BMH Editor's Blog

Leadership Development: Taking a Chance on a Young Guy

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on January 30, 2012  |  No Comments

Dave Kennedy, pastor of Community of Grace Church, a Grace Brethren church in Richmond, Va., says he’s been entrusted by God to encourage a young pastor. Read about his mentoring relationship with Associate Pastor Brad Gromis in the Winter 2012 issue of FGBC World. It is now available for free at local Grace Brethren churches.

The quarterly magazine of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches is also available online at fgbcworld.com. To watch more of the interview with Dave Kennedy and Brad Gromis, click here.

Ministry Helps Those Who Are Overlooked or Struggling

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on January 23, 2012  |  No Comments

Little did Dan O’Deens know that when he responded to the need for help at Ground Zero in 2001, it would develop into a full-time ministry to those who are overlooked and struggling. In the Winter issue of FGBC World, learn how this passion developed into CPR-3, a new cooperating ministry of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches. The quarterly issue of FGBC World is now available at local Grace Brethren churches or online at fgbcworld.com.

If you’d like to receive a free copy mailed to your home, send an email to fgbcworld@bmhbooks.com or call 574-268-1122.

Grace Lancers Now 18-3 Overall, 8-2 in the Conference

Posted by Terry White on January 21, 2012  |  No Comments

The Grace College Lancers and the Mount Vernon (OH) Nazarene Cougars gathered for a post-game, midcourt prayer meeting after their Saturday afternoon contest today which Grace won, 89-63. Mount Vernon’s head coach, Matt Moore, now in his third season with the Ohio school, was a former Grace College standout player and assistant coach under head coach Jim Kessler.

Grace is now 8-2 in the MidCentral Conference and 18-3 overall, holding first place in the conference. Grace plays at Indiana Wesleyan this Tuesday and is back home at the Orthopaedic Capital Center in Winona Lake for a televised “Game of the Week” against second-ranked Huntington University at 3 p.m. next Saturday, January 28 (Gordon Austin photo).

Go2 Ministries Prayer Summit Begins in Orlando

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on January 9, 2012  |  2 Comments

Mission representatives from Grace Brethren districts around the U.S. are gathered in Orlando, Fla., to learn more about Go2 Ministries Circles of Grace initiative and to pray for the development of new Grace Brethren congregations in the United States.

“We’re hoping everyone leaves energized and excited about Circles of Grace and the opportunity the project presents to allow for concerted, focused prayer on the entire country,” said Jim Snavely, national church-planting director for Go2 Ministries.

Tim Boal, executive director of Go2, noted, “It’s Go2’s desire to see each participant become an advocate of this vital project within his or her own sphere of influence.”

The Summit began with dinner this evening and continues tomorrow as the participants review the 1,765 Circles of Grace and prayerfully consider how they and the churches in the region they represent may be involved.

Go2 Ministries is dedicated to the establishment of new churches in the United States of America. It hopes to start 5,000 new churches, see 500,000 new believers, and serve 50 million Americans by 2020.

Winter 2012 Edition of FGBC World Now Live

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

The Winter 2012 edition of FGBC World, the quarterly magazine for the people of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches, is now live at fgbcworld.com. Print copies of the magazine were mailed individually to homes and in bulk to churches in late December. You may also read the magazine in book format here.

This issue includes stories about CPR-3, a new ministry that works with people who are overlooked, struggling, or in crisis; an excerpt for Ed Stetzer’s address at the 2009 conference of the FGBC; and a discussion with two Grace Brethren pastors about their mentoring relationship.

FGBC World is an all-fellowship, all-Grace-Brethren magazine published four times a year. In it you will find stories about Grace Brethren people around the world—from individuals who are on the front line of ministry to organizations that help impact lives for Jesus.

New FGBC E-Zine Premiers

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on October 7, 2011  |  No Comments

The first of weekly video e-zines produced by BMH for the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches (FGBC) was released yesterday by Bob Fetterhoff, moderator of the FGBC. The updates will be released each Wednesday and will include clips from Vision2020, the national conference which was held in July in Wooster, Ohio, as well as stories of what God is doing in the FGBC told by individuals at the conference. As the year progresses, additional stories will be added to the que.

Click here to have the e-zine delivered to your inbox every week.

A shout out to Greg Brennenman, a member of the Grace Brethren Church in Wooster, for helping edit these video clips. Thanks, Greg, for your work!

Here is the first of the e-zines, for the week of October 3

From Moderator Bob Fetterhoff:
The more I get to know pastors in our churches, the more amazed I am at the quality leaders and amazing stories of God’s work in our churches.  I think you will be surprised… challenged… encouraged… by all that is happening.

In coming weeks you can expect other E-zines which will highlight how God challenged us through great teaching from His Word.

Five Churches Receive GBIF Loans

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on October 4, 2011  |  No Comments

The Grace Brethren Investment Foundation (GBIF) has recently approved new loans totaling $786,000 to the following ministries in the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches:

Grace Brethren Church of New Holland (Pastor Tim Hodge), 415 South Kinzer Ave, New Holland, Pa., to complete a renovation of the church campus.

Liberty Grace Brethren Church (Pastor Doug Black), 1081 Tener St., Johnstown, Pa., to expand the sanctuary, classrooms, and parking space.

Grace Brethren Church of Allen County (Pastor Bob Arenobine), 4619 Stellhorn Road, Fort Wayne, Ind., to repair the church facilities.

Community Grace Brethren Church (Pastor Greg Howell), 1180 South Roosevelt Ave, Goldendale, Wash., to pave the church parking lot.

Grace Brethren Church of Orange County (Pastor Mike Sciarra), 2201 East Fairhaven Ave, Orange, Calif., to payoff a California lender and transfer their financing to GBIF.

“GBIF is very pleased to assist these FGBC ministries in seeking to grow and expand for Christ by improving their facilities”, shares Ken Seyfert of GBIF. “ They represent a diversity of locations throughout the USA, but alike in their common mission of reaching their communities and beyond for our Lord.  It is a privilege to partner with them.”

Veterans Day Bulletin Inserts Available

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

Two bulletin inserts are available from the Eagle Commission to be used in recognizing Veterans Day, which is November 11. PDF files have been provided, either color or grayscale in a format, for printing as bulletin inserts. The four-color insert (2-up) may be downloaded here. A one-color (grayscale) insert (also 2-up) is available here.

The Eagle Commission provides support and encouragement throughout the year for Grace Brethren chaplains, their families, and the brave men and women in the U.S. Armed Forces who wear our nation’s uniform, often in harm’s way.

Late Summer FGBC World Now Available Online

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on September 23, 2011  |  No Comments

The late summer edition of FGBC World is now available online at fgbcworld.com. A companion to the print issue of the magazine, which was mailed last week, the online edition includes a feature story on the efforts of the Woodville Grace Brethren Church in Mansfield, Ohio, to feed the needy in their neighborhood. It also contains news of the summer Grace Brethren conferences and information about the people and congregations of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches.

FGBC World is an all-fellowship, all-Grace Brethren magazine published four times a year, with a special Conference edition that was released in early summer. In it you will find stories about Grace Brethren people around the world—from individuals who are on the front line of ministry to organizations that help impact lives for Jesus.

The fall issue of the magazine is now in production. News items may be submitted to lcgates@bmhbooks.com.

Ethnic Pastors Conference Concludes

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on September 16, 2011  |  1 Comment

Haitian, Hispanic, African American, Native Indian, and Chinese pastors in the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches celebrated three-fold communion this evening as they wrapped up three days together in New Mexico and Arizona. The pastors have been meeting since Tuesday afternoon, first in Albuquerque and for the last two days in Window Rock, Ariz.

Ethnic Pastors Meet in Albuquerque

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on September 13, 2011  |  No Comments

It’s a little taste of heaven this week in Albuquerque, N.M., as pastors of varying ethnicities have gathered to discuss church planting in the United States among their people groups. Gathering first at Native New Life Church, a Grace Brethren congregation in the International District of the city, they spent time in prayer for their various ministries. Then the host pastor, Arnold Betoney, shared about the ministry of Native New Life Church, which marks its 10th anniversary this year. He also talked about the history of the Navajo Nation.

After taking a break to check into their hotel and visit Old Towne Albuquerque, the group joined the congregation of Native New Life for dinner, feasting on Indian Tacos, complete with Navajo fry bread. Representatives of several other Indian ministries in the metro area also shared about their ministries.

Tomorrow, they travel to Window Rock, Arizona., the capital of the Navajo Nation, where they’ll experience the Indian reservation first-hand.

The meetings are sponsored by Internationals USA and Grace Brethren International Missions and are underwritten by the Grace Brethren Investment Foundation.

American Hero Louis Zamperini to Speak at Grace College Chapel

Posted by Terry White on September 6, 2011  |  No Comments

Louis Zamperini, former Olympian, World War II veteran, prisoner of war, and true American hero, will speak at Grace College & Seminary, Winona Lake, Ind., on Wednesday, September 21.

The 94-year-old Zamperini will speak in the Freshman Foundations class and will then address the student body in chapel at 10:30 a.m. in the Orthopaedic Capital Center on the Grace College campus.  This chapel service is open to the public without charge.

Each year the incoming Grace College freshman class is given a summer reading assignment, which is then discussed in their Freshman Foundations class. When possible, the author or the subject of the book is brought to the campus. Zamperini’s life story,  Unbroken, was the assigned reading for summer 2011.  Written by #1 New York Times bestselling author Laura Hillenbrand, Unbroken is the powerful account of Louis Zamperini’s remarkable life story.

Today Louis Zamperini, former Olympic distance runner, American airman, and World War II veteran, is a motivational and inspirational speaker, traveling the world telling his story.

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.

Ed Lewis Reports on CE National-sponsored Israel Trip

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

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.”

Send a Kid to Camp

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on August 16, 2011  |  No Comments

Camp Conquest in Denver, Pa., is helping make sure that young people from inner city Philadelphia have a camping experience.

For the first time last year, the camp hosted 20 students from Metro Grace, a church-planting ministry with three active churches. These students came as a part of the regular camping program and were all underwritten by the Campership Fund.

They also planned a week with just students from Urban Hope, the inner city ministry sponsored by CE National. Friends of Camp Conquest raise more than $7,000 to pay for the rental and program fees for the children. Four local churches adopted a day to provide meals and one church donated buses.

The programs were so successful, that the camp is doing it again this year. “Metro Grace sent about 15 children to camp this year, mostly from the Comly Street Chapel. Urban Hope will be coming August 22,” says Michael Gehlert, executive director of Camp Conquest.

The children Metro Grace were integrated into the traditional camp program. “Camp Conquest Campership Fund covers 100 percent of the registration fees,”  notes Gehlert. “This year the lead church planter, Pete Forshtay, came to camp as a volunteer to work alongside the camp counselors.”

The students from Urban Hope will be at the camp August 22 to 26.

“Urban Hope staff recruits volunteers to serve as counselors and program staff to offer the children a camp experience designed just for them,” adds Gehlert. “Camp Conquest provides program support staff and advice to help maximize the camp experience.” The camp also pays 100 percnetof the rental fees and the program staff fees out of the campership fund. As with last year, meals will be provided by local churches.

“The combined expense for Camp Conquest exceeds $10,000 for these two ministry outreach events,” says the director.

“This experience for our Urban Hope kids can be invaluable in their spiritual development, allowing them to experience the love of God in a safe, nurturing environment free from the distractions of daily urban life,” says Ed Lewis, executive director of CE National.

Grace Receives Grant to Promote Academic Success Among Student Service Members, Veterans

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on August 9, 2011  |  No Comments

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

The grant is part of more than $1 million that MFRI awarded, through its Operation Diploma initiative to Indiana’s post-secondary institutions of higher education. The colleges and universities all proposed ways to enhance services at their campuses for the state’s student service members, veterans and their families.

The Grace College and Seminary award includes four initiatives. First, students in the M.Div. Chaplaincy Program will be advised by CH (CPT) Scott Shaffer, Army National Guard Chaplain with the 38th Division Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion (DHHB) in Indianapolis. This mentorship program will allow students to learn from Scott who is an experienced veteran and also a Grace staff member. Second, writing assistance in the Learning Center will be available to all military students to help them transition back into an educational environment. Third, a local/regional advisory council will be formed to help guide and direct the Grace College and Seminary VA Program. Fourth, the award will support the further development of a Grace military specific website that is set to launch in August and will assist prospective students, and provide information to veteran/military students in the community.

Currently at Grace College and Seminary, there are 24 military students that will return to campus this fall along with several incoming freshmen. These students all have access to the VA Student Resource Center and Lounge located on the Grace campus in the Gordon Recreation Center.

“We are excited to expand the VA Program here at Grace and look forward to the new developments and opportunities that this award will allow us to explore in helping veteran students transition to Grace College and Seminary,” Shaffer said.

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

Since 2009, Operation Diploma has awarded more than $2.4 million to Indiana colleges and universities, who have used the funds to produce more effective and supportive services or expand them for these students. This year, institutions submitted competitive proposals for grants of up $100,000.

“This year’s proposals demonstrate that we are entering a new phase of campus recognition and support,” said Shelley MacDermid Wadsworth, director of MFRI. “Schools are building on their successes to reach for even higher goals and attracting the attention of their neighbor and peer institutions in the process.”

Grace College and Seminary is honored to be a part of this generous grant.  In addition to Grace, MFRI funded grants at 21 other Indiana schools.

Rosella Cochran Obituary

Posted by Terry White on August 4, 2011  |  No Comments

Rosella Ruth Cochran of 337 Grace Village Drive, Winona Lake, Ind., died Thursday, August 4, 2011 at 2:25 a.m. at Grace Village Health Care in Winona Lake at the age of 85.

She was born on September 1, 1925, in Montana to Earl Cochran and Myrtle Gray Cochran. She grew up in Iowa and was a member of the Leon, Iowa, Grace Brethren Church.

Rosella worked as a missionary for the Grace Brethren Church. In May 1942 she graduated from Mount Ayr High School, in Mount Ayr, Iowa. She graduated in 1946 from Broadlawns County Hospital of Des Moines, Iowa as a registered nurse. She then served in the U.S. Army as a nurse.

In 1952 she went to Grace College and Seminary in Winona Lake, Ind., where she received her Bachelor of Christian Education in 1954. She served as a missionary in the Central African Republic from 1954-1986. She briefly retired, and then returned to the mission field in 1988 remaining there until 1990. Rosella resided in Winona Lake, Ind.

She is survived by several nieces and nephews.

No calling is planned.  A memorial service will be held at a later date at Grace Village Retirement Community, Winona Lake, Ind. Burial will be held at Middlefork Cemetery, Redding, Iowa.

Missionary Rosella Cochran With the Lord

Posted by Terry White on August 4, 2011  |  No Comments

Rosella Cochran, who served with Grace Brethren International Missions in the Central African Republic as a missionary nurse from 1954-1990, has gone to be with the Lord. She was a member of the Winona Lake (IN) Grace Brethren Church and lived in retirement at Grace Village Retirement Community in Winona Lake, Ind. Further details will be posted as they become available.

Ribbon-Cutting for Ft. Wayne Weber School Set for August 5

Posted by Terry White on August 3, 2011  |  No Comments

Grace College and Theological Seminary has announced it is opening a location in Fort Wayne at the Ambassador Enterprises property formerly occupied by Fort Wayne Bible College, and classes will begin this fall. To commemorate the event, Grace will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony and press conference on Friday, August 5, 2001 at 11 AM at the location, which is housed in the English Library.

Speakers will include Dr. Ronald Manahan, president of Grace College, Mayor Tom Henry and Larry Rottmeyer of Ambassador Enterprises.

Grace College is moving forward to bring post-secondary education within reach of a larger population. Beginning August 2011, The Henry and Frances Weber School at Grace College will deliver a two-year associate of arts degree in general studies in two locations: Fort Wayne and Indianapolis. Tuition rates for the new program are $3900 per semester.

Dr. Ronald Manahan, president of Grace College, remarked, “To our knowledge this is the only such Christian two-year program available today. This school will offer a cost-effective associate degree to students in urban areas who want a Christian education, and we ultimately look forward to offering this program in a variety of cities.”

Each of the two years will be divided into fall, spring, and summer semesters, each with two eight-week sessions. The program is designed so that students completing the two-year associate degree can continue to the Winona Lake campus or transfer to another college to complete baccalaureate degrees.

Dr. John Teevan has been appointed Executive Director of The Weber School. Teevan came to Grace in 2006 to lead the Prison Extension, which grew to 350 students under his leadership. For more than thirty years before coming to Grace, he was a pastor in Grace Brethren Churches in Ashland, Ohio and Winona Lake, Ind.

“Henry and Frances Weber have served Grace College in a variety of capacities for nearly two decades,” said Teevan. “It’s an honor for our school to be able to give back to them when they have given so richly to us.”

Henry Weber noted that Christian higher education needed “to develop alumni who make their way in the world as successful Christian members of society, no matter what their vocation.” Through The Weber School, Grace plans to help fulfill this charge by lowering the upfront cost of the first two years of college and minimizing barriers to education that many people face.

Grace College is an evangelical Christian community of higher education which applies Biblical values in strengthening character, sharpening competence, and preparing for service. The academic, residential, athletic, and social aspects of the college are designed to encourage intellectual and spiritual growth in a supportive campus community. The 180-acre campus is located in the historic resort town of Winona Lake, near Warsaw, Ind. It has historically been among the top schools of its size and listed in U.S. News & World Report as one of America’s Best Colleges. The Princeton Review has regularly awarded it the title of a “Best Midwestern College.”

For more information on Grace College and The Henry and Frances Weber School, please visit www.grace.edu/weber.

Scanning for Brethren Digital Archives Begins

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on July 18, 2011  |  No Comments

Scanning for the Brethren Digital Archives has begun and among the first publications to be completed are issues of the Brethren Missionary Herald magazine and Grace Theological Journal. They may be accessed at http://www.archive.org/details/brethrendigitalarchives.

When complete, the Archives will include a digital copies of publications produced by the various Brethren groups that trace their spiritual heritage to Alexander Mack. Publications slated to be digitized include periodicals from the mid- to late-1800’s as well as theological journals, such as the Grace Seminary Journal, which was published from 1980-1991, and denominational magazines, such as the Brethren Missionary Herald, which was published from 1940 until the mid-1990’s.

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.