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June 2004
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This is our June cover
Property sale
The WCG announced the sale of the lower portion of the Ambassador campus May 14 to Ambassador Acquisition Partners, LLC, comprised of Harvest Rock Church and Maranatha High School.
The transaction includes the Ambassador Auditorium, Hall of Administration, physical education complex, student center and Grove Terrace men’s dormitory. Page 3.
Pastor General
Is the movie of life really pointless? writes Pastor General Joseph Tkach. The gospel says it is not—there is in fact a grand purpose—and a triumphant conclusion. Page 6.
Denomination
The WCG has 11 district superintendents in the United States, writes Dan Rogers.
The district superintendents are integral members of the Church Administration team, but rather than working out of our Pasadena office, they work out of offices in their homes in the districts they serve. Page 8.
Book review
In a new feature starting with this issue, Terry Akers reviews the C.S. Lewis book Mere Christianity, which he calls a splendid introduction to Christian theology and doctrine. Page 11.
Bible Study
In Romans 9 and 10, Paul describes a theological problem: Most Jews are rejecting the gospel, writes Michael Morrison.
In chapter 11, Paul affirms that God has a surprising plan for the people of Israel. Page 12.
Youth ministry
In his youth ministry equipping column, Jeb Egbert looks at creating a biblical group image in a youth group. Page 16.
Children's ministry
Ted Johnston begins a children’s ministry column to provide encouragement, instruction, ideas and other resources for parents and children’s ministry workers. Page 18.
Financial report
For the second month in a row, we have positive income statistics to report, writes controller Ronald Kelly. Page 24.
Church sells lower portion
of Ambassador campus
PASADENA—The Worldwide Church of God announced May 14 the sale of about 13 acres of its 31-acre west campus to Ambassador Acquisition Partners, LLC, comprised of Harvest Rock Church and Maranatha High School.
The sale includes what was once part of the main campus of Ambassador College. The transaction includes the Ambassador Auditorium, Hall of Administration, physical education complex, student center and Grove Terrace men’s dormitory.
“We are thrilled with this sale,” said Bernie Schnippert, director of Finance & Planning for the Worldwide Church of God. “The campus will continue to be a site for Christian education and worship.
“We are especially pleased to announce that the Ambassador Auditorium will continue as a place of worship, and will be used for private performing and theatre arts education, and potentially, public performing arts events,” Schnippert said.
“The Ambassador Auditorium has always been an important part of the Worldwide Church of God’s ministry. We are pleased that this religious and cultural jewel will continue to be used for the glory of God,” Schnippert added.
New owners
Harvest Rock is the new owner of the Ambassador Auditorium. They will continue to use the Auditorium as it has been used historically —as a place of worship.
Maranatha High School will also have use of the Ambassador Auditorium for performing and theatre arts productions pursuant to an agreement with Harvest Rock Church.
The transaction includes Grove Terrace, a 45,000 square foot building, which will be renovated by Maranatha High School for classroom use, and a 38,000 square foot student center and cafeteria. These existing facilities will also house library, science and computer labs.
Existing athletic facilities include a sports field (football, soccer and track and field), a softball field and Ambassador College’s former sports complex, which includes a collegiate-size gymnasium, locker rooms, weight room and an indoor six-lane swimming pool. A subterranean 300-space parking structure is also on site.
New church home
“Harvest Rock Church celebrated its 10th anniversary on April 4,” said Che Ahn, senior pastor. “We could not think of a better anniversary gift than that of a new church home. We are grateful to all of those who have been involved with this transaction. I want to thank the Lord Jesus and our church congregation for its sacrificial giving to make this purchase possible.
“We are pleased to ensure that the irreplaceable Ambassador Auditorium remains a vibrant part of Pasadena,” Pastor Ahn added. “We are also committed to serving our community and will consider the use of the Ambassador Auditorium for performing arts events, in conjunction with our schedule of church services. I am looking forward to meeting and getting to know the Ambassador Hall Board for the Performing Arts and learn more about their vision and goals.”
Well suited for needs
David Poole, Maranatha board president, said: “After facing some significant challenges in the last few years in securing a permanent campus, we are so excited for our students and their families, our faculty and administration, that we have been able to acquire such a remarkable property, which is already so well suited for our needs.
“That we have been blessed with this opportunity is the result of circumstances that we believe could have only been orchestrated by God, to whom we are so very grateful,” Poole added.
“This acquisition is also the result of the generosity and hard work by some key friends of the school, as well as the board and Maranatha’s head of school, Chet Crane, and his administrative team,” Poole said.
“Additionally, we are pleased that in meeting Maranatha’s needs we are also playing a part in preserving these wonderful academic and athletic buildings and the beautiful campus environment. We look forward to working with the City and our new neighbors to ensure that Maranatha fits in well with the neighborhood.”
WCG goals met
Schnippert said that the church was pleased that it was able to meet its goals through this sale. “It was our hope that we could find a financial solution to reopen the Ambassador Auditorium. We could not be more pleased that we have achieved our goal without the use of public money,” Schnippert said. “We reached our other goal of preserving a significant amount of the identity of the Ambassador campus while also achieving our fiduciary obligations to our congregations.”
WCG offices
The Worldwide Church of God plans to retain its headquarters offices in Pasadena for now by using the remaining 17 acres of the campus and leasing back space from Maranatha as needed while exploring options for the future.
Development plan withdrawn
Due to both the previous sale of the Ambassador College’s east campus on the other side of the 710 Freeway, and the sale announced May 14, the church will withdraw its application for the Ambassador Campus Development Plan from the City of Pasadena.
Harvest Rock Church
Harvest Rock Church, a non-denominational church, began in the Pasadena home of Pastor Che Ahn in April 1994.
Currently, the membership is more than 1,000 with weekly attendance of more than 800. Most of its parishioners are from Pasadena and surrounding communities. Harvest Rock Church is part of Harvest International Ministries, which has a membership of more than 1,200 autonomous churches in 27 nations around the world.
Maranatha High School
Maranatha High School, a non-denominational Christian high school, was founded in 1965 and was previously located in Arcadia and Sierra Madre until its move two years ago to the campus of William Carey International University in Pasadena. Maranatha is a college preparatory high school for grades nine through 12 with a student enrollment for 2004-2005 of about 500 students.
Worldwide Church of God
The Worldwide Church of God has owned the Ambassador campus since 1947. It operated Ambassador College from 1947 to 1990. The Worldwide Church of God has 58,000 members in more than 100 countries with more than 800 individual congregations internationally.
Ambassador Auditorium
The Worldwide Church of God built the Ambassador Auditorium in 1974. The church has operated the Ambassador Auditorium continuously as a worship center, and, from 1974 to 1995, operated it as a concert and performing arts venue for 20 internationally acclaimed performance seasons.
The Ambassador Auditorium—hailed as “the Carnegie Hall of the West”—is recognized internationally for its acoustic perfection and high quality of craftsmanship.
AZUSA, California—Three Ambassador Center students graduated from Azusa Pacific University May 8.
They are Alyssa Akers, Pasadena, bachelor of arts in liberal studies (magna cum laude, Alpha Chi honors program); Karen O’Dell, Amarillo, Texas, bachelor of arts in music performance and a bachelor of arts in English (cum laude, Verna Parish scholarship recipient); Erik Peterson, Seattle, Washington, bachelor of science in accounting.
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| Alyssa Akers | Karen O’Dell | Erik Peterson |
 Lee Strobel |
Author Lee Strobel gave a commencement address titled “Back to the Future.” Mr. Strobel’s journey from atheism to Christian faith is documented in his books The Case for Christ, The Case for Faith and The Case for a Creator.
In his address Mr. Strobel talked about three Christians: Ignatius, who wrote seven epistles confirming key elements of Christianity en route to his martyrdom in Rome; William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army; and Dwight L. Moody, a Christian evangelist in the 1800s.
Strobel encouraged the graduates to bring hope to a dying world with the politically incorrect message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He said that they should confess their total dependency on him and ask him to use them as he never has before.
COMMENCEMENT—Faculty
lead processional.
[Photos by Thomas C. Hanson]
For more information
For more information about the Ambassador Center, call Russell Duke at 1-626-815-5463, send e-mail to acenter@apu.edu or write to the Ambassador Center, Azusa Pacific University, 901 E. Alosta Ave., P.O. Box 7000, Azusa, California, 91702-7000. The Azusa Pacific University web site is www.apu.edu.
GRADUATES AND
GUESTS—Azusa Pacific
graduation on campus with San
Gabriel
Mountains in background.
“All the world’s a stage,” said Shakespeare in As You Like It, “and all the men and women [are] merely players: They have their exits and their entrances.”
If Shakespeare had been a screenwriter instead of a playwright, he might well have said that all the world is a movie, and we all come into the movie at some point and exit at another. In one of Shakespeare’s more cynical moments, he has Macbeth say that life is only a shadow on the stage, a “tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”
Is the movie of life really pointless? The gospel says it is not—there is in fact a grand purpose—and a triumphant conclusion.
A movie of our own
Jesus is the great Screenwriter and Director of the movie of our lives. He created not only our roles, but us as well, and he shapes the screenplay of our lives into the grand epic he wants it to be. As the Master Storyteller, Jesus weaves us into the adventure of life eternal, the life of the never-ending age to come.
It is in Jesus that our lives have their true meaning. His resurrection is proof that he loves us. It is proof that he lives for us, intercedes for us and transforms us. In him our lives find their true meaning and purpose.
So much of life is out of our control. Things happen, and most of the time, we have little or no say. The unexpected and the unplanned-for happen, and such events may be good or bad. We might plan for and work toward a goal, but because of circumstances beyond our control, that goal may never be realized.
We can’t control the stage, the scenes, or the other actors. But we can make decisions about how we will respond to the events that happen to us.
Many people respond to life with anger, resentment and impatience, even bitterness. Instead of facing life with a tranquil spirit and making wise decisions about how to deal with whatever situations arise, they see everything in terms of whether or not it interferes with the pursuit of their own idea of happiness and pleasure.
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When something gets in their way, they get angry and try to force their selfish will on others. They go through life stressed out, fearful and upset, always worried that they might not get what they want or keep what they have.
Life doesn’t have to be that way. If our trust is in the Director, we can let love and patience guide our responses to the events and circumstances of our daily lives. We can rest our spirits in the One who works all things together for our good. When things don’t go our way, we’re free in Christ not to stress out. We’re free to return good for evil. We don’t have to be afraid, because we cast all our cares on the One who loves us.
The never-ending sequel
We will all exit the story of life, leaving tasks undone, projects unfinished, stories incomplete. But on the other side of the silver screen is another story, a story into which Jesus Christ has written a part for us. In that story, loose ends are tied up, grief and tragedy are turned to joy, and wounds and betrayals are healed. It is a story of happy endings always getting better.
It is God’s great pleasure to make us part of that never-ending story. Even now, in Christ we are learning to live the kind of life appropriate for such eternal joy. We are learning to love others just as Christ loved us and gave himself for us.
May we all have faith to look beyond the distress of the present moment and keep our hearts set on the triumphant finale, the finale that goes on forever.
That’s something worth thinking about.
Lessons From the Bible
The Gospel of Mark, Lesson 18 Mark 3:13-19
A Lesson About Authority
Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve—designating them apostles—that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.
These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder); Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
By J. Michael Feazell
“When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice,” says Proverbs 29:2 (KJV).
Who has authority over you? Do you see that person as a blessing? Or as a demon?
Jesus’ idea of authority was not the same as that of the typical human. Once, when a dispute broke out among the disciples about which one of them was the greatest, Jesus told them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who have authority over them are called ‘Benefactors.’ But not so with you, but let him who is the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as the servant” (Luke 22:25-26, NASB).
In their wrangling about authority, the disciples were fairly representative of humanity. But Jesus taught them what authority is really all about. Used rightly, authority is a blessing to those who are under it.
In the ancient world, authority could be anything but a blessing. In fact, in every age of human history, angry and self-centered humans have misused authority as a free ticket to abuse and cruelty.
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Today, we have our share of tyrant dictators, corrupt corporate officers and law-enforcement officials, despotic bosses, and abusive spouses, parents and prison guards. Wherever humans have charge of other humans, there is the potential for exploitation and maltreatment.
“Masters,” Paul wrote, “grant to your slaves justice and fairness, knowing that you too have a Master in heaven” (Colossians 4:1). God is just and fair. That means at least two things. One is that he will be just and fair with you and me. Another is that you and I need to be just and fair too, because we belong to him.
Deliverance
When Jesus gave authority to the apostles, he gave it to them with an explicit purpose—to drive out demons. Demons were evil spirits who tortured their victims by continual oppression that led finally to taking over their wills completely. These evil spirits saw Jesus as their archenemy—and rightly so. Jesus absolutely opposed their cruelty and subjugation of humanity. One of his stated goals was to drive them out and end their tyranny. Oddly enough, the wicked spirits perceived Jesus as the tormenter, because he would not allow them to continue their oppression of humans.
“We know who you are,” some of them said. “Have you come to torment us before the time?” (Matt. 8:29).
The evil spirits recognized Jesus’ authority, and they knew he would not allow their illicit, gangster-style authority to stand. Jesus gave authority to the apostles to do exactly what he was doing—bringing release to the captives.
Jesus came with all the authority in the universe not to take advantage of humans or to take over the wills of humans, but to deliver. Whether we are talking about release from the cruel domination and repression exercised by evil spirits, or about any release from other forms of oppression, authority is to be used for deliverance—to make things better for those being ruled.
Authority, God style, is for the blessing and furtherance of humans. It is to nurture others, to help them develop, improve and grow.
Certainly, authority must sometimes be used for discipline. Even discipline can be a form of deliverance when it is given in wisdom. A heart that is ruled by love knows the difference between correction and cruelty.
Choices
Whenever we have authority, we have choices about how we will use it. We can use it to get our own way. We can use it for revenge or retaliation. We can use it to give favors to friends or family. We can use it to dodge responsibility for our actions. None of this is what Jesus had in mind when he gave authority to the apostles.
Jesus delegated authority so that it could be used to deliver others from bondage and oppression. Like any good gift, though, we can misuse it. We can use authority to get our own way, or we can use it to see that the right thing happens—whether it benefits us or not.
Who is under your authority? Employees? Association or club members? Detainees? Applicants? Family members? Parishioners? Children? Do they view you as a blessing? Or as a demon?
Jesus comes to us with deliverance. Part of that deliverance is that he hears the cries of the oppressed. Another part is that he changes the hearts of those who oppress others. If we are suffering, we can ask our Deliverer for relief. If those under our authority see us more as devilish than as blessed, maybe it’s time to ask our Redeemer to change our hearts, too.
By Dan Rogers
Superintendent of U.S. Ministers
PASADENA—The Worldwide Church of God has 11 district superintendents in the United States—10 serving geographic regions and one serving Spanish-speaking churches scattered throughout the country.
The district superintendents are integral members of the Church Administration team, but rather than working out of our Pasadena office, they work out of offices in their homes located within the districts they serve. In this way, district superintendents are a localized point of contact between our congregations and the denomination.
In the WCG, our leaders provide vision, guidance, equipping, encouragement and other forms of support as we all work together to live and share the gospel—pursuing Jesus’ Great Commission to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). In this article I detail the responsibilities of the U.S. district superintendents, an important part of our disciplemaking leadership team.
As noted in our new Church Administration Manual (available in your church library or online at http://www.wcg.org/lit/church/manual/), we have two titled leadership offices in the WCG—elders and ministry leaders (referred to in some congregations as deacons). Most elders serve in congregations where some are licensed to serve as the senior (lead) pastor, while others are licensed as associate or assistant pastors. Together, these pastors form a pastoral council that is responsible for the spiritual oversight of the congregation.
A few elders are licensed to serve at the denominational level, where they work to support all of our congregations in advancing the church’s disciplemaking mission. One of the offices at the denominational level is the Church Administration Department, where I am licensed to serve as superintendent of U.S. ministers.
Working with me are elders licensed to serve as district superintendents.
The principle responsibilities of district superintendents are to provide training (equipping) and oversight (accountability) for the senior pastors of the congregations in their districts.
On the accountability side, senior pastors report directly to their district superintendent. The administration of this accountability involves ongoing communication and performance reviews. The primary criteria for this accountability are the expectations for senior pastors and the code of ethics for elders, which address such concerns as personal ethics, doctrinal integrity and appropriate pastoral service to church members (see the Church Administration Manual for details).
If any grievances lodged against senior pastors are not resolved within the congregation, the district superintendent is involved in the administration of the grievance and disciplinary processes outlined in the eighth chapter of the Church Administration Manual.
On the equipping side, district superintendents provide training for the senior pastors in their districts through regular equipping meetings conducted with pastors and other shepherd-leaders. In addition, district superintendents maintain personal contact with senior pastors through phone calls, e-mail correspondence and personal visits.
In these ways, the district superintendent serves as a coach of senior pastors and other shepherd leaders in the district, providing encouragement, instruction and oversight.
A key focus of the instruction provided by district superintendents is assisting the senior pastor and his leadership team in developing and implementing long-range plans for advancing the congregation’s disciplemaking mission.
That mission has five critical strategic parts:
Preparing: Establishing an environment conducive to disciplemaking (we refer to this environment as the foundations of team-based disciplemaking ministry).
Building believers: Helping existing members grow in their faith with a particular focus on expressing Jesus’ love for God and for people (the Great Commandment).
Equipping workers: Equipping members to be effective workers in building believers and winning the lost.
Winning the lost: Reaching out to unbelievers and unchurched believers in order to connect them to Christ and to his church.
Multiplying leaders: Equipping some workers to be shepherd-leaders within their congregation and to provide leadership for denominational offices and new church plants.
District superintendents offer training in strategic planning and consultations with senior pastors and their leadership teams in writing and implementing a strategic plan and vision document. District superintendents also offer instruction and resources to assist senior pastors and other shepherd leaders in expository preaching, discipleship training, governance and financial administration systems, and other areas of pastoral administration.
Individual district superintendents supervise as many as 60 congregations, and they occasionally visit individual congregations in their district. Such visits are usually made in conjunction with a trip to conduct training meetings for leaders of congregations in the area.
When such visits occur, the district superintendent will often meet with the whole congregation or with the congregation’s leadership team to discuss progress in the congregation and to answer questions about denominational policies and programs.
In addition to these responsibilities, district superintendents are involved in the selection of new elders and the recruiting, training and appointing of new senior pastors in their districts (note that, in some circumstances, the role of senior pastor is filled by a pastoral leadership team as explained in chapter six of the Church Administration Manual).
District superintendents are also involved in the planting of new congregations and the consolidating, restructuring or disbanding of existing congregations and church circuits in the district as needed. In addition, district superintendents provide general oversight of any district or regional worship events and training conferences conducted within district boundaries. They also provide assistance and counsel for congregations considering purchasing or constructing church buildings.
Several district superintendents also serve in other denominational programs, including national youth ministry development, racial reconciliation and various policy and procedural development task forces. In these and many other ways, district superintendents are an important part of the way the denomination works to serve the congregations and members of the WCG so that together we are active in advancing the church’s disciplemaking mission.
I encourage all our members to pray for their district superintendent and to feel free to be in contact with him if you have questions or concerns related to his area of responsibility. Please note the names, geographic assignments and e-mail addresses of all the district superintendents in the box and map on this page. You can also get the address and phone number of your district superintendent from your pastor.
Northwest district Ken Williams Ken.Williams@gci.org
Southwest district Curtis May Curtis.May@gci.org
North Central district Dave Fiedler David.Fiedler@wcg.org
Central district Randy Bloom Randy.Bloom@gci.org
South Central district Carn Catherwood Carn.Catherwood@wcg.org
Northeast district Ted Johnston Ted.Johnston@gci.org
Mid-South district Robert Taylor Robert.Taylor@wcg.org
Mid-Atlantic district Keith Brittain Keith.Brittain@wcg.org
Southeast district Al Barr Allan.Barr@wcg.org
Florida district Bob Persky Robert.Persky@wcg.org
Spanish speaking Lorenzo Arroyo Lorenzo.Arroyo@gci.org
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Meet Your District Superintendent
Ted Johnston:
Northeast district
CANTON,
Ohio—Ted Johnston, Northeast district superintendent, was born in New Hampshire
and grew up in Indiana. He entered Ambassador College in Pasadena in 1969. There
he met his future wife, Donna Graves, who graduated from Ambassador in 1972.
After two years at Ambassador, Ted transferred to California State Polytechnic University, where he obtained a bachelor of science degree in landscape architecture. While working on this degree, Ted was employed by the Architecture & Engineering Department at Ambassador.
After graduation, Ted and Donna married and moved to Colorado. There Ted worked for 13 years as project manager, principal and vice president of an urban design and landscape architecture consulting firm. During those years he served the Fort Collins congregation as a deacon and then an elder.
In 1987 Ted entered full-time pastoral ministry and the family moved to Kansas, where he served as associate pastor of the Kansas City South and Topeka congregations. In 1990 they moved to Colorado, where he served for seven years as pastor of the Grand Junction and Craig congregations. During those years he completed a masters degree in psychology at Regis University in Denver.
In 1997 the family moved to Ohio, where Ted served as pastor of the Akron and Canton congregations. During that time he enrolled in the Akron campus of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He continues part-time studies toward a master of arts in religion degree.
In 1999 Ted began serving as superintendent of the Great Lakes district. In January 2004 he became the district superintendent for the Northeast district.
Ted and Donna have two children, both living in Ohio—a daughter Traci (married to Troy Calvert) and a son Joe.
Following is a list of churches (including small group churches) in the Northeast district with the pastor or small group church leader or pastoral team leader noted along with that individual’s spouse (when appropriate).
Akron-Canton and Cleveland, Ohio: David and Chris Kaiser.
Altoona, Pennsylvania: Brian and Eileen Crum.
Bangor, Maine: Jim and Theresa Cook.
Batavia, New York: Charlie and Judi Piscitello.
Bethel, Maine: George and Jennifer Weber.
Binghamton, New York: Oleh and Diane Kubik.
Boston, Worcester and Springfield, Massachusetts: Bill and Harriet Ford.
Brooklyn, New York: Steve and Harlean Botha.
Buffalo, New York: John and Hannah Knaack.
Cambridge, Ohio: Sam and Dorothy Templeton.
Clarkstown and Middletown, New York: Jeff and Karen Broadnax.
Columbus and Chillicothe, Ohio: John Karlson.
Dayton-Tipp City, Ohio: Jim and Becky Valekis.
Dunkirk, New York: Verne and Sharon Seekings.
Elmira, New York: Shawn and Ginger Gregory.
Erie, Pennsylvania: Doris Evans.
Findlay, Ohio: Keith and Cheryl Benjamin.
Jenners, Pennsylvania: Forrest and Mary Lou Walker.
Lorain, Ohio: Ed and Thelma Faulk.
Manhattan, Westchester and White Plains, New York: Dan and Alice Bierer.
Mansfield, Ohio: John Peterson.
Meriden and Stratford, Connecticut: Larry and Connie Wooldridge.
Montpelier, Vermont: Al and Arlene Nelson.
Mount Gilead, Ohio: Pat and Barb Tobin.
Newark, New Jersey: Frank and Leslie Howard.
Norwich, Connecticut, and Providence, Rhode Island: Luciano and Suzanne Cozzi.
Olean, New York: Leonard and Rose Anna Ladage.
Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania: Dave and Hinke Gilbert.
Pittsburgh, Sewickley and Indiana, Pennsylvania: Jon and Ila Kurnik.
Pittsfield, Massachusetts: Burt and Mary Harrington.
Queens and Long Island, New York: Craig and Mary Bacheller.
Rochester, New York: Leonard and Patama Banks.
Rushville, New York: Robert and Deanna Gnage.
Schenectady and Lake George, New York: Jim and Diane Rosenthal.
Syracuse, New York: Eric and Sue Larison.
Toledo, Ohio: Larry and Linda Brown.
Union and Brick, New Jersey: John Adams.
Wheeling, West Virginia; and Washington and Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania: Tom and Pam Smith.
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania: Tom and Paula Davis.
Windham, Maine: Bob and Carol Thurlow.
Loudon, New Hampshire: Thom and Marlene Freidrich.
Youngstown, Ohio: John and Mary Dobritch.
By Terry Akers
Clive Staples Lewis (1898-1963) was an intellectual giant of the last century and one of the most influential Christian writers of his day. The Oxford and Cambridge scholar wrote more than 30 books, achieving international acclaim for his contributions in literary criticism, children’s literature, fantasy literature and popular theology. His books continue to attract large numbers of new readers from the religious and secular worlds.
During World War II, when England’s national survival was threatened by Hitler’s bombs, C.S. “Jack” Lewis was invited by the British Broadcasting Corp. (BBC) to give a series of radio lectures addressing the central issues of the Christian faith. These lectures were later published as three books and subsequently combined as Mere Christianity in 1952. This literary masterpiece has had an enormous effect on believers and nonbelievers alike with its forceful and rational case for Christianity.
Lewis’ original intent was simply to “explain and defend the belief that has been common to nearly all Christians at all times.” Mere Christianity’s vast appeal lies in its rejection of the boundaries that divide the church’s many denominations. Its uncompromising focus throughout is the centrality of Jesus Christ—his life, death, resurrection and the sending of the Holy Spirit.
The book makes a clear distinction between the essentials and nonessentials of historic Christian orthodoxy, re-focuses believers who have unwittingly drifted to the left or right and provides a powerful witness to those outside the faith. This book is a beautiful expression of the old Christian guiding principle, “In essentials unity, in nonessentials liberty, and in all things love.”
Despite his intellectual prowess, Lewis writes in an engaging style with wit and humor.
Lewis, a converted atheist, establishes our common ground as believers in our faith in Jesus Christ. He pulls no punches when he speaks about the author and finisher of our salvation: “I am trying to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God.’...
“A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic … or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was and is the Son of God; or else a madman or something worse.”
Mere Christianity was composed from the perspective of an educated layman in the Church of England during trying times. Writing as a professor of literature, not as a theologian or philosopher, Lewis is able to bring the bare essentials and some of the broader aspects of the faith to the ordinary person in a down-to-earth and common sense way in terms they can easily understand.
Yet his intellectual and literary gifts add depth and substance to the thoughts contained in the book, making it the perfect launchpad for deeper theological study. Its brilliant biblical reflections and familiar style make it as current and relevant to the modern reader as it was to its original wartime radio audience.
This is a quote from Kathleen Norris’ Foreword to the HarperCollins edition: “Lewis seeks in Mere Christianity to help us see religion with fresh eyes, as a radical faith whose adherents might be likened to an underground group gathering in a war zone, a place where evil seems to have the upper hand, to hear messages of hope from the other side.”
This is an ideal book to share with inquiring friends who desire to know what Christians believe. It comes in economically priced paperback editions and makes an excellent resource for group discussion.
Mere Christianity has been used to make a dynamic statement for the faith for more than 50 years and continues to speak to new audiences in each generation. It is comprised of clear, concise, thought-provoking sentences in lucid, conversational prose.
Lewis’ logical arguments are eloquently expressed and are interspersed with imaginative illustrations to illuminate his points. He makes fine use of analogy and metaphor to help explain some of the deeper theological concepts. Overall, this Christian classic is a pleasure to read and serves as a splendid introduction to Christian theology and doctrine. It should not be missed.
By Michael Morrison
In Romans 9 and 10, Paul describes a theological problem: Most Jews are rejecting the gospel. Not only are they missing out on salvation, it makes other people wonder whether God is faithful to his promises. In chapter 11, Paul affirms that God has a surprising plan for the people of Israel.
The remnant of Israel
At the end of chapter 10, Paul described Israel as a people who heard the message but refused to accept it even though God pleaded with them. So Paul asks, “Did God reject his people?” (11:1, TNIV throughout). And he answers: “By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.” Paul is living proof that God has not abandoned his people.
“God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew” (v. 2). Foreknow does not refer to advance knowledge, as if God knew more facts about the Jews. Rather, it refers to a relationship that God had with the Jews. His covenant with them is no longer valid as a source of laws, but the promises God made to them will still be kept. God has not given up on the Jews.
“Don’t you know what Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel: ‘Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me?’ ” (vv. 2-3, quoting from 1 Kings 19:10, 14). Elijah thought that everyone else had gone astray.
“What was God’s answer to him?” Paul asks in verse 4. “ ‘I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.’ [1 Kings 19:18] So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace” (vv. 4-5). The situation wasn’t as bad as Elijah thought it was. In Paul’s day, too, thousands of Jews believe in Christ. There is a remnant, a small percentage, of Jews who are following what God is doing.
They are chosen by grace, not by their zeal for the law. “And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace” (v. 6).
Some were hardened
“What then?” Paul asks in verse 7. “What the people of Israel sought so earnestly they did not obtain.” The Jews sincerely wanted to be righteous, but their works did not achieve what they wanted.
“The elect among them did [obtain righteousness],” Paul says, “but the others were hardened, as it is written: ‘God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see and ears that could not hear, to this very day’ ” (vv. 7-8, adapting Deut. 29:4 and Isa. 29:9-10). The minority accepted the gospel; the others did not because God gave them over to their own inclinations.
However, Paul said in chapter 10 that they heard and understood, and that God pleaded with them, but they refused. And Paul will soon say that he works hard so that some of them might be saved (v. 14). God has not decided that these people will be lost. But they rejected Christ, and God let them have their own way. But the blindness will eventually be removed.
In verses 9-10, Paul quotes a stronger passage in Psalm 69:22-23: “And David says: ‘May their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them. May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever.’ ”
In this psalm, David asks God to punish his enemies—even to blot them out of the book of life! But Paul is not asking that, for the Jews have not stumbled beyond recovery, and Paul works hard so that some might be saved. Paul is not quoting the psalm for eternal punishment, but only for its comment about eyes that cannot see.
Arousing the Jews to envy
In verse 1, Paul asked a question as a springboard for his discussion, and in verse 11 he does it again: “Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious.”
The Jews who reject Christ are not hopelessly lost—they can still be saved. But in the meantime, salvation is being offered to Gentiles. Paul is alluding here to Deuteronomy 32:21: “I will make you envious by those who are not a nation; I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding.” Contrary to what most Jews thought, God would bless the Gentiles so much that the Jews would be envious.
In verse 12, Paul reasons from a less-than-ideal situation to a better one: “But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring!” If Jewish failure has brought blessings to others, won’t Jewish success bring even more? Paul is implying that there will come a day of success, when most Jews will accept Christ.
Paul believes the majority will be saved—first a remnant of Jews, then a good number of Gentiles, then the majority of Jews, and finally another blessing for the Gentiles—the salvation of the great majority.
“I am talking to you Gentiles,” he says in verse 13. “Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I make much of my ministry in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them.” Even though Paul was writing to Gentiles, he was addressing a Jewish question. He seems to be rehearsing what he will say on his trip to Jerusalem.
In verse 15, Paul again uses an argument from the lesser to the greater: “For if their rejection brought reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?” If the failure of the Jews brought salvation to everyone else, won’t it be even better when the Jews finally accept the gospel? They might be spiritually dead now, but God can raise the dead.
New branches attached to the tree
In verse 16, Paul switches to a different style of argument, using analogies. First, he uses an example from Israel’s system of worship: “If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy…” No one could eat from the harvest until the firstfruits had been offered (Lev. 23:14). After they were offered to God, the entire harvest was sanctified.
In context, the firstfruits are the remnant of Israel, the small percentage of Jews who accept Jesus. They are given to God, and this means that the whole Jewish nation is set apart for God.
Then Paul uses another analogy: “If the root is holy, so are the branches.” The root is probably the patriarchs, and if they are holy, their descendants are, too, and God won’t give up on them.
Then Paul moves into the analogy of tree-branch-grafting: “If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root…”
Paul isn’t giving horticultural advice—he is tailoring his analogy to suit his purposes. The root is the promise of salvation given to Abraham, a promise now given nourishment by Jesus Christ. Many of the Jews are cut off from Christ, and Gentiles are being attached to the tree. The Jews are not superior—but neither are the Gentiles.
But Paul warns those Gentiles in verse 18: “Do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches.” That was apparently a temptation for Gentile Christians in Rome. “If you [think this way],” Paul says, “consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.” Remember that your salvation depends on a promise given to the ancestor of the Jews, Abraham, and to the Messiah of the Jews, Jesus. You didn’t earn the right to be grafted in; it was only a matter of God’s grace.
“You will say then, ‘Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in’ ” (v. 19). Paul then responds: Even if that’s true, I can still show that you shouldn’t think of yourself as superior to the unbelieving Jews. “Granted,” he says in verse 20. “But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either” (vv. 20-21). You can be broken off just the same as they were.
Paul considers it possible for someone to reject the faith. If salvation were predestined, then people would have no need to tremble, and Paul would not imply that God could break them off. Paul wants people to be confident, but not to assume that everything is guaranteed no matter what they do.
Paul combines God’s grace and judgment in verse 22: “Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.” If we fall away from grace and go into self-reliance, then we will be cut off from the tree of salvation.
The salvation of Israel
“And if [the Jews] do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again” (v. 23). If Jews accept the Messiah, they will be re-attached to the Abrahamic tree—everything can change, according to whether people accept or reject Christ.
Paul then reasons as to how easy it will be for the Jews to be grafted back in: “After all, if you [Gentiles] were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree…”—if that difficult thing has been done—“how much more readily will these [Jews], the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!” (v. 24). God can easily put the Jews back in.
Paul then says: “I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not think you are superior: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and in this way all Israel will be saved” (vv. 25-26).
Paul calls it a mystery, something previously hidden but now revealed—and it is revealed so Gentiles do not think themselves superior to Jews. Israel has been hardened in part—that is, most Jews do not currently believe. But this restriction is temporary—it lasts only until the full number of Gentiles come into faith.
Paul has already argued that the Jews have not stumbled beyond recovery, and Jewish branches can be grafted back in if they believe, so when he says they are hardened until the full number of Gentiles comes in, he implies a temporary hardening. And the following verses say that the Jewish people are still loved, that their calling cannot be revoked, and that God will have mercy on them. Paul believes that most of the Jews will be saved, because Deuteronomy 32 predicts a time when they will accept Jesus as their Savior.
Paul supports his point by blending ideas found in Isaiah 59:20-21; 27:9; and Jer. 31:33-34: “As it is written: ‘The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins’ ” (vv. 26-27). Isaiah says “the Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,” and Jeremiah promises a new covenant in which God will not remember their sins any more.
Paul knows that the Redeemer has come to Zion—Jesus has come, and Paul is confident that Jesus will accomplish the work he came to do. Even when the nation was a mess, God promised a day of salvation for them, and he promised a new covenant for them. The fact that Gentiles are entering the new covenant does not change the fact that it was promised to the Jews. The promise is not broken—rather, it is expanded to include the Gentiles.
When will this happen? Paul does not say. The Jews can turn to Christ at any time.
Paul gives us his summary and conclusion in verse 28: “As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs.” The Jews are enemies of the gospel right now, but God still loves them, and they are still part of the chosen people. Why? “For God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable” (v. 29). God will keep his promises.
In verses 30-31 Paul summarizes it: “Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you.” Mercy is now given to Gentiles; it will also be given to Jews, for salvation is by grace.
Paul’s concluding rationale is in verse 32: “For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.” Everyone has sinned and deserves wrath on the day of judgment, but in Christ all can be made alive. The grace of God “offers salvation to all people” (Titus 2:11)—to all races and nations.
Doxology
What more can Paul say? There is no evidence that this will happen—there is only the promise of God, but he is more faithful than evidence is. So Paul launches into a section of praise. It is a call to theological and intellectual humility—and it is also a reminder that theology, if done correctly, should always lead us to praise and worship. Whenever we catch a glimpse of what God has done or is doing, we should respond with awe and thanksgiving.
Paul started this chapter by talking about human failure, but he ends by praising the God who can be counted on to succeed:
“Oh, the depth of the riches of the
wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!
‘Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?’ [Isaiah 40:13]
‘Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay them?’ [Job 41:11]
For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen” (vv. 33-36).
Praise God, who in his grace saves both Jews and Gentiles! He is faithful to his people, and his purpose will stand.
Questions for application
Are there people today who claim to be part of God’s people, and yet seem to ignore him? Would Paul hold out hope for them?
Do people reject the gospel by their own choice (10:21) or because God has blinded them (11:8)?
Can envy really cause people to turn to Christ (v. 13)?
Have I ever felt superior to unbelievers (v. 18)?
Does Paul want me to be confident (8:38-39) or to tremble (11:20)?
When I think about what God has done in my life, do I respond with praise (vv. 33-36)? What would my poem say?
Northern California
women's retreat set for August
SACRAMENTO, California—Each August, women from different denominations and walks of life come together for one weekend in the Sierra Nevada Mountains at the annual Northern California women’s retreat. They return home rejuvenated for another year.
This year our key words are “Fighting the Good Fight.”
From Aug. 6 to 8, we will once again meet at the Sierra Pines Baptist Camp on Highway 50 about 15 miles west of South Lake Tahoe. Our program includes praise and worship sessions, readings, presentations, testimonies and a communion service. Free time is also included for swimming, hiking, napping or meditation.
The cost for either an eight-woman dorm or a four-woman cabin is $75 and includes five meals. The retreat begins at 6 p.m., Friday evening, and concludes before lunch on Sunday.
Reservations and payment may be sent to Nancy Curtis at 10725 Sterlingwood Way, Rancho Cordova, California, 95670. The deadline is July 15. If you should desire any further information, call Nancy at 1-916-363-2579 evenings or on weekends.
Cambridge retreat canceled
CAMBRIDGE, Ohio—A women’s retreat scheduled for July has been canceled.
Florida teens in
annual talent
showcase
ORLANDO, Florida—Sixteen youths ages 5 to 18, from Orlando, Miami and Land O Lakes, Florida, participated in the second Orlando Youths Talent Showcase March 13.
The afternoon began with Ross Jutsum of State of the Heart Music Ministries leading New Beginnings Christian Fellowship in a worshipful service. After the service, members were treated to food and drinks provided by the women’s ministry. While enjoying their food, members were able to view 11 pieces of art created by the youth participants. Ninety people stayed to watch the performing arts section of the talent show.
Art recognitions were given to Brandi Culbreth (first place), David Johnson (second place) and Lisa Johnson (third place). Performing Arts recognitions were presented to Helen Diamond (first place), Shakira and Kiana Taylor (second place), and Lesz Romeo Banham Jr. (third place).
Lesz Banham Sr., talent show host and coordinator, encouraged the young people to continue using their talents. The third annual showcase is tentatively scheduled for mid-March 2005, and other Florida youths are encouraged to enter. Riccinni Beloso Banham.
By Jeb Egbert
National youth ministry
development team co-director
FRISCO, Texas—In this youth ministry equipping and training column we are now focused on ways youth ministry workers and leaders may help to create environments in which ministry development may flourish.
Looking at the ministry of Jesus and the New Testament church, we observe important factors that facilitate healthy growth. This month, we examine the fifth of six factors—creating a biblical group image.
One evening after returning from a long day at work, I plopped into the oversized chair in our bedroom and flicked on the television set. As I was channel surfing, looking for something that I could settle in to, I happened across a cartoon that caught my attention.
The program featured a family, and in this episode the focus was on the dialogue between the father and his son. “Bobby,” the father began. “I want you to go to youth group.”
“Dad, I don’t want to go to youth group,” was Bobby’s reply. “That’s boring.”
Fascinated and sensing that this cartoon was just what I needed, I put down the remote control and fixated on the developing plot. As it turned out, Dad was able to influence Bobby to go to youth group in spite of his protests. I chuckled as I watched Bobby, 10 to 12 years old, get all dolled up for youth group.
Dad made sure he had his best suit and tie on, and with Bible in tow, Bobby was dropped off at the meeting place.
As Bobby made his way toward the door, he mumbled about how much he detested having to go. “What a rip-off. Other kids are out having fun, and I’m having to go to this stupid youth group.” Just then, skateboarders at the nearby park caught Bobby’s eye. His countenance brightened considerably as he exclaimed; “Now that’s what I want to do.”
Bobby ambled over to observe the
activity, only to learn that the skaters were also going to the youth group. In
fact, this was the youth group! Suddenly Bobby’s perspective on the youth group
did an about-face, and as the episode continued, Bobby couldn’t be kept from
attending.
Besides being a nice way to finish off the day, this television program got me to thinking. “What is it that draws young people to a youth group or youth ministry? What is it that retains them?”
This is a vital question for youth ministry leaders, pastors and parents, because it gets to the core of why any group or team exists. What is the image that is portrayed by your youth group? Is it the image that Jesus gave to his group of disciples?
What further compounds this issue is the perspective of Bobby. He approaches the youth group with a perspective that says: “This will be tedious. I can’t wait until I’m finished with this so I can get back to doing things that I want to do.”
As we study the great commission to make disciples, we recognize that an essential winning component is fundamental to the process. For individuals to become disciples of Christ they must first be won to Christ. Before being won, they are lost in a sea of fatal attractions and distractions. But then Jesus beckons to them and something catches their attention, and they follow him.
So what was so compelling to Jesus’ own disciples? What made them want to follow him? Skateboarding? Pizza? Pool parties? Trips to Six Flags? None of these activities provide the appropriate, enduring biblical group image that Jesus gave to his group. Jesus communicated a compelling vision of his Father’s kingdom. In doing so he created an environment of hope and expectancy. Through the power of his Spirit, Jesus’ disciples caught the vision and they followed him.
Does this imply that pool parties, pizza or skateboarding are wrong? Emphatically, no! These are the things that initially beckon to a young person.
Bobby was not interested in the youth group. He was interested in skateboarding. He became interested, theoretically (it was a cartoon), in youth ministry and the gospel because the intent of youth ministry was not to share skateboarding, but to share the eternal hope, joy and excitement that are found in Christ alone. Skateboarding was a means to a much, much greater end.
As parents and youth ministry leaders, we need to be constantly working to provide a biblical group image. This image flourishes in an environment of hope and expectancy that flows from a compelling vision of active discipleship. Within such an environment, young followers of Jesus become fellowship-building disciples—active participants in Jesus’ body, the church.
If an activity within a youth ministry does not intentionally support and advance an atmosphere of hope and expectancy centered on following Jesus together, then we may have a group, but it’s not a biblical group.
A biblical group is characterized by loving fellowship. Youth ministry leaders can help such fellowship grow through a five-step process. First, group leaders can use icebreakers at meetings to help ensure that group members get to know one another.
Second, fellowship can be deepened
through ongoing programs. Enjoyable activities (such as skateboarding) can
enhance the likelihood that group members begin to open up with one
another—sharing interests, hobbies and passions. Through this approach, group
members move from being casual acquaintances to friends who are bonded through
shared experiences.
Third, fellowship goes to an ever deeper and more fully biblical level when the group shares biblical instruction leading to an intimate biblical community.
In such a community, the members participate in the one-anothering actions that characterized the early fol- lowers of Jesus. In such a community of love and sharing, youths openly share with each other their concerns and troubles as well as their joys and victories.
At this level of deepening fellowship, the group’s leaders will give thorough biblical instruction about how to offer care to one another, including how to pray for one another. Such instruction will help transform a group of unrelated people into a team that is bound together by an outgoing concern for one another.
Fourth, the group can begin to participate in tasks or activities that use the combined resources of the group. Such challenges help the group to become a cohesive team with common goals where the members think in terms of we rather than me.
This is why service activities are so important to a youth group. The fact that members work side by side to achieve a common goal of serving the community or the church in a bake sale, car wash or highway clean-up is a sure way to get the focus off of self and onto the team’s shared goals. When individuals are joined by a common goal, they become unified in a way that preaching about unity could never do.
Fifth, the group (now a team) is ready to launch into an emphasis on ministry. Leaders ask—how can our youth group best use its combined resources, talents and abilities to share the gospel? How can we reach out to the Bobbys of the world in much the same way that we were reached out to?
When your youth group migrates to youth ministry with a clear focus on advancing the gospel of Jesus Christ—watch out!
I have found young people who are bound together by God’s Spirit and who truly share a common vision in Christ to be some of the most effective sharers of the gospel I’ve ever seen. They become highly effective spokesmen and women for the kingdom, beckoning in their own way as the apostle Paul did: “Follow me as I follow Christ.”
To be effective, youth ministry leaders, workers and parents must be active in creating and nurturing a biblical group image. It doesn’t just happen. It starts with Bobby and skateboarding. But it matures only as it galvanizes into gospel ministry that fully involves the Bobbys of the team just as it did Jesus’ first disciples.
National youth
ministry announces
increased emphasis on
ministry to children
By Ted Johnston
National youth ministry
development team co-director
CANTON, Ohio—Proverbs 22:6 makes this observation: “Train children in the right way, and when old, they will not stray” (NRSV).
In his book Transforming Your Children Into Spiritual Champions, George Barna presents research that confirms this timeless principle. That research indicates that a person’s lifelong behaviors and beliefs are generally developed when they are young—particularly before their teenage years. More specifically, Barna notes the following:
1. A person’s moral foundations are generally in place by age 9. After that age, most people simply refine their views.
2. A person’s response to Jesus (and the gospel concerning his life, death and resurrection) is usually determined before age 18. For most Americans, the response is set by age 12.
3. A person’s spiritual beliefs are set in place when they are preteens. Those beliefs include the nature of God, the existence of Satan, the reliability of the Bible, the afterlife, Jesus Christ, the means of gaining God’s favor, and the influence of spiritual forces in a person’s life.
“In essence,” the book notes, “what you believe by the time you are 13 is what you will die believing. Of course, there are many individuals who go through life-changing experiences in which their beliefs are altered, or instances in which a concentrated body of religious teaching changes one or more core beliefs.
“However, most people’s minds are made up and they believe they know what they need to know spiritually by age 13. Their focus in absorbing religious teaching after that age is to gain reassurance and confirmation of their existing beliefs rather than to glean new insights that will redefine their foundations.”
4. Adult church leaders usually had significant involvement in the church when they were children. Thus, those who will become the church’s leaders 20 years from now are probably active in children’s church programs today.
This research should be a wake-up
call for all parents of children and for the church at large. The spiritual
education of our children must be a top priority—with parents and the church
working in partnership.
The most important role in this partnership is that of the parents. This was underscored in a survey of 10,000 young Christians who were asked to identify the influences in their lives that helped them deepen their commitment to Christ. While they listed such influences as friends, church youth leaders and personal struggles, by far the most significant influence was that of their parents.
Because parents are the strongest influence in a child’s life, the church must support and otherwise partner with parents in ministering to children. Barna notes: “In situations where children became mature Christians we usually found a symbiotic partnership between their parents and their church.... The church encouraged parents to prioritize the spiritual development of their children and worked hard to equip them for that challenge.
“Parents, for their part, raised
their children in the context of a faith-based community that provided security,
belonging, spiritual and moral education, and accountability. Neither the
parents nor the church could have done it alone.”
Barna adds that it’s not the size or
diversity of the church’s children’s ministry programs that are the
most important factors in the church’s success in helping parents nurture their
children’s spiritual development. Rather, he notes that “the most important
resource ... was the amazing amount of prayer for children and parents....
“Some money is required to see serious life change happen, but the more important resource is the commitment of adults to the spiritual wholeness of the children—which means sacrificing some of the emphasis upon the ministry to adults.”
The issue is one of priorities. We simply must put ministry to children at the top of our list of priorities in our homes and our congregations.
If we don’t, we’re robbing our children of their greatest opportunity to come into a lifelong, saving relationship with their Savior and Lord. If we don’t, we’re missing out on the most significant opportunity we have to multiply lifelong disciples of Jesus. If we don’t, we’re failing to follow Jesus’ command to minister to the “least of these.” We simply must emphasize ministry to the children of our members and other children within the reach of our membership.
Barna’s personal view of children’s ministry was altered by his research. He writes: “Since I became a Christian two decades ago, I have always accepted the dominant notion: the most important ministry is that conducted among adults. But the overwhelming evidence we have seen of the huge impact in the lives of kids and the relatively limited changes in the lives of adults has completely revolutionized my view of ministry.
“I have concluded that children are the single most important population group for the church to focus upon. Many churches may not go that far, but I do hope that they will at least consider the research findings and place a greater emphasis upon children.
“Such a shift in priorities could well bring about the spiritual renaissance that many church leaders have long been praying for.”
In the Worldwide Church of God, our views concerning children’s ministry are being more clearly focused. Though we have always valued children, we seek to be more active and effective in ministering to them and to their parents.
Our overall approach at the national and district levels will be to encourage and equip the parents of children and the children’s ministry leaders and workers in our congregations. To do so more effectively and proactively, we are initiating the following.
1. We are segmenting national youth ministry into three related departments: children’s ministry, teen ministry and young adult ministry.
Each department will have its own coordinator and distinct programs.
I (Ted Johnston) will coordinate the children’s ministry department.
Jeb Egbert will coordinate the teen ministry department, and Jeb will coordinate the young adult ministry department with assistance from Greg Williams (Greg is the district youth ministry coordinator in the Mid-Atlantic district).
2. Beginning with this issue, the WCG News will include a Children’s Ministry column, which will appear in most WN issues.
The purpose of the column is to provide encouragement, instruction, ideas and other resources for parents of children and for the children’s ministry leaders and workers serving in our congregations and in our denominational programs including our camps.
If you would like to contribute to this column, send your suggestions, questions, and proposals to write articles to Ted.Johnston@gci.org. I would be delighted to have guest columnists contribute to this effort.
3. This summer we will have children’s tracks at several of our regional Spiritual Enrichment Program (SEP) camps so that the camp experience is available to children as well as teens.
Camps that offer a children’s track are SEP-California (ages 8-11), SEP-Colorado (ages 10-12), SEP-Connecticut (ages 7-12), SEP-Illinois (ages 10-12), SEP-Ohio (ages 8-12), SEP-Washington (ages 7-12).
Please help us with this emphasis on ministering to children through our SEP camps by sending your children or grandchildren to camp and by asking others in your congregation to do likewise.
As we launch into this new emphasis on children’s ministry, I also ask for your prayers for our children, for their parents, for our children’s ministry leaders and workers and for me. Let us partner together to reach the next generation for Christ.
By Ronald Kelly
PASADENA—For the second month in a row, we have positive income statistics to report. I mentioned last month that we had a small increase compared to March 2003. Now for April, I’m excited to report that member contributions are up more than 12 percent.
Specifically, last year’s April donations were $1.32 million. This year, members contributed $1.48 million. In addition, this month we closed the sale of the fifth and final single-family home on Orange Grove Boulevard. So we were actually able to supplement the reserve fund by just over $814,000.
We continue to be on track with our balanced budget plan for this year. Church expenses for April were $1.6 million. The small difference between donation income and expenses was more than made up by an estate donation and, of course, the home sale—thus actually increasing our reserve.
This month also helped bring our year-to-date totals into a better balance. Last year we had a contribution income of $5.4 million for the first four months of the year, while this year we have a total of $5.15 million. That means we are running about four percent under the previous year. However, considering all sources of income, we are actually up seven percent over 2003.
We are not including in these figures the sale of the east campus in Pasadena in February. As we reported, the bulk of the sale proceeds have been placed in a formal pension plan for current employees. With those funds, we also paid down some of the line of credit we had been extended and cleared up a few other financial obligations.
As a result of the successful sale of the east campus and the sale of a portion of the west campus, we are now beginning plans to implement our long-desired decentralized financial model.
Last year we took a small step toward that goal by creating a program to return funds to local congregations. That program resulted in more than $1.5 million being returned to the local churches. Later this year we are hoping for not just a small step, but a giant leap.
As a result of the property sales, along with the line of credit to fund the ongoing maintenance of the campus, the campus sale expenses and our discretionary assistance program, we now feel it is appropriate to initiate the final planning stages for a new financial model that concentrates member donations at the level of the local congregation.
Please understand that we cannot yet set an exact date because an enormous amount of work still needs to be done: computer hardware and software, banking programs, and a host of details I won’t go into here. This means that exactly when and how we can implement the new model depends on numerous details of the process, including arrangements with our financial institutions and the ongoing sales process for the remaining portion of the west campus. Needless to say, these details are complicated.
However, our financial and computer staffs plan to begin the rollout of this program as early as July and then bring all our congregations into the new model within four months unless circumstances beyond our control force a delay.
We plan to implement the new financial model in stages, beginning in order of districts based on the regional conference schedules. In other words, we will begin with the Southwest district, where the regional conference has already taken place. That conference was followed by ones in Chicago, Illinois, and Portland, Oregon. We now have New Jersey; Lexington, Kentucky; Denver, Colorado; Dallas, Texas; and Orlando, Florida, on the schedule.
Along with a presentation for salaried pastors regarding an employee pension plan, I will be meeting with all pastors at the regional conferences to give them a more detailed explanation about new model implementation, so I won’t go into further particulars in this article.
By using 2004 as the ramp-up year, we hope to have all our congregations up and running before the year ends. Then, 2005 will be the first full year of operations under the new model. In 2006, we plan for the apportionments to be reduced as delineated in the Financial Manual. Of course, by making the giant leap in 2004, the small step program of 2003 will not be held over, and is now considered fulfilled.
I pray these plans will bring as much joy to all of you faithful members as it does to us in Pasadena.
SOUTH PASADENA, California—For 18 years, Hani and Rose Qubain have lived quietly in South Pasadena.
Three years ago, my wife, Mickey, and I moved a few doors from them. For two years, we had a few conversations with them, mostly about the flowers in the yards and the good weather we enjoy in California. They appeared to us as a nice elderly couple who belong, we might say, to the quiet in the land.
 From left: John McKenna, Rose and Hani Qubain and Mickey McKenna. |
One day, however, Mickey learned from Rose that Hani, retired from the aerospace industry and a quality control engineer on the Galileo Project of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, was scheduled to go to Iraq as a linguist for the Department of Defense. She could hardly believe her ears. It was a long way from anything that Hani appeared to us to be.
Now, after a year in Iraq, he has returned from his service among the Coalition Forces. Rose and her sons put up balloons and threw a party for him. We were invited to sit down with Hani and Rose and to listen to him tell of his experiences interrogating terrorists, informers and other detainees, and translating tons of paper and media materials discovered in the deserts of Iraq, at Baghdad, Arbil and Qatar.
Hani was born in Jordan. His parents were clothiers. His mother had been trained by Quakers in Rumallah, but was raised a Greek Orthodox. His father was Roman Catholic.
As a young man, Hani was sent to school in Jordan with King Hussein and other young men from prominent families, then sent to Roosevelt High School for English in Washington, D.C., after which he spent four years in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a year in Berlin, and finally he moved to California, where he graduated from California State University at Los Angeles and became involved with our aerospace industry.
He speaks five languages, Arabic, Italian and English fluently, German and Spanish moderately. Because of this, when the call for linguists went out from the Pentagon for Operation Iraqi Freedom, Hani wanted to serve his country. He soon joined the Iraq Survey Group (ISG).
He was sent for a week to Texas, where he learned to fire his weapon, to Washington, D.C., for his clearances, and then to Kuwait. After spending 40 days in a desert camp waiting for the war to begin, he convoyed with the Iraq Survey Group to Baghdad, passing Abraham’s Palace at Talil. The group lived in a palace abandoned after Saddam’s defeat, without water or electricity. They questioned all kinds of people, informers and prisoners, in order to serve the cause of the operation.
From Baghdad, Hani spent three months at Arbil, the city of four gods, where he experienced the bombing of the offices of the ISG while looking for mass graves and where he continued his interrogations and translating.
Then he went to Qatar, where he directed a team working on media matters, and where he saw firsthand some of the degradation inherent in the former tyrant’s secret life-styles. At Qatar, his assignment ended.
Hani speaks with a soft voice in thoughtful tones. He speaks of Saddam’s rhetorical bluffs as a tyrant, his delusions of grandeur, and of the even greater relief that came when President George Bush finally toppled this tyrant’s reign of terror over the people of Iraq. The Arabs, he assures us, want peace and freedom from religious wars. He claims that the Coalition Forces have given hope for the realization of the kind of stability for which all the peoples of the region long.
He tells us, with his soft smile, that George Bush is the best thing to have happened to Iraq since the discovery of oil, and he wishes that the President would appoint educated and aware linguists to interact with high target Iraqi prisoners, including Saddam himself, to bring them to see the benefits of freedom, democracy and capitalism, with a full understanding of the pathos and passions of the Arab mind. Can we imagine an Iraq with a constitution that guarantees the people equality and human rights, he asks.
But even more eloquently, Hani speaks to us about his nights alone in the dusty deserts of the land. He felt, he said, that he could draw near to God there more than at any other time in his life. He became deeply impressed with the power of evil in the world, he said, in a way that made his spine tingle cold even in the midst of the hot days. But he also said that he felt, quite profoundly, the peace of the Lord settling down in the depths of his soul.
Mickey and I sat in the little living room with Hani, listening to him in silence, a silence that nearly took our breath away. How could we have ever guessed that our neighbor was this great and humble man of God?
Now when we wave to Rose and Hani in the mornings, we see far more than just a nice elderly couple living next door to us.
Now, we have learned that Hani has chosen to return for another assignment with the Department of Defense in Iraq.
2004 fall fellowship
and worship retreats, cruises
Registration continues for the 2004 worship and fellowship retreats. Regional sites, dates and coordinators for these retreats are listed in the box on page 29.
Please note: In an effort to operate more cost-effectively, Church Administration will not be sending a separate mailing for the retreats.
As indicated below, there are three ways to register this year. Please choose one from the list. Registration for the regional sites should be completed by June 25.
1. Complete the coupon on page 29 and mail it with the appropriate payment to the address on the form.
2. Log on to the WCG web site at www.wcg.org/festival and complete the application and credit card information.
3. Call 1-800-507-2299 between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. (Pacific Daylight Time).
Once registered, you will receive a confirmation letter containing your site’s housing information, activities and the specific times for services, seminars and workshops.
Note: For information about the fellowship tours and cruises, please call John Siston at 1-800-858-6999.
Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin
Douglas Johannsen, coordinator of the Wisconsin Dells site, wrote the following: “We’re anticipating quite a large group for the Dells in September. About 300 people are committed for the site. It is quite likely that we’ll exceed 1,000 in attendance.
“Many of our members are bringing friends and family who have no previous Worldwide Church of God ties, thus helping us fulfill our dream of having this be a winning event.
“Our major concern is late registration. Last year we had nearly 40 percent wait to register on site. But, our contract with the Kalahari guarantees room rates only until Aug. 9 ($99 for a hut for four people, and $109 for a suite for four). It wouldn’t surprise me if the room rate would double or triple after that date.
“Another concern is that people may be waiting to get the usual letter in the mail from headquarters with registration forms, and since there won’t be one this year, they may just wait too long.
“The number at the Kalahari is 1-877-253-5466. There’s another Church of God that has something booked for May or June, so make sure the registration people know you’re with the Worldwide Church of God and the event is Sept. 9-12.”
Ocho Rios, Jamaica
A fellowship and worship retreat will take place Oct. 14 to 18 in Ocho Rios, Jamaica at the Hibiscus Lodge Hotel.
Area attractions include climbing Dunns River Falls and swimming with the dolphins at Dolphins Cove.
Recommended accommodation: Renaissance, Jamaica Grande Resort. Single occupancy US$140 per room per night; double occupancy US$180 per room per night; triple occupancy US$240 per room per night.
Contact Daniel Graham; e-mail links@cybervale.com; telephone 1- 876-989-4357; fax 1-876-930-6298.
Majorca, Spain
The site on the island of Majorca in the Mediterranean still has space available, according to coordinator Pedro Rufian.
Services will be conducted at the Sun Club Eldorado from Sept. 29 to Oct. 7.
The site is near El Arenal city and is about 12 miles from Palma international airport. Public bus transportation is available from the airport to Sun Club Eldorado.
Ask your travel agent about flights to Palma through Madrid, London or Paris.
The application and full payment deadline is June 30.
Fall Retreats
Place Time Contact
Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin Sept. 9 to 12 doug.johannsen@gci.org
Seaside,
Oregon
Sept. 29 to Oct. 3
Myrtle Beach,
South Carolina Oct. 8 to 11
martin.manuel@gci.org
PASADENA—The WCG will once again
offer group fellowship and tour opportunities this fall—a Canada-New England
cruise and a Western Caribbean cruise.
Canada-New England cruise
The Canada-New England cruise
will be on board the MS Rotterdam—the flagship of Holland America’s
fleet. The cruise begins in New York and travels to Montreal through the St.
Lawrence Seaway. Ports of call are Newport,
Rhode Island; Gloucester, Massachusetts; Bar
Harbor, Maine; Halifax, Nova Scotia; Sydney, Nova Scotia; and Charlottetown,
Prince Edward Island.
Participants will cruise along
the Saguenay Fjord and stop in Quebec City and finally in Montreal. This 10-day
cruise, Sept. 30 to Oct. 10, has a wide variety of stops and will take place
when the fall colors should be nearing their peak. Because the fall colors can
be enjoyed only during a small window of time, this cruise sells out fast.
Reserve your cabin now and take advantage of the starting price of $1,594.
Pastor General Joseph Tkach and
his wife, Tammy, will be joined by the church’s controller, Ronald Kelly, and
his wife, Norva, to be your on-board hosts for this fellowship opportunity. We
look forward to sharing this memorable fellowship, worship and tour opportunity
with you.
Western Caribbean cruise
The western Caribbean cruise
will depart from Fort Lauderdale,
Florida, Saturday, Oct. 2, on board the MS
Zuiderdam—one of Holland America’s newest ships. Ports of call will be Key
West, Florida; Cozumel, Mexico; George Town, Grand Cayman;
and Half Moon Cay, Bahamas, returning to Fort Lauderdale Oct. 9. The starting
price is $448.
On-board hosts will be Dennis
and Lorraine Pelley, assisted by Curtis and Jannice May, and Larry and Ginny
Dietrich.
For complete itinerary, pricing
and details, please contact John Siston at Travel Gallery, 1388 E. Walnut St.,
Pasadena,
California,
91106-1528; telephone 1-800-858-6999; fax 1-626-577-0577; e-mail john@travelgallery.com
or check Travel Gallery’s web site: www.travelgallery.com.
Update: Four new members TUCSON, Arizona—The Grace of God
Fellowship, the WCG congregation in Tucson, baptized four new members: Brian
Mickens, Blanford Fuller, Michael Boulay and James Snyder, April 3 at the
home of member Annette Nettles. For the past three years, the Tucson
church has been without a pastor and has been led by a pastoral team. Membership
is about 40 people, with regular attendance around 30.
Curtis May, district superintendent,
performed the baptism, assisted by Todd Duncan and Bill Edwards.
Zita Mickens, pastoral team facilitator, presented gifts to the new
members. Mrs. Mickens presented her late husband Cal’s Bible to their son,
Brian. Dr. Fuller is part of a
bowling team that includes Jim Perry, a deacon. Mr. Perry invited him to
church, and Mrs. Mickens called him and asked if he would like to become a
member of the WCG. Dr. Fuller said he was hoping someone would call him.
Annette Nettles. Prince George plunges for
Habitat for Humanity PRINCE GEORGE, British Columbia,
Canada—The Prince George congregation took the plunge again for Habitat for
Humanity Jan. 1. Habitat is an international
Christian group that builds houses in partnership with low-income wage-earners. Almost $650 was raised in
sponsorship for someone in the congregation to take the lake plunge in sub-zero
degree weather with the funds going to Habitat. Lister
Chen. New Hope musicians provide
EAGLE ROCK, California—The New Hope
Singers, members of New Hope Christian Fellowship, the WCG congregation in Eagle
Rock, sang for a Kiwanis breakfast meeting on Good Friday, April 9. This was the third consecutive year
the musicians have been invited to perform. The choir, led by Celestine Olive
and accompanied on the piano by Allen Andrews, sang a collection of
songs portraying the sacrifice and triumphant resurrection of Christ. At noon on Good Friday, Pastor
Dennis Pelley spoke and also sang as a part of an ecumenical service
presented by Pasadena area churches. The New Hope Praise Team rose early
Easter Sunday morning for a 5 a.m. setup and rehearsal in preparation for a
sunrise service. The musicians had been asked to lead the music for a 6 a.m.
service in Eagle Rock where six churches met outside to celebrate Christ’s
resurrection. What a privilege it was to be a part of witnessing to the
community during this Easter season and lifting praises through song to our
great God! We then returned to church for a
final rehearsal before our own Easter service began. The New Hope Choir sang
three selections for the service, concluding with the “Hallelujah Chorus.”
It was a busy week beginning
with a Maundy Thursday service and ending with our Sunday worship service, but
the musicians of New Hope Christian Fellowship were excited and inspired to be
able to use their gift of music to praise and honor God during this special
time. Lorraine Pelley. Congregation has COVINA, California—Forty-seven
couples along with three singles gathered at the Covina Embassy Suites March 20
and 21 for New Hope Christian Fellowship’s (the WCG congregation in Eagle Rock,
California) fourth annual marriage retreat. Our hosts for the weekend were
Randy and Marli Brown from Waterford, Michigan. The theme for the weekend
was Choosing to Survive and Thrive in Your Marriage. Marriage experience varied greatly
within the group, from Domenick Picinic and his fiancee, Heidi
Lawrence, to John and Zora Houston, married 51 years. We had one
extended family of couples— Matthew and Nancy Picinic along with their
daughter Aileen and her husband, Brian Holder, and Domenick
Picinic and Heidi Lawrence. Two couples from Stacey Meade’s
Mothers of Preschoolers group attended as well. The retreats enhance any
relationship. It is a time to get away from everyday activities, relax with your
spouse and focus on your relationship. It is a time to recommit yourselves to
each other and to God. Randy and Marli Brown sent in
the following comments after spending the
weekend with our
group: “Dennis
and Lorraine Pelley truly display servants’ hearts, and we are honored to
consider them as friends. Their passion for Christ-centered marriages is to be
commended. We hope that they continue their vision for these marriage seminars
well into the future for the many marriages that so desperately need them.”
Mat and Pam Morgan. Tulsa congregation TULSA, Oklahoma—The Tulsa
congregation met for a regular worship service on Sunday, April 4, for the first
time, at the Shamrock Child Development Center in Tulsa. The owner of the facility was
initially amenable to the idea of a multiuse of her facility, in part, because
she was acquainted with members in the Tulsa area. After review of the proposed
contract, she said she appreciated that the Worldwide Church of God headquarters
legal staff was “looking out after her own interests!” The owner has personally
invested in equipment that was needed for regular worship services by the
church at this new location. Elder Jon Rummel conducted
the first service. Mr. Rummel gave the message and led the group in a dedication
prayer during which several members asked God to use the time and the facility
as tools to continue to reach out with his message to the Tulsa community. At subsequent worship services,
several former members and relatives of current members have attended. The Tulsa
church is excited about moving forward in the path God seems to be leading. Pikeville church plans
PIKEVILLE, Kentucky—The Pikeville
WCG congregation is the main thrust behind JULY JAM (Jesus Unconditionally Loves
You, Just Ask Me), a youth outreach scheduled for this summer. Several churches
are participating. The outreach will take place in the
city park every Friday night during July from 8 to 10 p.m. Each evening will
feature area bands, a short message and a youth drama team. Pastor Tim
Brassell will speak the third Friday. Cameron Mills, former
University of Kentucky basketball player, will be the featured speaker for the
final night. Light refreshments will be available
and free things given each Friday. The event is free. JULY JAM will give church
members an opportunity to share God’s love with the youths in our area. For more
information, please call Mike Stewart at 1-606-639-6102, or send e-mail
to him at mike.stewart@gci.org. Debby Bailey. Ross Flynn speaks at
KANSAS CITY, Missouri—Ross Flynn,
pastor of the Detroit, Michigan, East church, and a licensed marriage and family
therapist, presented a session with two others on “Postmodern Counseling for
Postmodern Relationships” at the annual convention of the American Counseling
Association, which took place in Kansas City, March 31 to April 4. The American Counseling Association
is a not-for-profit, professional and educational organization dedicated to the
growth and enhancement of the counseling profession. Grace Family members go on
DALLAS, Texas—Two Grace Family
members, Steve Kramer and Corrine Brunet, participated in a spring
break mission trip to Juarez, Mexico, March 14 to 19. The two members spoke about their
trip at Grace Family’s April 4 service. Also on the trip were former Grace
Family members Joe and Emily Shipman, who are now active in the Commerce,
Texas, Christian community. Twenty-eight people visited Juarez, including
members from the First United Methodist Church and the Wesleyan Center in
Commerce and a United Methodist group from Greenville, Texas. Participants built concrete block
houses from the ground up. The houses were an improvement on the typical
dwelling in the area, which is made of wooden pallets. The work involved the
missionaries mixing their own concrete and mortar using wheelbarrows and
shovels. Miss Brunet said the group met
each family before starting to build their house and discussed scriptures with
them. Once each house was completed, the family came and the house was dedicated
with a communion service and the residents speaking their wishes for the good
things they expected to happen in the house. Frank
Lewandowski. Interdenominational ST. LOUIS, Missouri—One hundred
thirty-six Christians participated in a joint Maundy Thursday service in St.
Louis, April 8. Members of the New Creation in
Christ and St. Louis South congregations of the WCG met with the Maryland
Heights (which hosted the event) and John Calvin Presbyterian churches as they
commemorated the Last Supper together. Jeanne Zimmermann,
Maryland Heights pastor, and Karl Reinagel, WCG pastor, began the service
with a joint call to worship. Pam Harris, New Creation in Christ worship
leader, led the congregation in three praise songs. WCG members Cathy Brown, Tommie
Clay and Gary Harris then presented a dramatic reading of John 13:1-17. Mr.
Reinagel then led a footwashing service. The combined St. Louis area choir
then sang “Written in Red.” Pastor Jeanne then gave an interactive message
titled “A Taste of Jesus.” While Pat Libhart, a Maryland
Heights member, played background hymns on the organ, Pastor Jeanne and Pastor
Karl then jointly served communion. Then, Pastor Jeanne led the group in singing
“We Are One in the Spirit” to conclude the service. Grace Family conducts Easter
services DALLAS, Texas—Grace Family Church
conducted a footwashing service April 8. The service included footwashing,
communion and worship music led by Debbie Hard. She also sang a vocal
solo, as did Cynthia Chizen. On April 11, the congregation
conducted an Easter service. The pre-service discipleship class, coordinated by
Gabriel Ojih, addressed the subject of the resurrection. Debbie Hard
and Susan Clopton led worship. They were backed up by the church choir,
directed by Margaret Smith. The choir sang a special music number, “Were
You There?” In addition, Barry Ford performed a saxophone solo, “In the
Garden.” Pastor Lynn Hebert
spoke about how Jesus can set us free from our day-to-day problems and
pressures. “Jesus is today saying that the power of the resurrection can be in
your life,” Mr. Hebert said. “If you build your life on Jesus, you can handle
anything.” Frank Lewandowski. Pasadena Spanish and PASADENA—Members from the Spanish
congregation, NewLife Fellowship and guests met to celebrate Easter together,
singing praise songs in English, Spanish and Tagalog (many NewLife members are
from the Philippines). Pastor Bermie Dizon of
NewLife welcomed everyone by reading President George Bush’s Easter
letter. Joy Gonzales, a NewLife Fellowship member, gave an emotional
testimony on how the movie The Passion of the Christ has affected her and
closed her testimony with a song. Special worship music was
offered by the NewLife Fellowship choral group and the Spanish children’s choir.
Pastor Raul Ramos gave a message on Christ’s willingness to face the
cross and all the pain and suffering that went with it. The message was
translated into Spanish by Gustavo Aguilar. After a potluck lunch, members from
both congregations presented songs and dances. NewLife Fellowship members (a
combination of adults, teens and children), led by choreographer Willie
Jacinto, presented two dances: Tinikling (bamboo pole dance) and a Maori
victory dance (using wooden sticks). The Spanish church had a pinata and
presented two songs. Then, members had a
family dance. Joe Jackson,
a Los Angeles member, commented that “the celebration was special and unifying.” Joann Pollard works as
CLARKSVILLE, Tennessee—Joann
Pollard, a member of the Clarksville church, sews gowns to clothe stillborn
infants or those who die shortly after birth at the Gateway Medical Center,
according to an April 12 article by Lauren Howard in The
Leaf-Chronicle. “Maybe this makes it a little easier
for the parents,” Mrs. Pollard said. She also crochets sweaters for needy
children around the world. Sondra Peters. Congregations celebrate
HOUSTON, Texas—Community Christian
Fellowship (CCF) observed Black History Month in February. Pastor Mark Mounts introduced
the month by proclaiming: “Though no one can go back and make a brand new start,
anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.” Worship leaders Sylvester
Washington and John Mays led a mixture of traditional hymns mixed
with contemporary music. Throughout the month, special music
included Negro spirituals. The CCF youth ensemble chorus, led by Bruce
McNair, sang the original lyrics to “Amazing Grace.” Mr. McNair and
Kalisa Taylor, 11, accompanied the ensemble on their guitars. During the prayer service,
Darnell Johnson referred to 2 Corinthians 5:15-16 as he reminded the
congregation that Christ died for all, for every race and color. Because of
this, we should no longer look at ourselves as blacks, whites, Latinos or
Asians. The fact that Christ died for all changes the ancestorship of all
Christians. Thelma Gabriel
spoke on what it was like to be a slave in the South. Many families were
separated by the selling of one or more siblings for economic reasons without
regard for the sanctity of the family. Many of the Negro spirituals had words of
liberty and of life in the kingdom of God. Mr. Mounts’ sermons centered on the
topic of the power of forgiveness. He said he could not imagine what a person of
color has had to endure in our nation. Forgiveness is to decide that whatever or
whoever caused us hurt will no longer influence any future acts in our
relationships and interactions. Forgiveness takes a while because it is hard
and, at times, may seem too hard. John Flores
addressed how Martin Luther King was a minister who answered his call to
serve. Dr. King used to preach that the work of the church was not within the
walls of the church building, but rather, our work is outside the walls. He
explained how all Christians are ministers and must use what God has given us to
serve others. The observance of Black
History Month was capped off with a soul food potluck on Feb. 28.
Jesse Soto. Black History Month in
Kalamazoo KALAMAZOO, Michigan—The Kalamazoo
church observed Black History Month for the ninth time. Pastor Roger Abels gave a
sermon on happiness and how to attain it. The first week was about black
inventors over the years. The second week was on the contribution of blacks in
both world wars. The third week was on Mordecai and his love for his people from
the book of Esther. The fourth week was a musical journey with different types
of gospel and spiritual music over the years. A social and variety show
included a self-composition of music by Leonard Raser. Black “firsts” was
presented by Rosetta Andrews. Cleophus Sturdivant presented a medley of
Negro spirituals. Catharine Sturdivant performed a dance to “I Never Saw
His Face.” Authentic African foods were served.
Catharine Sturdivant. Muskegon church celebrates
MUSKEGON, Michigan—The first Sunday
in February, Arlene Beckem gave a black history program. Thirteen of her
family members came as guests and to help with the program. Arlene’s sister, Sefronia Beckem-Hubbard,
sang “Amazing Grace.” Arlene’s brother, Anthony Beckem, sang “Lord, Show
Me How to Love.” Then, Arlene’s niece, Kela Hubbard, her nephew, Khari
Beckem, and her sister, Sefronia Beckem-Hubbard, sang “They Will Know
We Are Christians by Our Love.” Mrs. Beckem-Hubbard said that
although she is not a WCG member, Muskegon church members have been there
throughout the years for the entire Beckem family. Pastor Sam Butler preached on
unity. On the second Sunday, the black
gospel group “For Praise” visited the congregation and sang black gospel music
and songs. Mr. Butler preached that although we have died to self, our old self
keeps surfacing, and that we all need the church. On the third and fourth
Sundays, Mr. Butler continued his series on “Why the Church?”
Arlene Beckem. Baltimore children’s church
BALTIMORE, Maryland—The
Baltimore children’s church participated in its first communion service Jan. 11,
conducted by Pastor Peter Whitting. In preparation, the children had a
lesson about communion. Charlotte Whitting, children’s church
coordinator, led the children in preparing unleavened bread and grape juice.
Before the communion service, the
children took up an offering, and then one child volunteered to give an offering
prayer. Praying over the offering is something the children do every week during
the regular children’s church service. Afterward, Mr. Whitting asked if any
children were ready to come to Jesus. Lamont and Ashley Ayers, Jonathan Fell,
Jordan and Brandon Griffin, Alia Marra, Cayla Hardesty, Tyeshia Cherry, Jasmine
White, Tiffany Faulkner and Bailey Andrews accepted Jesus. Next, the children took part in a
Books of the Bible contest. Months before, Mrs. Whitting decided that the
children would benefit more from their Bible lessons if they knew the books of
the Bible in order. The anticipated contest kept the children practicing every
week. Jonathan Fell,
10, won a DVD player for knowing the books of the Old and New Testaments. His
sister, Janessa, 6, won a Children’s Songs of Praise CD for knowing the
New Testament books. The surprise finale came when Alexis Thomas, 3, made
a brave attempt to name all the books. Janet Fell.
Copyright © Grace Communion International, 2004
News of people,
places and events
baptized in
Tucson church 
BAPTISMAL
SERVICE—From left:
Michael Boulay, Bill Edwards, Brian
Mickens, Blanford Fuller, Todd Duncan,
JamAes Snyder, Ted Milhuff, Curtis May
and Selina Harding. [Photo by Annette Nettles]
ICY PLUNGE—Lister
Chen plunges into ice cold water [Photo by Chow Vuong]
Easter season music
fourth annual marriage retreat
Randy and Marli Brown
MARRIAGE RETREAT ATTENDEES--
[Photos by Christine Leon]
begins to
meet on Sunday
Jon Rummel
citywide youth event
counseling convention
Ross Flynn
mission trip to Mexico
Maundy
Thursday service in St. Louis
NewLife
celebrate Easter
Steve Ramos [Photos by
Thomas C. Hanson]
Singers from NewLife
Fellowship
Maria Sotoj with her
children (from left) Carol, Brenda and Daisy.
Spanish church children’s
choir
‘angel’ for stillborn babies
Black
History Month
Black History Month
conducts communion service
