BMH Editor's Blog

Frances Ashman Obituary

Posted by Terry White on February 22, 2012  |  No Comments

Frances M. Ashman of 1413 Avalon Court, Winona Lake, Indiana, lived her earthly life in a godly way and peacefully departed to be with the Lord whom she adored with all her heart on Tuesday, February 21, 2012, at 12:25 p.m. at Grace Village Healthcare, Winona Lake, Indiana at the age of 87.

She was born on March 21, 1924, in Long Beach, California, to Wilbur Leonard Bradley and Isabel (Chenot) Bradley. She was the middle daughter of “The Five Bradley Sisters.” They were known throughout the Grace Brethren churches of southern California for their unique and humorous singing ministry at summer camps and youth and children’s meetings.

Frances was a graduate of Poly High School and the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. She was always active in working with children in the churches in which she attended.

She met Charles H. Ashman, her husband to be, at youth rallies and summer church camp. They were married on July 12, 1946, in Compton, California. She worked hard outside the home to earn her special degree in PHT (Putting Hubby Through) as she helped him complete his college and seminary education. She was a wonderful pastor’s wife, and happily served in the work of the Lord through ministry to women and children in fulfilling her calling to be a central figure in the toddlers and nursery departments of all the churches that Charles pastored. Many knew her as an immaculate housekeeper, a great cook, and a most gracious hostess. Frances was a resident of Kosciusko County, Indiana, for the past 50 years, where she was a member of Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church.

She leaves behind, and will be lovingly remembered by her husband, Charles H. Ashman (Winona Lake, Indiana); two sons: Ken W. (wife Becky) Ashman (Gallatin, Tennessee); Karl W. (wife Patti) Ashman (Wildwood, Missouri); one daughter: Judy Kay (husband Rick) Fairman (Lititz, Pennsylvania); six grandchildren, nine great grandchildren; and two sisters: Helen Brown (Beattyville, Kentucky); Ruth Mosley (Orangevale, California). She was preceded in death by her parents and two sisters.

Her funeral service will be conducted on Saturday, February 25, 2012, at 1 p.m. at Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church, 1200 Kings Highway, Winona Lake, Indiana, officiated by Pastor Bruce Barlow.

There will be private visitation and graveside services. Burial will be at Oakwood Cemetery of Warsaw, Indiana.

Arrangements were entrusted to Redpath-Fruth Funeral Home, 225 Argonne Road, Warsaw, Indiana.

Memorial donations may be directed to Integrated Community Development International, PO Box 247, Winona Lake, Indiana 46590.

Fight Club Ignites Fire in Goshen Men

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on February 21, 2012  |  5 Comments

For the last 12 weeks, men at Grace Community Church, a Grace Brethren church in Goshen, Ind., have been participating in Fight Club, a program developed by the staff of the church that is designed to reach men where they are. “It is an incredible discipleship journey,” says Pastor Jim Brown. “It has all the components of discipleship plus all the stuff that makes men come alive.”

It was advertised as a brand new, life-changing ministry for men. If you wanted to be part of it, then come to an informational meeting at midnight on the specified Monday night.

“Yes, we met at midnight,” says Pastor Jim, “and 323 men came to that informational meeting, which had many elements to it.”

Every participant signed a creed that required them to not talk about Fight Club to people outside of the group. They were given weekly assignments that had to be accomplished. If they weren’t, strikes were accumulated.

“We finished with 145 men,” says Jim. There were 225 men who began the journey. “Men did these assignments with hopes that their actions made a difference.”

Between meetings, the men connected through a password-protected closed website.

“It lit a fire in men and turned our church upside down,” says Pastor Jim, who developed the program from scratch, often writing it as they went. “It lined up well with what I have been saying for 16 years at Grace Community, if you get the man, you get the family. You get the family, you the community. You get the community, you get the world.”

The 12 weeks culminated with an awards ceremony when the men received a shirt with the creed on it and a leather bracelet bearing the Fight Club logo. The videos on this page are from that ceremony.

Currently he and his staff is working on developing the program so that it may be used by other churches.

“I have never been more excited about anything in my entire life!” he adds, as he prepares for another 12 week program with a new group of men.

Frances Ashman With the Lord

Posted by Terry White on February 21, 2012  |  7 Comments

Charles and Frances Ashman

Frances Ashman, 87, wife of longtime Grace Brethren pastor Charles Ashman, slipped into the Lord’s presence at 12:25 p.m. today, February 21, in the healthcare facility at Grace Village Retirement Community in Winona Lake, Indiana.  Frances’ health had deteriorated in recent weeks and a number of family members were with her at her passing.

Details, as they become available, will be posted here. Arrangements are through Redpath-Fruth Funeral Home in Warsaw, Indiana, and a public memorial service is tentatively scheduled for early Saturday afternoon, February 25, at Winona Lake (IN) Grace Brethren Church, where the Ashmans served from 1962 to 1989.

Two Great Canadian Adventures Offered in 2012

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on February 20, 2012  |  No Comments

Two Mission Teams – Two Churches

One Family of Jesus – Your Help Needed!

Bring a friend, bring your family, bring your church.

The team of GBC Canada, the Grace Brethren church-planting effort in Canada, has announced two opportunities for ministry teams to come alongside young congregations this summer. The first is July 8 to 14 in Medicine Hat, Alberta. The second is August 5 to 11 in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The missions trips this summer are all about supporting the two recent church plants in Canada. Grasslands could use help in keeping the momentum going from their launch last fall.  Community of Hope needs assistance to refresh and reinstate the presence of Jesus in their community.

Grasslands Church

DATE: July 8- 14, 2012

TIME: Sunday night – Friday Night

LOCATION: Medicine Hat, Alberta

GO TO: www.canadianadventure.org

Contact: herb8_44805@yahoo.com

Community of Hope

DATE: August 5- 11, 2012

TIME: Sunday night – Friday Night

LOCATION: Vancouver, British Columbia

GO TO:www.canadianadventure.org

Contact: herb8_44805@yahoo.com

Asia’s Hope Provides Essential, Lifesaving Help

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on February 20, 2012  |  No Comments

The McCollum Family

One of the cooperating organizations in the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches is Asia’s Hope, an organization that provides family-based residential care for children at high risk of sexual and economic exploitation in Cambodia, Thailand, and India. From its beginnings in 2001, it now operates 23 homes, providing comprehensive care for about 600 kids and work with about 150 indigenous staff – moms and dads, teachers, nurses, cooks and administrators. A number of the homes are sponsored by Grace Brethren congregations.

Recently, Marla Taviano, a blogger from Columbus, Ohio, interviewed Asia’s Hope executive director John McCollum (and co-founder of the organization) about the ministry and how it came to be. She’s also leading a discussion about orphan care — the pros and the cons. It’s a multi-day post, so feel free to follow along. We’ve only included a portion of the interview here.

meet the mccollum family

Native Church Announces Revival Service

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on February 17, 2012  |  No Comments

Arnold Betoney, pastor of Native New Life Church, a Grace Brethren congregation in Albuquerque, N.M., has announced the schedule for its 2012 New Year’s Revival. Services will be held at 7 p.m nightly, February 20 to 25 at the church, located at 8624 Zuni SE (corner of Zuni and Virginia).

Speakers include:
Monday — Pastor Arnold Betoney
Tuesday — Ray Perry, All Nation’s Indian Baptist Church
Wednesday — Ben Yazzie, iEquip
Thursday –  Jeremy Seaton
Friday — Pastor Julian Gunn, Nazarene Indian Church
Saturday — Three Fold Communion Service

Prayer, testimonies, singing, and enjoy the fellowship, you’re all invited.

More info call Pastor Arnold (505) 220-1188.

Live This Week Like It’s Valentine’s Day

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on February 15, 2012  |  No Comments

When we shared yesterday’s story about how Grace Fellowship, a Grace Brethren congregation in Pickerington, Ohio, spread a little sweet love in their community, we were drawn to a video on the church’s web site. It’s from Sunday’s services at the central Ohio church and worthy of a second glance. Pastor Keith Minier and his wife, Kelly, remind viewers of the importance of spending time together. He then encourages the congregation to protect their marriages and prays not only for married couples in the audience, but for the single individuals, that they might live lives of purity.

Larry Poland to Return to Grace as Chapel Speaker

Posted by Terry White on February 15, 2012  |  No Comments

WINONA LAKE, IND. – After thirty-two years consulting with power brokers in the entertainment industry in Hollywood and New York, Dr. Larry Poland, Chairman and CEO of Mastermedia International, will be sharing his insights in two chapel programs at Grace College, Thursday and Friday of this week, February 16 and 17. “Is there any hope of Hollywood?” is Dr. Poland’s Thursday topic and “Media’s Destructive Impact” will be the focus on Friday.

Poland grew up in Winona Lake, attended Warsaw High School in the class of 1957, was student body president, a foreign exchange student, and brought Warsaw High a championship in the National Forensic League national student congress competition. He received his undergraduate education at Wheaton College in Illinois and received graduate degrees at Grace Seminary and Purdue University

After beginning his career as an administrator at Grace College, Poland became the nation’s youngest college president in 1967 when he took the helm of Miami Christian College. He moved away from higher education in 1973 and headed an international volunteer service agency placing 800 volunteers in 35 nations in eight and one half years. He was listed in Harvest House Publishers 365 Most Influential People in the World based on his relationships with global media leaders. He is returning to the campus of his alma mater, Grace Theological Seminary, where he was Alumnus of the Year.

It was 1979 when Poland began a quiet, one-on-one strategy to build relationships with those who control power in global media. His aim was to help media decision makers understand the 100 million evangelicals in America and to present the message of the Christian faith.

Dr. Poland lives in Redlands, California, has six children and nine grandchildren, and will celebrate his fiftieth anniversary to his wife, Donna Lynn, this year.

Chapel programs at Grace College are held at the Orthopaedic Capital Center on Wooster Road in Winona Lake at 10:30 a.m. and are open to the public.

For more information contact info@mastermediaintl.org or www.larrypoland.com

Showering a Community with Sweet Love

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on February 14, 2012  |  No Comments

Bags containing a dozen cookies each await distribution to teachers, police officers, and fire officials in Pickerington, Ohio.

Grace Fellowship of Pickerington, Ohio, a Grace Brethren congregation pastored by Keith Minier, showered their community with love this Valentine’s Week. They distributed close to 400 dozen cookies to schools and fire and police stations in their area.

“This was a really exciting event that our church really stepped up and owned,” reports Nicole Waggoner, leader of the Impact Team. “We had originally planned on getting 300 dozen cookies but we got closer to 400 dozen.  In each bag was one dozen cookies.  We sent them to four different local schools and we had enough to take to the fire and police station.”

The team selected schools where the teaching staff includes individuals who are part of the congregation, to provide them with a platform to talk to people and invite them to the church.

Members of Grace Fellowship Church in Pickerington, Ohio, baked nearly 400 dozen cookies to give to teachers, fire officials, and police officers.

“The point of this event was to let teachers know that we appreciate them and all of their hard work,” stressed Nicole. ” Our hope is that if they are ’seeking’ that they would come visit us and we know they will be exposed to the truth of Jesus in our services.”

“People brought the cookies to church this weekend and we packaged them up and delivered them yesterday (February 13),” says Nicole. “We’ve already heard some great reports about how appreciative people were.”

Nicole goes on to explain that the Impact Team creates events for the church to have a large scale presence in the community, which is located on the eastern edge of metropolitan Columbus. “Our hope is to provide a platform of credibility in the community as a church that loves them,” she says. “We hope that if a person finds them self wondering about God, that they will remember the church that gave them the cookies, the free wrapping paper, and provided them with an awesome Easter Egg event with a helicopter and that they will come to a service and hear about Jesus.”

Vision Indiana Gives Impetus to Hoosier Church Planting

Posted by Terry White on February 12, 2012  |  No Comments

About a dozen pastors, church planters, and church leaders met in Winona Lake, Indiana, today to build fraternity and to talk, dream, and pray about God starting a church-planting movement in Indiana.

Tony Webb and Ron Boehm of Vision Ohio were the facilitators, and Aaron Scantlen and Bruce Barlow of the Winona Lake (IN) Grace Brethren church staff were the hosts.  The meeting was held in the newly-remodeled HUB, or youth and community building on the WLGBC campus.

The day began with some relationship-building through bowling together, and moved on to some scriptural and practical comments by Tony Webb on his study of church planting and experience with church planters. Ron Boehm also presented some research material on the history and effectiveness of church planting in Indiana since the 1930s, as well as leading discussion on practical issues and next steps.

Representatives at the meeting were from South Bend, Leesburg, Columbia City, and Winona Lake. A next meeting has been set for April 28, and specific next-step assignments were made with reports due at that meeting. (Ron Boehm photo)

Lexington Church’s ESL Program Gives ‘Glimpse of Heaven’

Posted by Terry White on February 11, 2012  |  No Comments

Pastor Jason Carmean of the Lexington, Ohio, Grace Brethren Church is a guest columnist this week in the Mansfield newspaper. Here is an excerpt from his column on the ESL program his church conducts. To read the entire article, click here.

I remember growing up in church as a little child, we would sing a song that went, “Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight. Jesus loves the children of the world.”

I believe that is absolutely true, but I also look around and see that world around me in and around Mansfield. If you take a drive through the area, you see Mexican restaurants, Chinese restaurants, Japanese restaurants and for a while I remember seeing a Vietnamese restaurant. You see people with different colors of skin and different-shaped features on their faces. The nations of the world are in little old Mansfield, Ohio.

Because of this, our church has started a program to teach English to those who have come from other countries and places around the world to make a better life for themselves. I think we should celebrate that and welcome people who do not look like we do, who have different customs and eat different foods than we do. I think we can learn from them

Gerald Polman Obituary

Posted by Terry White on February 8, 2012  |  1 Comment

Gerald B. Polman

Reverend Gerald B. Polman of Grace Village Retirement Community, Winona Lake, Indiana, passed away on Wednesday, February 8, 2012, at 7:20 a.m. at Grace Village Health Care at the age of 89.

He was born on February 22, 1922, in Los Angeles, California, to Leo Polman and Leila Christine (Neher) Polman. Gerald was married in Dayton, Ohio, on August 22, 1944, to Phyllis Jeanette (Kinsey) Polman, who passed away on January 27, 2008.

Gerald was a graduate of South Side High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He then continued his education and graduated from Bob Jones University in 1943. He received his Master of Divinity in 1946 from Grace College and Seminary in Winona Lake, Indiana. He served as a student pastor at two churches, Danville, Ohio and Fort Wayne, Ind.

During his 43-year pastoral ministry, Polman served Grace Brethren churches in Meyersdale, Pa.; York, Pa.; Glendale, Calif.; Rialto, Calif.; Englewood, Ohio; and Lansing, Michigan. He retired in 1986, although he continued to travel with his motor home to help churches as an interim pastor.

He was a Grace Brethren pastor, retiring in 1986, and moving to Kosciusko County, Indiana from Lansing, Michigan. Rev. Polman was a member of Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church, an active stamp collector at Grace Village Retirement Community, as well as belonging to the National Philatelic Society.

Polman served on the board of the Brethren Missionary Herald Company from 1964 to 1993 and was secretary from 1972 to 1991 and assistant secretary from 1966-1971 and 1992-1993. His father, Leo Polman, led BMH as “secretary of publications” from October 1941 to December 1944.

He will be lovingly remembered by his son: Roy Lee (wife Judy) Polman (Cherry Valley, California); two daughters: Ann (husband Dave) Grant (Gainsville, Florida); Kay (husband Jeff) Bowling of (Cumming, Georgia); and eight grandchildren, and thirteen great-grandchildren. He also leaves behind two sisters: Joyce (husband Robert) Griffith and Elaine Brenneman (both of Winona Lake, Indiana). He was preceded in death by his parents, and his wife.

Visitation will be Friday, February 10, 2012, from 2 – 5 p.m. with his funeral service to follow at 5 p.m. at Redpath-Fruth Funeral Home, 225 Argonne Road, Warsaw, Indiana. His service will be officiated by Pastor Bruce Barlow, and Chaplain Bryan Benjamin.

Entombment will take place at Royal Oak Memorial Gardens in Brookville, Ohio.

Memorial donations in Gerald’s name may be directed to Grace Village Retirement Community, P.O. Box 337, Winona Lake, Indiana 46590.

Gerald Polman With the Lord

Posted by Terry White on February 8, 2012  |  3 Comments

Pastor Gerald Polman

Longtime Grace Brethren pastor Gerald Polman is with the Lord, according to reports received by BMH. A resident of Grace Village Retirement Community in Winona Lake, Indiana, he died at 7:20 Wednesday morning.

Gerald had not been doing well since last Wednesday. All family members are rejoicing for Gerald and doing well. Arrangements are pending. Please pray for the family.

Polman experienced a severe fall in June of 2010 in which he broke both legs and had surgery. Prior to that time, he had been active in Grace Village events and was a volunteer guide at the Reneker Museum of Winona Lake History in Westminster Hall on the Grace College & Seminary campus. FGBC World featured a story on Polman when, leading a tour group in November of 2005, he discovered that Billy Graham’s daughter, Ruth, was in the tour group when he asked whether anyone recognized a photo of the young Billy Graham.

Details on services and survivors will be posted as they become available.

Momentum Promo Video Unveiled

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on February 8, 2012  |  No Comments

Momentum 2012 Video
The promotional video for Momentum 2012, the annual youth conference hosted by CE National, was released this morning on YouTube. The conference will be July 17-22 at Eastern Kentucky University. Momentum is an annual, national youth conference that teaches, equips, and inspires youth to return to their churches and communities as a light for Christ. Momentum excites youth to lead a lifestyle of intentionally walking with Christ and showing their peers at home what that means.

Holbrook Honored for Credit Union Leadership

Posted by Terry White on February 7, 2012  |  No Comments

Mark G. Holbrook, who for many years has been a leader and Sunday School teacher in Grace Church of Orange in Orange, California (Mike Sciarra, pastor), was recently honored for his financial leadership and integration of biblical principles in the workplace. Here is a news release about the honor:

Mark G. Holbrook

For his long-time dedication and commitment to his credit union, its members, and the industry, the California Credit Union League has named Evangelical Christian CU CEO Mark G. Holbrook as a 2011 recipient of the Unsung Hero Award. The award honors deserving individuals within the credit union industry with at least 20 years of service who also have made significant contributions in the community.

California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues’ Senior Vice President of CU Business Solutions Sylvia Fath presented Holbrook with the award December 19 at an ECCU board meeting held at the credit union headquarters in Brea, CA.

“I am thankful for the privilege of serving ECCU and our credit union industry for so many years, and am honored to receive this award,” Holbrook said. “I humbly accept this recognition on behalf of all the unsung, faithful stewards in our credit unions who labor so diligently on behalf of their members.”

Holbrook was selected for the honor in part because of his years of service as president and CEO of ECCU since 1979 (he started at the credit union in 1975 after graduating from Biola University). Under his leadership, ECCU has grown from $4 million in assets to more than $1 billion and been designated a “Best Christian Workplace” by Best Christian Workplaces Institute for four years (2003, 2005, 2007, and 2009).

His passion is the integration of biblical principles in the workplace, and it shows. He received the 2010 Ethical Edge Leaders of Integrity Award presented by the Passkeys Foundation. And he has served as board chairman for Christian Leadership Alliance and is the current board chairman for the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.

The Unsung Hero Award, established by the League’s Historical Preservation Committee, is now coordinated by the League’s Awards Committee. Individuals, chapters, and other League-affiliated organizations, both in California and Nevada, are encouraged to nominate deserving recipients. For more information and nomination form, go to http://members.ccul.org/07publications/hof_unsung.cfm.

Grace Students Study Entrepreneurial Business Ventures

Posted by Terry White on February 7, 2012  |  No Comments

A group of 15 college students and staff members from Grace College in Winona Lake, Indiana, were recently hosted by the Prosperity Success Institute based in Gold Canyon, Arizona, at its School of Entrepreneurial studies. They were part of an intense and focused seven-day business start-up course known as ECIP – the Entrepreneur Candidate Initiative Program.

Through the joint effort of the Prosperity Success Institute, the Grace College School of Business, and the Gordon Institute for Enterprise Development, this course was able to offer students real life experiences in owning a business enterprise. It focused on sales and marketing, finance, communications, operations, negotiating, as well as building a unique and detailed customized business plan. The students each received three credit hours for this highly-sought accredited course.

Larry Snow and his wife Kim Overmyer, the founders of the institute and business owners of 35 years, desired to give back to other prospective start-ups as a result of the prosperity success that they have been able to enjoy throughout their entrepreneurial lifetime.

This is the second year in a row that the Prosperity Success Institute has held this event for college participants and even more extensive classes are planned later for this year. It features a variety of business-building formats and one-of-a-kind instruction using the very latest in technology tools. It further includes guest business speakers from throughout the Phoenix area that offer key business-building strategies.

The students were also able to enjoy a real west experience as they took time off to visit the OK Corral and spend an afternoon on horseback on a tour through the Superstition Mountains. The participants were also hosted by the Arizona Grace College Alumni at a reception held for them at Bethany Church in Glendale, Arizona. As they have returned to the Grace College campus, they will work to finalize their college experience and use their newly-formed business plan and entrepreneurial education to create their own personal business enterprise in the future.

For more information, contact Alan Grossnickle at grossnae@grace.edu or by calling (574) 372-5100 ext. 6091.

CPR-3 Featured on Catalyst Blog

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on February 6, 2012  |  No Comments

CPR-3, a cooperating ministry of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches which was founded by Dan O’Deens, is featured on the Catalyst blog today. Catalyst is a conference for young leaders of churches and ministries. A portion of the post, written by Dan, appears below. Click here to read the complete post.

CPR-3 Director Dan O'Deens

I was simply a ‘next generation leader’ looking to make a mark on my world. I was ready to step into the mysterious journey of pursuing Jesus by embracing; courage, danger, adventure, mission and calculated risk. The Lord would use Catalyst to change my world or more accurately His World, forever. Someone other than Jesus believed in me. That was all I needed.

I was pastoring Gateway Church, a church I had the opportunity to plant from scratch. I was sitting in my office when 9-11 rocked our world. That evening I was in New York City and I would serve there for the next 3 weeks as a first responder with the Salvation Army.

Another crisis would awaken my soul as it flooded our media. Katrina! I was now trained by the American Red Cross as a First Responder. I was deployed. Catalyst had etched a ‘key’ word into my brain. LEADERSHIP. I was in Baton Rouge and overheard the need for leadership. I stepped in. I had no idea what was about to happen to my life. I ended up leading 10 counties in Louisiana with 8 large mass shelters under my leadership. It would become the classroom of my greatest leadership experience.

A well-intentioned friend spoke some hard words into my life, unknowingly. He said, “That’s great that you get to go to all the ‘BIG” crisis’, but do you take the Church with you?” That was the birth of CPR-3. I believe in the Church. I wanted to be a catalyst for ‘the RED cross’ the cross that cared for both the physical (the American Red Cross) and the spiritual (the blood stained cross of Jesus) needs of people.

An earthquake in Haiti would be the final ‘catalyst’ to move me into the full time arena of crisis, catastrophe and extreme poverty. CPR-3 is a faith-based organization with a driving passion to ‘Breathe Life and Hope into our World.’ CPR-3 supports relief, rehabilitation and development initiatives.

Click here to read the rest of the post.

Kalahari Winter Retreat Draws 1,500 Students

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on February 6, 2012  |  No Comments

Mark Artrip, director of student ministries at Grace Church, Powell, Ohio, was one of two hosts at the annual Kalahari Winter Retreat this past weekend.

More than 1,500 students (6th-12th grade) and leaders from 25 churches converged on the Kalahari Resort in Sandusky, Ohio, this past weekend for the annual winter retreat sponsored by student ministries from all over Ohio and Indiana. This was seventh year for this event, which includes three days at North America’s largest indoor waterpark, four main sessions, dynamic worship, powerful messages from God’s Word relevant for student life, time together as a youth group, and fellowship with like-minded churches.

The retreat featured guest speaker Clayton King, worship leaders Exodus, and Soar Dunk, the trampoline dunk team from Liberty University.

Clayton challenged students from John 6 about how to believe in Jesus and then challenged students to holiness and purity. The response to his message saw 86 first-time decisions for Christ, 275 re-commitments to Christ, more than 300 commitments to a year of not dating to focus on identity and character, and 63 other decisions that direct students lives toward Jesus Christ!

“Praise God! I will never forget watching over 400 students stand up and proclaim a decision for Christ!,” said Jana Muntin, a middle school small group leader from Wooster Grace. “I get tears in my eyes right now picturing it. God showed up in a big way at Kalahari 2012!” In total, more than 700 commitments to Christ were made during the weekend.

Alexis Smith performs during the Kalahari Winter Retreat.

Another adult leader expressed, “What a great weekend bringing everyone together – lives changed – great teaching!”

Andrew Gartner, a student from Grace Church of Powell, wrapped up the weekend like so many students who walk away saying, “Kalahari was the best weekend of my life!”

Other guests for the weekend included Grace College, Encompass Partners, and CE National (Ed Lewis).

“We thank God for His work in the lives of many this weekend and invite you to pray with us that it was an awakening that will see students awake and alive leveraging their entire lives to make Jesus famous!” said Nick Cleveland, pastor of high school students at Wooster Grace. (Nick also serves as director of the event.)

The next Kalahari Retreat will be January 4-6, 2013, and again will feature Exodus and Clayton King. For more information email rsnyder@woostergrace.org.

Mark Artrip, one of two hosts for the weekend, reflected on the experience on his blog.

Growing Spiritual Conversations in the Inner City

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on February 6, 2012  |  No Comments

Dan Green, pastor of Global Ministries at the Grace Brethren Church, Columbus, Ohio, helped initiate container gardens at an inner city clinic in Columbus. The result was not only yummy vegetables, but opportunities to talk with people about Jesus.

Please Vote for BMH’s ‘Book of the Year’ Candidate

Posted by Terry White on February 6, 2012  |  No Comments

Please take a moment and join the public voting for a BMH book and author. Although small publishers are often less well-known than larger publishing houses, they produce fresh and innovative books to inspire readers or fill niche needs. The Christian Small Publisher Book of the Year award honors books produced by small publishers for outstanding contribution to Christian life.

Vote for God’s Healing for Life’s Losses for Book of the Year–A BMH Book by Dr. Bob Kellemn. Scroll down to Non-Fiction Christian Living: http://bit.ly/zQ3sLL

The winners of this award are determined solely by the votes of Christian retailers and book lovers alike.

The winners of the 2012 Christian Small Publisher Book of the Year Award will be announced on April 16, 2012. The Christian Small Publisher Book of the Year Award is sponsored by the Christian Small Publishers Association (CSPA).