at SIU.

Before becoming a head coach, Weathers served stints as an assistant swimming coach at the University of Texas and Indiana University.

Furthermore, Weathers has on different occasions served as the head and assistant coach for US Swimming Olympic Development Camps in Colorado Springs, Colo.

“I was very impressed with the level of excellence in the coaches and their commitment to the student-athletes at Grace,” Weathers continued. “They are going to be a fun group to work with, and my wife and I are excited and blessed to join the Grace family.”

Weathers graduated from Indiana University with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education in 1982 then went on to obtain a Master of Science in Physical Education from the University of Texas in 1984.

Weathers is married to Susan, and the couple has two daughters – Christina (26) and Elizabeth (22) – and a son, Timothy (18).

Martinsburg Secures Children’s Minister

Posted by Terry White on August 25, 2011  |  1 Comment

From Pastor Kurt Miller at the Martinsburg (PA) Grace Brethren Church:

It is my joy to announce that we have hired Danny Horton as our new Director of Children’s Ministries! Danny comes with an array of experience from teaching and activities director to journalism. We all know him as a man who loves God and people. I am thrilled to have him on board as part of our team of dedicated staff who minister within the congregation of Martinsburg Grace Brethren Church.

Danny starts his new ministry on September 1, 2011. Please welcome him!

African Orphan Dies Following Illness

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on August 24, 2011  |  No Comments

The staff of Project Hope & Charité, the orphan ministry in the Central African Republic sponsored by Grace Brethren International Missions, is mourning the death of Fiacre. He went to be with the Lord on Sunday, August 21, after battling a life-long illness. Barb Wooler, US-based director of Project Hope and Charity, produced this video in his memory.

Haitian Grace Brethren Congregations Growing in South Florida

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on August 22, 2011  |  No Comments

At Vision2020, the national conference of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches (FGBC), several videos were shown that told stories of Grace Brethren ministries and what they are doing in the areas of church planting, integrated ministries, and leadership development, the main points of the Charis Commitment to Common Mission, which has been adopted by the FGBC. Below is the video that was shown about church planting. It tells the story of efforts to develop Grace Brethren congregations in the Haitian communities of South Florida.

Church Planting-Haitian Churches in Florida from BMH on Vimeo.

Watch this blog for more stories about church planting in Grace Brethren churches in North America.

Chris Hay Takes Position With Eternity Bible College

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on August 22, 2011  |  1 Comment

Chris & Dawn Hay

First reported by CE National, Chris Hay, former Grace Brethren pastor and director of Zarephath Ministries, has taken a position with Eternity Bible College in Simi Valley, Calif. Chris is the director of church relations and will continue to lead Zarephath Ministries.

“Zarephath Ministries fits perfectly with the philosophy of Eternity Bible College and they are completely supportive of us continuing the ministry,” said Chris.

Other news and prayer requests from the Hays and Zarephath Ministries:

• The October 2011 and the February 2012 retreats are full, with several names on a wait list for each retreat!! A few pastors are already registered for the May 2012 retreat! The need is great!
• Cypress Church continues to accept donations through their website. Select “Zarephath” in the dialogue window.
• Zarephath is now officially incorporated in the State of California.
• Please pray God would remove all obstacles to pastors attending and they would be prepared to spend extended time alone with God.

Ed Lewis Reports on CE National-sponsored Israel Trip

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on August 22, 2011  |  No Comments

The full group of travelers who joined Ed Lewis and Randy Smith in Isreal.

Ed Lewis, executive director of CE National, recently returned from a trip to Israel with Randy Smith, pastor of the Grace Brethren Church in Sebring, Fla. Here is a report of the experience, which was sponsored by CE National. To read the complete story and see photos, click here.

They hiked up and down Masada, slept in tents in the desert, rode camels, experienced the communal living of a Kabutz, stayed in youth hostels, took a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, ate authentic Israeli food, floated in the Dead Sea, visited the sites where Jesus was born, walked, was crucified, and rose from the dead, saw peaceful demonstrations in Jerusalem, viewed Syria and Lebanon from the Golan Heights, and more.

The group also did ministry in the northern part of Israel, helping a family who had recently lost their son in the war.

Randy Smith provided excellent Bible teaching, bringing to life the stories from the Bible.

Ed Lewis said about the trip, “This was an amazing experience. Randy Smith is so extremely knowledgeable of the land, the culture, the language, and the Bible. Even the Israeli guides could not believe his extensive knowledge of Israel. I hope many believers will travel with Randy in the future. It was good to not only experience Israel, but to talk with Israelis and have hands-on experiences and see our group interact with people.”