New Church Home in Tipp City, Ohio

On July 30, 2006, CrossRoads Christian Fellowship in Tipp City, OH dedicated their new church home and their ministry to the glory and service of our Lord with a special dedication service. The church and fellowship hall at 14 E. Broadway St. in Tipp City were purchased in September 2005.

While singing “Lion of Judea,” Pastor Jim Valekis led the congregation from the Fellowship Hall through the newly built connector into the sanctuary.  District Superintendent Ted Johnston gave the introductory remarks, along with prayers and scripture readings by Gary Weldon, Jason Frantz, Ben Zacharias, and Jim Valekis.  During the worship a multi-generational group, made up of John Weldon, Marie Boone, Jay Richie, and Lenetia Shoemaker, lit a unity candle, signifying the unity of our multi-generational family to God, while Tina Frantz sang “Holy Ground.” In the sermon, Ted Johnston encouraged us to not look at the building as our ministry but to be “saints that should circulate” to bring the lost to Jesus Christ.  Martha Ormbrek

WCG Pastor Contributes to Evangelical Collaboration

Des Moines, IA, senior pastor John Stonecypher contributed to the writing of the newly-released "Call to an Ancient Evangelical Future," featured in the September 2006 issue of Christianity Today. John and several other young evangelical theologians collaborated on the document under the leadership of Dr. Robert Webber of Northern Seminary. The Call challenges North American evangelicals to… 

1. Recover God's Word as the light of the cosmos, rather than a manual of private spirituality.

2. Recover visible unity with those parts of the Church outside the evangelical tradition.

3. Recover the theological method and pastoral wisdom of the early Church Fathers.

4. Recover distinctively Christian forms of worship, particularly the Eucharist and the Christian year.

5. Recover embodied and communal forms of spiritual formation rooted in the Trinitarian biblical narrative.

6. Recover its counter-cultural mission in a world of economic and political injustice.

For the full text of the document, see http://www.ctlibrary.com/38458  

Harvestfest Charlotte – A Winning Event

Charlotte, NC, was the scene of a “win” outreach event October 6-8. Sponsored by the two Charlotte-area WCG congregations, Church of the Living Waters and Christ Our Peace Community Church (meets south of Charlotte), the event’s theme was  “Gathering fruit for eternal life” (John 4:36). Attendees were members of the two congregations and their friends and relatives that they invited.

The members followed the cultivate, plant, and reap (CPR) method of evangelism. Harvestfest Charlotte was the third in a series of events. The first, whose purpose was friendship, was a picnic in May. The second was a concert in September of live Christian music and faith stories. Its purpose was introducing these friends to the reason for our hope—faith in Jesus Christ.

Sonlife Ministries’ workbook “The Everyday Commandment” states that “Reaping is giving a clear presentation of the gospel with a call to respond.” A “win” event helps members make disciples by enabling them to reap what previously was cultivated and planted. Through friendship and life sharing, members encouraged their friends and relatives to join them at a place where the good news of salvation was shared. WCG Superintendent of Ministers, Dan Rogers, who was one of the guest speakers, said, "It was an event designed to reach out to nonbelievers and those who are seeking God, but (as did other Christians in attendance) I found myself inspired, encouraged, and renewed."

About 150 people attended over the three days. Each worship service had over 100 participants, and 130 attended a fellowship luncheon. Of these, 36 people were local guests. Some were former WCG members, but most were people who currently have no church affiliation.

Besides the two worship services and the luncheon, there was a prayer service and a youth and family night of fun. Guest speaker Tim Brassell, pastor of New Creation Community Church in Portsmouth, VA, said, "All throughout the weekend I sensed and experienced the very real life of our Triune God as he moved in his people to sing, play, serve, preach, eat, rest and share in the passion of Jesus right here on earth, right now! I see a people being continually transformed in the light of our cosmic Christ, more fully experiencing his freedom, and becoming ever intentional about sharing the gospel with the rest of God's humanity so that they might be liberated in it too! Thanks for the opportunity to be a part of it all!"

Other participating WCG elders included Keith Brittain, Mid Atlantic District Superintendent, Troy White, Church of the Living Waters Assistant Pastor, and Kevin Phillips, Christ Our Peace Community Church Pastor. Kevin said, "Harvestfest united the church congregations into a year-long, intentional disciple-making effort that resulted in not only people to coming to Christ but also resulted in exciting spiritual growth for the congregations sponsoring this event."

By “year long,” Kevin referred to the extensive planning and work that preceded the event. And the work has only begun. Now, the congregations plan to implement a caring system, learned from Dr. Charles Arn in his “Reaching the Unchurched Families in Your Communities” seminar. This system systematically guides members in follow-up activities to deepen friendships and encourage the faith of the guests.

For any questions about Harvestfest Charlotte and either the preceding or follow-on activities, contact Martin Manuel, Pastor of Church of the Living Waters. His e-mail address is Martin.Manuel@wcg.org.

Volunteers Help Build Home After WCG Pastor Dies

Both sides of County Road 222 near Gordonville were lined with pickups and cars Saturday as dozens of people helped build a garage for a pastor's widow.

Abby Williams and her husband, Jeff, had closed on the sale of their Jackson home Sept. 29, with plans to build the garage, then move into the garage's loft while building their house alongside. Barely a week later, Jeff, 46, died in his sleep. He had the signs of a massive heart attack.

"Jeff was such a nice guy. He cheered me up a lot of times," said Fred Eggley, a Lowe's Home Improvement employee who had become friends with the couple through their frequent trips for supplies. When Eggley learned of Jeff Williams' death, he planned to line up as much labor as possible to finish the job before the weather turned bad, with the outside hope of finishing it in a day.

About 50 people were out Saturday performing a variety of tasks. While siding was going up, trusses were being built and boards were being nailed together. "It was either this or the wood will rot," said Carolyn Findlan, a 16-year-old Fruitland Community Church member, as she stood near the makeshift stairs, holding a ladder for workers entering and exiting the second level. Workers put the roof and siding on Saturday but "ran out of daylight," Eggley said. He said about 80 percent of the job was completed and another work day will be scheduled soon.

Jeff Williams had ministered at New Life Fellowship Church in Cape Girardeau until last November and was the current pastor at New Covenant Fellowship Church in Paducah, Ky. The Cape Girardeau church dissolved, but the couple kept in touch with many in the congregation.

Volunteers from four churches were helping Saturday -- Fruitland Community Church, Lynwood Baptist Church, Cape First Church of Christ and the Worldwide Church of God in Springfield. Patsy Gilley, a member of the Springfield Church of God, traveled five hours to help. She met Williams when visiting her daughter in Oak Ridge. While here, she attended New Life Fellowship Church.

Abby Williams' sister, Lila Bauman of St. Louis, videotaped Saturday's events. She said she knew Jeff longer than her sister did. "He wasn't just a brother-in-law. He was a really great guy," she said. Bauman and Abby's friend, Vickie Bollinger of Jackson, said they intend to be the support system for the Williams family. Bollinger's husband, Steve, owner and operator of Golden Rule Construction Co., was there volunteering while his wife and some of the other women spent time with Abby. "I want to be there for her and connect with her kids," Vicky Bollinger said.

Williams and her two children, Nathan, 11 and Naomi, 8, are living in Jackson with her mother and have decided to stay there until the house is built, though plans are still not solid.  But having a concrete plan was not an issue for Abby. Married 19 1/2 years, she said she misses her husband terribly but that her heart's not heavy. "God's been good," she said. "He gives us a peace that can't be described." Reprinted by permission from the Southeast Missouian, Oct. 29, 2006.

British Member Featured in Magazine

Warwickshire Woman included a one-page article by Mary Hammond, managing editor of a magazine in England. Mary writes, "Working in my current role as managing editor has been both an inspiring and incredibly interesting experience over the last ten years. Its aim is to get its readers looking at everyday life issues from a Christian perspective. But not in a 'preaching', 'holier-than-thou' sort of manner - that's a sure-fire way of turning any intelligent, open-minded individual off religion for good. Meeting people where they are in their everyday lives, problems and issues and introducing them to challenge their thoughts and perhaps consider an alternative approach, based on Christianity, is what you'll find in our magazine.

"You see, in my opinion, Christianity isn't about condemning what we perceive as 'un-Christian' behaviour in others, but rather about showing love and concern to those with whom we meet in life. Nor is it about forcing our beliefs - however committed we may be - down others' throats." The article included information on how readers could obtain a free copy of the magazine.