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Australian and New Zealand pastors
meet for conference


CONFERENCE IN AUSTRALIA—John McLean,
national director, talks to ministers from Australia
and New Zealand. [Photo by Rod Matthews]

 BURLEIGH HEADS, Australia—Pastors from around Australia and New Zealand gathered at the church’s national office on the Gold Coast Feb. 13 to 17 for a conference.

The weekend sessions included members of several pastoral teams. They welcomed J. Michael Fea­zell, the church’s director of publications, as guest speaker. Dr. Feazell presented several sessions to the conference, addressing issues including “Our rest in Christ,” the Trinity, the church’s Statement of Beliefs, prophecy and spiritual community.

“The conference reaffirmed the need to walk humbly with one another and to respect the work God is doing in the lives of all members,” commented Rod Dean, Sydney, New South Wales, pastor.

Kwan Borden was ordained during the conference. Kwan and his wife, Jo, moved to Queensland from Sydney in March last year to take up the role of national youth ministry coordinator. John McLean, Australia national director, and Mr. Dean conducted the ordination ceremony, with Dr. Feazell delivering the prayer. The Bordens were joined by Jo’s parents, John and Robyn Pemberton, from Sydney, for the service.

Workshop sessions during the conference included a communication workshop presented by Aub Warren, Pacific Training & Development trainer, local church financial issues, and approaches to outreach and evangelism. Throughout each day of the conference pastors presented updates on key activities in their areas. After each pastor gave his presentation, another led a prayer for the pastor and his areas of responsibility.

Rex Morgan and Dennis and Sue Richards from New Zealand also attended this year’s conference. “This conference reflected the commitment our pastors have to our spiritual community and to our shared journey of faith,” Mr. McLean said.

“We are growing in grace and knowledge as a fellowship. Conferences such as this are a vital part of that ongoing journey and a significant contribution to ‘building one another up in love.’ ” Aub Warren.

Members attend Irresistible
Evangelism workshop

CINCINNATI, Ohio—Twelve members of Christ Community Church (a WCG congregation in Cincinnati) attended a personal evangelism workshop Jan. 30 to learn how to share the gospel without being disrespectful, annoying or obnoxious.

Equipping Ministries Interna­tional (EMI), an independent parachurch ministry dedicated to equipping lay members for service, hosted the training, and the authors of a new book titled Irresistible Evan­gelism, taught the course. The authors included Dave Ping, executive director of EMI; Steve Sjogren, founding pastor of Vineyard Com­munity Church in Cincinnati; and Doug Pollock, Cutting Edge Evan­gelism director for Athletes in Action.

The first part of the workshop focused on what they call the seven deadly sins of evangelism: scheming, scalp hunting, screaming, selling, stalking, sermonizing and spectating.

The workshop then explored constructive and natural ways of evangelizing founded on respect and concern through servant evangelism based on acts of kindness done with no strings attached; active listening as a means of showing re­spect and getting to know people in a real and meaningful way; and active wondering, or engaging people in dialogue about important issues and allowing them to safely explore their own ideas.

Our members returned with a new perspective on evangelism and excited about applying the principles in order to touch our world by living and sharing the gospel. Brent Meranda.

Grace Family Church begins
Spanish Bible study

RICHARDSON, Texas—Julio Ra­mirez began conducting a weekly Spanish language Bible study at Grace Family Church at the beginning of 2004. The 45-minute Bible study takes place during the church’s discipleship time, before the weekly church service.

So far, the attendance has averaged about five people and attendees are being encouraged to invite friends and family members.

Mr. Ramirez was an elder in the former Evangelical Church of God. Frank Lewandowski.

Swannee Chamberlin celebrates
99th birthday

CHARLESTON, West Virginia—The Charleston congregation celebrated the 99th birthday of its eldest member, Swannee Cham­ber­lin, Sunday, Jan. 11. Mrs. Chamberlin attends services regularly and has for more than 25 years.

“Each morning I get up, I thank God for taking care of me,” she said. She is reportedly the last widow of the Spanish-American War (her late husband was more than 20 years older than she is) receiving a pension and lives by herself. Although she had no children of her own, she helped raise many of her 16 siblings.

She spent many of her years working in Miami, Florida, and taking care of her late husband. She returned to West Virginia to take care of a brother stricken with cancer. She is quite a remarkable lady who is admired, loved and appreciated by Pastor Mike Greider and all the members of the congregation. Todd Carden.

Margarita Mendoza celebrates
85th birthday


Margarita Mendoza with David
Orth. [Photo by Larry Scott]

SAN ANTONIO, Texas—New Beginnings church members were on hand to celebrate Margarita Men­doza’s 85th birthday, Feb. 22.

Mrs. Mendoza is a longtime resident at the Fredericksburg Nursing Home in San Antonio, where New Be­ginnings volunteers conduct services on the second and fourth Sundays of the month. Armando  Villa­r­real Jr., Sylvia Morgan, David Orth and Henry Posadas provided live music, a prayer and best wishes to her. Mrs. Mendoza helps organize the residents and prepare them for church services. Services consist of praise and worship songs, a short message and a closing prayer. 

The Fredericksburg Nursing Home is one of two nursing homes for which the New Beginnings church provides Sunday services on a regular basis. Church members encourage and share a few minutes of the love of Jesus that he so generously bestows on them. Rodney Schuler.

50 parents and children accept
Christ at WCG Bible study

INITAO, Philippines—Thirty parents and 20 children accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior during an outreach program conducted by the Initao outlying Bible study area Feb. 15 at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Roldan and Venie Tacbobo.

Venie, who is a municipal social worker, has been faithfully doing children’s ministry for several years now. The Tacbobos invited the parents, mostly Catholics, during the program to witness the presentations of their children. Then, Jero­me Manriquez, pastoral team chair­man for Cagayan de Oro City,  presented the gospel by using the John 3:16 illustration.

After receiving positive feedback from the audience, he made an altar call, and all of them came forward to receive Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.

Ellis Necessary, Tennessee pastor,
injured in car wreck


Ellis & Dorothy Necessary

MORRISTOWN, Tennessee—Ellis Necessary, pastor of the Morristown church, was in a serious accident Feb. 17 with head trauma and had to be airlifted to a hospital.

“I visited with Ellis and his family the next day over in Knoxville,” said Bob Taylor, district superintendent. He was aware that we were there but was not able to see because his eyes were swollen shut. His wife, Dorothy, asked him if he wanted me to pray for him and he shook his head yes.

“The doctors had just taken out the ventilator tubes, so he was able to speak just a few words. He was semi-alert.

“When the emergency medical technicians saw the smashed-up van, they said that no one could have lived through the accident, yet he did.

“Ellis has a fractured skull, broken collarbone, fractured shoulder, broken nose, broken facial bones and a face that looks like he had been in a fight with a wild cat. I would not have recognized him had I not known we were in the right room.

“He started physical therapy for his broken collar bone and has begun working part-time. He missed only one worship service. He has given the sermon every week since and conducted Wednesday night services also. He is definitely a walking miracle.” Bob Taylor.

Tom and Alberta Ecker:
glad to be alive


Tom & Alberta Ecker

MONROVIA, California—Pastor Tom Ecker and his wife, Alberta, were traveling east on the 210 Freeway Feb. 14 to the worship service in San Bernardino when the car in front of them ran over a spoiler that had broken off of a sports car and sent it through their windshield.

“It hit the front of our hood (slowing it down a little bit) and continued toward the windshield on my side,” Mr. Ecker said. “One side of the protruding end broke through the middle of the windshield, leaving a good size hole between Al­berta and me. Fine pieces of glass were everywhere.”

Even though both of them were covered in glass, Mrs. Ecker had one small cut on her hand, and Mr. Ecker had a little pinprick on his hand. 

The Eckers called Jewel Love and Dewayne White on their cell phone and asked them to conduct worship services in both San Ber­nardino and Moreno Valley.

AAA towed the car to a glass shop.  A number of restaurants were nearby, and since it was Valentines Day, the Eckers decided to eat at a Japanese restaurant where they cook the food in front of you and where you can chat with others at the table. 

They were seated with a fireman, his wife and daughter. He said the Eckers were blessed because he has usually seen these kinds of accidents end in a lot more tragic ways. 

The Eckers found out that they  were a Christian family. They discussed the movie The Passion of the Christ and what their churches were going to do.

“The lunch was pleasant, the company was uplifting and at the end of lunch the fireman picked up our lunch tab,” Mr. Ecker said. “He just wanted to give us a blessing because of what we had just experienced. So nice to live in a world were kindness reigns in the hearts of Christians.

“We are extremely thankful for God’s protection,” Mr. Ecker said.

Huntington congregation
host for teen retreat

HUNTINGTON, West Virginia—Fifty-five teens and chaperons enjoyed a weekend retreat Jan. 23 to 25 at Camp Asbury Woods, south of Huntington. The teen leadership team from Huntington and Ripley, West Virginia, helped sponsor the retreat. 

Friday evening, Jan. 23, began with a skit about “Wheelbarrow Man,” who had the amazing ability of showing anyone his purpose in life who was willing to get into his wheelbarrow. Don Hussell, youth pastor, gave a presentation on how young people can find their purpose in life.

Saturday morning, after some contemporary praise and worship, another skit was performed about the difficulties of making time for God in a busy teenager’s life. Dan Greider, a freshman at Kentucky Christian College, followed with a message titled, “What Are We Filling Our Cup With?”

Games and activities took place after the message. Katie Steele, a junior at Marshall University, gave a presentation about our relationship with Christ being like a bouquet of roses. She used an illustration of how people treat the roses as a way of showing how our relationship with Christ can be neglected and damaged.

Teen groups from Lexington,  Pikeville and Paintsville, Kentucky, and Huntington, Charleston and Ripley, West Virginia, attended this event. Mike Greider.

Praise and worship conference
set for May 28 to 30

FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida—  The Family Worship Center invites  anyone interested or involved in praise and worship to the Key of David Praise and Worship Con­ference May 28 to 30 in Fort Lau­derdale. This year’s theme is “Praise the Lord—From Generation to Generation!”

The registration fee is $50, which includes all printed materials. For additional information on the conference, call Keysha Taylor at 1-954-433-7227 or Lisa Barker at 1-954-655-6529 or send an e-mail to keyofdavid@bellsouth.net. Conference information and updates are posted at churches.wcg.org/miami-fl/.

Housing is available at the Fort Lauderdale Sunrise Hilton Hotel, 3003 N. University Dr., Sunrise, Florida, 33322; telephone, 1-954-748-7000; web site, www.fortlauderdalehilton.com. Call the hotel directly to make reservations. Ask for the Key of David conference room rate, which is $74 a night plus tax. Parking is free.

The following sessions are planned:

Worship and the Instrumentalist: Keysha Taylor. Interactive keyboarding session, working with chord progressions, interpreting the circle of fourths and fifths, styles and rhythms.

NAE encourages involvement in
National Day of Prayer

The National Day of Prayer will take place May 6. Here are some ideas on how to get involved from Ted Haggard, president of the National Asso­ciation of Evangelicals:

“As a pastor, I am always looking for ways to connect Christians within our community in an effort to be ‘a city on the hill that cannot be hidden.’ One avenue in which our church has experienced impact is the National Day of Prayer.

“This is a unique opportunity to unite with fellow believers on the common ground of prayer. By putting aside denominational and ra­cial differences, our actions will re­flect our hope in Christ to the non-Christians in our hometowns. It helps all churches as individual congregations because it brings us out into the public arena as pastors to pray and lead through biblical servitude.”

The National Day of Prayer headquarters provides materials and tools to help you provide exposure for your event. You can order these resources through their web site at www.nationaldayofprayer.org or by calling 1-800-444-8828.

Shirley Dobson, chairman of the National Day of Prayer Task Force, reminds Americans that if the nation is to receive God’s direction during trying times, they must take advantage of the freedom they have to pray openly. “Our leaders confront difficult challenges every day and our society faces a future of uncertainty,” she said. “In order to realize the potential outlined in the Declaration of Independence, we must continue seeking divine counsel, asking for his intervention and direction.”

Loudon, Portland churches
support Zimbabwe ministry

LOUDON, New Hampshire—The Portland, Maine, and Loudon congregations support a ministry in Zimbabwe run by Sylvia Harrison and a few volunteers.


Sylvia Harrison (right) with patient and workers.

Mrs. Harrison reported: “Many thanks plus a big hug to you, Gail  [Stoddart] and your church members for holding up my arms and supporting me during 2003.

“It was a very stressed and strenuous year, but our finest. Through the grace of God we managed to provide every need requested of us, culminating in the inauguration of a mothers’ room for the intensive care unit.

“This has made such a difference as the mothers no longer have to sit on hard chairs by their desperately sick babies or children fighting for their lives.

“The room was handed over to the minister of health, Dr. Pari­renyatwa, on Aug. 7 and blessed a week later by Pastor Anthony Taderera.

“In eight months we were able to change a small, shabby playroom into a lovely room with new furniture, two beds, mattresses, pillows, sheets, blankets, curtains, bedspreads, carpet, color television, electric kettle and pictures. But most important, the room has a small, white table on which was placed a Bible for the mothers to read.

“During this time the normal work we do in the other seven wards continued as before.

“At the beginning of December, gifts of sugar beans and kapenta fish were given to every mother and child discharged. This program continued into January 2004. Baby blankets, flannel and knitted, baby clothes, baby vests, diapers and diaper liners, baby potties, baby food, plastic pants, toys, small packs containing a feeding bowl, spoon and mug were given out freely to mothers, children and babies.

“Now in 2004, with 70 percent unemployed, the needs grow constantly. I do not know how the little Care Ministry I coordinate can cope. However, with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26), and if you will continue to give me your wonderful support and love, I am determined to give it a try. Please stand with me and let us shine to God’s glory.”

Wheatland church
takes part in Thanksgiving service

WHEATLAND, Wyoming—The town of Wheatland has had a community Thanksgiving service for several years. Put on by the community churches and the Minis­terial Association, the service is a combined ef­fort to honor God and worship to­gether. 


David & Rose Weber

This year, David Weber, pastor of the Wheatland WCG congregation, gave the main message. The church has had a long presence in the town with a large number of members per capita, so Mr. Weber took the opportunity to apologize for our former beliefs and offenses they caused. The focus of his message was Jesus Christ, the core.

Many who heard Mr. Weber’s message told him that they believed he was brave and that they understood our former beliefs and actions better. Most were appreciative of his candor and said they were helped in their own faith by our commitment to the core of the gospel.

One youth pastor commented that he better understood what are the core issues and would be helped by Mr. Weber’s message in ministering to youths from denominations other than his own. Several of our members received phone calls in the days following, in which the callers mentioned the message.

Members of the community present included the chief of police, a former governor and many in town and county government as well as business. Churches involved were First Christian, All Saints Epis­copal, Wheatland Bible, United Church of Christ, Covenant Luth­eran, Wheatland United Methodist, St. Patrick’s Catholic, Worldwide Church of God, Assembly of God, Memorial Baptist, Trinity Lutheran and Church of the Nazarene. 

The Wheatland Ministerial Asso­ciation is active in uniting Chris­tians of all denominations. They were approached by the high school a few years ago with the idea of sponsoring a dinner for the graduating seniors.

The association accepted the challenge, putting on an evening meal before the baccalaureate service for the past several years. The churches cover the cost of the meal, so it is free to the seniors and their families. Pastors and their wives serve the food. The pastor or youth pastor from a different denomination gives the baccalaureate message each year. Attendance at the baccalaureate service has improved dramatically.  In 1998, only about 10 percent of the seniors attended, whereas in 2003, attendance was nearly 90 percent. Rose Weber.

 

Newspaper features shop owned by
Bob and Gerrie Keefe

 CULLMAN, Alabama—The Cull­man Times ran a feature article about the Whole Earth Store, owned by WCG members Bob and Gerrie Keefe.

In a March 3 article, Gail Crutch­field wrote that the Keefes started an open microphone event “as a way to give artistic people of the community an outlet for their work.”

She noted that Mr. Keefe retired in 2002 after working in the forestry business for 32 years. He grew up in California and earned a degree in forestry from the University of California at Berkeley, hence the store’s nickname: Berkeley Bob’s.

It is patterned after coffee houses in California in the 1960s. The Keefes’ daughter, Erin, helped decorate the walls.

 

Seniors banquet in Florida

Thirty senior citizens (ages 55 and older) from the Orlando and Melbourne congregations were honored at a seniors banquet Jan. 31.

The whole day was focused on the seniors. The day began with Pastor Steve Schantz’s message titled “Forever Young.” The seniors were then invited to a four-course meal prepared by executive chef Alice Sims.

Entertainment included poetry reading, duets and a performance from the youth choir. Betty Buelow, 92, received an award for being the oldest senior and was serenaded by Ish Beloso. More than 20 people served in various capacities including food service, entertainment and cleanup. Riccinni Banham.

 

Don Richardson:
How to evangelize Muslims

SAN BERNARDINO, California—The second in a series of mission awareness presentations sponsored by the Bengali Evangelical Asso­ciation (BEA) took place Feb. 29.

The event, like those to follow this year, was intended to help those who work in the mission field at large. The event took place at BEA’s mission center in San Bernardino,  and the guest speaker was Don Rich­ardson, missionary and author.

The evening opened with the song “We Have a Mission” sung by Iris Windom, setting the tone for Dr. Richardson’s presentation about how to evangelize Muslims by being more aware of what the Koran says as compared to the Bible. He also gave a historical overview with examples of how Islam is taking an increasing hold on Western thought and culture.

Dr. Richardson and his wife, Carol, spent 15 years as missionaries among the Sawi tribe of Irian Jaya. He designed an alphabet for the Sawi language, and translated the New Testament, after which more than half the tribe became Christians. He is also ambassador at large for World Team, a mission organization.

For more information visit the web site www.bengalimission.org.  Roger Lippross.


MISSION AWARENESS—Don
Richardson (left) with missionary
John Biswas, event host.

 

Sayre has combined service

SAYRE, Oklahoma—Three congregations of the Texas-Oklahoma Black Fellowship conducted their monthly service Feb. 22 at the Sayre Circle of Love Fellowship with 75 present.

Sarah Perry, a member of the Bethel Baptist Church in Texola, Oklahoma, presented the program, which included solos and choir music. John Adams, pastor of Mount Carmel Baptist Church in Elk City, Oklahoma, gave the message about Christian responsibility. Ben and Shirley West.

 

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