BMH Editor's Blog

Post-session fellowship at the Southwest Focus Retreat is a time for snacks, catching up on relationships, checking e-mail, playing board games, and more. Here three youth workers share a moment after the Tuesday evening session.
Pictured, from left, are Timothy Lansing (Norwalk, CA), Bob Hetzler (Whittier, CA), and Mike Saldivar (Modesto, CA).

Larry Orme, of the Penn Valley Grace Brethren Church in Telford, PA, led the Tuesday evening session at the southwest Focus Retreat, meeting at San Juan Capistrano, California.

Approximately 50 pastors and church leaders have gathered for the three-day retreat, which is focusing on Paul's developmental process for building a church, as revealed in his New Testament writings.

Pastor John McIntosh of the Simi Valley, CA, Grace Brethren Church, used a paper airplane to illustrate some concepts in the New Testament book of Second Timothy as one of the small-group presentations Tuesday evening at the Southwest Focus Retreat. The retreat concludes at noon tomorrow.

Pastor Tim Boal (standing, left), current moderator of the FGBC, is leading sessions today, Tuesday and Wednesday at the Southwest Focus Retreat.

Approximately 50 pastors and lay leaders from Southern California, Alaska, Canada, and other western areas are gathered near San Juan Capistrano for the retreat, which is the third in a series of five being held this year.

The curriculum is focusing on the church and the work of the Holy Spirit, and it is being loosely based on the book Building Authentic Community by Tim Boal, published earlier this year by BMH Books.

The next Focus Retreat will be held at Haines City, Florida, the dates of February 26-28 and the final one will be at Whites Pass, Washington, early in May.

LANCERS EARN FIRST NATIONAL RANKING IN FOUR YEARS

The men's basketball team from Grace College, Winona Lake, Indiana, was ranked No. 25 in the latest NAIA Division II poll. The Lancers have not been nationally ranked since the last poll of the 2002-03 season when Grace finished 24-11 and made the NCCAA National Championship game.

Grace is 17-5 this season and 5-4 in the Mid- Central Conference. As of January 25 the Lancers have won 10 of their last 11 games including five of the last six MCC contests.

Huntington (Ind.) University is ranked fourth with a 20-3 record and 460 points in the poll. Indiana Wesleyan University is ninth with a mark of 20-2 and 365 points while the University of St. Francis is 21st at 15-8 and 172 points. Grace rounds out the MCC teams in the poll with 88 points.

GRACE ATHLETICS INTRODUCES eSCORES

The Grace College Athletic Department has teamed with Stretch Internet to deliver eScores to the Grace College community.

eScores is a free instant messaging service which allows fans to receive scores, news, and updates from Grace Athletics. Messages can be sent either to an email account or a cellular phone (text message charges may apply).

It is a service provided by Stretch Internet who also supplies Grace College with live broadcasts over the internet. Currently, Grace offers services for baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s soccer, softball and volleyball.

A subscriber can choose to receive scores, news, special messages, schedule updates, and alerts for any of the chosen sports. Proceeds go to the Grace College athletic Web site (www.grace.edu/athletics). You’ll find the eScores icon located near the bottom of the page.

Click on the link and complete the registration form. After completing the registration form, a confirmation code will be sent to your e-mail address. Finally, enter that code to activate your subscription.

Following the three-day Fellowship Council meetings, a number of us stayed in the Los Angeles area this weekend to sightsee a little on Saturday and to speak and minister in a variety of Grace Brethren churches Sunday morning.

Saturday some of the pastors went to Venice Beach, some toured the Queen Mary, and one group of about six attended the 6:30 p.m. service at Saddleback Community Church, pastored by Rick Warren.

Then this Sunday morning, the men fanned out for ministry. Some of the venues included Bellflower (Dan O'Deens), Long Beach Community (Jim Brown), Los Altos (Tom Avey) and San Diego (Larry Humberd), among others.

Keith Shearer and I had the delight of being in the Seal Beach church, where Pastor Don Shoemaker and his congregation gave us a very warm welcome and an excellent worship experience. Keith preached three times from Romans 15, and I taught a Sunday School class, gave a BMH "ministry hilite" three times, and manned a booktable out on the sidewalk which displayed BMH Books and literature.

Some of the pastors will now return home, while others will go on to San Juan Capistrano where the Southwest Focus Retreat begins Monday at about 3:30 p.m. FGBC Moderator Tim Boal will lead the retreat, which is on the theme of the church, and will anchor the sessions in his recently-published BMH book Building Authentic Community.

Fellowship Coordinator Tom Avey, currently in Southern California for meetings of the Fellowship Council, got loose from his group last night and went to Hollywood to find his star.

He found it.

Pastor Dan Thornton, who recently concluded his 20-year ministry as pastor of the Peninsula Grace Brethren Church in Soldotna, Alaska, this week posted the following on his blog. You can read more of Dan's postings at
http://www.xanga.com/longhikes

I'm in a real recording! You can hear it at www.myspace.com/darkroommusic !

Here's what's up. David is in an excellent band in Winona Lake, Indiana. The group, called "Darkroom," has just completed a CD and when I was visiting in the fall I was able to play trombone with David on trumpet for one of the songs. The song is called "six eight four four." Go to the site and listen and tell me what you think.

In addition to keyboard, background vocals and some solo vocals in various songs, David also plays a nice xylophone part on the song "Windsor Knots."

We don't know the future God has planned, but there's a great chance you will be hearing more from this group in the future!

From today's St. Petersburg, FLA, Times. Lee Friesen is pastor of the Brooksville church.

Grace Brethren Church, 6259 Faber Drive, Brooksville, will present Dane Bailey, "the Singing Auctioneer," at 11 a.m. Sunday.

Since entering Grace Theological Seminary in 1975, Bailey has been traveling, ministering and entertaining at churches, conferences and other gatherings, as well as on radio and television. Recently he sang at Pageant of Peace, an annual event at the national Christmas tree on the Ellipse near the White House.

Since 2001, he has been a full-time singer and recording artist, with seven records and a live concert video. The concert is free, but an offering will be taken.

Information also available at www. singingauctioneer.com.

FGBC moderator Tim Boal (center, left, blue shirt) is conducting the current three-day meetings of the FGBC's Fellowship Council. The meeting is being hosted by the Grace Community Church of Seal Beach, California, and pastor Donald Shoemaker.

Among the agenda items are a proposal for restructuring the leadership team of the FGBC, the recommendation of admitting seven new churches to the FGBC, the adoption of a budget to recommend to the conference business meeting this summer, and more.

Fellowship Council members are elected from geographic regions of the country. Also participating are the four moderators of the FGBC -- one present (Tim Boal), one past (Keith Shearer) and two future (Jim Brown and John McIntosh).

Members of the council will preach in various Grace Brethren churches throughout southern California this Sunday. Speaking at the Seal Beach church will be Keith Shearer, and BMH executive director Terry White will conduct a church communications seminsar at Seal Beach on Saturday and will represent BMH in the three morning services this Sunday at the Seal Beach church.

Ken Seyfert, of the Grace Brethren Investment Foundation, spiced up his presentation of GBIF's year by wearing his Indianapolis Colts eyeshade, giving a subtle hint as to his favorite team in the upcoming SuperBowl.

Friday was "national organization" day at the Focus Retreat, when representatives of Grace Brethren International Missions, CE National, Women of Grace USA, Grace Brethren Investment Foundation, Grace Village, Brethren Missionary Herald Co., and Grace Brethren North American Missions all gave reports on their year's activities and answered questions from the Fellowship Council members.

Pastor Larry Humberd of the Lehigh Valley Grace Brethren Church in Bethlehem, PA, took advantage of the afternoon break in the Fellowship Council meetings to call home. The three-day meeting concludes Saturday morning.

Grace Seminary professor Matt Harmon has used his blog to ask for guidance on studying and reading up on the Emerging/Emergent Church issue.

He's getting great participation--check out some of the responses at http://bibtheo.blogspot.com/2007/01/emerging-church-and-emergent-movement.html

From today's Long Beach (CA) Press-Telegram. Lou Huesmann is pastor of the Grace Brethren Church which meets at 36th and Linden in Long Beach.

LONG BEACH - The first Community Forum and Resource Fair is scheduled for Saturday at Grace Brethren Church in Bixby Knolls.

Mayor Bob Foster and City Councilwoman Rae Gabelich, who proposed the idea, will provide opening remarks.

The four-hour event will feature a youth panel composed of current and former high school students; break-out sessions on conflict resolution, the juvenile justice system, job training opportunities and other youth issues; a resource fair with city agencies and community groups; and live music by local artists.

"This forum is designed to utilize the outpouring of concern and interest that were generated after the Halloween incident in Bixby Knolls," Gabelich said. "We are hopeful that it will provide avenues for dialogue and unity."

The event at 3601 Linden Ave. runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

GBNAM church planter Clive Craigen, ministering in urban Chicago, sends along the following notice:

In several weeks, CMA Resources (Neil Cole: author of Organic Church and Cultivating a Life for God and Mike Jentes) will be coming to Chicago for a weekend training on the organic church planting. There is a cost, but if you sign up as a group, you can get a discount rate. Check the www.cmaresources.com for more info under greenhouses. The time and place is as follows.

Greenhouse Weekend Intensive First Story Conference in Chicago, IL. Feb. 16th-18th 2007

Location:
Daystar Christian School
800 South Wells, Suite 180
Chicago, IL 60607
http://www.daystarschool.com
Pay for Parking Accessible by Train (Check out www.transitchicago.com)


Schedule:

Friday Night:6:30pm Registration/Worship
7-10pm Session 1

Saturday:8:30am- noon Session 2
noon-2pm Lunch out
2-5pm Session 3

Sunday:8:30am - Noon Session 4
Local contact:
Clive Craigen (312)329-4422
ccraigen@moody.edu

The registration is as follows http://www.cmaresources.com/greenhouse/registration.asp.

Jim Pearson, author of the BMH book Minefields in the Marketplace, will be the speaker for this month's "Men Following Christ" meeting in Warsaw, Indiana. BMH senior editor Jesse Deloe will accompany Pearson to assist with his autographing books and with the booktable following the talk. Here is the announcement:

This month's Men Following Christ meeting will be Saturday, January 27th , from 8 AM to 10 AM, In the 2517 Restaurant, next to the Ramada Inn of Warsaw. Join us for breakfast, fellowship, worship and a message from special guest speaker Jim Pearson, Senior Pastor of Brookside Church in Fort Wayne and Author of "Minefields in the Marketplace".

This meeting is open to the public! Please join us for a wonderful morning of spiritual growth and challenge! And don't forget to invite your unsaved friends, co-workers, and/or neighbors to this spiritually uplifting event.

Men Following Christ is a men's disciple-making ministry devoted to bringing glory to God by making as many men as possible fully devoted disciples of Jesus Christ and to multiply lifetime workers for a worldwide impact.

Men Following Christ meets the last Saturday of every month from 8 AM to 10 AM in various locations. For more information or to receive e-mails of upcoming events, please call Rod at 574-253-1594 or Don at 574-453-1555, or check out our website at http://www.menfollowingchrist.org.

The FGBC is part of a coalition of six Brethren groups which trace their origin to Alexander Mack and Schwarzenau, Germany, in 1708. One project of the coalition is The Brethren Encyclopedia. BMH executive director Terry White serves on the group's board as a representative of the FGBC, and GBIM's Ted Rondeau, who will be coordinating the FGBC's historical tour to Schwarzenau to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the founding of the movement, has also been meeting with the board.

Donald Durnbaugh, long recognized as one of the leading historians of the Brethren movement, died suddenly about a year ago as Volume 4 of the encyclopedia was about to go to press. Church historian Jeffrey Bach, who is emerging as Durnbaugh's successor, is moving to a new position:

Jeff Bach (pictured), associate professor of Brethren Studies at Bethany Theological Seminary in Richmond, Ind., has accepted an appointment as director of the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies, effective this summer.

The Young Center, located on the campus of Elizabethtown (Pa.) College, engages in research and teaching as well as sponsoring conferences related to the study of these groups primarily in their North American context.

Bethany president Eugene F. Roop and academic dean Stephen Breck Reid reluctantly accepted Bach’s resignation recognizing the loss that comes with the departure of an excellent teacher and Bethany’s senior faculty member, according to a release from the seminary.

“Jeff’s passion for excellent teaching has been reflected in the maturity of his own work with students,” Roop commented. “He has enabled students to grow in careful disciplined study, to a degree that sometimes surprises the students themselves. At the same time, Dean Reid and I accept that this is an important opportunity for Jeff.

"He wrote his dissertation on the sources and significance of mysticism in the community at the Ephrata Cloisters, located not far from Elizabethtown. The position will provide him the opportunity to extend and expand his research and writing, as well as to provide the Young Center with administrative leadership.”

Bach graduated from Bethany Seminary in 1983 and served for seven years as pastor of Prairie City (Iowa) Church of the Brethren prior to his graduate study at Duke University.

Along with his teaching position at the seminary, he has provided educational seminars in districts and congregations throughout the denomination. Currently he also serves as chair of the 300th Anniversary Committee of the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference.

Named for Galen S. Young and Jesse M. Young, the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies fosters and promotes the scholarly study of Anabaptist and Pietist groups. Scholarly and interpretive investigations of the life, culture, and beliefs of Anabaptist and Pietist movements, primarily in their North American context, are conducted by visiting scholars as well as graduate and undergraduate students under the center’s auspices.

In addition, the center interprets the cultural and religious heritage of Anabaptist and Pietist communities to the general public and serves as a clearing house for information through a variety of programs.

The following article from today's Winchester (VA) Star newspaper quotes several of our Grace Brethren pastors regarding the use of church signs:

The message is clear:
Get thee to church

By Teresa Dunham
The Winchester Star

Winchester — Summing up your faith in 48 letters or less isn’t easy.

“It’s a big responsibility,” said Sue Ashley, who changes the sign each week at Congregational Christian Fellowship Church on Middle Road.

She and her husband Don, who are members of the church, constantly find themselves walking a fine line between humor and depth.

“You can get a little too light, and people don’t take your faith seriously,” Don said. “We try not to make a joke out of our faith.”

But — admit it — don’t you remember the funny signs with catchy slogans the most? Here are a few of the memorable ones that have appeared around Winchester over the years:

Don’t wait for the hearse to take you to church ...

God’s Favorite Department: Lost and Found ...

Eternity: Smoking or Non-smoking???

Be an organ donor. Give your heart to Jesus ...

God is the best wireless connection ...

Don’t give up. Moses was once a basket case ...

Depending on individual tastes, the drive-by sermons could induce a smile, contemplation, an eye-roll, or a full-body cringe.

“You catch more flies with honey than vinegar. If you’re trying to reach the public, you don’t want to repel them with an insulting sign,” Don Ashley said.

Often, he and Sue find their ideas in books such as “Roadside Church Signs Across America” and “Forbidden Fruit II: More Church Signs Across America.”

“We tend to pick out signs that have something to do with the sermon that week,” Don said.

The couple’s combined judgment helps to ensure that the messages are tasteful and thought-provoking.

“Because of the signs, people have come here to worship,” Sue said.

Recently, the Church of Christ at Mountain View, on U.S. 11 at Narrow Lane, touted an especially witty ditty:

Sign Broken. Message Inside.

“We try to do something that’s going to attract people. It’s part of our outreach,” said Dave Wright, church elder of the nondenominational congregation. “That [slogan] actually came from an Internet source.”

These days, Wright said, the church needs to use every possible avenue to reach people. Signs, he believes, are one of the more obvious methods.

Meanwhile, the Rev. Darrel Taylor thinks of the slogans on his church sign as new wrapping paper for an age-old message.

“I’m always in the habit of looking for real-life illustrations,” said Taylor, who preaches at Blue Ridge Grace Brethren Church on Cedar Creek Grade. “I try to give people something to think about.”

The catch-phrases are his way of planting a small seed of truth in people’s minds.

“I used to fill the sign up, but then people couldn’t read it all,” he said.

Pastor Matthew Lohr of Winchester Grace Brethren Church on Greenwood Road said Internet search engines and devotionals can help people find slogans.

“I have a folder of sayings,” Lohr said. “Sometimes it’s just some words of encouragement.”

Most local signs steer clear of political statements, unlike the sign at a nearby West Virginia church that calls abortion “the ultimate child abuse.”

Still, even lighthearted biblical humor can offend people.

“In my 5 1/2 years here, we got one negative letter,” Lohr said. “But at least we got the person to think.”

If the sign creators aren’t sure about the impression that a certain slogan might make, a quick scan of www.crummychurchsigns.com could help.

The site offers a “critical analysis of critically bad church signs” that people may want to avoid using.

A few of the crummy slogans:

Parking for church business only. Violators will be baptized.

Go to church or the devil will get you.

Lord help me be the kind of person my dog thinks I am.

It even includes a few knee-slappers, such as:

What do you call a pastor in Germany? A German shepherd.

Fortunately, it seems that most of the signs featured on www.crummychurchsigns.com are from Tennessee.

YIB (Your Intrepid Blogger) will be reporting later this week and next from the left coast.

First up is the Fellowship Council, which is meeting at Seal Beach, California, enjoying the hospitality of Pastor Donald Shoemaker and his fine church. The Council includes the elected reps from around the country, as well as the four moderators (one present, one past, two future), and Tom Avey, Fellowship Coordinator.

Friday is the designated "National Organization Day" when those of us from cooperating national organizations will bring reports and updates to the Council. Also on the agenda is the consideration of new churches seeking to join the Fellowship--there are about six on the list thus far.

Saturday and Sunday I'll be at the Seal Beach church doing some seminars in communication for church leadership and presenting the ministry of BMH.

Then Monday through Wednesday is the Southwest Focus Retreat, led by moderator Tim Boal, when we will be considering biblical definitions of "church." We'll be meeting at San Juan Capistrano.

According to my calendar, it was one year ago today that Tom Avey had his suprise heart bypass operation in southern California. Aren't we grateful for God's mercy and healing power?

One of the goals of this blog and of the all-Fellowship periodical FGBC World is to nurture Great Commission teamwork among the people and churches of the FGBC by sharing creative outreach ideas and transferable concepts in evangelism and discipleship. The recent outpouring of comments--favorable and unfavorable--to an idea a church in North Carolina is implementing points out the "risk" element.

Pastor Scott Distler of the Lititz, PA, church, recently addressed this issue of "taking risk for the sake of outreach" in his blog. In our opinion, he presents a thoughtful, insightful look at the thinking behind doing something out of the ordinary to attract people into the hearing of the gospel. We reproduce it here--you can read Scott's blog regularly at http://www.lgbc.org.

When is it proper to take some risks in ministry? In other words, how do we determine when it is appropriate to try something in order to reach people even though there is no guarantee that it will work?

This is a question that we discuss regularly here at Grace Church. As a result, there have been times we have taken some risks. For example, two years ago we changed the format of our Christmas program from a regular concert style format to a Walk-Thru venue.

This was a risk. Why? First, it cost a lot more money to do it this way and second, it would take a lot more “man power” on our end to pull it off. What if our own people didn’t buy into it? What if no more people showed up to experience it than usually attended the concert style format? To our delight, it worked.

We did the same thing earlier this month when we spent a little extra money and brought in the DeLorean time-car to help us kick-off our new series on the rapture. This was a risk. In fact, we talked long and hard about it before deciding to do it. Here was our thought.

So often we have special events like the Christmas Walk Thru and Christmas Eve services and they are very well attended and that is great. We get a lot of first time visitors which is our goal. But our goal is to go beyond that. We also want to see these same visitors come back again after the event is over.

As a result, this year we tried something that we had never done before. We launched a new and exciting series on the topic of the rapture of the church right after our Christmas events. We also wanted to have something that could be an extra “hook” (for lack of better word) that could quite possibly get the many visitors who came on Christmas to come back. We knew it would be a risk, but we thought it was worth trying. That is why we did a lot of promotion on the new series and the “time-car” at these Christmas events.

Did it work? Well, I can tell you this. Last year, the Sunday after Christmas saw an attendance of 757. This year on that same Sunday, which was the morning we had the “time-car” with us and kicked off the new series on the rapture, the attendance was 1,312 with many, many visitors. This equals out to more than a 73% increase in attendance and this does not count those who came just to see the car but did not stay for the service. These too were first contacts which were positive.

From that perspective, it seemed to accomplish exactly what our goal was. This is not something we will do every week by any means. But when there is a strategy behind it that makes it a credible risk to help us reach as many people as possible, it is by all means worth considering.

But let’s also keep in mind that all risks will not work. I remember organizing and promoting a special Sunday back at the church I pastored in Indiana. Our goal was to see double the attendance than usual on that morning. We spent extra money and I worked hard on promoting the event and motivating the church. In the end, we had less people on that Sunday morning than we typically have.

So was it a failure? From a numbers standpoint, “YES”! But I’m not sure we ever really fail when we are willing to step out on faith and take a risk. After all, remember Peter when he stepped out of the boat?

Greg Koukl, who will be speaking at Grace College and Seminary on January 24 (see blog posting of Monday, January 15), is also a leader in the pro-life movement. On this pro-life weekend, here is more information about Koukl and his ministry:

Ministry seeks to change
minds in abortion debate

By Michael Foust

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--It often is said that when it comes to the debate over abortion, minds rarely are changed. A pro-life Christian ministry hopes to transform that line of thought.

Stand to Reason, a California-based educational ministry, believes people who hold the pro-choice position can be converted to the pro-life cause, provided they are presented with a reasonable, persuasive argument. That's the goal of Stand to Reason's "Making Abortion Unthinkable: The Art of Pro-Life Persuasion" curriculum -- teaching pro-lifers how best to persuade people to oppose abortion. By doing that, the ministry says, lives will be saved.

Gregory Koukl founded Stand to Reason in 1993 to help believers "think more clearly" about their faith and defend their faith. The pro-life curriculum is but a small part of the ministry, although it is one of its top sellers. Koukl and former Stand to Reason staffer Scott Klusendorf developed the curriculum after years of successfully teaching others how to defend the pro-life position.

"We came to the conviction that there was a fruitful way of dealing with the abortion issue that would produce results," Koukl, the ministry's president, told Baptist Press. "In fact, it already was producing results for us and changing minds of people who otherwise were hostile to the pro-life view, or at least were in the middle."

The Making Abortion Unthinkable DVD and VHS curriculum is intended for small groups, while the CDs, MP3s and cassettes are geared more toward individuals. All of them focus on the logical arguments behind the pro-life cause, including the scientific and philosophical cases. Koukl and Klusendorf -- now president of Life Training Institute -- are featured on the curriculum.

Although issues such as privacy, rape and incest often complicate the debate over abortion, Koukl believes the issue is rather simple and can be boiled down to one question: What is the unborn? All the side issues, he said, eventually lead back to that one question.

"You can't be for or against the killing of something if you are in the dark as to what the thing in question is," Koukl said. "If the unborn is not a human being, then no justification for abortion is even necessary. If it's just a blob of tissue, you don't have to come up with privacy arguments and economic arguments and rape and incest arguments. Those are moot. But if it is a human being, those arguments aren't adequate, because we don't kill human beings for the reasons people have abortions.

"Abortion kills a living thing. Whether or not it's right to kill any living thing depends entirely on what that living thing is. If it's an ant, a spider -- no problem. If it's the little boy down the street because you're mad at him, then that's wrong."

The language used in abortion discussions is important, Koukl said. He intentionally uses the word "unborn" in an effort to keep from stacking the deck in either direction, while avoiding terms such as "baby" and "fetus." Koukl also believes that graphic images from abortions can be effective -- as long as people are given warning and offered the chance to look away. But those images must be coupled with a reasonable argument, he said.

"Unless you have a good argument, then your approach doesn't have integrity," he said.

Pro-lifers have made progress in recent years, Koukl said, in part because of 4-D technology that now allows people to watch the baby move in real time.

"Technology allows us now to see into the womb in a quite vivid way, so that people can no longer kid themselves that the life being taken is not the life of a human being," he said. "... It's not a magic bullet in the sense that it's not the one thing that's going to persuade everybody, because some people don't care. But I think there is an intuition that is sparked in people when they actually get to see in the womb, and they realize, 'Gee, that's what I have said is OK to kill.'"

The debate over partial-birth abortion also has helped pro-lifers make strides, Koukl said, adding that there has been a "measurable blip" in polling data on the side of pro-lifers because of it.

"People who want to know what a partial-birth abortion is can't help but visualize it when it's explained. When they realize that it's barbarism, then it's a common sense notion that traveling seven inches down the birth canal is not going to change an unwanted mass of tissue into a valuable human being. There's no magic there," Koukl said. "If partial-birth abortion is barbarism, then stuffing that baby a little further up the birth canal doesn't change the moral nature of the act. I think people get that."

"Making Abortion Unthinkable" is available online at www.str.org (click on "store") or by calling 1-800-2-REASON. Stand to Reason is clearing its stock of the VHS curriculum and is offering it at a discounted rate of $5 (which includes shipping).

ATLANTA, GEORGIA (ANS) -- Dr. Henry Blackaby (pictured), author of Experiencing God, remains hospitalized in ICU and continues to receive treatment in a Georgia hospital.

Dr. Blackaby was admitted to Southern Regional Hospital in the Atlanta area Tuesday night. At that point, all tests indicated that he had pancreatitis. However, what has caused this problem has not yet been diagnosed. Various tests (CT, sonogram, etc.) have been inconclusive. Dr. Blackaby will remain in the hospital for at least the next couple of days.

For updates, visit Dr. Blackaby's website at www.blackaby.org.

Grace Theological Seminary is proud to announce that the dates for the Presidential Scholarship Competition are March 23rd and 24th which coincides with the annual Glimpse of Grace event.

Incoming Fall 2007 students will be able to compete for 10 different scholarships with one of them being a full-tuition scholarship for an M.Div. student plus a housing allowance that in total is worth $58,800 over three years.

For more information, contact Ryan Egli, Recruitment Representative, Grace Theological Seminary, 1-800-54-Grace ext. 6435, Eglirn@grace.edu

Evangelist featured at Bible prophecy forum

MISHAWAKA -- A three-day Bible prophecy conference with evangelist Mike Wingfield of Roanoke, Va., will begin Sunday at Mishawaka Grace Brethren Church, 15250 Day Road.

Sunday topics include an overview of the Book of Revelation at 9:30 a.m., "Islam's Agenda for America" at 10:30 a.m. and "Iraq in Bible Prophecy" at 6 p.m.

"Living in a Demonic Society" will be presented at 7 p.m. Monday. "Standing Before Him at Last" will be discussed at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Wingfield also is expected to give a presentation on the Holy Land, including photos from his trip there a few months ago, beginning 15 minutes before each of the evening services.

The sessions are open to the public.

For more information, call the church at (574) 256-0225.

Grace school sets book fair

Grace Christian School will hold a book fair from 4-8 p.m. Thursday and Friday and from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday in the basement of the Grace Brethren Church of West Kittanning, PA.

Follow the signs. Many books will be available for purchase. Choose from picture books, chapter books, science books, sport books, reference books and more.

Engage ‘07, the sixth annual Winter Bible Conference sponsored by the East Side Grace Brethren Church of Blacklick, Ohio (Chip Heim, pastor) will be held Saturday, February 3, from 8:30am - 3:15pm. Cost is $25/person or $40/couple, with lunch included.

The conference will begin promptly at 9am; registration starts at 8:30am. All will meet in the auditorium for a brief opening session. Following the opening session, the remainder of the day will consist of workshops. Topics and presenters include:

Fit To Serve Him Longer and Better How exercise, nutrition, and stress reduction can help us live a longer and healthier life. -Dr. Richard Couey, Ph.D Professor of Health, Human Performance and Recreation at Baylor University in Waco, TX.

Whatever Happened to the Cross? Tired of just existing as a Christian? Maybe you need a deeper understanding of the Cross. -Rev. Bob Burney, Radio Talk Show Host of “Bob Burney Live” on WRFD Radio

God’s Redeeming Love in Your Marriage: Taking the Grit and Making a Pearl How to pursue each others’ hearts in a way that leads to intimacy and oneness. -John and Linda Willett, Search Ministries in Greensboro, NC

Doing God’s Business Dealing with practical aspects of being in the business world with Christian core principles. -Jeff Caroll, CEO of Grace Village Retirement Home, Winona Lake, IN

Is Fear Holding You Back? Discover your potential if fear were not a factor for you. -Pastor Kondo Simfukwe, Pastor of Worship at Christ’s Covenant Church, Winona Lake, Indiana

My Journey with Lymphoma & God One man’s story of how he discovered the wonderful medicine bottle of God. -Ralph Foster , Former Director of Alumni & Professional Affairs for OSU College of Pharmacy

Personal Finance Workshop - Melanie Wollenberg, Executive Vice President of Development for Equity Real Estate.

For more information, or to register, log onto http://esgbc.org/ministry/bc07.htm

W. Todd Bassett, former National Commander of The Salvation Army, has been named Executive Director of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE).

"Todd Bassett brings the highest level of leadership and experience to his new position as Executive Director of the National Association of Evangelicals,” said Leith Anderson, NAE President. “He is well-known and respected among evangelicals and the broader religious community of America. I am thrilled to have him join our leadership team."

Bassett has served on the association's Executive Committee for four years, representing The Salvation Army, one of the organization's 60 member denominations. In his new role as Executive Director, he will oversee NAE's administrative, financial, and communications functions and help formulate and implement organizational vision and strategy.

"As former National Commander of The Salvation Army, one of the premier service organizations in the world, Todd will bring a wealth of experience to this new role," said Richard Cizik, Vice President for Governmental Affairs. "We all look forward to working with him. He's a man of great integrity and spiritual stature," Cizik said.

"I've watched first hand his handling of a national crisis, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the devastation it wreaked, and can say that the credit The Salvation Army received for its splendid response, can in part be given to his leadership. Moreover, Todd has a special burden for the poor and he'll be able to lend his commitment and experience to this aspect of our governmental affairs work," Cizik said.

Bassett and his wife Carol were commissioned as officers in the Salvation Army in 1965 and have served in ministry for nearly 42 years in a variety of appointments. Their assignments have included youth ministry, the School for Officers’ Training, and divisional and territorial leadership. They also served for two years at the Army’s International Headquarters in London.

Bassett was appointed National Commander of the Salvation Army in 2002 and served in that post until April 2006.

For the next several months, visitors who call or visit the BMH offices in Winona Lake, Indiana, during the middle part of the day will be greeted by BMH's spring-semester journalism intern, Melody Pfaffenberger (pictured).

Each semester Dr. Paulette Sauders of the Grace College journalism department arranges for a journalism or communications major to work with BMH for about 20 hours a week. The interns receive college credit, along with "real-life experience" in the Christian publishing/communications business.

Melody, who is from Mishawaka, Indiana, is a communications major at Grace. She will be assisting Liz Cutler Gates in writing and editing FGBC World, will be helping senior editor Jesse Deloe edit and proof manuscripts for BMH Books, and she will be assisting with other general writing, editorial, and office duties.

Melody has written for the Elkhart (IN) Truth newspaper and for the Grace College newspaper, The Sounding Board. She is also active in the drama program at Grace.

John Teevan (pictured), director of the prison extension program at Grace College, Winona Lake, IN, recently sent this thoughtful reflection, based on his experience with one of his prisoner-students. It is reproduced here with his permission.

Last Friday, I was talking with Kevin (a prisoner at an Indiana maximum security correctional facility) about how to settle a problem with an outside agency so he can pursue his college education. While talking to him I noticed that he had an attitude that I do not really possess and that I do not often see. This led me to a kind of realization that there may be three ‘postures’ to Christianity. Kevin has the first one.

The first is the posture of the person who is in control of nothing and who seeks to work on the edges of life to achieve, survive, cope, and make slight improvements over infuriating long periods of time. He is under God, which is good, but he is under man, and especially under the system, which can be bad.

The second is the posture of a person who has an actual vision of a better life, an idea of what life should look like, and the hope that things might change if he acts to change them. This posture is full of ideals, goals, plans, strategies, effort, risk and sacrifice; this is the posture of the revolutionary who serves a worthy cause.

The third is the posture of the person who is (or imagines himself to be) in control. This posture is the opposite of the first one. He can achieve anything, solve any problem, create real improvements quickly and by direct effort, facilitated by others whom he also controls.

So is there a best biblical posture?

In the first one God is in charge and man humbly takes his place under God’s care. Much of the Bible, and not just the OT, tells us to live like this (Jeremiah's personal reflections in Lam. 3 is right along these lines and worth reading all 66 verses). It may seem passive, but it is the posture of potential contentment; a contentment that comes not from having things right, but from trusting the one who does or will make things right. Trust and hope.

The second posture has characterized Christians and the West for centuries. The revolutionary has been brilliant, and yet he has been awful. He has sought godly goals, utopian goals, and political goals. And yet he has been universally corrupted either in his own demise by delusion, or by power, or by zealous followers who have gone off the rails in distressing ways. His sins are often considered forgivable as they are the sins of idealists. ‘The Greatest Generation’ (and MLK) was characterized by this posture. Effort and sacrifice.

The third posture is that of a man who already thinks of himself as a very competent person of good will whose attendant affluence augments his opportunities. This is the model for western and especially American leaders today. This is the CEO; this is Gary Cooper standing alone against Frank and his gang while the cowardly townspeople hide in ‘High Noon’ (1954). This, oddly, is one of the main models for the Christian leader and pastor today who creates outcomes for Jesus who is grateful. Power.

So here are the options: a humble servant characterized by trust and hope; a self-sacrificing visionary; and a powerful giant in the land. The chief difference is the role of God in each posture. In the first posture, God is all; in the second, God is the driving force; in the third, God is the role model and audience.

Many people prefer to minister among the people of the first posture as that is ‘front line’ ministry where God intersects with life. I think of this as being the ‘salt and light’ zone. In the second God intersects with good ministry plans. And in the third posture God only intersects with personal goals or needs. The first posture is real, the second is vibrant (light but not much salt), and the third too often seems fake (too often being neither salt nor light).

So which is the best biblical posture? It is tempting to say that the first is better, but I imagine that it must depend on circumstances. If I am free enough for it, should I adopt the second posture of effort and sacrifice? Sure, but only if I am much more inclined to drift toward the first posture of humility rather than drift toward the third posture of power.

I am grateful to God for Kevin, a humble, salt and light Christian, for prompting these thoughts.

John Teevan
Director of Prison Extension
Grace College

Grace College and Seminary, Winona Lake, Indiana, has again been notified that the school is the recipient of a $250,000 grant from the Fred C. and Katherine B. Andersen Foundation of Bayport, Minnesota. The Andersens were affiliated with
Andersen Windows.

The unrestricted grant is given to educational institutions that do not accept state or federal funding (with the exception of financial aid granted to students) for any purpose.

In announcing the gift, Grace's advancement office said, "Grace is grateful to God that we have been a recipient of an annual grant from the Andersen Foundation since 1978."

Grace College, Winona Lake, Indiana, will sponsor “Truth Is a Strange Sort of Fiction - The Challenge from the Emergent Church” on Wednesday, January 24 from 7-8:30 p.m. in McClain Auditorium.

This lecture with a question-and-answer session will be given by Greg Koukl (pictured), who will address the issue of speaking intelligibly to a postmodern culture.

Koukl is founder and president of Stand to Reason and professor in Christian Apologetics at Biola University. He is an author and speaker, and has hosted his own radio talk show for more than 15 years.

Koukl is known for his popular defenses of various doctrines of Christianity and also well known for being an advocate of the Pro-Life position. He is also an outspoken critic of moral and philosophical relativism.

Koukl is often paired with many contemporary conservative Christian thinkers such as J.P. Moreland, Hugh Hewitt, Scott Klusendorf, and William Lane Craig. He currently broadcasts his call-in radio show Stand To Reason out of AM-740, transmitting from Avalon, CA, every Sunday from 3:00pm to 5:00pm Pacific Time (shortened to 4:45pm during shorter daylight hours in December and January).

Koukl lives in Los Angeles with his wife and their two children.

Hope Community Church (Mike Lee, pastor), the Grace Brethren church in Raleigh, North Carolina, will be featuring a video interview with singer Bono (pictured) on Sunday, March 4 at 6 p.m.

Here is a bit of text from their promotion--to see the entire page click here.

"Sunday, March 4, 6:00 p.m., Hope's auditorium with Hope's own Band of Brothers performing live

"Sometimes God touches and transforms the lives of the most unusual people to carry out his work...

"Join us as we present an exclusive interview event with Bono, lead singer of the rock band U2 and TIME magazine’s 2005 Person of the Year. This is a rare opportunity to hear Bono share about his own spiritual journey as well as his passion to fight the dual tragedies of global poverty and AIDS."

From the Simi Valley, California, Acorn:

GBHS senior will represent VFW in state competition

A senior at Grace Brethren High School has been chosen to represent the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10049, Simi Valley, and District 7 in the state finals of the Voice of Democracy scholarship competition.

Caleb Hargis will join 24 other district representatives in Sacramento for three days beginning Jan. 18.

During this time, the students will participate in educational and competitive venues. A meeting with the governor is tentatively scheduled, along with tours of various state buildings and offices.

The Voice of Democracy competition is a national audio-essay scholarship program for high school students who develop a 3 to 5 minute audio-essay. This year's theme is "Freedom's Challenge."

Various scholarships are awarded at each level of the competition. The state winner will be flown to Washington D.C. to compete for the national $30,000 scholarship.

Brian Baughman, pastor of Hispanic ministries at the Grace Brethren Church of Osceola, Indiana, sends along the following news note and prayer request:

Praise the Lord that we have 30 people signed up for our Intercultural Communications class here at the church in Osceola!

Dr. Tom Stallter (pictured) from Grace Seminary will be traveling up to teach us over the next two weeks. Everything starts this Saturday morning at 8 am, so please be praying for us.

This will be a very important time of learning for us as a leadership team and church family. This class will aid us greatly in understanding the complexities of reaching people from other cultures as we build God’s church. I personally just praise the Lord for the many good things He has done to bring this class to Osceola!

Please pray with me that it will help give us even more vision and passion for our future!

ESPANOL

Alabado sea el Señor por los 30 personas inscriptas en la clase de Comunicaciones Interculturales que empieza aquí en Osceola este sábado! El Dr. Tom Stallter del seminario Grace viene para enseñar durante los próximas dos semanas. Será un tiempo de aprendizaje muy importante para nosotros como un equipo de liderazco y la familia de la iglesia. La clase nos ayudará entender unas de las complexidades de alcanzar gente de otras culturas mientras que edificamos la iglesia de Dios. Personalmente quiero agradecer al Señor por las muchas cosas muy lindas que El ya ha hecho en cuanto de hacer posible esta clase. Por favor oren conmigo que ella nos dé aún más visión y pasión para nuestro futuro!

Gracias y tengan un muy buen día hermanos!

Brian MT 6:33

Many have been praying for the health needs of Pastor Mick Rockafellow of the Lansing, Michigan, Grace Brethren Church. Here are excerpts from an update he sends along:

I wanted to give you a bit of an update. This may help answer any questions regarding my situation.

First I am feeling well. I am able to do my work and carry on the duties of pastor, husband, dad, grandpa etc. I do notice that I get tired a bit easier than I used to. Maybe some of that is getting older :) So physically I have been pretty good.

On Dec. 18, 2006, I was at the liver transplant center at the U. of M. hospital for an initial evaluation and consultation. It was a four-hour visit. Coming out of that visit it was determined that at this time I'm not a candidate for a liver transplant. That is basically due to the fact that I'm not bad enough at this time for consideration to be placed on the list.

I am to keep taking the medications that I have been taking, watching my diet, limiting any strenous physical activity and using a lot of common sense. They were not able to tell me WHY I have the problem. That is disappointing, but at this time, it seems like the reality we have to face.

So Bonnie and I feel a bit better over-all with where we're at, at this time. We both have mixed emotions about the entire matter, but have turned it over to the Lord, since we know that He is in control.

The doctors feel that if my liver cooperates and doesn't get worse, that I could go for a few years before a transplant would be necessary. The risks are still great with a transplant and they don't take the risks until it's absolutely necessary. I can appreciate that position. However in the meantime, I have to watch all the things I mentioned above.

I will keep seeing my doctors here in Lansing and do follow-up with them. I go back to U. of M. in June to see how things are going and to establish a track record of my situation. In the meantime I will continue to have the esophegal banding procedures. This addresses the veins in my esophagus that can bleed and get serious in a hurry.

So that is my situation for now. I sincerely appreciate the prayers of God's people and the contacts that I have had. It appears that I'm not critical and for the moment have perhaps stablized for a time.

NamNet!, an e-mail newsletter especially for those interested in mission ministry in Viet Nam, has been launched by Jay Bell and Bob Smoker.

“God sent many of us to Viet Nam with M-16’s, now we can return with John 3:16,” says Bob Greenwood, pastor of New Life Community Grace Brethren Church in Souderton, Pennsylvania.

Bob Smoker is the pastor at the Susquehanna Grace Brethren Church in Wrightsville, PA. (smok1@verizon.net). Jay is on staff with Grace Brethren International Missions (GBIM) in Winona Lake, IN. (jaybell@gbim.org). Smoker’s interest in Viet Nam was featured in the May/June, 2005 issue of FGBC World.

Bell says, “Bob and I have been talking about this for a long, long time. We are now ‘underway’ (that’s “Navy-speak”). Actually, the first person to bring up the idea of a network was Dave Mitchell (Pastor, Waipio Grace Brethren Church, Mililani, HI.) in the early 90’s.”

The network, Bell says, is for those who served in Viet Nam, or who are Viet Nam-era veterans, or those interested in Viet Nam.

Bell point out, for example, Edna Craghead, a dear Sister-in-the-Lord (Grace Brethren Church of Covington, VA.) who has an interest in Viet Nam. She lost her son - her only son, Buddy, while on patrol with the Navy Riverine Force in the Mekong Delta. She has been an “honorary” teammate on all the GO Teams (GBIM’s Global Opportunity short-term teams) to Viet Nam since 2002.

Also Ron Moore (Grace Brethren Church of Powell, OH.) is an example of a Viet Nam-era veteran. He didn’t serve “in-country,” but the flow of “body-bags” deeply impacted him while serving in Okinawa.

According to Bell, the door of ministry in Viet Nam began to slowly open through our Grace Brethren Cambodian Foundation-Layers (church planters) in 2000. They wanted to try to reach fellow-Cambodians living in the southern part of Viet Nam (the Mekong Delta used to be part of Cambodia).

he first GO Team was “inserted” in 2002. Bob Smoker and Bell were teammates on that first team. Since then many teams have gone, including many vets.

Bell says, “The Lord began to put into our hearts the vision to mobilize vets and others to pray for Viet Nam and the contacts we have met. God sent us there many years ago when we were young . . . Now as “good soldiers of Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 2:3) we can look back over our shoulders and join him in reaching Viet Nam for Jesus!

If you know of Viet Nam Vets or others interested in your church, ask them if they would be interested in joining the NamNet. If they agree, please send their name and e-mail address to Bell at jaybell@gbim.org.

According to the latest issue of "Kairos" publication from Grace Brethren International Missions, Total Mobilization Support Ministries (TMSM) is ceasing operations after 13 years.

The first TMSM team was deployed to Brazil in 1993. Their mission was to work side-by-side with local believers to build a church facility, and to do so in 7-10 days.

In all, 21 teams that included more than 300 members have served on TMSM teams in Asia and Latin America.

Nathan Bryant has been the TMSM administrator; Gordon and Barbara Grover were field logistics and building coordinators; and Ted and Elise Admonanis were team coordinators and administrators.

Abigail was taken into surgery at 7:00 this morning (eastern time). They had to cut a hole in her skull in order to operate on a blood clot.

The operation appears to have gone well. They found the clot to be larger than they thought. Abby did have some communication with the family after surgery but she is very tired of course. They have her in a neck brace, her left knee is very scraped, and she has bruises on her feet. Time will reveal if further injuries exist.

We continue to express our deepest thanks for your intercession on Abigail's behalf. Everyone in the family is experiencing the peace of God's presence as we trust He who is our Father to use all of this for His great names sake.

How thankful we are as well for the telephone when approximately 1,100 miles separate us from the situation our children are facing.

Thanks again for praying,
Our love,
Kevin & Lorna

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)--Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President R. Albert Mohler Jr. was discharged Jan. 10 from Louisville's Baptist Hospital East following a two-week hospitalization that included extensive abdominal surgery and a four-day stay in the intensive care unit due to blood clots in the lungs.

Mohler and his family are "overjoyed to be back home," according to a press release.

"Dr. Mohler looks forward to resuming his presidential and ministerial duties, but his activities will be limited for some time as he continues his recuperation at home," the release stated. "The Mohlers are deeply grateful for the many prayers offered and expressions of concern shown over the past couple of weeks."

Mohler was moved out of intensive care and into a private room at the hospital Jan. 8. He was admitted to the hospital on Dec. 27 complaining of intense abdominal pain and underwent surgery the following day. While physicians reported that the procedure went well and that Mohler's abdominal issues were remedied, the development of blood clots led doctors to move Mohler to the hospital's intensive care unit.

Received Thursday morning:

Our family thanks each of you for praying for Abigail and the uncertainty of her injuries at the moment of our first request.

We have learned that Abby has a fractured skull at the upper left side of her head
along with some internal bleeding in the head. Her lungs are bruised and she has some glass in her back.

She has responded to Paul (her husband) and moved toes for the neurologist. She certainly has some healing before her, and we deeply appreciate your prayers on her behalf. We will update you once more as we learn more of her condition.

Lorna and I have certainly been comforted by God as we waited for news that went further than, "They lifelined her and that's all we know." We could at that moment honestly say, 'Thank You Father, for Abigail is Your child and we know You are working all things out for Your own glory. You make no mistakes and we wait to see Your will unfold before us.'

The body of Christ has taken on a fresh dimension for us and it too is a great comfort.

Our love,
Kevin & Lorna

Kevin and Lorna Kreider are a church-planting couple from the Myerstown, PA, church (Keith Shearer, pastor) who are working to begin a church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The following prayer request was received from Kevin Thursday morning:

Lorna and I just received a phone call to let us know our youngest daughter Abigail was hit by a car while going out to the mailbox. All we know at this point is that they lifelined her to the Hershey Medical Center.

We will update you when we know more. Abigail was just married this past April to Paul Roark, would you please keep him in prayer as well.

Thank you,
Kevin

Greg and Sandrine Burgess, Grace Brethren missionaries to France (Editions Cle) announce the the birth of Zachary Roland Charles Burgess.

He was born Saturday January 6th at 12:10PM. He weighed 8.9 pounds and measured 20.5 inches.

Greg says, "He and his mother are doing well (and so are his three sisters and father!). They came home from the hospital today."

Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from Him. Psalm 127.3

The opinions of several Grace Brethren pastors on the subject of "house churches" are quoted in this article from the Dayton (OH) Daily News, written this past week by Brian Orme of the pastoral staff of the West Milton church.

'Revolutionaries' find refuge in home churches

By Brian Orme

There's a new movement, a shift in the landscape of the church, says George Barna, the director of the Ventura, Calif.-based Barna Research Group. In Barna's studies one thing seems clear: In today's culture many people are leaving the traditional church to practice their faith in alternative venues.

Barna describes these sans-church members as revolutionaries — people discontented with the often static spiritual environment of conventional churches. These revolutionaries, some 20 million according to Barna, often end up in progressive ministries such as house churches, emerging communities, virtual faith networks and other niche ministries outside the traditional church setting.

"There are a lot of different kinds of needs that people have that simply are not, and cannot, be met through a conventional church setting," Barna said.

When asked if the conventional church has dropped the ball on discipleship and evangelism, Barna said, "We've been studying that for so many years, the answer is an unequivocal yes. The ball has been dropped and stomped on. ... It's not because people don't care, but so many of the models that get used are antiquated, they were created for a different era. We live in a different day and age."

Barna doesn't see the new trend as a threat to the church, but rather, a new era — one with powerful potential to connect more people with the mission of Christ.

A house church leader from Troy, Mike Lyons, says, "Small community groups are the most natural means to study and proclaim that the kingdom of God is here." Lyons left a staff position at a megachurch to pursue simple, organic church planting. If you want to know what house church is like, "think less church and more BBQ," Lyons says.

Lyons believes that the context of house church, although messy, teaches people more about what it means to be a spiritual family than the typical church, which avoids the messiness of relationships altogether.

Alternatives such as house churches don't sit well with many church leaders.

The idea of a church without a building, without a set order or, perhaps, without educated teachers and pastors, doesn't sit well with many church leaders.

"I think Barna is way off," says Steve Makofka, pastor of Centerville Grace Brethren Church. "I believe the church's mission is to do discipleship from the cradle to the grave. ... My contention is that a network of small groups centered around a larger congregational entity can cover that entire grid far better than any single house church."

"A church is made up of those committed to being a church. It is more than a Bible study or a discussion group," says Tim Nixon, pastor of Cornerstone Church in Springboro. Nixon adds, "A church must have leadership and organization."

Barna believes that the strict adherence to tradition and lack of change is what keeps the conventional church from growing. "Any institution that doesn't keep up with the times is going to lose their audience."

"For a lot of revolutionaries, the church has been an obstacle to spiritual growth. A lot of revolutionaries find that even though the conventional church may be a great ministry, it may not be right for them," Barna says.

Barna's research points to a dethroning of the traditional church as lodestar for the faith community in the upcoming years, and its replacement: grass-roots communities on mission from the inside out rather than the outside in.

"Jesus railed against the Pharisees and Sadducees because they developed so many routines and expectations that really had nothing to do with the heart of God," Barna says. "And yet, in many ways that's what we're doing today."


Brian Orme is an associate pastor at Community Church in West Milton and a freelance religion writer. Send e-mail to mjorme@gmail.com.

For the second time in six months, Grace Brethren missionaries David and Becky Schwan (couple second from left) have participated in the wedding of one of their children, their daughter Rachel.

The groom, Steve Williams, has a band which does evangelistic concerts and he also works as an information technician in a department store in Solihull. The couple met when she was singing for a charity banquet and his band was playing. They will live in Solihull.

The Schwans' son, David, was married last July to the daughter of GBIM missionaries Dave and Susie Hobert. This past weekend their daughter, Rachel (center), was married in England, where the Schwans serve with GBIM.

Grandparents (back row in photo) are former GBIM executive director Tom Julien and his wife, Doris.

From the St. Petersburg (FL) Times. The pastor of the Port Richey church is James Poyner.

The name they chose for their singing trio, Forgiven, fits us all, says Debbie Baker.

"We are all forgiven through Jesus Christ," she said during a telephone interview.

Debbie, her husband, Cloid and Tank Tackett make up the Forgiven gospel singing trio. During the next few days, the group will perform at two area churches. On Sunday at 6 p.m., the group will be in concert at Calvary Church of the Nazarene, 235 Cobblestone Drive, in Spring Hill.

On Wednesday, the trio travels to Gulfview Grace Brethren Church, 6639 Hammock Road in Port Richey for a 7 p.m. show.

Baker said she and Cloid have been singing together for more than 30 years. Before their marriage in 1972 he sang with the Gaithers, while she sang with the Weatherfords, both icons in the gospel music industry. After their marriage and before forming their trio in 1986, they traveled with Danny Gaither when he left the Bill Gaither Trio in 1977.

The focus of their ministry, she said, is to the church, and their purpose is to provide through music and testimony a worship service for the Christian and an evangelistic service for seekers.

They travel 240 days a year from their home in Lawrenceburg, Ind., in the southeast corner of the state.

The third member of the Forgiven Trio is Gayle Tackett, known affectionately as Tank. He also appeared with the Weatherfords and other groups including the Statesmen Quartet. His home is in Nashville, and when there he is a featured soloist with the Christ Church Choir. He is also a part of the Gaither Homecoming Friends recordings.

"I am excited about the future of Forgiven and what God has in store for us as long as we remember, it's not about us but all about him," said Tackett, who joined the trio last year.

The group records on its own label, Morning Star and Forgiven Music Group. It has been recognized by many national Southern gospel music publications including Streets of Gold and Southern Gospel Music Forum. In May of 2003, the trio was featured in Singing News Magazine.

Call (352) 683-0587 for more information about the Spring Hill concert and (727) 862-7777 for the Port Richey concert.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)--Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President R. Albert Mohler Jr. (pictured) was admitted to the intensive care unit Friday with blood clots in both lungs and his condition is "quite serious," according to a statement posted on his website Friday afternoon.

Mohler, president of the school since 1993 and a highly-respected spokesperson in the evangelical community, was admitted to the hospital Dec. 27 experiencing abdominal pain and subsequently underwent a three-hour surgery to remove scar tissue from a 1980s operation.

A statement on Mohler's website Thursday around noon said Mohler was continuing "to recuperate" from the surgery, performed at Baptist East Hospital in Louisville, Ky.

But a statement posted on the seminary's website at 4:12 p.m. EST Friday said Mohler's health had "sustained a setback."

"Over the past 36 hours Dr. Mohler has suffered from unrelenting pain," the statement read. "This unusual degree of pain signaled concern for the attending physicians and prompted additional tests this afternoon. In the past hour these tests have revealed that Dr. Mohler is suffering from pulmonary emboli in both lungs. His condition is quite serious and he has been moved to the intensive care unit of Baptist East Hospital in Louisville, Ky. for immediate treatment.

"Please make this a matter of urgent prayer," the statement concluded. "Thank you once again for your concern and support during these days."

For updates visit www.albertmohler.com.

Widow For a Season: Finding Your Identity in Christ by Kristine Pappas has just been released by BMH Books of Winona Lake, IN, and is now ready for shipping.

Losing her husband to pancreatic cancer in 1998 became the catalyst that drove Pappas to wrestle with the faith question, “What does it mean to trust God—really?”

As a widow, she came to understand what God means when He says He is the husband to the widow and father to the fatherless. More than a book on recovery from grief, Widow For a Season will help individuals everywhere find their primary identity in Christ.

A registered nurse by profession, Pappas for 12 years homeschooled her two children. She is currently working on her master’s degree in ministry. She and her husband, Thomas, live in a suburb of Columbus, Ohio.

The book, which was developed out of a series of pamphlets and seminars Pappas has given over the past several years, is organized in four “seasons” – the season of singleness, the season of strength, the season of sufficiency, and the season of surrender.

Helpful study guides and discussion questions follow each chapter, ideal for individual or small-group use. The chapters also closely link to Pappas’ website, www.widowtowidow.net for more resources.

The 205-page paperback retails for $10.99 and is available everywhere through Christian bookstores, online at www.bmhbooks.com and other sites, or by calling 1-800-348-2756. The ISBN number is 9780884693086.

Pastor Scott Distler (seated in car) of the Grace Brethren Church of Lititz, PA, this past Sunday launched a new five-week "Back In the Future" sermon series with a DeLorean Time-Machine car on display in the church's foyer.

The community was invited to view the car during one of two worship services at 9:00am and 10:45am with viewing and photographing all free.

The DeLorean is a sports car manufactured by the DeLorean Motor Company from 1981 through 1983. Most commonly known as the DeLorean, it was the only model ever produced by the company. The car features "gull-wing" doors with a brushed stainless steel body. About 6,000 DeLorean Motor Cars are believed to still exist. (photo courtesy Lititz GBC)

Former Grace Brethren missionary to the Central African Republic, Mary Lois Miller, 73, died Wednesday at her home in Juniata, Pennsylvania.

She was born in Altoona, PA, daughter of the late I. Emory and Lucinda Jane (Brumbaugh) Miller. Surviving are a cousin, John Hillard, as well as many other cousins.

Lois served in the African mission field for 25 years, after which she was employed as a registered nurse and midwife at Lewistown Hospital for many years. Lois was a member of Altoona Grace Brethren Church, where she was active in the Women’s Missionary Society.

Her love of music prompted her to serve as a piano player and she was active in other church functions as well.

She was a graduate of Altoona High School and West Suburban Nursing School in Illinois. She studied midwifery in Kentucky and was a graduate of Wheaton College and Grace Theological Seminary, where she studied for missions.

Joy Cornelius, daughter of Grace Brethren pastor Roy Glass, who served the Altoona church, says, “She was a very special lady and a cousin to my dad (Roy Glass). There were several cousins who all went into full-time ministry--my dad, Lois, Victor Rogers who recently passed away, Galen Lingenfelter (married to Vic’s sister Kathern), as well as some others and many of their children also went into full-time ministry.”

She recalls, “The cousins were all such wonderful, godly examples to me and the others in my generation. I thank God for the heritage He has given me and can only pray that I will pass it on to my children and grandchildren. Some of my earliest memories are of spending time in their homes.”

Friends will be received from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. today, Jan. 5, 2007, at Mauk & Yates Funeral Home Inc., Juniata, where services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 6, 2007, with Pastor Rod Lingenfelter officiating. Interment at Brumbaugh Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Grace Brethren International Missions, P.O. Box 588, Winona Lake, IN 46590.

From today's Huber Heights (Ohio) Courier:

Wenner leaves lasting impact on Carriage Hill

By Greg Smart, editor

The death of Craig Wenner has stunned residents of Huber Heights.

It is estimated that over 500 people attended a memorial service for Craig and his wife Patricia Sunday at Grace Brethren Church in Brookville.

Mike Ivory, President of the Huber Heights Rotary Club, eulogized Craig.

"The motto of Rotary International is 'Service Above Self" and Craig exemplified this more than anyone I know," said Ivory.

Ivory talked about Craig's community involvement and said Craig was instrumental in the planning and building of a picnic shelter construcgted at Rip Rap Park in Huber Heights by the Rotary Club. Ivory said the Huber Rotary Club has agreed to officially name the shelter, "Craig and Patricia Memorial Shelter" with a dedication planned sometime this spring.

"One of my personal memories of Craig is that he was always smiling; he always had an upbeat attitude that seemed to radiate to everyone he touched," said Ivory.

Ivory said Craig always appeared to have a glow about him when he talked of nature and his family.

Another person that knew Craig well is Carriage Hill and Taylorsville MetroParks Park Manager Mark Davis.

"He was the consumate park person," said Davis in an interview Tuesday "He lived and breathed park work."

Davis said that whenever Wenner returned from vacations, that he would bring back photos of park designs and other park ideas he observed.

"He was also a consumate public servant," said Davis. "The final question before doing something was what does the public get out of this. He made sure every expenditure was to the direct benefit of the public. He really lived that."

Davis indicated that Wenner was an outstanding father of two daughters and was very proud of their accomplishments.

Davis said Wenner was in charge of the building of the Carriage Hill Visitors Center.

"At that time, that was the largest building project that MetroParks had ever done. It was just his cup of tea.

"He loved looking over plans and pointing out something that needed to be changed. He loved working with the contractors. That was great experience for his current position where he was Special Projects Manager for MetroParks.

A few days before Wenner died, Davis said he received an e-mail from him.

'He told me how excited he was that he'd been assigned a new project--a bikeway project," recalled Davis.

Wenner's character was notable.

"The one thing that was universal--Craig was always smiling," said Davis. "I never saw him lose his temper. He was the most even keeled guy I ever met."

Davis said Wenner's legacy in Huber would be the Carriage Hill Visitor's Center and the training of future managers.

"I have to complement MetroParks as a whole and all MetroParks staff for their dedication to the search," said Davis. He also praised the water search and rescue crews."

Maude Lawson, who manages the Country Store at Carriage Hill Farm, was devastated by the loss.

"I lost part of my family--I have my family and then my park family. It's just hard to describe. He was just very near and dear."

Lawson said Davis' legacy would be the Visitor's Center at Carriage Hill and his love for the Rotary

Trust Fund set up for Wenner Family

A trust fund has been set up for the daughters of Craig and Patricia Wenner who drowned on Christmas Day in the Stillwater River.

To give, write a check to Carolyn and Sara Wenner College Fund and mail to Montgomery County Credit Union, 409 E. Monument Ave., Suite 105, Dayton, OH 45402.

The January-February, 2007, issue of FGBC World, the all-Fellowship publication for Grace Brethren churches, is arriving in homes and churches this week. Here is promotional copy you may use for bulletins, newsletters, websites, and other communications. Please pass along to your church staff.

Week One:

Early in the morning of the day after Thanksgiving, members of the Cornerstone Grace Brethren Church in Miamisburg, Ohio, descended upon Best Buy and Toys-R-Us. It wasn’t to find the best shopping deals, but to reach out to families with young children. To read more, see http://www.bmhbooks.com/fgbcworld/article.asp?IDNum=235.

Week Two:

The doctor who delivered the Garber twins thought little Angie wouldn’t survive due to complications. Instead, she went on to have a giant heart for ministry and served nearly 50 years as a teacher and missionary among the Navajo Indians in northwestern New Mexico. To learn more, see http://www.bmhbooks.com/fgbcworld/article.asp?IDNum=231.

Week Three:

What can $50 do? Members of the Ellet Grace Brethren Church in Akron, Ohio, used 50 one-dollar bills to minister to their friends and neighbors. To learn the results, see http://www.bmhbooks.com/fgbcworld/article.asp?IDNum=230.

The following is from today's Dayton (OH) daily newspaper. No reports have appeared yet of the Wenners' having been found.

Wenner fund started

A trust fund has been set up for the daughters of Craig and Patricia Wenner, who drowned on Christmas Day in the Stillwater River. Craig was the former park manager at Englewood MetroPark.

To donate, write a check to the Carolyn and Sara Wenner College Fund and mail it to Montgomery County Credit Union, 409 E. Monument Ave., Suite 105, Dayton, OH 45402.

The public can also give at the memorial service for the Wenners on Jan. 31 at 2 p.m. at Brookville Grace Brethren Church, 665 W. Westbrook Road, Brookville.

According to a story distributed by Newhouse News Service, the 110th Congress convening today will be one of the most religiously diverse ever.

For the first time in history, Congress will include among its ranks a Muslim. Keith Ellison, a newly-elected Representative from Minnesota, converted from Catholicism to Islam when he was nineteen years old. Throughout his campaign, his religion was a source of contention that culminated when he announced he would take his oath of office on the Qur'an rather than the Bible.

The new Congress will also feature two Buddhists: Hank Johnson from Georgia, and Mazie Hirono from Hawaii. And for the first time, Jews will outnumber Episcopalians. Overall there are thirty Jewish Representatives and thirteen Senators. The Episcopalians have twenty-seven House seats and ten Senators.

Mitt Romney, Governor of Massachusetts, who is considering a run for the presidency, is a Mormon, as are ten Representatives and five Senators. Harry Reid of Nevada, the new Democratic majority leader in the Senate, is a Mormon.

The largest religious group represented in the new Congress is Roman Catholic. Catholics will have 129 Representatives and twenty-five Senators. The next largest group is Baptists, with fifty-nine Representatives and seven Senators. Coming in third are Methodists, with forty-eight Representatives and thirteen Senators.

It is also revealing to note who is not represented in the new Congress. No one from the Church of God is in the House, though the Senate includes a member of that group. There are also no Congregationalists in the House, but there is one Senator from that group. The inverse is true for Quakers -- one in the House, but none in the Senate.

Six House members describe themselves as unaffiliated.

This article by Pastor Jim Franklin (pictured) of the Flora, Indiana, Grace Brethren Church, appears in today's issue of the Delphi, IN, Carroll County Comet.

Lessons from the Heart
Cut through the clutter

By Pastor James Franklin

One of the things I admire the most about the Bible is its amazing ability to “cut through the clutter” and go straight to the heart of an issue. The book of Proverbs excels in this function.

Some years ago a missionary suggested that I read one chapter of Proverbs per day. Our English Bible divides it into 31 chapters. He suggested that I read chapter 1 on the first of the month, chapter 15 on the fifteenth, chapter 30 on the thirtieth, and so forth.

He also recommended that I read Proverbs over an extended period of time, not just one time through but for at least several months. “Then go outside and start watching,” he said. “You’ll see it lived out before your eyes.”

In those days I was a young Air Force sergeant stationed in Germany. It was the first time I supervised people. Interestingly, a man from Bangladesh worked for me. Not only was he “foreign,” but he was also a devout Muslim. I had a lot to learn, and quickly.

Sure enough, the missionary was correct. The main purpose of Proverbs is the acquisition of wisdom: “For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly” (2:6-7, NKJV).

Proverbs didn’t teach me everything I needed to know at that time, but it certainly helped. If I misspoke, Proverbs 10:19 would come to mind: “In the multitude of words sin is not lacking (or “absent”), but he who restrains his tongue is wise.”

If I was slack in my work, Proverbs 18:9 would remind me to do a whole-hearted and thorough job: “He who is slothful in his work is a brother to him who is a great destroyer.”

If I had trouble with authority (after all I was in the military), Proverbs 21:1 told me that “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.”

I have had to learn these lessons over and over again.

Most recent question from the Hagerstown (MD) Herald-Mail Forum:

Q - What is the nicest thing anyone did to make you really feel the Christmas spirit?

A – (unidentified responder) Our church, Grace Brethren, adopts families who are not as fortunate as others and makes Christmas special for them by providing a holiday meal and gifts for them. They also do this for families at Easter, before school begins and at Thanksgiving. It's giving and sharing that make the Christmas spirit come alive.

From South Florida Sun-Sentinel:

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- The Rev. D. James Kennedy, the longtime pastor of Fort Lauderdale's Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church and a driving force in the national religious conservative movement, was in serious condition Friday after a heart attack.

Church officials said Kennedy, 76, was rushed to a hospital from his home Thursday night. Although they were extremely concerned about his health, the officials said Kennedy was becoming more alert and responsive Friday.

As one of the most-recognized religious broadcasters in the country and pastor of one of the nation's first mega-churches, Kennedy has been at the forefront of social conservative causes from abortion to homosexuality. Americans United for the Separation of Church and State this year ranked Kennedy's Coral Ridge Ministries as the third-most-powerful conservative religious group in the nation, behind only the Christian Broadcasting Network and Focus on the Family.

"He is a passionate man about family and country, and we are certainly praying fo