Evangelist The Brethren
November/December 2011
DEDICATED TO ADVANCING THE LIFE AND MINISTRIES OF THE BRETHREN CHURCH
Looking Ahead
The Other Side of the Fence Executive Director Ken Hunn
The grass usually does look greener on “the other side of the fence!” I don’t know why, but we often readily estimate that things are bigger, better, and brighter in someone else’s experience as opposed to our own. Those of us who have been around Brethren ministry for a few decades have often lamented what seems to be a lackluster landscape as compared to the experience of other denominations.
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ith that all-too-common outlook, it was with a sense of curiosity that I attended the National Association of Evangelicals retreat for denominational executives last year. It was a big eye-opener and enough so that I quickly accepted the invitation to participate in this year’s event as well. So how does the “other half” live and work and carry on the mission of the church as expressed in what we know as a denomination? Are we more different or like our brothers and sisters in the Missionary Church, Church of the Nazarene, Assemblies of God, Church of God, Evangelical Free, Christian and Missionary Alliance, Open Bible, Presbyterian Church in America, Evangelical Presbyterian, and United Brethren in Christ denominations, to name a few? What is there to learn from sharing our journeys in a retreat setting over two days? Here’s what I think would be helpful for you to know …
We’re very much alike. Make no mistake about it; there are differences in region, culture, and theology. However we each trust in one Savior, and the complete integrity of God’s word as a wholly true and trustworthy testimony of the Living God. Each tribe is striving earnestly to see God’s Kingdom more completely come through each of their efforts. As executives, our joys and struggles, the things that bring energy and the things that cause great concern are amazingly similar. One leader said, “In spite of our uniqueness, we are all the same.” This comment brought smiles and nods all around the circle of chairs. As Brethren we can take heart that we do not serve alone, but as a part of the same story of redemption that God is creating through his children. Those who lead in other denominations do so with great honesty and humility. I guess I should not be surprised, but Nancy and I have been deeply touched by the sense of love, godliness, and servanthood we have experienced from our counterparts. Regardless of denominational size, each leader has shown an equal concern for and interest in the other. As Brethren we would do well to realize that we have a high commission, and therefore it is imperative that we live in humility, reconciliation, and deep community
with one another and with all those who call upon the Name of the Lord. God is at work, calling his children to unity. It is interesting to note how many denominations sense a call as we do to leadership development, the mission of the church both in each community and around the world, and church multiplication. And oh yes, God is clearly at work to call us to seek his face in prayer. Each one of us confirmed the call of God in each of our families to seek the Lord for the crucial needs of the day. As Brethren we can enter into an era of prayer and intercession, seeking God’s face as a part of his call to unite his children under the mission entrusted to us in his Son. What can we all learn from a multi-denominational encounter such as this? God has a clear plan and a purpose for the Brethren Church. He is in the process of breaking down some of our manmade fences, and uniting us with our brothers and sisters in seeking God’s face. At the same time we must seek to unify our local and denominational efforts to join God’s mission in changing our world. Are these themes consistent with the desires of your heart, with what you sense that God is speaking to you personally in your locality? Welcome to God’s mission for the church today! Let us hear from you on how we can work together to make these themes more of a reality in your midst.
Multiplication
MissioChurch
Preparing Church Planters
James Hunt Muskoka Community Church Huntsville, Ontario Canada
James and Rachel Hunt are members of our Brethren church plant in Huntsville, Ontario Canada. You might remember them from General Conference 2010 where they shared about how God had been changing their lives since becoming part of Muskoka Community Church (MCC). This year, MCC (3 years old now!) took its first step toward planting another Brethren Church in the Ontario region by having James and Rachel assessed through the MissioChurch PathWay. The following is James’ reflection of his experience. As you read this, please listen for the ways in which our PathWay seeks to steward the calling of this church planting candidate and his family.
I can honestly say I didn’t know what to expect going into the Church Planter’s Assessment through MissioChurch, other than some vague notion that a team experienced in the church planting business would be assessing my given skills and abilities as they relate to church planting. What I did know was that God has planted in my heart a strong desire to bring church to the people and lead them to experience the same joy and unshakeable confidence in Christ that I have come to experience. I had no clear vision beyond that—just that one day I will plant a church. Being un-churched and relatively young in my walk with Jesus, this all seemed very daunting, like some sort of crazy vision I had placed on myself. Leading up to and even through the first day of the assessment I was really questioning whether this truly was the future God had in mind for me. Was this just some impossible dream I had concocted for myself? I lacked what I thought to be the most important piece of the puzzle; the “vision”. I didn’t know the where, or when, or how of my church plant. I had no idea what this church I’m going to plant will look like or how it will all come to be, and this nagged at me relentlessly. Suffice it to say, my wife knew even less about this whole church planting thing than I did. All she knew was that I wanted to plant
one someday and this Assessment thingy had something to do with it. I say all this because the biggest thing I took home from this assessment had more to do with her than me, and it happened in the morning on the first day. Our mock exercise for that afternoon was to “pitch” our church plant idea to another couple and try to convince them to join our launch team. While prepping for this, Rachel and I immediately knew that we had to begin by describing our church—who we hope to serve, our church “culture,” its location, mission statement, timeline and approach to launch, etc. We were bouncing ideas back and forth in rapid-fire succession and scribbling out notes when a sudden realization hit me. I remember looking at my wife as she rattled off ideas and seeing for the first time that she too had a passion for church planting. I was witnessing an awakening in her and it was a glorious thing. I remember smiling at her and saying “Look at you, you’re a church planter too!”… and the smile that crept across her face as she saw this in herself for the very first time. If we had gained nothing else from the assessment experience, that
would have been more than enough to satisfy me. Not only have I been blessed with the joy of witnessing her growth, but with that comes the knowledge that we are growing together and in the same direction! What a confidence it is for a church planter to have a spouse who’s not just “along for the ride”, but called as well. During the interview phase (day 2) several issues were cleared up for me. One assessor adeptly addressed my lack of vision by walking us through the phases of church planting, describing where I’m at as the “gestational” phase. Finally the pressure was lifted
and I was at ease with myself, knowing that not-knowing is ok. Another assessor zoned in on the importance of our continued on page 4
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Business Notes
Executive Board Holds Fall Meeting
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hat is the proper role of a leadership board? And how does that board relate to its staff? Those are questions the Executive Board considered in its fall meeting September 15-16 in Ashland. Gary Likowski led the board in understanding Policy Based Governance as a model for organizing itself as the leadership board of The Brethren Church. Likowski is a consultant and a member of the administrative support staff of a church near Cleveland. This followed a session in March led by Jonathan Reitz of CoachNet Global. After extended discussion, the board unanimously adopted Policy Based Governance as its organizational model. Over the next year the board will adopt policies to guide its own work and its relationship with national office staff. In light of that decision, the board adopted formative language toward a policy on global ministry, in keeping with actions taken over recent years. The policy calls for establishment of an indigenous national Brethren church in each country that is self-governing, self-determining, and self-sustaining. Each national church will partner with the global Brethren movement in a shared vision for missions and relief work and engage in regular communication. Work will continue toward the goal of each national church becoming self-sustaining within a culturally sensitive period of time.
MissioChurch
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Ron Waters
The board adopted a nomination process for General Conference moderator. The new policy is similar to that implemented last year for Executive Board members, moving toward complete implementation of action adopted by the 2010 General Conference. Details will be announced in the coming months. In other action, the board: • Approved the minutes of the Friday General Conference business meeting • Adopted a proposal to reduce the maximum interest rate paid to investors in the Brethren Home Mission Revolving Fund from 5% to 3.5% effective November 1, 2011, to more accurately reflect current market trends • Evaluated the 2011 General Conference and committed to the weekend conference format through 2013; but agreed that the youth Engage Conference may return to a Monday-Friday format again in 2012 • Set dates for 2013 General Conference as July 17-21, 2013 • Met by phone with Ryan Smith, coordinator of the Youth Advisor Committee, and granted the committee flexibility to schedule the Engage Conference at a different time and location from
General Conference beginning in 2013 • Tasked the Executive Director with creating ministry teams to oversee conversations with Ashland University and Ashland Theological Seminary on our relationship and to report back to the board their findings and desired outcomes • Heard reports from staff The board will hold a conference call meeting on November 15. Its next face-to-face meeting will be March 22-23, 2012. Your Executive Board is very interested in representing our Districts and Churches well as we pursue a NEW DAY in the Brethren Church. Feel free to direct your questions or ideas to any of our board members. Above all we ask that you remember your leadership in your prayers that they would be given insight and discernment for our journey. — Ronald W. Waters, Moderator Ron Waters - ronaldwwaters@gmail.com Ken Hunn - ken@brethrenchurch.org Lee Solomon - lsolomon@ashland.edu Tim Garner- tgarner57@msn.com Pat Gravatt - gravatt11@gmail.com Richard Morris - rummorris1@att.net Jayne Wilcox - jaynewilcox@gmail.com Scott Soden - scottsoden@truevine.net Vickie Taylor - vtaylor@ashland.edu
continued marital relationship and with a simple whiteboard diagram made us both feel better about the state of our marriage than we ever have before. Also through the course of the interview I learned a lot about myself and gained increasing confidence in my ability to succeed as a church planter. It forced me to
remember and discuss past projects and experiences, which in turn led me to realize that I have indeed demonstrated past successes using my unique set of skills. The end result of the whole experience was a washing away of my fears and self-doubt surrounding (but not limited to) church planting. ~James Hunt If you want to know more about the MissioChurch PathWay or how to support church planting in The Brethren Church, contact Bill Ludwig at bill@brethrenchurch.org, or go to www.missiochurch.com
Mobilization
Grace Change
A Legacy of in a Season of
Gary Diehl
Ecclesiastes 3 reminds us that there are seasons to life, a Divinely ordered rhythm that flows in all of creation, including the human experience. There is a time for laughing and a time for weeping, a time to dance and a time to sit still and mourn, a time for living and a time to die. It seems that Solomon, in his God-given wisdom, captured in a few simple words the reality of the sometimes painful rhythm of change that follows us through life. Almost all significant change is hard. With some changes, like the loss of a loved one, the pain is obvious. But, more often than we want to admit, even good changes bring pain, grief and a sense of loss. We grieve when something we are familiar with or loved is changing—is passing away. Ask almost any parent who has sent their child off to school if parting on the first day was painful. Or talk to most parents who drop their young adults off at college and drive away knowing that their relationship with this kid they loved will never, ever be the same again. Even good change—changes that are normal and right—can cause us grief and pain.
I think my 90-year-old father is an extraordinary sort of common guy. Not because of his education or career choices. He graduated from high school early but never attended college. He spent 40 years of his life driving the roads and by-ways of northeast Ohio and western Pennsylvania selling hardware to local stores, and another 18 years driving families of departed loved ones at funeral services. No, I believe he is extraordinary because I have seen him demonstrate a legacy of grace in the face of major seasons of change. In a time of war when he wanted to serve his country and couldn’t because of a hearing disability, through a time when he and my mother endured the death of their second child at age five to cancer, and in the face of losing my mother in 2005 after having her companionship for more than 60 years, folks around my father have often marveled at his spirit of grace through painful seasons of change. Although he has lived alone since my mother died, he has always remained socially active and mobile. He rarely meets a stranger, he reads three to five books a week, and is still quick with a joke. In this last 12 months, though, his legacy of grace has become more evident to me personally. I have watched my father endure the sudden loss of one of his dearest friends. I have seen his physical stamina diminish to the point where he finally gave up driving, something he dearly loved about both his career endeavors. It meant giving up a huge
sense of independence and freedom. Like the words Jesus spoke to Paul at a fish breakfast one morning, Dad now depends on others to take him where he doesn’t want to go. Last weekend at Sunday dinner with us, my father matter-of-factly stated, “Well, since we’re all here together, I think it’s time we decide what we’re going to do with me.” His declining physical strength has made his current two bedroom condominium simply too big for him to navigate, and his declining health has made him fearful of being on his own. That began the hard conversation among me, my wife, my sister and her husband, and Dad about exploring the options of either moving in with one of us, or finding a comfort-
…more often than we want to admit, even good changes bring pain, grief and a sense of loss. able assisted living or nursing home facility. Even in the face of a massive potential change, my father continues to demonstrate grace. In one week since that conversation we watched my father pick his new two-room apartment in an assisted living complex, and once again get excited for what he sees as a positive new adventure in new surroundings with new friends to meet. We also watched him have to put his cat— his constant companion since my mother’s passing—to sleep because of health issues, watched him learn of the death of a beloved cousin in Germany, and watched him sift through almost 90 years of memories to decide which ones he will take and which he will leave behind. A tough thing for anyone. With extraordinary grace he let go of many things, including some shoes, continued on page 8
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Years & Counting
Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. ~ Steve Jobs
past year. I counted them as loss and defeat, but when I read this quote by Steve Jobs, I realized that God was cleaning things out of my life that were drowning out my inner voice and sucking out my courage to be bold! They were distracting me in ways I couldn’t see. I believe that through letting some things go this year, I found my inner voice again. I never lost sight of my purpose here, but I let others’ opinions and decisions shape too much of my time. I started thinking only about others and not about what God truly was calling me to do as an individual for his glory. I don’t regret those moments because they helped shape the ideas and new adventures I have planned for this coming year! So here’s to re-ingniting that courage Leading an “I am Second” Bible study. and fearless attitude to make my year #5 here in Peru one of my personal life and just my faith in the best yet! general, I am in awe of the opportunities and adventures God has given me I have been one busy girl working over the last four years. I have seen weekly with mission teams! I appreciplaces that magnify God’s beauty ate greatly all of you I have recently to new levels, met incredible people met through missions work here in Peru from different places in the States and and those of you who have been a around world and learned new ways part of this journey since day one. Over to share God’s love to see hundreds the past month I have been privileged come to accept him as Savior! to work with a group of pastors at a pastor’s conference in northern Peru, When I started this journey I was full equipping pastors and leaders with of passion to follow Christ to a new new ideas and methods for outreach strange place that now has become and evangelism; a men’s choir from my home, Lima Peru. Throughout this Mississippi who shared God’s love past year God has been working on my heart and teaching me to go back through music and even had the opportunity to sing at the Congress of to those first days of this Peruvian adPeru; a group with Food For the Hungry venture and remember the spirit and who served a local community and passion that brought me this far. taught the PeaceMakers material to help solve conflict within a struggling God has taken away some very town; and many Compassion Sponimportant things in my life over this n honor of Steve Jobs and his recent passing, I thought this quote put into words some of what I have been reflecting on over these past couple of weeks. I truly can’t believe it, but on Sept. 28th I celebrated four years here in Peru!! When I look back at how I got here and how much I have grown in my Christian walk,
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Katie Garner
sorship tours where I have seen the difference that one individual or family can have on a family here in Peru when holistic ministry takes place. I stand in awe of a God who sees so many people and cares for each one of them on a minute-to-minute daily basis. I am honored to have worked with these groups and teams and to have used the abilities God has given me to bridge gaps between cultures and people groups to truly glorify the One True God. This month also brought the joy of hosting my favorite visitors of the year, my brother Adam and my sister-in-law L’erin! Words do not explain the joy I felt to have family here with me in Peru. The week went way too fast, but we enjoyed each other’s company to the max! We traveled to Arequipa Peru the first part of the week to explore the “white city” and the Colca Canyon where we watched the flight of
Sharing the “evange-cube” with a little girl at a medical campaign in Arequipa, Peru.
the condors. This was a highlight for me because I often travel to these cities for work, but it was fun to be adventurous and explore the wonders this city has to offer. Pictures will soon be displayed on facebook. After spending a few days in Arequipa we came back to Lima, where they got to experience Lima
A Little Child Shall Lead Them Larry Baker, Pastor South Bend, Indiana First Brethren Church
Little Silvia with her pet goat Willy. some tourists had mistreated her, so I took the opportunity to share God’s love with her. through my eyes. I was grateful to my friends here in Lima who welcomed them with open arms and it was a beautiful few days of just living life together. I want to thank Adam and L’erin for giving up their vacation time to come and see me and I don’t think they know how much I needed them here and how much I loved sharing my Peruvian world with them. Christmas is right around the corner so many of my various children’s ministries are starting to prepare for the annual Christmas parties! Please continue to lift me up in prayer as I pray for all of you back home as well. Tonight I am off to the airport to pick up a new team and will be heading to Sullana Peru tomorrow morning for a week of church planting and evangelism. I love you all very much and look forward to hearing from you. On the cover: Peruvian kids play soccer. Katie uses the colors of the soccer ball to explain the salvation story.
Claire Wright is a fourth grader at LaVille Elementary School between Lakeville and LaPaz, Indiana. Her school “Adopted a Platoon” of soldiers that were running out of personal supplies before their deployment was ending. It was the Friday evening before the 10th anniversary of 9/11. Claire and her mom Kris were talking about the project. They could identify with the need to service personnel because Claire’s dad, Aaron, is a Chief Petty Officer in the Navy Reserve, and he was away for another weeked at the Great Lakes Navql Station. Also, some of their family’s friends were deployed overseas. How could they help these soldiers? By the end of the evening with Kris’s help and encouragement, Claire had drafted a letter with her picture explaining the project. They planned to distribute it to their entire subdivision. On Saturday Kris made copies of the letter. Claire’s brother Ryne and several of his friends were drafted to help deliver the letters, which asked that items for the soldiers be left for pick up the next day, Sunday, September 11, next to the curb near their mailbox. After worship and Sunday School, Claire, Kris, Ryne and his friends began picking up the donations. To their surprise, every house in the subdivision had something sitting by the mailbox! The donations filled the minivan! The next week Claire and Kris’s picture was in the school newsletter along with the donations that they had collected.
for getting; it’s for giving. Most years the family picks a project or a family to bless. In the fall the Wright house is host to a chili dinner to bless Luvability Ministries (which provides spiritual support to persons with intellectual disabilities and their caregivers). The children have grown up gathering clothes, canned goods, packing shoe boxes, and being involved in many other projects that bless others. At the same time they have been ministering to our local Body of Christ as trustee, deaconess, and praise team member, Sunday School teacher, youth group member, and children’s ministry member. As this season of Thanksgiving and Advent rolls around, is this a discussion you want to have with your family? “How can we bless someone in Jesus’s name this Thanksgiving or Christmas?” “How can we use what God has blessed us with to bless someone else and bring glory to him?”
Claire did a great job mobilizing her family for blessing these deployed soldiers, but blessing others is something that has been taught in the Wright household. Christmas isn’t just
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Grace andChange
continued
_ Tiosa First Brethren Church
Leaving a Kingdom Legacy Barb Van Duyne
a coin purse, a musical lamb and the pajamas of the son he and my mother lost the year he was to start school. Grace in the midst of an almost overwhelming season of change, demonstrated right before our eyes. Without understanding it, my father is once again leaving us a legacy of grace. Change is hard. For individuals, for congregations, and for entire denominations. Unfortunately, change is inevitable. Some changes will be good, others will be bad, and almost all will cause us some degree of fear, pain and loss. Solomon knew it. The Father knows it. Jesus knows it. My Dad knows it. But the Spirit within us thankfully gives us a choice as to how we will respond to life’s changes. What changes are you navigating personally right now? What new season is your congregation moving toward? How are some of the changes in the ways our denomination is pursuing God’s vision and call causing you to fear? Which memories will you take with you, and which do you need to leave behind? Change is hard. How could you choose to respond to it in a way that demonstrates grace? My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness. - 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NLT) Let’s decide to let the Spirit transform us, to take those places we are weakest and let him demonstrate his power as we strive to leave our own legacy of grace. May the “grace, mercy and peace from God” which Paul shares with so many be ours now, and in the season to come!
On October 9, 2011, more than 100 people gathered at Tiosa (IN) First Brethren Church to celebrate “From Today Forward,” remembering all that has been accomplished during our time as an organized congregation and celebrating all that will be done through our legacy. All of us are beneficiaries of the legacy of others. We at the Tiosa Brethren Church were able to see a glimpse of our legacy as we gathered in a church filled to capacity to worship the Lord and celebrate Tiosa Brethren’s Kingdom impact together. While our congregation will be remembered for many things, a unifying trait that our members share is sacrificial giving. Tiosa has consistently been a church committed to giving of our time, talents and finances to see the Brethren Church and God’s Kingdom advance. We have experienced first hand Ephesians 3:20 21, Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Tiosa has been blessed since our founding in 1883, and we are honored that our legacy will now include investing our remaining assets to further the work that God is doing through our National Office, our local district, our local camping ministry, and beyond. While we are proud of much that has been done in our 128 years, our most important legacy is the individuals who have passed through our doors. For all of those who have joined us over the years, we thank you for being a part of our story, and now our legacy. Although many of those who have been a part of our congregation have moved on, we are thankful for how they have impacted our lives and proud of the impact they are having in the world for Christ. Our 2011 Tiosa people out there in the world, who love God and make themselves available to do his will, are the greatest part of our legacy. Yes, the fellowship we have enjoyed by meeting every week will be missed. But we have hope that in the scattering of our people to join new churches, they will connect with new Kingdom-focused fellowships that nurture and tap their maturity, gifting and personalities for even more ministry. Many changes have taken place since our founding. We have been honored to serve Christ through the Tiosa First Brethren Church. We are blessed that we can continue this work now through the lives of all our past members and friends as together we cling to Philippians 1:6: And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
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November/December 2011
A Publication of the Women’s Missonary Society
From the President Fast and Pray Gloria Radcliff I just got home from a busy day at work. We just moved our office to a new building, so my job this week has been to unpack boxes, organize my office, organize the file room, lift, carry and scoot heavy boxes from room to room and today, go to the old office and clean. When my work associate and I got there, we found there was no electricity. Many of the rooms don’t have windows, so they were pitch dark. What a challenge to scrub walls and vacuum carpets with no light and no power. I would like to introduce myself to you. My name is Gloria Radcliff, from Burlington, IN. I am your new National WMS President. You read about me in last month’s Evangelist. That really tells you a lot about what I have done in the past and am doing now, but it really doesn’t tell you much about who I am, so that is what I want to share with you in this article. I wear many hats and am very busy doing lots of things. I am passionate about my family and love my role as a wife, mother, grandmother and homemaker. That is not just what I do, that is who I am. I work in an office as an Administrative Assistant. I love it and have been there in that position for 15 years. But, that is what I do, not who I am. I believe God has put Continued on p. 12
Rev. K. Nirmala Prasanth Kumar So He (Jesus Christ) said to them This kind can come out by nothing but Prayer and Fasting (Mark 9:29 NKJV) In these days of Chaos and Confusion across the globe, the good Lord’s comforting words “Lo I am with thee always” proves to be powerfully true with us in the Brethren Ministry in India. All the glory, Majesty and power belongs to the Lord of Lords and King of Kings for His sustaining grace on each one of us all through these years of Ministry and for the 13,244 Baptized Members in India Brethren Ministry. Let me give you a Birds eye view of the Ministry that the good Lord gave us through our little Evangelists who are our orphan kids, the women of prayer, the youth and the pastors in the villages.
Vinuthi along with the women fasted and prayed for this problem on Tuesday the 6th of September, 2011 at the church and by next Tuesday the Lord has opened the doors and this disappointed young lady was blessed with a job.
The Praying Women: An eminent personality R.A. TORREY defined prayer as ‘the key that unlocks all the storehouses of God’s infinite grace and power’. The women in the Brethren Church in India are the back bone of the bountiful harvest. Every Tuesday is the day of fasting prayer for the severe problems in the families. One young mother Jyothsna with her technical education never got a job for ten years. Her mother
In the month of March, 2011, as the women were fasting and praying on their knees, a crying mother came to them and told that her daughter Sujatha is dying in the hospital after delivering the baby with postnatal complications. With burdened hearts all the women at our Church have prayed so fervently that the Resurrected Lord has raised this young mother Sujatha from her death bed. Glory to God! Continued on p. 10
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Continued from p. 9
After a week the mother came back with a powerful testimony that Lord Jesus has touched her daughter Sujatha and gave her a new life. The little Evangelists the kids of the Orphanage: When these orphans came to us Jesus was a stranger to them but after having lived with us for many years Jesus has become their Friend and Father. They distribute the gospel tracts, play musical instruments and sing inspiring Christian songs in all the regular prayer and revival meetings. At the Brethren Charity Hospital when all the sick people wait for the Doctor four of these young orphan kids with musical instruments sing heart comforting songs every day and the lady evangelist gives a message on the theme ‘I am the Lord that healeth thee’. Besides getting the medicine from the doctor the poor and sick people are spiritually blessed by the ministry through our orphans. The Lord has helped us to give medicine to 1,407,200 poor and sick people, so far besides the grace of salvation. Prayer Tower and All Night Fasting Prayer Meetings: A great servant of God said ‘Prayer moves the hand that moves the world’. Yes the good Lord is hearing to the cry of the hearts of the people coming from different parts of the city to pray in our Brethren Prayer Tower, the Focal Point of our Brethren Ministry. Last Friday of every month is the night of ‘All Night Fasting Prayer’ from 9:00 PM to 4:00 AM. The pastors from many villages of Brethren Congregation join this time. The people are blessed by
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the Intercessory prayers, Individual testimonies and praise and worship at this time. Every single person that attends All Night Fasting Prayer is sure enriched with the presence of the Holy Spirit. Brethren Free Training and Embroidery Training School: Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. James 1:27 New KJV. The Lord is helping us to help the spiritual as well as the physical needs of the deserted widows and destitutes. As a life earning means we have trained 1,652 poor widows and destitutes in sewing, tailoring and embroidery to this day. Many of the poorest of the poor are given free sewing machines. Now they stitch clothes for others and have become self-supporting, able to earn food and living to their hungry kids and their sick husbands. Krupa is a very poor teenage girl doing hard household chores at a home and her income was so low to provide herself and for her sick parents two square meals a day. We have given her new sewing machine after training her in sewing, tailoring and embroidery. Now she has made it a trade out of it and is no more a slave but a self-supporting young lady. I express my deep sense of love and gratitude to the W.M.S. groups and the Brethren in U.S.A. for their greetings cards, continued love, care and fervent prayers for the ministry in India.
Nirmala
From the Editor Corky Fisher Greetings, dear sisters in Christ! I am honored to be your new editor. Joan Ronk has been faithful to the Outlook since it began. Following in her footsteps is not an easy task, and I covet your prayers as we move forward. May I tell you a little about myself? I attend Park Street Brethren Church in Ashland. At Park Street I am secretary and literature secretary of Joy Circle WMS. I also co-lead an ABF and serve as a member of the Spiritual Health Team and Outward Ministry Team. Many of you know me as Literature Secretary. Books and writing are my passions, and I am grateful to have these avenues to serve our Lord. Some of you may remember me from The Carpenter’s Shop where I served for 13 years. I am mother of two adult sons and have eight grandchildren. I also have three very beautiful spiritual daughters--young women with whom I am blessed to walk as we share our journeys with Jesus and with each other. They are very special to me. But enough about me. Let’s move on to WMS. Tell me about your WMS. What do you do? What is your makeup? Who are you? What are you? Are these rhetorical questions? Maybe. More so I look at these questions as a spring board to get you thinking in your individual societies as to what you are about. At our September meeting our president passed out 3 by 5 cards and asked us to write what we would like our WMS to be.
The answers were as varied as the ladies in the room. Nearly everyone wanted to see more younger women involved; some wanted deeper Bible study; some wanted to know more about our missionaries. One in particular struck me then and has resonated with me since: I would love for us to be so relevant--so attractive in our focus and mission--that Jesus would be pleased AND women would be willing to be involved. Women reaching women. Culturally relevant to this time and place.
It was a perfect three-point sermon.
in all areas of our life (Jer. 7:21-23).
1. SEEK EARLY. Before we begin our planning for WMS--yearly agenda, monthly meeting, special event--we should submit in prayer. Jesus set the perfect example for us: Mark 1:35. Like Jesus, we must break away from others to talk to God--even if it means getting up early in the morning! Prayer is the vital connection to our heavenly Father. If He is to be included in our ministry, and if our ministry is going to honor Him, we MUST begin in prayer.
I pray I’ve given you some thoughts to ponder just as I have pondered them. I’d like to share two more thoughts with you--both from the LifeWay speaker. “You can’t stay where you are and go to God.” Be willing to move forward, to try something new. “You can’t be in a relationship with Christ and not be on a mission.” What is your mission? As a Christian woman? As a WMS group?
This statement made me think and question. Are we relevant? Does our focus and mission attract? Is Jesus pleased? Only you can answer these questions in light of your local society, but I challenge you to think of what the answers are to us as a denominational ministry.
Also at our September meeting, we drew prayer partners. Our hostess was gracious enough to allow us to invade all the rooms of her home, and we went off by twos to pray for WMS--only for WMS--no wish list, no physical needs--just for WMS. We were encouraged to meet together at least once before the next meeting to pray together for WMS. As our LifeWay speaker reminded us-”Prayer puts us on God’s page.” 2. DIE QUICKLY. If we are to let God have His way, we must let self die. God cannot have His way if our selfish ambitions are in the picture (Luke 9:23-27, NLT). Do we allow God to have His way with WMS? If our ministry is bathed in prayer (Step 1), and we’ve moved our selves out of God’s way, we will gain a confidence that can only come from knowing He is in control.
Sherry Van Duyne, WMS vicepresident, and I had the privilege of attending “You Lead”, a Women’s Ministry Event sponsored by LifeWay Publishing, earlier this summer. We were very blessed and at the same time, we were challenged. One of the questions we were asked is “Programs or Ministry?” Is your WMS a program or is it a ministry?
Here are the points to consider:
• Programs focus on techniques. . . ministry focuses on people. • Programs look for numbers. . .ministry sees changed lives. • Programs need quick answers . . .ministry understands grace in uncertainty. • Programs see the course. . .ministry sees the hearts. The speaker encouraged us to do ministry, not programs. She also gave us steps to follow in our ministries.
Earlier I asked you to tell me about your WMS. I mean it! I would love to hear about each and every group. Please feel free to email me at corkyf@zoominternet.net. Who knows? Your WMS might be featured in an upcoming Outlook. Blessings, Corky
3. OBEY CONTINUALLY. Obedience should be based on love for God (Joshua 22:5). If we know we are God’s children we will love Him and joyfully serve Him. Sometimes we think so much about what we are to do that we neglect thinking about who we are to be. We must not let daily service take away from our love for God. What we do for the Kingdom is meaningless if we do not obey God
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Let Scripture Transform You Sherry VanDuyne I was reading Sacred Rhythms by Ruth Haley Barton in August. She began chapter 3 on Scripture talking about her deep belief that Scripture is inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16), active and alive (Hebrews 4:12) and meant to guide our life decisions (Psalm 119). Yep, (I thought) I believe that too! She continued with pointing out that many of us read Scripture most often for information, to find truth, as we study to teach… None of these are wrong or necessarily bad. But, “this approach does not serve the deeper longing of our heart – the longing to hear a word from God that is personal and intimate and takes us deeper into the love that our soul craves.” (page 50) This really challenged me. I am a Bible teacher with women and with children. I love to dig deeper and really study Scripture. So I had to ask myself…Do I ever read my Bible for transformation not information…just to be with my God and let my heart really connect with His heart and just listen for Him? (No blanks to fill in or lists to check off or classes to teach) Answer – not often enough. The Willow Creek study, Follow Me, by Greg L. Hawkins and Cally Parkinson (page 114) finds that reflection on Scripture is the most influential personal spiritual practice in the journey – growing to be Christcentered. Reflection on Scripture… this made me “take note” and slow down So for the next 3 weeks the Women that I lead in Bible Study didn’t have any workbooks to complete or specific reading to check off the list or specified Scripture passages. We committed to seek to engage Scripture for spiritual transformation by setting aside
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some time to read a shorter Scripture passage (perhaps only 6-8 verses) that we felt drawn to. Stay in this section for the week. Savor the words and wonder what was on God’s heart for each of us. Have no other agenda except to listen and deepen our intimacy with God and to take time to notice. (page 52 from Sacred Rhythms) The next week our sharing time was amazing. Scripture had touched the hearts of 11 out of the 13 women in really special ways that week. Each Scripture and message was different and precisely for them. It was a sweet time with laughter, tears, Continued from p. 9
me in that position very strategically to represent Him. I am a woman who is learning that my doing must come out of being, being in close relationship with my Father, connected to Him in order to know what His plan is for me each day. If that is not who I am, then I will just be busy and not very effective for the kingdom. Psalm 90:12 says “Teach us to make the most of our time, so that we may grow in wisdom” My vision for us as individuals and as WMS societies is to first take time to deepen our relationship with our Father, so that we have His heart and see people the way He sees them. Then, that our doing comes as a result of our great love for Him and our desire to minister to the needs of those He speaks to us about. It may be our Missionaries far from us in the field or it may be other local societies He wishes us to pray for, encourage and partner with. It may even mean that we need to start in our very own local WMS, encouraging, building each other up and holding each
ideas, revelations and some healing. God’s Word is gentle and powerful and really, really applicable every moment in all of our lives. This is not a new concept. In fact it is one of those “oh, duh” moments. I am committed to taking time to do this often. Our amazing God and His awesome Words were meant to instruct us. Absolutely! But, I don’t ever want to neglect to allow His timeless truth and love to surround me and reach past my brain to lodge deep in my heart. It will transform me (and you)! His is faithful and the Holy Spirit is always working within us! Sherry Hallelujah! other accountable. We may need to make it a personal goal to learn more about the work and needs of our local and foreign missions and make a personal commitment to be obedient to whatever He prompts us to do. As I reflected on my day, I had to thank the Lord for the experience I had today trying to clean the old office without the necessities. It made me realize how hard it would be to be a missionary in the field without all the conveniences that we take so much for granted here. It also made me realize how hard it is for us to be missionaries here without the right tools. Our busyness too often gets in the way of using the tools God has given us to help us be better connected to him. Our priority is to know God and make him known to others. I am honored to be your national WMS President and am looking forward to a great year,
Gloria
Catalyst Reflections T
here are three things that greatly impacted me during the Catalyst Conference. The first was the phenomenal teachings that we received. I was blessed to receive teachings that honed my current ministry skills and apply new ones I didn’t know I was missing! The second thing was the experience itself. I liken the conference to what it will be like when we all get to heaven— people singing at the top of their lungs, testimonies and praises of what God has done through his Church, and actual demonstrations of God’s agape love being poured out on people. We got to witness moments when people’s lives were changed by the power of God’s love. I saw God’s love being expressed in tangible ways that deeply impacted me. The last thing was the fellowship. I met like-minded Brethren from different states and districts that I never had a chance to speak with before. Even in these conversations we were able to share, minister, and bless each other. It is comforting to know that there are Brethren who are passionately seeking God for what he would have them do next for their churches and communities. ~ Ben Pippen,Pastor Corinth Brethren Church Twelve Mile, IN
C
atalyst Conference was a wonderful experience! With “Be Present” as this year’s theme, The experience gave me the spiritual awakening that I needed and is already affecting all areas of my life. Since attending Catalyst, I plan on getting involved with a community organization or project in order to share Christ’s love with others. Thanks for letting me “Be Present”! ~ Dana Fullerton Gretna Brethren Church Bellefontaine, OH
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s a former pastor and denominational leader, words can’t express my excitement over this chance to participate in a conference featuring messages, music, and the missional journeys of today’s young adult followers of Jesus. What a wonderful place to learn and participate in the things God is stirring in the lives of the church’s emerging leadership. Speaking as an older adult, we have much to learn—in order to do our part of working alongside those leading the charge in community and worldwide mission. But what an encouragement to see Kingdom fruit expressed in so many varieties. I can’t be more encouraged about the future of the Church, and the future of our Brethren Church! We have a block of early-bird discounted registrations for next year. Give us a call or email to investigate your part in a future Catalyst or similar conference! ~ Ken Hunn
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he time at Catalyst was both inspirational and relational. Going as a church staff, as well as with others from the Brethren Church, allowed us time to laugh together, pray together, and process together the many challenging and practical insights from the conference. The two days were packed with speakers and presentations that applied not only to pastoral ministry, but simply being a leader in any field. God used Andy Stanley to challenge me to “Do for one what I wish I could do for everyone.” It is better that I am deeply engaged in a few, rather than focusing on being equal or fair. The action step I determined to take is to slow down and build deeper, personal, long-term relationships with some people in the community. Jim Collins spoke about steady, disciplined leadership and the need to get the right people in the right leadership seats. Organizations will move out of mediocrity when there are consistent, intentional, and courageous steps to address limitations and to take calculated risks. I want to move beyond mediocrity, personally and professionally. I am thankful for the National Office’s investment in leadership development - resourcing pastoral and lay leaders with ideas and opportunities to sharpen and clarify our unique mission. Our staff hopes to return to Catalyst next year and bring some lay leaders with us. It certainly was worth the time and the drive. That was the easy part. Application will be more difficult, but God is helping me see the practical ways of living out these challenges. I am more energized in relational and missional ministry than I have been in a very long time. The Holy Spirit reignited this thinking in me at our annual conferences (Reggie McNeal and Hugh Halter), but I didn’t want the lessons to fade and return back to “church as usual” or perhaps I should say “pastor as usual.” I must not simply be a hearer of the word. It’s time to “just do it.” ~ Kurt Stout, Pastor First Brethren Church, North Manchester, IN
continued on page 15
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“Missional” Youth Ministry? Ryan Smith Nappanee, IN First Brethren Church
A couple of years ago, I was given a copy of the book The Present Future by Reggie McNeal. And while it was handed to me with great anticipation and excitement, it sat on my shelf for quite a while, untouched. As the time passed and the layers of dust collected on that book, I began to hear more and more about this Reggie McNeal character. So much so, I figured I’d best brush off the dust and spend a little time thumbing through the book. It helped that as a church we were being challenged to read the book; and after all I’d better set a good example as one of the pastors and read it for myself — right? What I couldn’t have possibly known was just how profound, to the point, and timely Reggie’s words would be for my life and ministry. Fast forward now about three years, and I’ve had the privilege to be a part of a team from our church and community who has been invited to enter into a learning cohort with Reggie and others over a two year span. The aim of this learning community, as we’re called, is to help fast forward our missional efforts within our individual contexts. You might say this learning community is helping to more fully bring to life the words of Reggie and other prominent voices within the missional conversation. As such, it is helping to better position me and our church to move forward and embrace our place as missional stockholders within our community. But what does any of this have to do with anything? How is this at all related to the BYIC or to youth ministry? Simple! I believe as youth advisors and as youth within the church, we are called to be actively engaging in what God is doing, and I strongly feel that what God is doing is calling us back to his original design; what we’re now today labeling as missional. As I understand it, to be missional is simply to partner with God in the work of redemption for the world around us. Or you might say to be bringers of life wherever we find ourselves. With this understanding in mind, all of us as Christ-followers have a claim and responsibility to be missional in our thinking and actions. As a youth pastor I’ve become increasingly aware of how I go about introducing the realities of missional thinking, living, and being in the context of my ministry to students. Let me give you an example of what I mean. In our most recent session with Reggie and the learning community, we were challenged by Eric Swanson (another one of the voices speaking into us through the learning community) to position ourselves around the things we naturally enjoy doing, and while in those moments or opportunities, to be strategic and intentional about redemptive opportunity. As he was sharing I was hit with a pretty strong “duh” moment. Presently in our youth ministry we are trying to work on community and teamwork with our students. We realize that this is a character quality they struggle to always display well, but one that’s important in everyday life. So we’ve set a goal to help develop this quality in them. To do this we create a lot of synthesized learning opportunities for our youth within the context of youth group. The “duh” moment came when I realized I need to stop synthesizing and simply put our youth in real-life learning contexts. What better place to learn community and teamwork qualities than in the wilds of real life?
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It’s easy to fall into the trap as youth leaders that our work with teens is all about a future Kingdom preparation — that our youth sit and learn under us now, so that one day they’ll be well equipped to go out into the world and do Kingdom work. In reality, our youth (and all of us) are being called to do Kingdom work today — right now. If we are called to be agents of redemption to the world around, we can’t afford to wait till some future date to begin this work. We must be about this sort of work here and now. Thus the focus of my youth ministry needs to be pointed in this direction now. I’ll be honest, I’m still very much working this out, both personally and professionally. So I suppose I say this to hopefully encourage you, our youth advisors and our youth. This thing God is calling us to is not something new, and it doesn’t have to be big and scary. It’s actually rather old; it’s what God intended from the very beginning. And rather than being big and scary, try and see it as exciting and wondrous. A few tools that have helped me along my own personal journey have been these books. It’s not an exhaustive list by any means, and I’m certain I’ve missed some very good and helpful reads along the way, but here are some of the anchor points that have helped me in this journey.
Catalyst
continued
The Present Future by Reggie McNeal Missional Renaissance by Reggie McNeal The Jesus Creed by Scot McKnight The Mission of God by Christopher Wright Crazy Love by Francis Chan The Fine Life by Kary Oberbrunner Radical by David Platt My prayer for you and me is that we’d daily grow in the realization that God is calling us, his children, into a wondrous adventure with him, for the benefit of the world around us. I pray that we’d come to understand the depth of what it means to be partnered with God for such an important task. And as the weight of this reality settles in, we’d not become bogged down, but rather the “burden” we feel would be such as to invigorate us to do amazing Kingdom things in and for this world. It excites me to think about being a part of a group of people all pointed in this same direction. It excites me to dream about what this adventure may very well look like. I pray you’ll join in, come along, and embrace the ride. For oh, what a ride it’s proving to be.
C
atalyst was a wonderful experience. The most important thing it taught me was to slow down. So many people need help, so many things need done, and before we know it we are so overwhelmed that we are not getting anything done. Andy Stanley made the statement, “Do for one what you wish you could do for everyone.” In the lives of others I go an inch deep with 100 people instead of going a mile deep with the ones God truly lays on my heart. Through Catalyst I also learned the importance of praying reverently. So often we turn our prayers into a grocery list instead of a meaningful conversation with the Creator of our universe and Savior of our souls. I would encourage anyone looking to increase their leadership potential and be better equipped to be who God called you to be, to attend next year’s conference. It was a life changing experience full of wisdom, worship, and fun. ~ Bryan Baker, Associate Pastor Gretna Brethren Church, Bellefontaine, OH
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Christmases In Memory Remembered
I remember Christmases with my dad and mother, brother and sister, always with a tree in the living room and our stockings hung on the screen in front of the fireplace—and especially when a bright red 2-wheeler bike was there one year for me. Then I also remember Christmases without our mother, who died of cancer when I was just entering the ninth grade at Ashland High School. Christmases after that always had a different feel about them. Since moving to Florida over 40 years ago, along with our colleague in ministry, Bonnie Munson, we were able many years to sack food at a large food pantry the week before Christmas, help lead Christmas services on Christmas Days at a big local hospital, distribute food and boxes of cookies and plants to shut-ins, and go caroling with church groups to folks home bound and in nursing facilities. And in recent years my large peace sign, held at a major intersection near a mall with our peace demonstrators every year, reads “Christ is the Prince of Peace not War!” Like many of you, I’m sure, your Advent/Christmas seasons have been busy with worthwhile activities and messages; hopefully giving others (especially less fortunate people in our society) a source of Joy, and Love, and Hope, and Peace. My challenge and exhortation (to myself and to you) is this: How can we plan to involve others in experiences and activities this Christmas time that will bless, and encourage, and inform, and enrich their lives? How can we convey to others the Peace Jesus brought to our troubled world, so that they might have Christmas remembrances as rich, and fun, and rewarding as ours? May God’s Peace … don’t forget Peace … be with us as ~ Phil Lersch we try!
Beverly Summy
Ben Pippen Ordained at Corinth Ben Pippen, was ordained an elder in The Brethren Church and his wife, Leah, set apart as the wife of an elder on August 7, 2011. Rev. Ron Spyker, Rev. Tom Schiefer and Rev. Bart Shaw participated in the ordination service. The service was held at old Dillman Pond, near the Corinth Brethren Church in Twelve Mile, Indiana with many family and friends enjoying the afternoon. Ben and Leah have been married for seven years. They love their community and church and are excited about what God is doing in and through their ministry.
Beverly Summy, 74, passed on to her eternal reward on Thursday, September 1. Bev faithfully served The Brethren Church for 20 years, beginning in 1957 (Brethren Youth Board, Board of Christian Education, Benevolent Board of The Brethren Church) as an administrative assistant. She was a member of Park Street Brethren Church and previously Warsaw (IN) and Garber (OH) Brethren churches. She was a 1960 graduate of Ashland College.
Ben graduated from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana and did his theological training at Ashland Theological Seminary. Ben’s passions in ministry are worship, leadership development and preaching the gospel. While it was by no means a traditional setting for an ordination, it embodied the very Spirit we as Brethren share together-—love, fellowship and, of course, food! As The Brethren Church grows, let us all celebrate the new and unique ways the younger generations are faithfully serving.
A funeral service was held on September 6 at Park Street Brethren Church with Brethren pastors Chris Rufener (Bev’s nephew), Arden Gilmer, and Bill Johnson officiating. Memorials may be made to Ashland Theological Seminary (Brethren Student Aid) 910 Center St., Ashland, OH 44805, or to Brethren Care Village, 2000 Center St., Ashland, OH 44805. Notes of sympathy may be sent to Janet Rufener (Bev’s sister and National WMS treasurer), 128 Lilac Lane, Ashland, OH 44805; and Bonnie Summy (Bev’s mother), 502 Sandusky St., Ashland, OH 44805.
Ben and Leah Pippen
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With Retreat Facilitators Ron and Chery Boehm
You’ve invested in your congregation all year. Isn’t it time that you invested in a retreat that will encourage your soul and guide you to experience God along the way?
Directed by the Boehm’s we will be learning from the Holy Spirit and strengthening each other in a rejuvenating and fun atmosphere. Phoenix in March abounds with activities to refresh the body and soul. With temperatures in the 80’s during the day and the 50’s at night, what a great place to visit museums, enjoy the art galleries, tour the shops and visit local restaurants. We will also make a trip to a nearby state park where we will have opportunity to hike, bike or ride horses. There will be plenty of sight-seeing and we might even take in a spring-training game! Sunday worship will take place in another park. Retreat Rates Rooms have either two queen beds or one king. We will assign rooms accordingly. Single occupancy room Double occupancy per person Triple per person Quad per person
$275 $180 $145 $130
Add an additional $100 (includes taxes) to your registration fee for each additional day of lodging.
These rates include two nights at the InnPlace, programming fees, three meals – Saturday lunch and the evening meal and Sunday lunch. Breakfasts will be on your own at the hotel or a nearby restaurant. On Friday evening you may purchase food from street vendors or downtown restaurants. First Friday ArtLink in downtown Phoenix. Additional costs include travel to and from Phoenix, perhaps a rental car, and other leisure activities. We will arrange for transportation for those who don’t rent a car. The room rate of $89 plus 12.27% tax ($99.92) is good for a day or two before and after our retreat.
Transportation to and from Hotel: Phoenix airport is about a 20 minute drive from the InnPlace Hotel • Hotel contract shuttle service $45/one way • Personal cab $25-40 one way • Super Shuttle $17/one way (makes multiple stops) • Current rates for compact to standard size cars are $26-$32 plus taxes
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Brethren
Camp Bethany, OH Camp Peniel, PA I wish I could truly convey to you the impact of this week and theme. (Camp Peniel, PA) With more than 30 years camping experience (several full-time years), I can tell you that this was a needed wake up call to STAND in and for the gospel of Christ. Decisions need made and more importantly commitments require concrete assurance that Jesus Christ is worthy of all we could possibly risk. What type of mark are we leaving behind? –Kathleen Dowdy I remember as a kid knowing it was the Sunday to head to camp. It seemed like that was the day my parents fixed the biggest, slowest-cooking meal they knew to make. It took FOREVER to get to Camp Shipshewana. It was the best week of my life every summer. I looked forward to it all year. I had a great group of friends and we always stayed in the same room. We spent the week laughing, crying, running and having a blast. I grew up going to camp every summer. I only missed one week of camp from the time I was nine until I graduated from high school. I went back one summer to serve as full-time staff. One summer I was a Summer Crusader and worked at Camp Bethany and Southeast District Camp. I loved going to camp! After I got married my pastor asked my
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husband and me to teach at Camp Bethany. I was reminded that week how much I love camp. The kids we taught were just as excited to be there as I had been as a kid. Now I serve on the camp board for Camp Bethany, I am dean for Jr. High camp each summer and my kids love camp as much as I did. I spend the week as dean laughing, crying, running and having a blast! It is still one of the highlights of my summer. I am so very thankful the camp ministries we have in The Brethren Church! I know so many people who could insert their story into this one I have written and it wouldn’t change at all. Many of us in The Brethren Church had these experiences as kids. I am thankful for the many volunteers around the country who spend a week (or more)
at camp giving kids these experiences. It gives kids time to disconnect from all the distractions in their lives and focus on listening to God, or maybe hearing about God for the first time. Camp is an awesome ministry, I pray that as you read this you take a moment to remember an experience you may have had at church camp. Offer to get involved in the camp program in your district. If camp isn’t for you (not everyone loves it) maybe you can provide for someone else to go next summer. Any of our district camp programs would be happy to tell you how to get involved! So here’s to all the kids who were at camp in 2011! I am already looking forward to summer 2012 camp!!
Shenandoah Mead
Camps 2011
We had a total of 216 kids this summer at Camp Bethany. 49 of those kids, made first time profession of faith, recommitted their lives to Christ or want to be baptized. What a great summer! 窶適enton Van Duyne
water balloon / beach towel toss
grafitti wall is leaving a mark
Brethren Retreat Center, IN
dows, VA snack & bingo
The Brethren Evangelist (SSN 0747-4288) is published bimonthly except July/August by The Brethren Church, Inc., 524 College Ave., Ashland, OH 44805-3792 (telephone: 419-2891708; email: brethren@brethrenchurch.org; fax: 419-281-0450. Authors’ views are not necessarily those of The Brethren Church. Subscription rates: Sent free to Brethren Church members; $15.00 per year to others. Member, Evangelical Press Association. Postage: Paid at Ashland, Ohio or addional mailing office at Mansfield, Ohio. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Brethren Church, 524 College Ave., Ashland, OH 44805-3792. September/October 2011, Vol. 133, No. 4
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It is a great privilege to partner with you as together we begin to see glimpses of the fruit of God’s redemptive work through the Brethren Church!
The Church Mobilization Team of the Brethren Church continues to help congregations and pastors navigate transition of all kinds, to bring about the ourchanges personal, group, or congregational gift that will help us meet and surpass this goal. God desires to see in themselves, their church and their communities. MissioChurch, the church planting arm of the Brethren Church, continues to We are well on our way toward goal withefforts $14,272 and pledges already in hand. Please prayerfully consider organize, coordinate, and support yourthis church planting across in the offerings country.
world are actively caringofforachildren, providing Christ-centered education, feeding the hungry, ort Brethren ministries in the US and around thethe establishment new church. caring for the sick, teaching and preaching the Wordexisting of God, andchurches creating newand smalldistricts groups andtofuture hat help pave the way toward equipping supchurch plants that will continue to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ. Our global partners, in plantingwith call. the same are needed training events connection theInBrethren Churchway, USA,funds are exploring ways of notfor onlyregional serving their communities, ess that solooking crucial wisely steward the might giftsdevelop of those who sense church but areisalso for to ways in which doing ministry revenue streams thatthe will lead to the sustainable pursuit now. of theirAdditional God-given mission wherever theyused are serving. planning stages funds can be for the assessment pro_________________________ funds for the $25,000 start-up grant for one of the several church plants in the Annual Fund Faithfully, individuals and churches have rallied support in times of desperate need around the ur conference offering goal was to provide the needed
an nd ng, With
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ur Mo-
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Please complete the information above, detach this form, and mail it to the address below, or call the toll-freenumber. Secure contributions may also be made online through PayPal by going to www.brethrenchurch.org/contributions. Scroll down to “Annual Fund” and follow the prompts. Thanks for contributing to the Annual Fund! The Brethren Church 524 College Ave. Ashland, OH 44805
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world. Through the Brethren Relief fund in 2011, thousands of dollars have been sent to address needs. Your faithfulness in giving to the Brethren Relief fund allows betimely multiplied right where youstrikes. are! for financial support when disaster
of culture or “soil” where churches are so proud the Brethrenthe Church, weWe continue toofcultivate and of the impact you are having in your some plants begun and thrivcommunities and around the world. It is through you, and through all of us working together, that God is at work to see his Kingdom ful stewardship of more their fully expressed. Your financial are benefiting from the contribution will help leaders, our Planter’s Pathway churches and communities begun the experience the journey transforming power of Jesus Christ through uals and couples who the power of the Holy Spirit. recognized those indiWe look forward to seeing in General Conference this next season all that God movement! Atthrough our rewants to do in and the churchChurch. multiplication Brethren
mentum is building in
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in! … it’s not too late to eneral Conference Offering for Church Multiplication