 Roger Lippross (left), chairman of the board of BEA, and John Biswas, president. |
SAN BERNARDINO, California—The Bengali Evangelical Association dedicated to
|
Roger Lippross (left), chairman of the board of BEA, and John Biswas, president. |
God’s use and purpose a mission training center in San Bernardino, Sunday, Dec. 7.
The day began with combined church services in Beaumont, California, where
 Tom Ecker addresses the Bengali Evangelical Association group. [Photos by Robin Connelly] |
Randal Dick, WCG superintendent of missions, along with Pastor Tom Ecker and John Biswas, BEA president, conducted a question and answer session on the topic of missions.
Mr. Dick later gave a sermon on “Flattened by Grace,”
which stressed the need for proper mental images both on the part of the evangelist and the one being evangelized. From 4 to 7 p.m., a service took place at the BEA Mission Training Center, with praise, prayer and a dedication address before a Bengali style meal. Naomi Biswas led the group in praise, Iris Windom sang two solos, Pastors Tom Ecker and Neile Earle gave prayers, and Mr. Dick gave the dedication address. Robin Connelly.
 Naomi Biswas leads worship. |
 Iris Windom sings praises. |
DAYTON, Ohio—Ted Johnston, district superintendent, and Pastor Jim Valekis, along with the able and generous support of the Dayton/Tipp City congregation, conducted a young emerging leaders summit in Tipp City, Nov. 22.
In attendance were about 50 young leaders (mostly in their 20s and 30s) and about 10 older leaders, pastors and mentors.
“Our focus for the day was to call a new generation of emerging leaders to take the appropriate next steps in developing as shepherd-leaders of ministry segments within WCG congregations,” Mr. Johnston said.
This call involved a challenge to these emerging leaders to step forward and to step up as servant-leaders. It was also an expression of our commitment as existing leaders to provide support, training and coaching through a meaningful place at the ministry table.
We discussed with them not only their sense of God’s call to shepherd-leadership within the body of Christ (their testimonies were awesome), but also the resources we are making available for them, including the Internet-based Ambassador College of Christian Ministry (ACCM), the ministry development program emerging in our regional camps and other training opportunities we are developing at the district level.
“I was deeply moved by the passion and vision of these young men and women,” Mr. Johnston said, “and I was thrilled to see several pastors and other congregational leaders see through new eyes the great potential for developing a new generation of disciplemaking leaders within their congregations and beyond.
“Developments such as these give me cause for great hope concerning our future. God is moving in fresh and dynamic ways to equip new leaders to be disciplemaking shepherd-leaders to take Christ to a rapidly emerging post-modern and post-Christian world. We have our work cut out for us, but the God of resurrection and creation is bringing to birth and development what is needed to forge ahead.”
CINCINNATI, Ohio—Christ Fellowship Church (WCG Cincinnati West) “turned over a new leaf” on Saturday, Nov. 15, when several members participated in a community workday sponsored by People Working Cooperatively.
PWC is a Cincinnati organization dedicated to helping low-income elderly people prepare their homes and yards for the winter. Christ Fellowship’s response to the call was five teams of four or five people each, organized by Diane Neilson and Dennis Piening, who cleaned gutters and raked and bagged leaves at seven homes. An additional group, headed by Flo Chaney, provided lunch for the groups. Kenda Turner.
Helen Mangrum (left) and
Gerri Moore.
[Photo by Kenda Turner]
CHAMPLIN, Minnesota—Today I carried five buckets of offering money into the bank! Each bucket weighed nearly 50 pounds.
A member in the Living Hope Christian Fellowship in Champlin had been saving pennies for 16 to 18 years, putting them in a glass watercooler jar. This winter it was full, so he gave it as a donation. I drove out to his place Nov. 16 and with the assistance of a handcart we managed to get it on my truck.
The grand total was 38,598 pennies plus one dime, for a deposit of $386.08. I weighed each bucket on our bathroom scale and came up with a total weight of 237.5 pounds.
It took nearly an hour to get all the pennies out. I had to tip the jar and then run a small stick in and out to keep the pennies flowing. Since it was about 25 degrees in my garage, I can truthfully say it was “cold hard cash.”
Before we emptied the jar and counted the pennies, we wheeled it into the worship service so people could guess the number and the weight. The closest weight guess was 250 pounds, and the closest penny number guess was 36,508.
Just another ordinary day in Minnesota, carrying buckets of money to the bank. Doug Johannsen.
AUSTIN, Texas—On Aug. 31, several teens of Family Christian Fellowship (WCG Austin) participated in a sketch titled “Undignified,” which served as support for a sermon on worship.
King David’s exuberant joy and worship as he brought the ark of the covenant back to Jerusalem in 1 Samuel 6 is the basis of a modern worship song, “Undignified.” While Michal, David’s wife, was embarrassed by David’s high-spirited worship, the song testifies: “Nothing, Lord, is hindering the passion in my soul.”
Attempting to portray the idea of dynamic worship, the teens and one father of a teen dressed in costume and acted out two versions of the event—the first in biblical costume set in 1000 B.C., and a second version set in modern day. They carried an ark on their shoulders, accompanied by musical instruments and celebratory dancing while a narrator recounted the story.
At the conclusion of the sermon, the teen group performed a choreographed dance (which they had learned at a Discovery Weekend) to the song, inviting the audience to join in with some of the expressive movements. The congregation appreciated the youths sharing their vigor and passion for worship. Lee Berger.
From left: Becca Aguado,
Jessica Smith, Becky
Smith, Jennifer Smith, Shannah Leal, George Leal.
[Photo by
Lee Berger]
ELBURN, Illinois—Sonlife Ministries announced a week of training and interaction in several cities for church, youths, women in ministry and volunteer leaders.
Dan Rogers (left) with Dann
Spader in meeting
in Pasadena.
Meeting with Dann Spader in Pasadena.
[Photos by Thomas C. Hanson]
Denver, Colorado: March 8 to 11.
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada: March 29 to April 1.
Baltimore, Maryland: April 12 to 15.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin: April 26 to 29.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada: May 10 to 13.
For more information, contact Amy Holtz at Sonlife Ministries by telephone at 1-800-770-4769 or by e-mail at amyh@sonlife.com
MUSKEGON, Michigan—Ted Johnston, district superintendent, gave a workshop Oct. 25 encouraging members to “Share God’s Love With the Lost.”
Sam Butler, pastor of the Muskegon and Grandville, Michigan churches, had been preaching to the congregation the entire year about reaching out to the lost. Each week, one hour before the worship service, he had members praying for two family members or friends to develop a relationship with God.
Mr. Johnston said that to bring someone to Christ, we must be AFT’R more—available, faithful, teachable and responsive to Christ. He said we must look for opportunities to tell others about Christ and that God’s love must be so overflowing in us that we desire to share it with those who do not know Christ. We must develop relationships with others to develop comfortable grounds on which to tell others about Christ.
Mr. Johnston also talked about the benefits we have in our relationship with Christ: peace of mind, comfort, less fear of death, spiritual rest in storms, understanding God’s love and grace and being connected with someone who loves us. Arlene Beckem.
PASADENA—On Sunday, Nov. 2, New Hope Christian Fellowship, a Pasadena congregation of the Worldwide Church of God, was host for a presentation on disability awareness as part of its worship service. Communion was offered in the service.
Church member Donna Graham coordinated the presentation along with Kari Anderson, Mike Barrios and Kim Hudson, who work at the Independent Living Center in Claremont, California.
 DISABILITY AWARENESS PRESENTERS—From left: Kim Hudson, Kari Anderson, Donna Graham and Mike Barrios. [Photo by Scot Myers] |
Mike Barrios was born with muscular dystrophy, which can manifest itself in 40 different neurological problems. Although active in sports in high school, he was eventually diagnosed with spinal muscle atrophy.
He explained to the congregation that he continued his education even with his disability, and eventually earned a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling services. He also received his certificate as a certified rehab counselor.
Mike’s advice: “Let your experience rather than a medical label determine your life’s limitations and potential and go on. Build on your faith, personal strengths and determinations and encourage your children to do the same.”
Donna Graham lost her vision 11 years ago and slipped into a deep depression. “I thought my life was over, but when I could see, I was really blind. Now that I am blind, I see. I have learned that people with disabilities are often misunderstood and treated differently. People speak louder to me, and will speak to the person I am with rather than to me.” Her advice: “Don’t grab or pull the arm of a person who is blind. They are competent to travel unassisted, though they may use a cane or a guide dog. Identify yourself before you make physical contact with a person who is blind. Introduce them to others in the group, so that they are not excluded.”
Donna said the word handicapped should be avoided. “The word handicapped says that you as an individual are superior over a person with a disability. It’s like saying that we’re damaged goods. Use references such as ‘person with a disability’ instead of ‘disabled person’ or ‘the disabled.’ Don’t focus on my disability, focus on me, a person who happens to have a disability.”
Kim Hudson has cerebral palsy, a developmental disability resulting from a lack of oxygen to her brain after being born three months prematurely. She said people with cerebral palsy may have speech difficulties, cognitive impairment, perceptual difficulties or a combination of these problems. “People with disabilities can be so active. We are people just like everybody else with the same desires, same wants, same needs.”
Kim said: “People, especially children, point, stare or ask questions about my disability. When a child does this, their parent often tells them to be quiet and drags them away. I wish if someone has a question for me that they would approach me and politely ask the question. Once that question is answered they may have a better understanding of my disability.”
Kari Anderson has a number of hidden disabilities, including diabetes, seven learning disabilities, sleep apnea, rheumatoid arthritis, spina bifida aculta, asthma and sensitive skin. Still she said she lives a productive, happy and blessed life. Kari commented later, “We broke bread that Sunday, but we also broke barriers.”
Pastor Dennis Pelley closed the service by saying: “We have been prejudiced against people with disabilities. We have thought somehow they have less value than others or deserve their circumstances. We have ignored and neglected them. Please forgive us. We did not understand. Thank you for helping us look closely today at your perspective and into our own hearts.”
For more information on the programs and services provided by the Independent Living Center at 109 S. Spring St. in Claremont, California, 91711, call them at 1-800-491-6722, voice and TDD 1-909-445-0726 or check their web site at www.ilc-clar.org. Donna Graham.
Copyright © Worldwide Church of God, 2004