BMH Editor's Blog

Pastor Jerry Young (right), who was at the Sandy Cove Focus Retreat earlier this week, flew home to Phoenix with his wife, Loreen, Wednesday night only to discover that their truck had been stolen. Jerry says it's not likely to be recovered, for the police have said, "It's probably in Mexico, or on an Indian reservation." The Youngs request prayer for wisdom, because insurance will likely not be enough to replace the truck, and without the truck they cannot pull their 5th wheel trailer, in which they planned to live while traveling the country on behalf of the Association of Grace Brethren Ministers, encouraging pastors and their wives. "Decisions Loreen and I make over the next 30 days will affect us profoundly over the next six months," Jerry says. "Ask that wisdom be granted to us. Thanks."

Statement Regarding Biblical Issues in the 2004 Elections, October 2004

Crosswalk.com editor's note: While we may choose to disagree on certain matters of public policy, or support different political parties, the fact remains that we as Christians have an objective standard of truth – the Bible -- to base our decisions on. No matter how complex or contemporary the debate might be, the Bible speaks to it. That’s why it’s critical to spend time understanding what the Bible says about the important issues of today – and the 2004 elections. The following statement – recently prepared and endorsed by more than 70 Christian leaders (click here for list of names) -- is presented for the thoughtful consideration of all who are interested in how the Bible might speak to ethical issues in the current political contests.

1. Supreme Court justices: People may not consider the appointment of Supreme Court Justices to be an ethical issue, but it clearly is now because several of the Court’s decisions have imposed on our nation new policies with significant ethical and religious ramifications.

A slim majority of our current Supreme Court -- and lower courts which follow their example -- have gone beyond their Constitutionally-defined task of interpreting laws passed by Congress and state legislatures, and have in effect created new "laws" that have never been passed by any elected body. By this process they have imposed on "the people" decrees that allow abortionists to murder unborn babies (contrary to Exodus 20:13 and Romans 13:9, "you shall not murder"), protect pornographers who poison the minds of children and adults (contrary to Exodus 20:17, "You shall not covet ... your neighbor’s wife; see also Matt. 5:28), that redefine marriage to include homosexual couples (thus giving governmental encouragement to actions that Romans 1:26-28 says are morally wrong), and that banish prayer, God’s name and God’s laws from public places (thus prohibiting free exercise of religion, and violating Romans 13:3 which says that government should be "not a terror to good conduct, but to bad"). In taking to itself the right to decree such policies, the Supreme Court has seriously distorted the system of "checks and balances" intended by the Constitution between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government.

It is unlikely that any elected body such as a city council, state legislature, or the U.S. Congress, would have decreed policies like those mentioned above, for such groups are accountable to the will of the people. Not so the Supreme Court, which is appointed for life. And democratically-elected members of Congress and state legislatures are helpless to change those Court-mandated policies unless the makeup of the Court is changed. We believe the ethical choice is a President and U.S. Senate committed to appointing judges who will follow the original intent of the Constitution -- interpret law, not create it; enforce the will of the people, not thwart it -- rather than candidates who have often voted to block such judges in votes in the Senate.

2. Defense against terrorists: A fundamental responsibility of government is to "punish those who do evil" (1 Pet. 2:14) and thus to protect its citizens. We now face a unique challenge, because terrorists who will sacrifice their own lives in killing others cannot be deterred by the usual threat of punishing a criminal after he commits a crime. While Jesus instructed individuals not to seek personal revenge but to turn the other cheek (Matt. 5:39), the Bible instructs that governments are responsible to "bear the sword" (Rom. 13:4) and use force to oppose violent evil. We believe the ethical choice is support for a candidate who will pursue terrorists and, when necessary, use force to stop them before they strike us; not for a candidate who only promises to respond if we are attacked again.

3. Abortion: The Bible views the unborn child as a human person who should be protected, since David said to God, "You knitted me together in my mother's womb" (Psalm 139:13; see also Psalm 51:5; 139:13; Luke 1:44), and strong penalties were imposed for endangering or harming the life of an unborn child (Exodus 21:22-23). We believe the ethical choice is for candidates who believe government should give protection to the lives of unborn children, and not for those who assert that people have a right to murder their unborn children.

4. Homosexual marriage: The Bible views marriage as between one man and one woman, for "a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh" (Gen. 2:24; Eph. 5:31). Because our courts have shown a troubling tendency to overturn the laws that have already been passed concerning marriage, we believe the ethical choice is for candidates who support a Constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman.

5. Embryonic stem cell research: Creating more human embryos for the purpose of harvesting their stem cells is contrary to the command, "You shall not murder" (Exodus 20:13). There is a logical and superior alternative: using adult stem cells for medical research, because this does not destroy the life of the adult whose cells are used. We believe the ethical choice is for a candidate who has decided he will not allow government funds to be spent to create more human embryos just to take their stem cells.

6. Natural resources: God put human beings on the earth to "subdue it" and to "have dominion" over the animals (Gen. 1:28). We value the beauty of the natural world which God created, and we believe that we are called to be responsible stewards who protect God’s creation while we use it wisely and also seek to safeguard its usefulness for future generations. The Bible does not view "untouched nature" as the ideal state of the earth, but expects human beings to develop and use the earth’s resources wisely for mankind’s needs (Gen. 1:28; 2:15; 9:3; 1 Tim. 4:4). In fact, we believe that public policy based on the idealism of "untouched nature" hinders wise development of the earth’s resources and thus contributes to famine, starvation, disease, and death among the poor. We believe the ethical choice is for candidates who will allow resources to be developed and used wisely, rather than for candidates indebted to environmental theories that oppose nearly all economic development in our nation and around the world.

7. Should Christians speak out and try to influence our nation on these issues? God’s people in the Bible often addressed ethical issues with their governmental rulers. Daniel told the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar to practice "righteousness" and to show "mercy to the oppressed" (Dan. 4:27); several Old Testament prophets speak to foreign nations about their sins (Isaiah 13-23; Ezekiel 25-32, Amos 1-2, Obadiah (to Edom), Jonah (to Nineveh), Nahum (to Nineveh), Habakkuk 2, Zephaniah 2); and Paul spoke to the Roman governor Felix "about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment" (Acts 24:25).

As Christian leaders, we agree that the primary message of the New Testament is the good news about salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. But the primary message is not the entire message, and another significant part of the New Testament provides instruction regarding how people should live. In addition to the issues already mentioned, the Bible also teaches us about the types of laws and regulations governments should pursue and enforce.

The laws of a nation have a significant influence on that nation’s moral climate, for good or for ill. This is because laws can either restrain evil or encourage it, and because laws also have a teaching function as they inform people about what a government thinks to be right and wrong conduct.

Therefore we urge pastors and Bible study leaders to teach on these crucial ethical issues facing our nation. We urge all Christians to remember their moral obligation to learn about the candidates’ positions, to be informed, and to vote. We urge all Christians to pray that truthful speech and right conduct on both sides would prevail in this election. We also encourage Christians to consider doing even more for the good of our nation, such as giving time or money, or talking to friends and neighbors, or even serving in office themselves. Such influence for good on the direction of our country is one important way of fulfilling Jesus’ command, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Matt. 22:19).

Hope Community Church to Feature Unique Presidential "Voting Booth" at Fall Fun Festival

CARY / RALEIGH, NC -- What's really on everyone's mind this Halloween?

The coming presidential elections, of course. Hope Community Church will host their own family fun version of this important voting event at their annual Fall Family Fun Festival on October 31.

So, what is President Bush's favorite ice cream? And if cookies reigned supreme, which kind would John Kerry stock up on? 'Think you're a Republican? 'Sure you're a Democrat? The votes will tell as festival attendees stop by the presidential voting booth and cast their votes for president -- but only by matching their own personal likes/dislikes against those of the presidential candidates.

The name of the candidates (Bush and Kerry) will not appear on the ballots, only their unique personal "druthers." It will be up to the voter to "vote" based on their sharing of similar personal favorites and interests. Every hour on the hour, beginning at 5:30 pm and continuing at 6:30 and 7:30 pm, the votes will be tallied and a presidential winner for that hour declared. The voting then begins again each hour until the conclusion of the evening's festivities.

To help all the clowns, princesses, action heroes, animals, pirates, and Disney characters get into the spirit of things, HCC has gone out of its way to provide festival goers with a primo voting facility. Much like a real voting booth, the very red, white, and blue decorated booth will be closed in to "conceal" each voter and their votes, equipped with lights inside and out to reveal when a vote has been cast, and stationed by pollsters who will count the votes on the hour.

Cas and Marg Nowak, real-life precinct chairman and secretary respectively of precinct 04-12, and members of Hope Community Church, have agreed to oversee this very important fall festival activity. Not to be left out, both Miss Liberty and Uncle Sam will be on hand to point the way to the voting booth and encourage all the festival celebrants to let their voices be heard and make their votes count.

The Hope Community Church (HCC) Fall Festival continues to offer families a fun, safe alternative to the typical Halloween night activities including hayrides, an obstacle course, dunk tank, games, concessions, contests, jugglers and a myriad of other activities. In addition, each child will "trick or treat" their way throughout the various booths and activities.

HCC's Fall Family Fun Festival is October 31, from 4:30-7:30 pm. This year's festivities are being held in the gymnasium and on the grounds of Grace Christian School located at 801 Buck Jones Road in Southwest Raleigh, next to the church's own new building project. Admission is $1 per person with a $5 max per family. Children and adults are asked to attend in friendly costumes.

Founded in 1994 by Pastor Mike Lee and his wife, Laura, HCC is located near the Crossroads Shopping Center in Cary. With over 2,000 in weekly attendance, HCC's unique vision includes ministering through the arts,media, and culturally relevant teaching. For more information, visit<file:///\\www.gethope.net> www.gethope.net or call 532.0620.# # #Written/submitted by Debbie Dodson

The closing panel this morning for the East Focus Retreat included (seated, from left) Mike Brubaker, associate pastor at Frederick, MD; David Kennedy, pastor at Richmond, VA; and Rick Clark, pastor at Pike Grace Brethren Church in Johnstown, PA. Standing at left is Conference Coordinator Tom Avey, who emceed the panel and conducted the focus retreat. More photos are available on the FGBC website. If you had been there (and had a qualifying last name) you could have had lunch at the "color table." Members included Doug Black, Jack Brown, Jeff Green, Bob Greenwood, Dan White, and Terry White. "Brown and Green and Black and White, they are precious in His sight....."

This is the majority of the group of pastors and church leaders who are currently participating in the East Focus Retreat at Sandy Cove Retreat Center in North East, Maryland. The center is located at the tip of the Chesapeake Bay, which appears in the background of the photo. The retreat will conclude Wednesday morning with a panel discussing "How to Run and Not Lose Heart" in the ministry. 

Pastor Dan White of the York, Pennsylvania, Grace Brethren Church, led the 1 p.m. session on "Others and My Heart...Friends and Family" with a challenge from scripture. The Focus Retreat will conclude at 11 a.m. Wednesday. 

Pastor Jeff Thornley, from the Waldorf, MD Grace Brethren Church, spoke during the Tuesday evening testimony time about the several-year struggle he and his family have had with Lyme's Disease and God's faithfulness through this and other trials.  

A praise and worship team from the Calvert County Grace Brethren Church in Owings, Maryland (Robert Wagner, pastor) led off the East Focus Retreat this afternoon (Monday) at the Sandy Cove Retreat Center near North East, Maryland. This is the second of five Focus Retreats this year, and the emphasis for pastors and church leaders attending is "the heart."

Pastor Dan Allan, FGBC Moderator for 2004-05, led off the Sandy Cove Focus Retreat with a challenge to "Guard Your Heart....The Wellspring of Life" based on Proverbs 4:23. The retreat, attended by approximately 50 pastors and church staff members and leaders from Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and other eastern states, will continue until about Wednesday noon. 

Grace alums from the mid-1960s may remember Erik (Rick) Auxt (left) of Hagerstown, Maryland, who married Tecca Wilging (right) of Mansfield, Ohio. Tonight (Saturday, October 23) their daughter, Erin, was married to J.R. Crain at Parkview Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Your Intrepid Blogger is off again, this time to the Chesapeake Bay and Sandy Cove Retreat Center in Maryland for the East Coast Focus Retreat (via a family wedding in Baton Rouge enroute).

Do pray for longtime Grace Brethren pastor Gilbert Hawkins, who is currently in Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne for tests on his heart, and possibly to have a pacemaker installed.

Issue #6 of FGBC World has gone to the printer--an online version should be up this weekend. The online version has longer articles, more photos, click-through links and additional material you won't get in the paper version.

Pray for your east coast pastors to have safe travel and refreshing encouragement at the Focus Retreat. FGBC Moderator Dan Allan and FGBC Coordinator Tom Avey will again organize and lead sessions on the heart--how to care for it, how to nurture it, and how to run (in the ministry) without fainting. Photos and highlights to come.

Your Intrepid Blogger and wife are spending Thursday through Sunday at The Billy Graham Training Center, "The Cove," near Asheville, North Carolina, with managers and CEOs of other Christian organizations. The retreat is sponsored by Christian Management Association--we are leading music for the worship sessions and enjoying meeting ministry peers from around the US and Canada. CMA serves about 4,000 CEOS, senior leaders, managers, pastors, church business administrators, and board members from more than 1,500 Christian organizations, helping them with latest management information and insights, best practices, and resources in the management of Christian organizations such as the Brethren Missionary Herald Co.

The Chatlos Memorial Chapel, highlighted here in the late afternoon October sun, is one of the "jewel pieces" of The Cove Billy Graham Training Center, near Asheville. Set on 1,600 acres, the training property is just gorgeous this time of year. We're here along with about 40 others in a four-day retreat sponsored by the Christian Management Association . Speaker Saturday morning was Fred Smith of The Gathering . Smith is one of the nation's experts in philanthropy and part of his presentation was an explanation of 12 trends in evangelical philanthropy he sees today.

One of the presenters at the CMA event is John Lynch, a storyteller, writer and playwright who is also the teaching pastor at Open Door Fellowship in Phoenix, AZ. Lynch is shown here giving a humorous reading as part of an informal "tell your story" gathering on Saturday night. Part of the retreat program was on "trust," and was presented by Lynch, Bill Thrall, and Bruce McNicol, who are with Leadership Catalyst.

An excellent panel discussion of "How to Run and Not Lose Heart" this Wednesday morning concluded the Central Focus Retreat at Pokagon State Park in Indiana. Panel members, from left, included Tom Gale (associate pastor, Norton, OH north campus); Pastor Bob Arenobine (solo pastor in Fort Wayne, IN for 21 years) and Pastor Will Lohnes from Shepherds Grace Church in Medina, Ohio. This was the first of five retreats to be held around the country, organized and administered by the Coordinator's Office of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches. 

Grace Brethren pastors and church leaders are gathering Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at the Potawatomi Inn in Pokagon State Park in northeast Indiana for a Focus Retreat. Sessions are titled "Guard Your Heart," "Restoring Your Heart," "Others and My Heart," "Ministry From the Heart" and "How to Run and Not Lose Heart." FGBC Coordinator Tom Avey, standing, at left, is the organizer and administrator of this year's Focus Retreat. The next one, later this month, will be at Sandy Cove Retreat Center in Northeast, Maryland.

Part of Tuesday's agenda at the Central Focus Retreat was some "alone time" with God to reflect and meditate. Here the current moderator of the Fellowship, Pastor Dan Allan of Ashland, Ohio, finds a serene moment on the porch of the Potawatomi Inn overlooking Lake James. 

Gettin' a little crazy. Pastors and church leaders at the Central Focus Retreat took a little time from serious business to enjoy some fun songs and activities Tuesday afternoon. 

YIB (Your Intrepid Blogger) will be offline much of this week. Today begins the first of five Focus Retreats around the country for Grace Brethren pastors and church leaders--this one is at Pokagon State Park 'way up in the northeast corner of Indiana. Likely won't have internet access from there, so I'll have some photos and reports to post when I come back late Wednesday.

Then Thursday through Sunday we'll be at the Billy Graham Retreat Center at The Cove in Asheville, NC, for a CMA (Christian Management Association) event.

Sorry for the problems accessing our website--server seems to have been down a little bit. Tekkies are working on the issue -- will be back up again soon.

Issue #6 (November/December) of FGBC World has gone off to the printer--it should arrive on or slightly before November 1 in all subscriber homes and churches. Please help us get it into the hands of Grace Brethren people who would like to be informed and connected about the rest of the Fellowship.

Ohio State University Revises Policy,
Allows Religious Clubs to Remain 'Religious'

by Jim Brown October 8, 2004

(AgapePress) - One of the largest public universities in the country has reversed course and will now allow the Christian Legal Society and other evangelical student groups to limit their membership to Christians.

In a dramatic about-face, Ohio State University has vowed to change a "non-discrimination policy" that barred Christian groups from refusing to accept non-Christians and homosexuals as club members and officers. Last fall the school had moved to de-recognize the Christian Legal Society (CLS) campus chapter after complaints the club was in violation of that policy because it required members and officers to profess faith in Jesus and exhibit a lifestyle consistent with orthodox Christian doctrine.

Following those complaints of alleged discrimination -- and after attempting to settle the dispute without legal action -- the CLS Center for Law & Religious Freedom sued OSU over the policy. That federal lawsuit prompted the university to rewrite the controversial policy. The new policy allows religious student groups to adopt non-discrimination language in their organizational constitutions that is consistent with their sincerely held religious beliefs.

Center director Greg Baylor says amending the policy is an incredibly significant move because, as he explains, it offers relief to all religious organizations at the almost 60,000-student school.

"All of [the religious clubs] are able to take religious criteria into account when they're choosing their voting members, when they're choosing their officers, deciding who's going to lead Bible studies, and all the rest," Baylor explains. "That's the way it ought to be -- it wasn't that way before, and it is now. So it's a great victory for religious freedom at the Ohio State University campus."

Billy Graham's message still clear despite his age & diminished voice

By Bob Baysinger

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (BP)--There wasn't much power in Billy Graham's voice at the opening night of the Heart of America Billy Graham Crusade in Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium, but that didn't stop the 85-year-old Southern Baptist evangelist from preaching a powerful message.

Graham, weakened by age and a pelvic fracture sustained in a fall at his North Carolina home last May, delivered a short sermon from John 3 about starting life over again. Noticeably absent from the presentation was the strong, steady voice Graham has displayed over the years in preaching to 80 million people worldwide during his career.

Graham, with his silver hair attracting the light from the stage spotlights, began slumping 15-minutes into his message and finished the sermon seated. His son, Franklin, seated on the platform behind his father, helped him get seated when he began to slump. A specially built podium had been prepared that enabled him to preach while seated.

Referring to the physical ailments now buffeting his life, Graham observed, "I've never preached a sermon sitting down."The crowed responded with applause.

Graham seemed to regain some strength after sitting down and continued his appeal for people to be saved. "Jesus died on the cross for you," he said. "He shed his blood for you."

The crusade opened Oct. 7 and is scheduled to conclude with a message by Graham at 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 10. The evangelist's weakened state did not hamper the results of his message as hundreds of people streamed onto the rain-soaked football field to respond to Graham's appeal to accept Christ as Lord and Savior. Trained counselors recorded 704 decisions.

"Some people are ready to give up on life," Graham said near the end of his 20-minute message. "Two people have told me in the last two days they are ready to give up. Jesus makes it possible to have a new life."

Heavy rains blanketed the Kansas City area throughout the day and continued to fall as Cliff Barrows, longtime Graham associate, led the opening hymn. Crusade officials announced the first night crowd at 7,750. The Kansas City crusade will be followed by a crusade in Los Angeles in November and in New York next June.

In an earlier entry (October 3) we told you about some of the Grace Brethren leaders who were attending the Lausanne Evangelism conference in Thailand. This release from Baptist Press on that meeting should stimulate some thinking about the four billion oral learners who will likely not hear of Christ by the traditional means.

Reaching the 'oral majority'
By Erich Bridges

PATTAYA, Thailand (BP)--Christian leaders from nearly 130 countries recently gathered in Pattaya, Thailand, to consider 31 key issues confronting world evangelization -- and learned of one huge challenge that might trump all the others.

Is it terrorism? Persecution? Opposition from hostile governments or religions?

No. It is this simple fact: Four billion people -- about two-thirds of the world's population -- are oral learners. They communicate, learn, perceive reality and embrace core beliefs through orally expressed stories, narratives, songs and proverbs -- not through the books, periodicals, outlines and other forms of linear thinking preferred by literate cultures (and churches).

Some oral learners are illiterate because of lack of education. Many others, however, belong to the thousands of oral cultures of the globe. Some may even read a written language, but it isn't the way they prefer to interact with the world -- and with the Word of God. The latter group, by the way, includes millions of postmoderns in "literate" societies.

Even if all the other higher-profile roadblocks suddenly fall away, this one will continue to stymie the Gospel's progress in much of the world -- unless we cast the unchanging Good News in forms in which the "oral majority" will receive it.

That comes as news to many of us -- as it did to many of the 1,600 leaders attending the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization's 2004 Forum in Thailand Sept. 29-Oct. 5. They met 30 years after the historic 1974 International Congress in Lausanne, Switzerland, which challenged the "whole church to take the whole Gospel to the whole world." That watershed event, organized by a committee led by Billy Graham, helped spur the modern missionary movement to evangelize the world's thousands of unreached people groups.

"But in the 30 years since then, we have hit a glass ceiling when we try to communicate the Gospel to the unreached peoples of the world," reported Avery Willis in a plenary session at the Lausanne Forum in Thailand. "Seventy percent of them are oral learners who have never heard or understood the greatest story ever told."

This affects more than the 1.5 billion least-reached people, because 4 billion people in our world can't, don't or won't learn through literate means. These 4 billion people are headed to a Christ-less eternity unless we use culturally appropriate means to evangelize them, disciple them, train leaders and plant reproducing churches."

Willis recently retired as overseas chief for the Southern Baptist International Mission Board. He continues to work with the entity in mobilizing Christians to focus on oral cultures. IMB strategists and missionaries have helped pioneer some of the methods -- including chronological Bible "storying" and the development of "oral Bibles" -- now used by many Christian workers to reach oral cultures. Willis and eight other IMB workers participated in a working group of 30 missions leaders at the forum called "Making Disciples of Oral Learners."

"God has opened the eyes of many of us in the past 15 years to see that the primary way to the hearts of the lost is through oral communication strategies," Willis said.

Like many "new" mission strategies, oral approaches are really rediscoveries of old methods. Jesus, the Living Word, never wrote a book. He told stories within an oral culture that bears surprising similarities to hundreds of cultures today throughout Asia, Africa, the Arab world and the Americas. Words alone -- particularly written words, the currency of the literate world -- won't get the Living Word to many of the world's lost peoples.

Consider:

-- At least 1.5 billion people have never been introduced to reading and writing in any form.
-- Up to 85 percent of Muslim women -- and 65 percent of Muslim men -- are oral learners, ranging from completely non-literate to functionally illiterate. Many Islamic worship leaders in the Middle East and Africa also are exclusively oral communicators, operating by means of a memorized Quran.
-- Illiteracy predominates among animistic peoples.
-- A high percentage of the thousands of ethnic/linguistic people groups identified by the International Mission Board as largely or completely unreached are oral communicators.
-- Of the 6,809 languages spoken in the world, only 414 had whole-Bible translations available by early 2004, according to Wycliffe Bible Translators. Only 928 had a complete New Testament. About 1,700 more translation projects are under way, but more than 4,000 languages have no translated Scripture at all -- not even a portion or fragment. Are the speakers of these languages to go without the Gospel until we get around to them?
-- Even in supposedly literate societies, millions are non-literate or functionally illiterate (including up to half the population of the United States). Among young people, the percentage rises even higher. Further, as visually oriented electronic technologies spread globally, many non-literate peoples are moving straight from ancient to modern means of visual/oral communication -- without ever learning to read and write their own heart language.

From the time of the Gutenberg Bible, Christianity has "walked on literate feet" -- directly or indirectly requiring literacy of those seeking the Gospel. That requirement has provided innumerable spiritual and social benefits to societies that embrace literacy. But it continues to fence out other Gospel-hungry cultures and peoples.

"Buta huruf," the Indonesian term for illiteracy, means "blind to letter." Primary oral learners cannot "see" written words -- and literate missionary methods shut them out. Some 90 percent of the world's Christian workers still use literate communication styles among oral peoples.

The barrier is not in them, but in us. Our challenge is to adapt our methods to effectively reach the lost, not force billions of oral learners to become literate before they can understand the Gospel. That's an unnecessary stumbling block.

Let's partner with the many oral learners who already have become followers of Christ -- and help them multiply their witness to billions of others.

--30--

Erich Bridges is a senior writer at the Southern Baptist International Mission Board whose column appears twice each month in Baptist Press.Web sites for orality training and resources:
http://ChronologicalBibleStorying.com
http://FJseries.org
http://EpicPartners.org
http://OralBible.com
http://Communication-Strategy.net

The immediate neighborhood of the Sebring, Florida, Grace Brethren Church was left in shambles after Hurricane Jeanne. Pastor Randy Smith says, "Without a doubt this has been a challenge, but one our folks at Sebring have risen to! We have had greater opportunity to minister than at any time in my life."

Post-Hurricane Jeanne, this is the back yard of Pastor Randy Smith of the Sebring, Florida Grace Brethren Church.  

The youth center of the Sebring, Florida, Grace Brethren Church as it appeared in the aftermath of Hurricane Jeanne. Anyone wishing to help with labor, prayer or funds can call 888-880-8538. 

Dr. Randy Smith, pastor of the Sebring, Florida, Grace Brethren Church, sends these photos of the damage Hurricane Jeanne did to the church's youth center. "She left us without a youth center roof," he writes, "and with a thoroughly soaked building at the Bible Institute." He indicates that crews have been working tirelessly to aid the people of the church and to help with restoration projects. 

A live webcam at the Johnson Ridge observatory, about five miles from the crater of Mount St. Helens, is available online. A new image is automatically posted about every five minutes. To see the webcam, click here:

http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/volcanocams/msh/

Grace Brethren Church of Worthington (Columbus), Ohio, (Jim Custer, pastor) celebrated its 40th anniversary with a series of events last weekend. Here is an article from Suburban Newspapers describing the event:

Grace Brethren Celebrates 40 Years

By SCOTT TAKAC

Grace Brethren Church of Worthington marked four decades in the community last weekend with an anniversary celebration.

Bill Palmateer, the church's communications coordinator, said the event was scheduled to kick off Saturday with a neighborhood block party featuring Ohio State University football on a 32-foot screen, carnival rides and activities, games, hot air balloon rides and other activities.
He said live entertainment was also scheduled throughout the day.

Palmateer said that on Sunday, following the church's two morning services, a pot luck dinner was planned, followed by a 40th anniversary gala and other events.

Grace Brethren sees about 3,000 people attend every Sunday, a number Phil Johnson, an assistant pastor at the church, said it has been seeing for some time.

"We were at 3,000 back in the late '70s, early '80s," Johnson said. "And that was unheard of to have a church that size back then but we've been this size for a long time."
Johnson said the key to Grace Brethren's longevity has been sticking to the basics, something he attributes to Pastor Jim Custer.

"Pastor Jim has really set the standard of keeping us in the word of God every Sunday. ... That really sets us apart from a lot of other churches," he said. "... We stick to the book."
Johnson said included in that approach, the church focuses on kindness and intimacy between its members, the message of the crucifixion and the hope of eternal life.

"We keep our message simple but we allow it to flow into a multitude of ministries," he said, adding the church has produced nine CDs through the Grace Music ministry, which distributes music worldwide.

Grace Brethren, on Worthington-Galena Road, operates a bookstore, Grace Media, and a full-contact football league. It also offers outreach ministries for men, women and children.
While there are between 200 and 300 churches in the fellowship -- a small number compared to some denominations -- Johnson said numbers can be deceiving.

"The Grace Brethren Fellowship is a very small pond but it's very, very deep," he said.
Johnson said Grace Brethren has spread its roots in the Columbus area.

"We can say that out of our church, there's 13 or 14 churches that have sprung out of our congregation," he said, adding the anniversary celebration also served as a homecoming for members of the congregation.

"It really is a big family reunion," Johnson said. "We have people coming back from all over the United States to be here."

Johnson said that while many of those who attend Grace Brethren live near Worthington, people also come from more-distant areas including Mount Vernon, Grove City and Pataskala.
"We are really a regional church," he said. "We're not a neighborhood church, so to speak."

Johnson said that through the church's ministries and events -- like the annual Living Christmas Tree performances he said draw between 25,000 and 30,000 people -- it's difficult to tell just how far the arms of Grace Brethren extend.

"We don't know how far really our reach is here," he said.

Dave Guiles, Grace Brethren International Mission’s executive director, Mike Yoder, GBIM missionary to Germany, and Jorge Nunez, national church leader in Argentina, are representing the FGBC at the 2004 Forum for World Evangelization (Lausanne) in Bangkok, Thailand. Held each decade, the purpose of this encounter is “to examine through unprecedented global inquiry, the trends and needs in evangelism, and in response, develop specific action plans for Church leaders to use in addressing our most difficult local and global evangelism issues.” Here is a more complete news release on the meeting and some of its key personalities:

By Naomi Frizzell, LCWE Director of Communication

THAILAND (ANS) -- The Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization 2004 Forum opened Wednesday night September 29, with a taste of Thai culture from the Royal Cliff Beach Resort kitchen and the Thai Christian Community. While enjoying a dinner of wonderful Thai food, Forum participants experienced poignant performances by the Thai Classical Orchestra, Christian school choirs and Thai traditional dancers.

Forum Program Chair Mrs. Robyn Claydon officially opened the Forum with the Thai custom of cutting a ribbon of flowers and banging a gong. Participants then joined in praise and worship songs led by Mr. Dave Pope.

Dr. Paul Cedar, Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization Executive Chair, told the gathering that “we have come together from the North, South, East and West” to participate in the Forum “under the leadership and lordship of Jesus Christ.” Dr. Cedar emphasized that the Forum is not just a Lausanne conference but one where every international network of Christian leaders was invited to participate.

More than 1,500 leaders from around the world are at the Forum -- representing nearly 130 countries and 58 languages. Rev. David Ruiz, International Coordinator of the Great Commission Roundtable, encouraged the participants to “share, learn and dialogue” as they experience “A new vision, a new heart and a renewed call.” While unable to attend the Forum, Rev. Gary Edmonds of the World Evangelical Alliance sent a message of encouragement. Rev. Edmonds referred to the African proverb “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” Rev. Edmonds stressed that “We are committed to take the gospel far – to the ends of the earth. Therefore, we must go together.”

Keynote speaker for the evening, Dr. Roger Parrott, 2004 Forum Chair, urged participants to catch hold of the fresh wind of the spirit. He acknowledged that it takes certain skills “to sail where God leads us.” Dr. Parrott stated this willingness is expressed by six benchmarks: unwavering trust; outward vision; constant preparation; gentle patience; navigational sensitivity; and complete effort.

Much like the global weather patterns, he said, this wind is interconnected around the world in ways that we don’t understand or often see, starting with a slight breeze that becomes so strong it topples everything in its path. Dr. Parrott reminded participants that this same wind of the Spirit blew at Pentecost, blew again at Lausanne 1974 and can once again blow across the 2004 Forum. He concluded by saying that the wind will blow here in Thailand if participant’s sole desire is to live, work and relate to each other at the 2004 Forum in a way that catches the wind of God.

Mrs. Vonette Bright, co-founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, International, offered prayers for God’s guidance for participant discussions and for the long-term impact of the Forum on global evangelization. Today Issue Groups also began their face-to-face meetings—seeking to prayerfully complete the development of their issue-specific strategic plan.

On Thursday the 2004 Forum for World Evangelization Issue Groups met face-to-face for the first time. Though many of the members of the 31 groups have never met personally, they have been actively corresponding for months via the Internet, telephone and mail. Many groups used their first meeting in person as a chance to get to know one another -- with members introducing themselves, sharing the particular challenges they face in ministry and how God has been working through their ministry toward advancing the gospel.

Members of the Reconciliation Issue Group (IG #22) revealed personal stories of hurt or discrimination or experiences as victims of conflict. Testimonies of personal tragedy as the result of genocide in Rwanda, Burundi and Cambodia were shared, as a bond of fellowship and prayer developed among members. In the two subsequent sessions of the day, Issue Groups transitioned into the next phase of strategy development. Guided by the 2004 Convergence Team, several Issue Groups defined why their issue is important to the task of world evangelization. They also addressed what they felt were the most important ideas for action or understanding that Christian leaders should implement or influence others to implement in the cause of world evangelization.

LEADERSHIP TRANSITION ANNOUNCED: PREPARING LAUSANNE FOR 2005 AND BEYOND

The 2004 Forum marks a leadership transition for the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization. Dr. Paul Cedar, Executive Chair, and Dr. David Claydon, International Director, will step down from their posts at the end of the Forum. In making the announcement, Dr. Cedar confirmed the election of Rev. Doug Birdsall as Executive Chair and the appointment of Dr. Tetsunao (“Ted”) Yamamori as International Director.

Following the Forum, Dr. Cedar will serve as a Lausanne Senior Advisor. Dr. Claydon has been named Lausanne Ambassador at Large. “These past six years have been times of prayer, transition, blessing and growth in the Lausanne Movement, leading up to the 2004 Forum,” Dr. Cedar said. In reflecting on the impact of Lausanne over the past 30 years, Dr. Cedar affirmed that he believes the Lausanne Covenant has been the most significant contribution of Lausanne to the cause of global evangelization. He added that the LCWE Working Groups have also impacted the mission of world evangelization especially the Theology and Strategy Working Groups and the various Lausanne Occasional Papers. Dr. Cedar also recognized the contributions made by the many international consultations and convocations.

Rev. Doug Birdsall has been a missionary in Asia for 25 years. From 1980 to 1999, Doug and his wife lived and worked in Japan, serving with Asian Access/LIFE Ministries, a mission organization focused on leadership development and church multiplication in the twenty countries of Asia. Since 1991, Birdsall has served as president of Asian Access. In accepting the position with Lausanne, Rev. Birdsall related his great appreciation for the spirit and vision of Lausanne for “bringing leaders together from around the world to wrestle with the substantive issues dealing with world evangelization.”

Rev. Birdsall expressed a strong sense of God’s leading to be part of Lausanne and “an awareness of personal indebtedness for the way in which my own life and ministry has been enriched by Lausanne through the influence of Dr. Donald Hoke, director of the 1974 Lausanne Conference.” In 1987, Rev. Birdsall participated in the LCWE Singapore Conference for Younger Leaders which he called “a watershed experience” that expanded his horizons, deepening his understanding and commitment to the issues related to world evangelization.

LCWE INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR Dr. Ted Yamamori is president emeritus of Food for the Hungry International (FHI). He is Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Religion and Civic Culture at the University of Southern California. Since 2001, he has served as President and CEO of Global Holistic Mission and Research, Inc. Dr. Yamamori was born and raised in a Buddhist family in Nagoya, Japan. Upon accepting Jesus as his Lord and Savior, he began preparing his life for the ministry—with a passion to be utilized by God in the cause of world evangelization. He was first introduced to Lausanne through his mentor Dr. Donald A. McGavran, pioneer in modern church growth thinking. Since that time, he has attended Lausanne I (1974) and Lausanne II (Manila 1989) and participated in many of the consultations held to explore critical issues related to global evangelization.

By agreement with Lausanne, Dr. Yamamori will serve the full four-year term, as International Director and then as Representative-At-Large. Dr. Yamamori, along with the Lausanne leadership, firmly believes that LCWE should have, in the position of International Director, someone from a non-western country who is young enough to bring fresh ideas and future leadership to Lausanne. During his term as International Director, Dr. Yamamori will seek to find someone who can fulfill those requirements.

The "Touchpoint Weekend" community service project of the Osceola, IN, Grace Brethren Church was featured in last Wednesday's South Bend Tribune newspaper. Reproduced here are the first several paragraphs--to read the complete story with photographs click here.


Good Samaritans
Church members do community service projects
By LISA KOCAHNOWSKITribune Correspondent

Linda Szuba, of South Bend does not see her husband, Mark, do windows very often at home.

This past weekend Mark made an exception while the Szuba family, including 8-year-old daughter Laura, came out to help Osceola Grace Brethren Church with its Touchpoint Weekend community service project.

Over 100 members of the church did special community service projects, which included visiting nursing homes, washing cars, washing windows, helping people around their homes and pumping gas.

The goal of the project is to give back to the Osceola community, a place their church has been a part of for 75 years. They wanted the chance to say thank you to area residents and invite them to a free hog roast sponsored by the church.

Your Intrepid Blogger has just returned from an overnight stay in the heart of downtown Chicago, having attended a seminar on "High-Powered Religious Publishing: Getting Down to Business" at Fourth Presbyterian Church at Chestnut and Michigan.

Wow! The new 24.5-acre Millennium Park on Michigan Ave. is well worth a trip to the Windy City! You can see more about it by clicking here, or just by Googling "Millennium Park Chicago." The 50-foot high glass-block-video-towers-fountans are spectacular at night. The unique reflective "bean" that enables you to see a reflection of the sparkling Chicago skyline at night is an eye-popper. And the huge Pritzker amphitheatre, snaking pedestrian walks to the lake front...and more. What a treat to experience this $475 million park, just opened this past July.

But the main business of the trip was to join with about 30 other religious publishers in talking trends in Christian magazine publishing, web strategies for religious publications, new product development, various kinds of subscriber configurations, and advertising strategy in religious publishing.

Colleagues were there from a number of organizations, including Christianity Today, Nav Press, InTouch, and a number of other denominational publications. Fourth Presby also features free classical concerts every Friday noon, so a Baroque flute duo was an added special treat.

Though not dramatic, there will be a few subtle changes coming to FGBCWorld and BMH Books as a result of this seminar. It's always good to get a scope on what's happening in the rest of the industry, and to compare notes with colleagues.

October is Clergy Appreciation Month. Is your church planning anything special to honor your hard-working staff?