Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on May 2, 2012 | No Comments
It doesn’t take a large church to plant another congregation that reaches even more people with the good news of Jesus Christ. Neil Cole, church planter from California, talks about one such church and the DNA that makes it happen.
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Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on May 1, 2012 | No Comments
Pastor Oscar Chavez leads worship at a new Spanish-speaking Grace Brethren church in Durham, NC.
Oscar Chavez, former pastor of Iglesia Cristiana La Cosecha in Lancaster, Calif., has begun a new Spanish-speaking Grace Brethren congregation in Durham, N.C.
The church plant was almost unintentional, according to Chavez, who moved to the area with his family to be near his mother, who is sick. As he settled into a secular job, people discovered he’d been a pastor and asked him to lead a Bible study.
“What kind a question is that for a church planter?” he says. “I spoke to my wife and we prayed about it.”
So in September 2011, a Bible study began in the living room of the house the Chavezes rent. Within a month, there were up to 20 adults attending and they began looking for another place to meet. They found a space that would accommodate the growing group that is located next to a large Hispanic community.
The group began to pray and felt led to form a church, launching on January 15, 2012.
“Jesus began to bless this ministry and people begin to attend to church,” says Oscar. Others were inviting friends and family. Two months later we had our first seven baptisms. Praise God for his faithfulness,” he adds. After almost 4 months, their attendance ranges between 40 to 60 people on Sunday. This month, small groups will begin meeting in five different homes.
Oscar asks for prayer of this fledging church, which is called La Cosecha. ”Please pray for us as we minister to those people for the following:
He is also asking that other churches consider coming to help with vacation Bible school and other ministry opportunities this summer. “You don’t need to go to another Spanish-speaking country to see the spiritual and financial need of a community,” says Oscar. For more information, contact him at ocnpat@msn.com.
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Posted by Terry White on May 1, 2012 | No Comments
The Dayton region is home to the two best-ranked residential care facilities in the state for resident satisfaction, according to an Ohio Department of Aging survey.
The annual survey, which polls residents in more than 950 skilled nursing and residential care locations across the state, ranked Grace Brethren Village of Englewood at No. 1 among assisted living facilities with a perfect overall satisfaction score, and Patriot Ridge Community in Fairborn at No. 2 with a 99.7 percent score.
Also on the list for assisted living care is Quaker Heights Care Community in Waynesville at No. 16.
Grace Brethren also made the top-ranked nursing homes list at No. 13, along with two others in the region: Berkeley Square Retirement Center in Hamilton (No. 18) and Mount Pleasant Retirement Village in Monroe (No. 21). All three scored higher than 95 percent for patient satisfaction.
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Posted by Terry White on April 26, 2012 | No Comments
There used to be two. Now there will be three.
Grace Church of Akron, a Grace Brethren congregation meeting in two locations in northern Ohio, will soon be adding a third location just west of I71 in Medina.
Jeff Bogue, senior pastor at the Bath Campus, has confirmed that assessment over the past 6-8 months has resulted in an agreement for a combination of about 300 people from the former Medina church, the Bath campus, and the Norton campus, to begin meeting in the Medina church’s facility and to strategize for growth and outreach in the Medina area.
Shepherd’s Grace has not had an on-site, full-time senior pastor since the resignation of pastor Ralph Molyneux. Bogue anticipates the announcement in a week or so of a lead pastor to head up the new group.
The current website for Shepherd’s Grace is http://www.shepherdsgrace.com/
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Posted by Terry White on April 24, 2012 | No Comments
From Fellowship Coordinator Tom Avey:
Vision2020West location is voted Best Resort Hotel by Palm Springs Life magazine!
The Renaissance Esmeralda Resort is the location of the 2012 Vision2020West leadership conference to be held July 28-August 1 in Indian Wells, California. This resort was recently voted as the “Best of the Best” for resort locations in the Palm Springs area.
http://www.mybestofthebest.com/ballots/static/results.php
Register for Vision2020West at www.vision2020west.com
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Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on April 24, 2012 | No Comments
Jeremy Norton
Jeremy Norton, youth pastor at the Peninsula Grace Brethren Church in Soldotna, Alaska, has resigned to accept a position in Alberta. He shared his resignation letter with the congregation at Peninsula GBC last week. A portion of it is included here:
The past 3.5 years have been full of amazing experiences, where the Gospel has been spread and lives have been changed. However recently, through a unique set of circumstances, we have felt the Lord leading us back to Alberta. A diverse ministry opportunity, serving specifically within outreach and evangelism of all ages, has presented itself and we have chosen to accept it.
To those of you whom we have discussed our dream of planting a church in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory; please note that we have not given up on this calling. This opportunity is a 5-year commitment that will give us diverse experience, daily mentoring and further Biblical training. All of which, will assist in our ability to effectively facilitate and sustain a successful church-plant.
Please note that this has not been an easy decision. We have thoroughly sought the Spirit’s leading through prayer, as well as sought council from our parents and mentors. In regards to our Youth Ministry, we firmly believe that our Youth Workers, Interns and Student Leaders are more than capable to continue…Gospel-work. Over the next two months, we will make sure that they are well-equipped to carry-on reaching and serving…for Christ.
Pray for Jeremy and Nicole and their family as he takes a unique position with the Fellowship of Evangelical Baptists of Southern Alberta. He’ll be working for a few churches, directing a Bible Camp in the summer, and promoting and mobilizing small groups in the winter. They leave for Calgary in early June.
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Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on April 24, 2012 | No Comments
According to a letter being sent to investors this week, Grace Brethren Investment Foundation (GBIF) has contributed over $600,000 to benefit various ministries of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches.
Ken Seyfert, executive director of operations for GBIF, said “With His Guidance, we attained net operating income of $998,135, as we experienced a steady flow of new project financing throughout the year, which resulted in $600,600 in ‘goodwill contributions,’ as the majority of net surplus has been used to further God’s work in and through the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches.”
Also communicated is that an “above market” conservative savings rate of 2.25% compounded daily is being maintained and a listing of those FGBC ministries assisted with financing for new or improved facilities in the year 2011:
Included in the mailing is the latest annual prospectus of GBIF which gives a thorough explanation of ministry and operations of the Foundation and includes GBIF’s audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011.
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Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on April 24, 2012 | No Comments
The Brethren Digital Archives committee met on Monday, April 23.
As the first phase of digitizing historic Brethren publications nears completion, the Brethren Digital Archives committee met Monday in Brookville, Ohio. The Brethren Heritage Center hosted the meeting.
The group reviewed the list of publications yet to be scanned and made plans to be certain the work is accomplished. They also discussed promoting the project among the cooperating groups. While much of the effort has been funded through a grant from Lyrasis, the nation’s largest regional membership organization for libraries and information professionals, additional monies still need to be raised to complete this first phase.
The Brethren Digital Archives includes back issues of the Brethren Missionary Herald magazine and Grace Theological Journal. They may be accessed at www.archive.org.
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Posted by Terry White on April 23, 2012 | No Comments
Brent and Deb Wilcoxson (left) were honored Sunday afternoon, April 22, with a public reception for their several decades of effort to renovate and renew the Town of Winona Lake, Indiana. Brent has taken employment in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and they will be moving there soon. At right is Pastor Bruce Barlow of Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church, who presented the Wilcoxsons with gift certificates to the Grand Rapids Symphony as a going-away gift.
For their civic efforts, Brent Wilcoxson was given the Bill Reneker Memorial Community Service Award by the Town of Winona Lake in 1994, and Debra Wilcoxson earned the same honor in 2007.
Wilcoxson and several others founded a local historical society in the mid-1980s, and a neighborhood partnership was formed in 1992 to arrest the deterioration of the community by reconverting multi-family properties back into single-family, owner-occupied residences.
In 1994 Winona Restoration Partners, LLC, was formed to communicate the vision and inspire the revitalization of Winona Lake based on historic preservation. In 1997 the Chautauqua Assembly grounds were purchased from Grace College and Seminary, which had owned the property since taking it over in 1968. The purchase of the Assembly grounds and the restoration of nearly 30 properties into a historic resort and artisan colony have led to an economic resurgence of the community.
Sunday’s reception was jointly sponsored by Church of the Good Shepherd and the Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church and was attended by several hundred friends and community supporters.
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Posted by Terry White on April 21, 2012 | No Comments
Beka Feth, a young woman from the Mabton (WA) Grace Brethren Church (Paul Guay, pastor) is currently featured for her missionary work in Africa. Here is an excerpt–to read the entire article click here.
Feth has returned four times, each time staying longer and getting more involved. She grew attached to a boy named Wongani and is in the process of adopting him.
When in Malawi, she lives with a friend named Anna Kamanga, a nurse with four of her own children. Wongoni is staying with Kamanga now.
Together, they are building a shelter for children between the ages of 2 and 5, hoping to care for them at least until they begin school. They call it Wongani’s Hope.
So far, they have built a house, still without water and electricity, and a small farm with beans, cassava and chickens to make the charity self-sustaining. She also receives financial contributions through her church, Mabton Grace Brethren, and other donors.
Her pastor, Paul Guay, called Feth “abandoned to God’s will and glory.” Church officials sent her off with a special prayer last Sunday.
Her favorite coffee shop, Indulgences in West Richland, held a barbecue fundraiser in their parking lot, raising more than $4,000 — quite a bit considering Feth and Kamanga purchased their 5.5 acres for only $1,500.
They still need money for electrical and water hookups and a building for the children and the yet undetermined cost of applying for a permit from a sometimes dysfunctional government. When they get the permit, she will have an easier time extending her visa to stay in the country longer than the current limit of nine months.
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Posted by Terry White on April 20, 2012 | 3 Comments
Pastor Ralph S. Burns
Reverend Ralph Samuel Burns of 337 Grace Village Drive, Winona Lake, Indiana, passed away on Friday, April 20, 2012, at 9:20 a.m. at Grace Village Health Care of Winona Lake at the age of 91.
He was born on November 21, 1920, in Fairview, New Jersey, to John Henry Burns and Hannah Elizabeth (Hartley) Burns. On March 31, 1945, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he was married to Ruth Dietz, who passed away on May 21, 2009.
Ralph was a graduate of Frankford High School in Philadelphia, after which he attended and graduated from Grace College & Seminary in Winona Lake, Indiana, as well as the Bible Institute of Pennsylvania.
He was a resident of Kosciusko County, Indiana for the past 41 years, where he was a member of Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church, Winona Lake, Indiana. He served as a pastor for more than 40 years in Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Indiana; and was also a chaplain at Grace Village Retirement Community of Winona Lake, Indiana.
He will be lovingly remembered by his son: Ronald David (wife Krista) Burns (Warsaw, Indiana); daughter: Rebecca (husband Daniel) Gehrke (Warsaw, Indiana); ten grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, wife, two sisters, and one brother.
Visitation will be held on Monday, April 23, 2012 from 10:00 – 12:00 noon and 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. at Redpath-Fruth Funeral Home, 225 Argonne Road, Warsaw, Indiana.
His funeral service will be conducted later in the evening on Monday, April 23, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. at Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church, 1200 Kings Highway, Winona Lake, Indiana, and officiated by Pastor Bruce Barlow and Pastor Glenn Byers.
Private graveside services will take place at Oakwood Cemetery, Warsaw, Indiana.
Memorial donations in Ralph’s name can be directed to Lakeland Child Evangelism Ministries, P.O. Box 612, Winona Lake, Indiana 46590; or to Grace Village Retirement Community, 337 Grace Village Drive, Winona Lake, Indiana 46590 and would be appreciated by his family.
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Posted by Terry White on April 20, 2012 | 1 Comment
Michael Pumphrey, pastor and church planter of Awaken Church in Virginia Beach, Virginia, has alerted us that his church, which is part of the Chesapeake District, is getting ready to enter into a new area of ministry as a church fighting against human sex trafficking.
Pumphrey says, “We have bought the rights to show a film called SEX+MONEY and have rented out a movie theater to help build awareness about local trafficking. We have been in contact with local justice initiatives and law enforcement to hold a panel discussion at the screening. This will be one of many screenings we will be doing over the next year to help build awareness and partnerships as we try to combat the issue here locally, which is larger than most would realize due to the ports and tourism and navy cultures.”
Pumphrey says his church considers these screenings only the first phase in what they want to see accomplished.
More information about the film may be found at http://sexandmoneyfilm.com/
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Posted by Terry White on April 20, 2012 | 1 Comment
Longtime Grace Brethren pastor Ralph S. Burns has gone to be with the Lord from his residence at Grace Village Retirement Community in Winona Lake, Indiana.
A resident of Kosciusko County, Indiana, for the past 42 years, Pastor Burns was a member of Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church. His wife, Ruth Burns, whom he married in 1945, went to be with the Lord in May of 2009. Ralph Burns pastored Grace Brethren churches for more than 40 years in Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Indiana.
Further details will be released as they become available.
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Posted by Terry White on April 19, 2012 | No Comments
Jeremy Norton will be leaving his ministry as youth pastor at Peninsula Grace Brethren Church, Soldotna, Alaska, effective June 9, 2012.
In his announcement, Norton said, “The past 3.5 years have been full of amazing experiences, where the Gospel has been spread and lives have been changed. However recently, through a unique set of circumstances, we have felt the Lord leading us back to Alberta. A diverse ministry opportunity, serving specifically within outreach and evangelism of all ages, has presented itself and we have chosen to accept it.”
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Posted by Terry White on April 18, 2012 | No Comments
Pastor Chuck Winters from Sunnyside, Washington, has alerted us to a current article featuring Sherman and Wanda Schafer, long time Sunnyside Grace Brethren Church members, who were honored by the Sunnyside School District for more than 20 years of volunteer service to students and staff. Nathan Zakahi pastors the Sunnyside church. This is an excerpt. To read the entire article, click here.
photo courtesy of Curtis Campbell
Sherman Schafer volunteers, helping students at Pioneer Elementary School with a reading assignment.
Jennie McGhan
There’s a sense of satisfaction that comes from helping others through volunteer work.
That’s according to Sherman Schafer, who volunteers at Sunnyside’s Pioneer Elementary School.
He and his wife, Wanda, have volunteered in Sunnyside schools for nearly two decades.
Mrs. Schafer, however, volunteered at Chief Kamiakin Elementary School until recently. Mr. Schafer said health issues has prevented her from continuing to help students with crafts as she has done for so many years.
“We like to volunteer. We like the teacher and the students we work with,” said Mr. Schafer.
He said Mrs. Schafer enjoyed helping students learn crafts, particularly needlepoint crafts for different holidays.
“She often purchased the supplies herself,” said Mr. Schafer.
He said Mrs. Schafer fit volunteering in the schools into her schedule when she wasn’t busy with home projects.
The couple hasn’t kept their time to volunteering in the schools, however. They volunteered with 4-H clubs for several years. Mr. Schafer has also volunteered his time delivering meals to seniors and maintaining the Outlook Cemetery.
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Posted by Terry White on April 17, 2012 | 1 Comment
Pastor Roy Halberg
Pastor Roy Halberg (pictured) of Grace Fellowship, a Grace Brethren congregation in Alta Loma, California, along with his wife, Andrea, has been asked to serve as Grand Marshal for the annual 4th of July parade in their city of LaVerne for 2012.
Halberg said, “We were humbled to be asked and we are honored to be able to sit atop the classic fire truck on the fourth of July and greet and wave to all of the parade spectators. Hope to see YOU there!!” The Halbergs have been residents of LaVerne for 23 years.
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Posted by Terry White on April 15, 2012 | 2 Comments
Pastor Jim Brown (left) announced today that Ted Rondeau (right) will be joining the staff of Grace Community Church, a Grace Brethren congregation in Goshen, Indiana, as Executive Administrator beginning May 1. Rondeau’s wife, Dawn, is in the center.
Rondeau, who has a number of years of experience in financial planning and fund raising, has been working with Integrated Community Development International (ICDI). Prior to that he worked in stewardship with Grace Brethren International Missions (now Encompass World Partners).
In making the announcement, Brown said, “Ted comes with much experience and will be a great asset to our team. He will oversee our finances, outreach, short term missions, and ministry leaders.”
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Posted by Terry White on April 15, 2012 | 1 Comment
A new book dealing with the historical and theological relationship between evangelicals and Anabaptists in the North American context is now available. The lead editor was Dr. Jared Burkholder of the Grace College history faculty. It includes a foreword by George Marsden and chapters from 14 scholars from various institutions.
Entitled The Activist Impulse: Essays on the Intersection of Evangelicalism and Anabaptism , the 444-page paperback is published by Pickwick Publications and retails for $49.
Publicity says, “Anabaptists have often felt suspicious of American evangelicalism, and in turn evangelicals have found various reasons to dismiss the Anabaptist witness. Yet at various points in the past as well as the present, evangelicals and Anabaptists have found ample reason for conversation and much to appreciate about each other.
“The Activist Impulse represents the first book-length examination of the complex relationship between evangelicalism and Anabaptism in the past thirty years. It brings established experts and new voices together in an effort to explore the historical and theological intersection of these two rich traditions. Each of the essays provides fresh insight on at least one characteristic that both evangelicals and Anabaptists share—an impulse to engage society through the pursuit of active Christian witness.”
Burkholder, who is also collaborating with Dr. Mark Norris of the Grace faculty on a book to appear in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the founding of Grace Theological Seminary, is part of Winona Lake (IN) Grace Brethren Church. Next Sunday, April 22, at 6 p.m., he will be speaking at the Winona Lake church’s Sunday Night Praise service on “Living Out Anabaptist Principles in Modern American Society.”
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Posted by Terry White on April 11, 2012 | No Comments
Pastor Jeffrey Dunkle and the Manheim (PA) Grace Brethren Church are currently featured in an online article for a special “Titanic Sunday” emphasis. To read the original, click here.
Jeffrey Dunkle, senior pastor at Manheim Grace Brethren Church in Manheim, has orchestrated ‘A Titanic Sunday’ for April 15, to observe the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic. Dunkle is a 1971 graduate of Greencastle-Antrim High School.
“I’m not aware of any other church pausing for this,” he said. “It’s kind of unique.”
His goal is to encourage his congregation and visitors to learn lessons about courage and to understand the spiritual context of events that horrific night.
“There were many heroes,” he continued. “People gave up their lifeboat seats so others could live.”
A movie at 9:30 a.m. will highlight the life of John Harper, a Scottish minister on his way to the United States to preach. Witnesses reported he spent his final moments sharing his faith and gave away his life jacket. The wealthy John Jacob Astor sent his wife on without him.
At the 10:30 a.m. worship service people will sing songs connected to the history of the great ship, including “Nearer My God to Thee”, which is popularly believed to have been played by the band to the end. Another is “Eternal Father, Strong to Save,” sung during Captain John Smith’s church service April 14.
Grace Brethren, located at 333 E. High St., will also have a display of Titanic memorabilia. “It’s some really cool stuff,” said Dunkle, who has been a Titanic buff since childhood.
It started when he read his father’s copy of “The Sinking of the Titanic and Great Sea Disasters”. He has studied the history of the event; visited exhibits in Tampa, Harrisburg, Baltimore and Orlando; and collected related items.
Dunkle, 58, is the son of Wayd and Shirley Dunkle. He and his wife Ruth have three children, Tim, Dave and Rachel, and a grandson Zack.
For his special activities on Sunday, he said, “It’s good for people of faith to pause and reflect. Stories of the Titanic carry a human perspective. It was a test of people’s character.”
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Posted by Terry White on April 11, 2012 | No Comments
Timothy Kurtaneck, Director of Church Relations & Youth Leadership Training at CE National, has announced the launch of a new high school ministry opportunity this summer called “City Life.” The information about this 15-day ministry experience may be found at citylifetour.org. This opportunity (June 19-July 3) is a little longer than the typical time that high school students get to spend on a ministry trip or at Urban Hope Training Center or at Momentum youth conference. Yet, it is not nearly as long as an Operation Barnabas tour.
City Life will focus on ministries in Washington DC, Philadelphia, and New York City – three great cities! It is specifically geared for students who are going into 9th grade through those who are graduating high school. Matt and Melody Rupple have agreed to lead this new ministry trip. They have led domestic Operation Barnabas teams in the past and are excited about helping to start up this new tour.
Kurtaneck says, “Would you be interested in something like this for this summer? Do you know someone who may be? Check out the website for more information. Maybe you want to talk with a couple of friends and see if you might want to do this together. Our desire is to provide this ministry opportunity so that what is learned may be applied when retuning to the local church, community, and school. All kinds of information, including the application material, may be found on the website. If I can answer any questions about this, please be in touch with me at tkob@cenational.org.”
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