BMH Editor's Blog

Approximately 70 Grace College & Seminary alumni and friends gathered this Friday evening at the Embassy Suites in Dublin, Ohio, for an illustrated lecture on creationism by Dr. Don DeYoung, chair of the physical science division at Grace College, Winona Lake, Indiana.

Here DeYoung began his talk by demonstrating, with fire, an egg, and a bottle, some of the physical characteristics of gravity and air pressure.

Grace alumni director Tim Ziebarth is hosting the tour, which began with a coach bus leaving Winona Lake at noon today. Tomorrow's itinerary includes the tour continuing to eastern Pennsylvania for another dinner, address by DeYoung, and a special theatrical presentation on the creation.

Following his illustrated lecture, Dr. Don DeYoung autographed copies of his 15 books which he has authored.

His most recent book, Pioneer Explorers of Intelligent Design, was published by BMH Books and formed part of Dr. DeYoung's lecture demonstrating that many of the key scientists in history had a biblical worldview.

Tomorrow the Creation Tour bus leaves Dublin, Ohio, at 7:30 a.m. and arrives in Strasburg, PA, where there will be another alumni dinner and address by Dr. DeYoung at the Netherlands Inn & Spa in that town.

Following the dinner and address, tour participants will then attend the Sight and Sound production "In the Beginning" which tells the biblical story of creation.

The Grace Brethren church in Lititz, Pennsylvania (Scott Distler, pastor) this past weekend conducted the largest outreach event in the church's history. Using a rodeo motif (photo by Stan Hall), the church believes it touched at least 7,500 area residents with contact with the church people and many with the message of the gospel. More than 175 volunteers participated in staging the event. Here is a bit of Pastor Scott's report to his people:

"It appears that the final attendance estimate from the registration workers for those who attended our Rodeo and Western Event was right around the 7,500 mark! Praise the Lord.

"Imagine what God is going to do over the next year in the lives of these 7,500 people who we built bridges to and who had barriers to the idea of church, Christianity and God knocked down in one fun event as they rubbed shoulders with us, the “salt of the earth” and the “light of the world.”

"But wait. It doesn’t end there. This event was so incredible that these same 7,500 people who attended will each probably tell at least three, maybe up to ten others this week who did not attend the event all about the great time that they had.

"Many of those same people will also respond with a “WOW! Maybe I should go check out that church!” That means that in the end we will have directly or indirectly made a very positive contact in one single day with anywhere between 30,000 and 80,000 people or more who live right here in our community.

"Now we must pray daily that God will use the many bridges that we have built to stair-step people closer to our church and ultimately to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ through faith!"

An updated and revised version of "The Dead Sea Scrolls," a 20-page booklet written by Dr. John J. Davis, has just been released by BMH Books.

Originally written as a series of newspaper articles, the text has been enlarged and updated with recent findings and some new photographs.

The author, who is former president and professor emeritus at Grace College and Seminary in Winona Lake, Indiana, is an experienced field archaeologist who has first-hand experience with the land and people germane to the discovery of the Scrolls in 1947.

Of particular interest will be part 3 of the booklet, where Davis discussed the currents of controversy which have swirled about the Scrolls in recent years.

Individual copies are available for $3.99 plus shipping under the ISBN number 9780884692546. For group use, shrinkwrapped packets of six booklets are also available for $19.99 under the ISBN number 978-0-88469-261-4.

To order, log onto www.bmhbooks.com or call 1-800-348-2756.

Arnold Kriegbaum, whose wife Laura went to be with the Lord several weeks ago, sends along the following:

"In any way you think best, please help me express appreciation to the many across the brotherhood who have sent cards of encouragement following Laura's being called to be with the Lord she loved.

"There have been so many cards that I cannot possibly write my appreciation to each one. In whatever way you deem best, give a word of thanks.

"The Lord bless your labor for the Lord, until we are all called home to be with Him at the rapture of the church."

Arnold Kriegbaum, who now lives with his daughter Karen in Indianapolis, was a Grace Brethren pastor, church-planter, director of the Brethren Missionary Herald Co., and dean of students at Grace College.

The MasterWorks Festival has begun in Winona Lake, Indiana, and will continue through July 21. The festival attracts top Christian professional musicians as faculty and top students for the month of instruction and performance.

Please pray for Starsha Tupper, 19 year old college student, who has been missing since last Tuesday. Starsha grew up coming to our youth programs and has attended our church off and on since we began. Her aunt is an active member of NSBC. Starsha was raised by her grandmother who also occasionally attends our church… her name is Christine. Pray for Starsha’s safe return.

Jack Brown, pastor
North Shore Bible Church
NorthShoreBible.homestead.com

Monday Afternoon Update:

Thank you to everyone for your prayers! Starsha was returned safely home (after six days) within hours of the previous e-mail. To God be the glory!

Jack Brown, pastor
North Shore Bible Church
NorthShoreBible.homestead.com

In the final session of Driven07, Kondo Simfukwe, pastor at Christ's Covenant Church in Winona Lake, Ind. (pictured at right), challenged participants to claim the land and face their giants for God. As the session came to a close, members of the audience shared the dreams God had given them, including...

• changing the culture for Christ.
• claiming the entire Appalachian region for Christ.
• ministering to the homosexual community to show them how they can live life in Christ.
• reaching my family for Christ (I'm the only Christian that I know of).
• serving in missions where God can use me.
• using music to minister to professional artists and cultural icons.
• ministering to single parents in my community.
• plant a church a day.
• and many more!

Pray for the young men and women who have placed a stake this week and made commitments to follow the call of God!

Read more about the week on the Driven07 blog.

Music at Driven07 was lead by a worship band from Grace Church, a Grace Brethren church in Akron, Ohio.

The July-August issue of FGBC World, the newspaper for the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches, is on its way to you. Below are promotional announcements that can be used in local church bulletins or newsletters.

Equip07, the national conference of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches, is just around the corner. In addition to a schedule of high quality workshops, the annual meetings of many of the FGBC national organizations are on the agenda. What does it take to vote at these meetings? Check it out in the July/August issue of FGBC World, which is available at INSERT LOCATION or LINK.

What could you do with ten dollars? Pick up the latest novel at the local bookstore? Buy lunch at a fast food restaurant? How about helping battle teen depression? Or fixing a cleft palate in Vietnam? Those are exactly the kind of things that members of the Grace Brethren Church in Millersburg, Ohio did with ten dollars in the first three months of 2007. Read more about it in the July/August issue of FGBC World, which is available at INSERT LOCATION or LINK.

The tragic story of an apparent murder-suicide attempt provided the Osceola (Ind.) Grace Brethren Church an opportunity to open their doors to the local Hispanic community and to provide continued contact with the Mexican fathers of the four children who died. Learn more about how the church ministered to a hurting community in the July/August issue of FGBC World, which is available at INSERT LOCATION or LINK.

Dr. Matt Harmon has a great desire to help people see Christ revealed in Scripture and to encourage them to lead others to see Christ. Having just completed his first year on the faculty at Grace Theological Seminary, he has gained a reputation for pouring himself into his students. Read more about it in the July/August issue of FGBC World, which is available at INSERT LOCATION or LINK.

Saturday's speaker at DRIVEN07, Jim Brown (pictured at right during the morning session), was profiled in DrivenWorld, the daily newsletter for the conference. The story is reprinted below.


Make Your Mark With Evangelism
Jim Brown, senior pastor of Grace Community Church, Goshen, Ind., will challenge us today to make our mark in the area of evangelism.

“Don’t take Jesus to the grave all by yourself,” he says. “Give him away.” Currently moderator-elect for the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches, he says there is no greater gift than to pass the news of Jesus on to others.

“When people stand before God one day will they remember you as the person who shared with them?” he questions.

Jim is passionate about sharing the Gospel. Just this week, he saw two young men whom he coaches in baseball give their lives to Jesus. But he’s also saddened by those individuals who reject the Gospel.

“Last week I had a conversation with a local drug dealer who said he would rather go to hell with his friends than to go to heaven with people he didn't know,” he recalls. “Conversations like that break my heart. Have we been so unapproachable as Christians that this guy wants nothing to do with us?”

What book is he currently reading? Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath.

“This book unfolds the ways people remember things,” he says. “We must be communicators who present truth in such a way that sticks,” noting that the book is a great resource for preachers and marketers. “The authors give great discussion on the Curse of Knowledge and that section is worth the price of the book,” he adds. “(It is) so true and very convicting. It is a must read!”

A graduate of Grace College and Grace Theological Seminary, Jim has been pastor of the Goshen church for 10 years. For the last 18 years, he has been married to Anne and they have three children, Joshua 14, Hannah 12, and Isaiah 7.

Oh, and recently, he rode a mechanical bull!

The final step of communion, the bread and the cup, was held in Bolton Theatre.

Footwashing was held on the hill following the love feast.

More good conversation before dinner.

A delay in dinner service provided time for conversation.

Jim Brown, pastor of Grace Community Church, a Grace Brethren church in Goshen, Ind., told the DRIVEN participants, “if you are not fishing, you are not following Jesus.”

Jason Brown, of the Grace Brethren Church in Sebring, Fla., explains the ministry of Soul’nami Takeover. Soul'nami Takeover is a Summer 2008 ministry of Youth For Christ in Highland County, Florida.

Beth Arnott of Powell, Ohio, reads Scripture during the morning worship session in Bolton Theatre

Friday night, Dr. Todd Scoles of Northwest Chapel, a Grace Brethren church in Dublin, Ohio, led a question and answer session on "Brethren Radicals and Heretics."

Pastor Larry Edwards of the Southview Grace Brethren Church in Ashland, Ohio, indicates that the church's summer outreach activities are in full swing.

On Sunday June 3, Southview held a dedication service for the summer ministries of the church.

Kelsey Edwards is traveling to Thailand for a short-term missions trip. This is her second mission trip to Thailand, having served with OBI in 2005.

The junior and senior high youth will tour and serve in the Washington D.C. area during August.

An adult team will travel to the Dominican Republic in August to move and set up a generator, finish some painting, and set up computer labs at a Christian School on the island.

June 29-July 4 is Wifflefest VIII, an annual event that drew 73 teams last year. Last year there were 150 commitment cards submitted after the Power Team service, and hundreds for a community picnic and thousands to view the community fireworks display.

A balloon launch (in the picture) was performed after the morning service. Each balloon contained information for Wifflefest and a prayer request.

This year former Cleveland Browns punter Bryan Wagner will be the Sunday morning speaker, and there will be a community hog roast for the picnic. Your prayers for an effective outreach will be appreciated.

BMH author Kary Oberbrunner (pictured at right) was the speaker Friday evening at DRIVEN07. Below is the story that ran in today's DRIVEN World, a daily newsletter produced by BMH for the conference.

Mildly inspired by a Bon Jovi song, Kary Oberbrunner’s talk on Friday evening, WANTED: Dead AND Alive, will focus on making a difference. “If you want your time to count… you must count your time,” he says.

It’s something he strives to do every day, living as if it were his last day on earth (hence the name of his ministry, Redeem the Day, based on Ephesians 5:16). “It is a great way to live life,” he says.

Today, he’s focused on sharing God’s truth with us and with training 12 leaders, young men and women, who are enrolled in the Summer Teen Track at Grace Institute.

“These teens are oozing with leadership potential,” he says. “Their ‘payment’ for the summer is to come and serve you at DRIVEN. Make sure you tell them hi.”

Another way he makes his mark is through his ministry at the Grace Brethren Church in Powell, where he serves as the pastor of discipleship and leadership development.

“It is a job where I get to Train Leaders to Transform the World. How sweet is that?” he says. “I also have to write. I literally mean I HAVE to,” he adds. “When I stop (and I’ve tried several times) something in me begins to die and then I get all depressed inside. “Thus, I continually have to get my ‘song’ out. I keep Thoreau’s warning in mind, ‘Most men live lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them.’”

A self-proclaimed nerd, Kary admits to listening to books on his iPod while driving his car. “My latest one is John Maxwell’s 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership,” he says. “I like him because he knows himself (his strengths and weaknesses), he’s confident (he doesn’t tip toe around), and he is a life-long learner (he is a student of many disciplines).”

But Kary is most committed to making a mark as a father. He and his wife, Kelly, have a son, Keegan, and are expecting their little girl within the next few weeks.

“He is the coolest kid,” Kary says of his son, and of his soon-to-be-born daughter… “I can’t wait to meet her.”

Kary is a graduate of Grace College and Grace Theological Seminary and recently received a D.Min. from Ashland Seminary. He invites conference participants to check out his website at KaryOberbrunner.com.

“I am committed to providing you with tools, skills, and thoughts that will stimulate you toward leadership, spirituality, and redeeming the day,” he notes.

In a closing thought, he sends kudos to the DRIVEN steering committee, and specifically this year’s director, John Ward. “You all have done an amazing job serving the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches!” he says.

DRIVEN07, the young adult conference, is being held this week at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio. Here are a few images from today (Friday).

Kip Cone and a panel of missionaries, left to right, Nicole and Rob Plaster, Deb and Steve Wise, and Betsy Becker, talk about what's behind the missionary letter during a workshop this afternoon at DRIVEN07.

Director of DRIVEN07, John Ward, takes aim during a round of Frisebee Golf on Friday afternoon.

Jeff Bogue, pastor of the north campus of Grace Church, a Grace Brethren church in Akron, Ohio, spoke on church at this morning's session. He encouraged DRIVEN07 participants to go back to their church with their ideas to change the world.

At breakfast this morning, Kary Oberbrunner talks with the teens in the Grace Institute at the Grace Brethren Church of Powell, Ohio. The teens are attending Driven07 to assist where needed.

The current edition of the Terre Haute, Indiana, newspaper carries a feature story about one prison inmate who received a degree from Grace College, Winona Lake, IN, this spring.

Here is a short exerpt from the article. To read the entire piece, click on http://www.tribstar.com/news/local_story_172225302.html

Carlisle — John E. Wallace Jr. knows he has many more years to serve in a state prison, yet has taken steps to improve himself, as one of 122 graduates to go through a graduation ceremony Thursday in the Wabash Valley Correctional Facility.

The correctional facility had 182 people this year receive educational certificates or degrees.

Wallace Jr., 32, received a bachelor’s degree in business management from Grace College.

It took 41/2 years to complete his degree. He received his degree in December, taking part Thursday in the once-a-year graduation ceremony.

“At first it was tough, not being in school for a long time,” he said, adding the last time he was in a formal school setting was in ninth grade. He earned a GED in prison before starting college studies in 2001.

“Growing up, I didn’t think I was the school type, so that is why I dropped out in the ninth grade. Then another fellow inmate said I should try to go to college.

“It has been a struggle. I had to eat, sleep and drink it, but it has all paid off and is well worth it,” he said.

From today's "InsideBayArea.com":

Jews for Jesus founder comes to Tracy
Grace Brethren Church will host evangelical speaker

By Lea Blevins, STAFF WRITER


TRACY — The founder of Jews for Jesus, an evangelism group directed at Jewish people, will speak at a worship service Sunday.

Tracy Grace Brethren Church will host Moishe Rosen, who founded and ran the Jews for Jesus mission for 23 years. He now travels to speak to congregations on a regular basis.

"He has a unique perspective," said Robert MacMillan, senior pastor at the Tracy church.
Rosen primarily speaks to Christian churches, with this weekend's topic to be "Children: God's Treasure."

MacMillan said his church, part of the national Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches, is a boisterous one with many parents and children.

"If people would like to find out what family life, Biblical-style, is all about, I think they're going to hear it from Moishe Rosen," he said.

Rosen was originally scheduled to speak at the church last year but had to cancel. This will be his first visit to Tracy Grace Brethren.

Having Rosen — "a great ambassador for Jews for Jesus" — speak at the Christian church will help congregation members connect with Jesus, who was a Jew and the "messiah of Israel," MacMillan said.

"We do ourselves a disservice as Christians when we don't understand our Jewish heritage, and we miss a lot," he said.

MacMillan said this is one of the only Sundays during the year for the church to have a guest speaker, which will give him the opportunity to sit with the congregation and listen. The public is invited to attend, and MacMillan said he hopes the event draws "unchurched" people.

"(It's) going to be enlightening," he said. "I'm looking forward to it."

The worship service begins at 10:30 a.m. Sunday at Tracy Grace Brethren Church, 1480 Parker Ave., Tracy. For more information, visit http://www.tracygrace.org/ or call (209) 835-0732.

The Grace Brethren church in Powell, Ohio (Rick Nuzum, pastor), is a key player in the annual all-community event held in the city. Today's Columbus Dispatch carries a story about it--part is excerpted here. To read the entire story, click on http://www.columbusdispatch.com:80/dispatch/content/weekender/stories/2007/06/21/9A_KID21_--_FAMILY_FUN.ART_ART_06-21-07_T31_R6724KU.html

The Rev. Sean Spoelstra, pastor of family ministry at Grace Church (the former Grace Brethren Church of Powell), has been involved in the festival all nine years he has been in the city.

"It's just a fun way to connect with the community," he said.

The church itself is among the many sponsors that contribute financially to the festival and provide activities.

"We do face-painting every year, and our puppet team is there," he said. "And this year we're going to have pedal carts -- go-karts that are pedal-powered. We'll have two or four of them, and let kids do that."

Spoelstra, his wife and their four children (ages 4 to 10) plan to enjoy the event on Saturday as visitors, he said.

"It's gotten huge. If you have a family, it's a great place to take it."

James Joiner (pictured at right), chaplain at Grace College, Winona Lake, Ind., led off the weekend's speakers on Thursday evening at DRIVEN07 as he challenged participants to let God make His mark on us.

"We will make an indelible mark on the the world when God makes His indelible mark on us," he said.

The evening kicks off three days of challenging speakers, practical workshops, and fellowship. DRIVEN07 is the annual conference for young adults in the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Church and is being held at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio.

For updates on the weekend's events, see the DRIVEN blog.

DRIVEN07, the young adult conference that is being held this week at Kenyon College, Jessica Livigni from the Grace Church, a Grace Brethren church in Akron, Ohio, welcomes participants to the conference at last night's opening session.

As our time in CAR drew to a close, one evening we took the missionary staff to dinner at the "Grand Cafe" in Bangui. Here (from left) were Heidi Sisson, Ginger Hock, and Tina Walker. Also with us were Tim Hock and Janet Varner--these missionaries treated us exceptionally well, were very patient with us, and deserve much thanks for how well the week and the seminar went.

By living on the missionary compound for a week, we got some good insight into the daily work the missionaries do. Here Tim Hock works to seal a leak around the windshield of an SUV that is transportation for Mboi Andre, the president of the union of Grace Brethren churches in the CAR.

On one of our last days we visited the orphan's ministry facility, now under construction in one of the suburbs of Bangui. The two-story facility is about 80 percent complete, and will include school classrooms, offices for administrators, and other facilities when completed. Orphans will not live in it (they are hosted in homes of believers) but this center will enable education, medical care, and other needs to be met. Missionaries Barb Wooler and Ginger Hock are working along with the African ladies to direct this ministry, secure sponsorships for the orphans, and to achieve the funding to bring this facility to completion. Ken Landrud is the missionary construction superintendent who employs the crews of Africans to complete the building.

"Doctor" Paul Dibona, who cares for the medical needs of the orphan ministry and also assists in True Love Waits seminars, shows that there are Ohio State fans all around the world. Dibona's engaging smile and gregarious personality endear him to all--his work is a tremendous addition, particularly for the orphan ministry.

Martine Yougouda found her new BMH tote bag to be quite helpful in carrying seminar materials. Pray for the Yougoudas, as they are returning to Boguila, a very treacherous and unsafe area at the present. Martine's husband, Pierre, is working on proofing and final corrections of a book manuscript he has written on the history of Grace Brethren missions in Africa. A team effort involving missionaries Lois Wilson, Eddie Mensinger, Janet Varner, Diana Davis, and perhaps others will hopefully bring the manuscript to print in the coming year so it can be used in the churches and Bible schools in the CAR as a text.

When the week's teaching was completed, we had a "graduation ceremony" on Thursday afternoon, complete with the awarding of certificates of completion, the giving of gifts, and the making of speeches. Here Greg awards the certificate to Gama, one of the bright young leaders for the future in the literature ministry. Gama, 28, has a degree in computers and math, and works with Dounia in the finances and accounting in the Brethren literature ministry. Pray for him and others to become the leaders of this ministry in future years.

Following the "graduation exercises," we all retired to the courtyard, formed a large circle with our chairs, and enjoyed sweet fellowship around French bread, peanuts, and Coca-Cola.

Dr. Francois Ngoumape and his lovely wife, Claire, hosted us tirelessly for the week in Bangui. He drove us everywhere, hosted all the seminar sessions, took us on sightseeing trips, and had us to their home for dinner (pictured here). Pray for this dear couple--they are raising 13 children (5 of their own plus others from brothers and sisters who have died), Dr. Ngoumape directs the Bible schools and seminary program for the country, and they live in Bata, a very insecure and difficult place given the current instability of the country. As often as you think of them, please ask the Lord to grant them strength, wisdom, and protection in their courageous lifestyle of leadership and parenting.

Despite the heat and humidity, the robed choir at the church we attended Sunday morning, June 10, added enthusiasm and power to the worship service at Galabadja 3 church.

On Sunday afternoon we visited the Bangui Christian radio station that is adjacent to the Castor church, and Clarissa (left) and Emmanuel (not in photo), participants in our writers' seminar who are radio station staff, conducted a wide-ranging hour-long interview with all the instructors. We discussed literature in Africa, principles of good communication, the effect of the Internet on printed publications and much more in the interview, which will be broadcast a number of times over the station in the future.

Dounia Marc (seated at the head of the table) had us all over to his house for dinner. Dounia directs the Foyer, the Grace Brethren literature ministry in the CAR, and is responsible for the printing, publishing, and bookstore operations in the country. Part of our goal on this trip was to encourage him and to find ways to assist in getting the publishing ministry further along with better-quality publications, more sales volume, and good business practices. Dounia has served faithfully and well, and several years ago faced terrible disappointment when all his supplies, machinery, and products were destroyed in the country's civil strife.

A roundup article featuring the recent writers' and editors' seminars in Cameroon and Central African Republic may be found on the Assist News syndicated website at http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2007/s07060118.htm

Instructors for the seminars included (from left) Terry White of BMH; Jean Bugnano, photographer from Macon, France; Didier Millotte, illustrator from Lyon, France; Greg Burgess of Editions Cle, Lyon, France; Jules Ouba of CPE publishers in Abidjan, Ivory Coast; and Dr. Francois Ngoumape, head of the Grace Brethren Bible schools and seminary in Bata, CAR, and host for the conference.

In Bangui, our teaching team was augmented with the addition of Jules Ouba, who works with the Christian publishing firm CPE in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

Though he arrived a day late because of the serendipitous schedule of African airlines, Jules was a wonderful addition to the team. Not only did he have a warm, gregarious personality, but his grasp of African culture, of publishing in Africa, and his facility with African French language made him absolutely invaluable as an instructor. We quickly grew to love and appreciate him, and he made tremendous contributions throughout the week.

The seminars were held each day in the building that houses the offices of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren churches in the CAR. Ladies from the Galabadja 3 church served us breakfast and lunch each day, and cared well for all our hospitality needs.

Mboi Andre (dark suit, left), the current president of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren churches in the CAR, was one of the participants in the seminar, as his schedule allowed. Here he chats with instructors Jules Ouba (center) and Greg Burgess (with red folder) before a session begins. Andre leads a fellowship of more than 1,000 churches in the CAR, with more than a quarter-million in attendance each Sunday morning for worship.

Almost immediately, our schedule had to be adjusted because of the death of a prominent and popular pastor of a church about 20 kilometers from Bangui, southwest on the road to M'baike.

Because of his prominence in the Fellowship, many of our seminar attenders needed to participate, so we were invited to go along, even sharing a place of honor in the "visiting pastors' section" near the bier.

Long before we arrived at the church, the road was filled with OTN ladies, dressed colorfully, marching along the center of the road, singing and chanting, enroute to the funeral.

What a blessing it was to see people in grief, and yet to see the sure hope they have that their beloved pastor was with Jesus and that they would be reunited with him some day--a stark contrast to the funeral/burial practices of those who don't know the Lord.

The service was so colorful as the various groups (OTN, ladies; Lumieres, girls; Flambeau, boys), all in uniform, marched in formation and sang/clapped as they surrounded the casket and shared in the service.

Dr. Pierre Yougouda, who for many years served as president of the union of Grace Brethren churches in the CAR until his recent retirement from that position, was one of the many speakers at the funeral.

The funeral service ended--as many in America do--with a fellowship meal in the church facility afterward. Gozo (manioc paste) and an antelope meat dish were the main feature. After the funeral, food, and fellowship we returned to Bangui to begin the teaching/seminar schedule in earnest.

The Masterworks Festival kicks off later this week in Winona Lake, Ind. The month-long classical performing arts training program for young people is sponsored by the Christian Performing Artists Association. Throughout the next few weeks, students and faculty will perform throughout Winona Lake on a regular basis.

First on the schedule are two concerts that are part of Chamber Week. On Friday, June 22, the program includes Brahms, Variations on a Theme by Haydn, Dvorak: Quintet for Piano and Strings, and Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 7. The concert on Saturday, June 23 includes Mozart: Quartet for Piano and Strings, Schumann: Quintet for Piano and Strings, and Mendelssohn: Octet for Double String Quartet. The weekend concludes with a faculty recital on Sunday night.

All concerts are at Rodeheaver Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

In addition, students will often play "gigs" throughout the day in the Village of Winona and there will be weekday afternoon faculty recitals.

The month-long festival continues through Sunday, July 21 with dozens of full-scale, chamber, solo, and master class performances each week--all open to the public and without admission charge.

For a schedule of the Masterworks events, click here.

Two members of the Grace Community Church, the Grace Brethren church in Seal Beach, Calif., serve on the City of Long Beach (Calif.) Parks and Recreation Commission. Harry Saltzgaver, left, and Drew Satariano, right, serve as president and vice president respectively.

From this morning's report on Operation Barbabas (OB) orientation in Lititz, Pa....

What a crazy looking bunch of students we have! Clowns abounded in the halls of Grace Church in Lititz, PA, early this morning, fully adorned in their best/worst renditions of a three ring circus. (At right, Cody I. and Jake S. transform into clowns!) Once the make up and costumes were removed, we began focusing on different presentations of our personal testimonies. The students learned the difference between one focused on outreach with a Gospel message and invitation to receive Christ, and the other, focused on encouraging believers with their walk since their faith decision.

Then we sang, and we sang, and we sang, and we sang until we could sing no longer... then we sang some more. Teams were working apart from the whole ninety like they had been used to, but in a few short days, the tour gets real. So we split into our teams and refined the differences. Speech choirs were also assigned, just in case the students felt they had everything memorized.

For more information and photos, click here.

Our trip now half over, we said good-bye to our friends in the Cameroon and boarded a five-seat Cessna operated by SIL for the four-hour flight to Bangui, Central African Republic. We had some anxious moments, trying to make the weight limit--we had to leave a few things in Cameroon from our luggage, but we made it, with four kilos to spare! We left early in the morning and had to awaken the customs people, but leaving Yaounde went quite smoothly.

Rob Peterson, our young SIL pilot, grew up in the Philippines as a missionary kid and is the son of a pilot and the brother of a pilot. Originally from the Holland, Michigan, area, Rob went to Moody Bible Institute and then Bryan College and had his flight training at the Moody facility in Elizabethton, Tennessee.

Didier, our illustrator, was never without his sketch pad and he drew continuously. This was his view, from the second seat of the Cessna, of the four-hour flight from Yaounde to Bangui.

This was our first view of Bangui as Rob-the-pilot made a long, sweeping right turn, lined up with the runway, and gently landed the Cessna on the tarmac.

Prosper Atchombat, a Cameroonian who works with CABTAL, the local Bible translation unit of Wycliffe Bible Translators, has been one of the key figures in helping to get the new youth magazine launched. He and his wife attended our writers' seminars, and before we left they invited us to their home for dinner with their family.

One of the local pastors arranged for us to spend an afternoon with some teenagers from his church, teaching some basic principles of writing and editing. Pray that some of these young people will catch the vision for impacting the world for Christ through the ministry of writing and publishing!

Before we left Yaounde, we helped Jana Puhl, the youngest daughter of Karin and Frank, celebrate her sixth birthday. Her "oma" (grandmother) called from Germany to wish her happy birthday, and we sang to her and gave her some candy. Jana was so proud of her new orange skirt and quilted purse!

The meal began with hand-washing all around, as the meal is eaten with the fingers from a common bowl. No silverware or utensils are used. Here Greg Burgess washes his hands prior to the meal.

This family is living temporarily in the lower level of a house that is under construction. They will eventually need to move again as construction progresses. But the shady area, with a nice breeze blowing, provided a delightful setting for the meal and to get to know these courageous Brethren who have been involved in church-planting and church-growth efforts for many years.

The main course consisted of dishes of meat (beef and fish) in an oil base, into which you dipped chunks of the corn paste.

The meal concluded with servings of fresh fruit, a VERY sweet coffee and tea, and this kind of rice pudding. The leisurely meal ended with conversation about the growth of the Grace Brethren movement in Cameroon and some of the strategy to teach Brethren doctrine and heritage to new believers or those new to the church.

We have received word of the death of Margaret Furness, mother of Margie Brubaker of Frederick, Md. Margie is the wife of Pastor Michael Brubaker of the Grace Community Church, a Grace Brethren church in Frederick.

Mrs. Furness died on June 16, 2007 at the age of 88. Funeral information and an obituary are included below.

VIEWING:
Tuesday, June 19
Stauffer's Funeral Home on Opposumtown Pike
2:00-4:00 p.m., 7:00-9:00 p.m

MEMORIAL SERVICE:
Wednesday, June 20
11:00 a.m.
Grace Community Church Chapel
Luncheon Reception immediately following
(There will be no internment service in Maryland)


Margaret Selena Furness, 88, died in Frederick, Md. on June 16, 2007. She was born to Lawrence and Lillian in Newark, N.J. Like them, she lived a life of service to God, her family, and Christian ministry.

As a child, she helped her father distribute bread during the depression when he was superintendent of Newark’s Goodwill Home and Rescue Mission. She taught Sunday school and played piano for services and radio broadcasts. A 1938 graduate of Barringer High School and later of Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, she became a pastor’s wife in 1945 when she married the late Rev. Dr. Charles Y. Furness. Charles and Margaret had three children: Lawrence, Janet, and Margery. She retired from the staff of Philadelphia Biblical University in 1982.

Margaret Furness was a lifetime member of the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions and the Women’s Auxiliary of the Goodwill Home and Rescue Mission, Newark, N.J. A resident of Frederick when she died, Margaret volunteered at Care Net Pregnancy Center of Frederick, Homewood at Crumland Farms, and Grace Community Church, where she taught Bible studies for adults. In 2005, she was awarded the Alumni Appreciation Award by the Alumni Association at Philadelphia Biblical University, Langhorne, Pa.

Margaret is survived by three children, Lawrence, who is married to Sandra; Janet; and Margery, who is married to Michael Brubaker; by a cousin, Neal Clarke; and by grandchildren: Philip and Amy Spressart, Jessie Spressart, Lauren and Justin Countee, Stephanie Furness and Shannon Kearns, Charlanne Brubaker, and Amy and Joshua Andrews.

Memorial gifts may be made to the Charles Y. Furness Social Work Endowment Fund at Philadelphia Biblical University, 200 Manor Avenue, Langhorne, PA 19047 or to the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions, 1045 Swift Street, Kansas City, MO 64116-4127.

Driven, the annual conference for young adults, kicks off this week at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio. There is still time to register for the conference. If you can’t make it for the weekend, a day rate is available.

The theme for the conference, which begins Thursday evening (June 21), is “Making Our Mark.” Speakers for the week include James Joiner, chaplain at Grace College; Jeff Bogue, the executive pastor of Grace Church (North Campus), Akron, Ohio; Kary Oberbrunner, founder of Redeem the Day Ministries and Pastor of discipleship and leadership development, Grace Brethren Church, Powell, Ohio; Jim Brown, senior pastor of Grace Community Church, Goshen, Ind.; Kondo Simfukwe, staff member at Christ’s Covenant Church, Winona Lake, Ind.

For more information about the conference, click here.

The sun shone brightly and the acrid smells of open fires were everywhere as Frank Puhl picked us up in the mission pickup truck on Sunday morning, June 3, to go to a newly-formed Grace Brethren church.

We stopped along a busy highway, and filed down this pathway and embankment to the area under the concrete slab, which is where the congregation met.

The church, in the community of Odza, is only several weeks old. There were 105 in attendance, plus several chickens who wandered through. Because it is new, there were passers-by who wandered in as far as an hour into the service.

At testimony time, several people popped up and praised the Lord that the church had been founded, saying they had been waiting for some time for a church in their own neighborhood so that they wouldn't have to take a taxi to other locations in the city to worship.

The choir (left), which included both young people and some older ones, was already singing and ministering when we arrived, well before the service. They sang at several points in the 2 1/2 hour service, as well.

The young man seated at the table at right seemed to have two jobs--one was to record attendance and offering, and the other was to post it on the chalkboard behind him as soon as figures were known.

Though only several weeks old, the church seemed well-organized with many people having specific duties and performing them well and without instruction. Two "responsibles," Silas and Emile, led the service and did a very fine job. At least three languages were used -- French, Laka, and Sango -- and perhaps more that we did not recognize.

Missionary Frank Puhl preached a strong message from Genesis 4 in which he emphasized that becoming a member of this church --or of any Grace Brethren church -- did not make one a Christian. Rather, it was accepting the sacrifice Jesus paid with His blood that gives one entrance into eternal life.

After the service, several "seekers" who came by just to visit expressed appreciation, because they were wondering "what theology this new church taught." The church, which includes many immigrants from Chad at this point, is determined to reach people in its own neighborhood and to attract Cameroonians as well as immigrants.

Frank's sermon was translated (right) in the Laka language as he spoke.

What does everyone do after church on Sunday morning? They stand around and visit with their friends, greeting visitors, and generally socializing before leaving for the day's other activities.

After our initial sightseeing, we got down to the real business that brought us to Cameroon--the training and teaching of writers.

We had about 25 students in the seminar, representing a wide variety of backgrounds and experience. Some were pastors. Others were students. Some worked for organizations such as Wycliffe, SIL, or CABTAL.

I taught the main sessions, including an opening on "What is a Christian Writer?" and at various points students were given writing assignments. Here they work diligently on a class exercise which led to the reading and critiquing of pieces they had written.

Following the general session, we split into breakout groups and I went further into the specifics of magazine article writing with the writers, while those interested in photography and illustration went to separate sessions.