Bill Sidney
Rey Taniajura
MANILA, Philippines--The WCG entered into a working relationship Sept. 24 with the Asian Theological Seminary (ATS), considered to be one of the top seminaries in the Philippines and Asia.
Bill Sidney |
Rey Taniajura |
Bill Sidney, regional director, and Isabelo Magalit, ATS president, signed a memorandum of agreement binding the two institutions in an endeavor to provide quality biblical and pastoral training outside the seminary to Christian workers and lay members.
Signing with Mr. Sidney and Dr. Magalit were Rey Taniajura, administrator of the church's Leadership Development Institute (LDI), and Ruth Callanta, director of the ATS Lay Institute (ALI).
Mr. Taniajura said: "We are working on the curriculum of the certificate program in Christian Transformational Leadership. We hope to offer the first subjects in January." Arlan Aquino.
BOSTON, Massachusetts--The Boston WCG congregation and the First Congregational Church of Waltham launched a chapel service the last Wednesday of each month.
(The Boston church has been meeting in the First Congregational Church building for three years.)
The chapel service came about after the two congregations formed a combined evangelism committee.
 Al Ebeling |
On the last Wednesday of each month, members from both congregations gather for a praise and worship celebration.
"We sing both contemporary and traditional praise music, have voluntary intercessory prayer, individual testimony and a biblical message," said pastor Al Ebeling.
"Our goal is to worship with one another as often as we can and take this enthusiasm and message to the community of Waltham."
The congregations share weekly Bible studies and men's ministries. Pastors from both congregations have shared each other's pulpits.
DURBAN, South Africa--Caroline Crouch, daughter of a Worldwide Church of God member, who was injured in a bomb blast Aug. 25 in Cape Town (October WN), is "getting on extremely well," according to pastor Gordon Green.
"I've seen her twice at a gym where she is getting special training from a personal trainer," Mr. Green said. "She is walking much better, although still slowly.
"It's hard to believe that she was initially paralyzed from the waist down. Full recovery will take a while, but it seems almost daily there is some progress."
SHERWOOD, Arkansas--Because many Sherwood members desire more of Jesus Christ in their lives, the Sherwood congregation began a weekly Wednesday evening worship service Sept. 23.
The midweek gathering is in addition to a weekly Sunday morning worship service.
The format is a praise, worship and prayer service, and concludes with the sacraments of Holy Communion.
 Gene Griffin |
"Communion every week may be a bit much for some," said pastor Gene Griffin, "but it seems to satisfy the hunger many of our members have developed for more of Jesus Christ in their lives."
The service begins with three lively praise songs, followed by a period of intercessory prayers. Another session of four or five worship songs comes next, followed by more voluntary prayers.
Pastor Gene then asks for God's blessing on the sacraments, after which the final session of five or six worship songs begins. During this session, members who wish to do so come forward to the altar and partake of the sacraments of bread and wine.
At times, especially during the final session when communion takes place, the worship becomes moving and powerful, and many members respond by raising their hands, bowing, kneeling and even bowing on their knees while worshiping in song.
"I enjoy the worship, the prayer and actually feeling the presence of God during these services," said Silver Newton, a new member from the community who, with her son Jasper, joined the Sherwood church several months ago. "The service rejuvenates me spiritually during the middle of the week," she said.
Candles, some scented, and special lighting enhance the Wednesday evening service, helping members view themselves as if they were singing with the holy angels in the throne room of God. New worship songs are introduced each week.
"The Wednesday worship is great," commented Airman First Class James Kenneth Williams of the Little Rock Air Force Base. James was drawn to the Sherwood church because of an advertisement. "The Wednesday service gives us an opportunity to come together as a church family and get out of the world," he said.
Sharon Linder has lived in central Arkansas all her life, and began attending the Sherwood church about the time the Wednesday evening service was started. "The Wednesday service has helped me focus more on Jesus Christ--to put him first in my personal and work life," she said. "And when the service is over, and we all leave, we each leave feeling refreshed."
 Jim Valekis |
RICHMOND, Indiana--Jim Valekis, pastor of the congregations in Muncie and Richmond, Indiana, and Dayton and Tipp City, Ohio, is the first recipient of the Nancy Kortepeter Mullen scholarship from the Earlham School of Religion.
It covers full tuition for all classes for the 1998-99 school year.
Recipients are chosen based on these characteristics: 1) A person with courage of conviction who is open to new insights; 2) A person with a love for people in general and compassion for those with particular needs; 3) A person who hungers for learning and is called by God to use his or her spiritual gifts in serving humanity; 4) And finally, a person with a joyful spirit who encourages and inspires others.
COLUMBIA, Missouri--Members of the Columbia congregation participated in a Crop Walk Oct. 4 sponsored by Church World Service to fight world hunger.
 Al Kersha |
Pastor Al Kersha learned of the Crop Walk while attending an Inter-Faith Council meeting in August.
Funds are given to food pantries and other relief efforts in the United States and around the world. The culmination of the fund-raising effort is a group walk that highlights the plight and need of the hungry and destitute.
"When I learned of the Crop Walk's sponsoring organization it seemed vaguely familiar to me," Mr. Kersha said. "After finding an old document passed on to me from my parents, it was confirmed that Church World Service was the sponsoring agency that helped my parents, older brother and myself to be relocated from a displaced persons camp in Munich, Germany, to the United States in 1947."
Several members of the Columbia congregation helped raise money for the Crop Walk, collecting about 10 percent of the total in the community.
On the day of the walk, Mr. Kersha welcomed participants and recounted his family's experience with the Church World Service.
CORONA, California--The Corona congregation was looking for a way to use the gifts of its members for community evangelism.
With weekly attendance between 20 and 30, including children, resources are limited. However, one strength of the congregation is its dynamic children's church. God has also blessed the congregation with a church facility that includes a number of classrooms.
The congregation started a "Virtues & Values" summer program with classes Saturday mornings from 9:30 to 12:30 for children ages 3 through fifth grade.
The classes would give parents time to run errands or do chores while their children were being taught about virtues and values such as being thankful, having compassion, being a good friend and being obedient.
Terry Davis coordinated the program with assistance from Deena Murray and the youth group consisting of Pam and Rosario Alvarez, and Jon and Janelle Davis.
Each class included a video, snacks, craft projects, games, a scripture to learn, singing, prizes, and for the younger children a story time, while the older children did a short Bible study on a topic.
The program was marketed by free newspaper advertisements, and by passing out flyers to parents at a grocery store and at the city's youth recreational programs. The children were also encouraged to bring friends and neighbors.
The program began with seven children attending regularly. By the end of the three months, the average attendance was between 15 and 20.
More than 45 new children came to the class at one point or another. Some had never attended church before and were excited to learn about a God who loved them and a Jesus who died for them. On two occasions, the children sang a praise song in front of the congregation.
For more information about the program, send e-mail to Terry Davis at loves2ride@juno.com
TEMPLE, Texas--James Smetak, an Ambassador University graduate, is planning to publish a magazine for Ambassador alumni.
Mr. Smetak asks: "Remember your friends, dances, club meetings, trips, fellowship in the dining hall and all the wonderful things you did while at Ambassador? Now you have an occasion to write about your experiences and share them with others."
If you are interested in subscribing to or writing articles for this magazine, write to Ambassador Times, Box 200, Temple, Texas, 76504-2001 or send e-mail to arturius@Sage.net
(This magazine is not sponsored by the WCG.)
REGINA, Saskatchewan--The Regina young singles will be hosts for a retreat for young adults Jan. 1 to 4. The topic will be Keys to Relationships.
The cost will be 60 Canadian dollars. Please apply early because space is limited.
Send all correspondence to The YIPPIES, 54 Rendek Cres., Regina Saskatchewan, S4X 1B8, Canada. Telephone: 1-306-543-8732 (ask for Darla). Fax: 1-306-543-8732. E-mail: the_yippies@hotmail.com
MYRTLE BEACH, South Carolina--"We're told to praise the Lord," said Joseph Tkach in a sermon at this year's Feast in Myrtle Beach, "all creation praises him.... We--the crown of his creation--should praise him ever more."
For the second year, the Great American Gospelfest (GAGF) was partially sponsored by the Myrtle Beach Feast Site.
GAGF is committed to bringing Christians of various cultures, denominations and backgrounds together through praise and worship music.
It provides an avenue for Christian musicians to gain recognition as they compete through playing music and provides an opportunity for Christians of divergent backgrounds to be edified by music that exalts the Savior.
This year's main competition was conducted Friday and Saturday after worship services in the Myrtle Beach Convention Center, with finals being conducted Sunday afternoon at the House of Blues.
Many WCG members, including the Peacemakers, a WCG praise band from North Carolina, the Savannah, Georgia, choir, and Brian Clark, competed in Sunday's finals.
Plans are being made for the third Great American Gospelfest. For more information, contact Greg Williams at 1-910-433-3060 or by e-mail at greg_williams@wcg.org Micah B. Royal.
CORAL SPRINGS, Florida--"The news out of Honduras is grim," said Charles Fleming, regional director. "As you can tell from the news agencies, the nation has really been ravaged. Fortunately, from what we have heard, all of our people are safe, though three families have lost their homes and others had to be evacuated."
Pastor Salvador Barragan said: "I talked by phone with Otto Kohler, a member in Nicaragua. Nobody from our congregation was affected by the heavy rains."
Mr. Fleming continued: "The brethren and all people of Honduras and Nicaragua are going to need help, and certainly need our prayers."
Some congregations have organized food drives to help people there. Charles Fleming.
DULUTH, Minnesota--Pastor Gordy Lindquist encourages members to identify their gifts and talents, and then step out and use them creatively to serve others.
To establish an outreach program, members decided to periodically volunteer as a group, to not only provide a Sunday dinner and church service for a downtown mission for the homeless, but to serve the food and clean up afterward, as well.
Several hundred people are given a generous and nourishing meal. A somewhat abbreviated church service is conducted.
The Duluth Women's Ministry periodically conducts a product drive to help the mission provide hygiene kits. This kind of product drive is also occasionally made for a women's crisis shelter.
Duluth also helps sponsor an international missionary team. Muriel Jersett heads this program for the Duluth Women's Ministry and the congregation. She found countless areas of desperate need.
The congregation decided to adopt Mark and Joan Bouman, who help run an orphanage of 200 children in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Families donate $5 a month, and the congregation receives an informative newsletter from the couple. Joanne Christian.
MUSKEGON, Michigan--The Muskegon church conducted services outdoors at pastor Norm David's home, Aug. 22.
The 43 in attendance heard a sermon on "Worship God With All Your Might."
Also, last summer, the congregation joined several Muskegon churches for a Prayer Walk.
The congregation has developed information packets listing local church activities, the WCG Statement of Beliefs, and an invitation to worship. This will be an outreach to those living near the meeting hall. Connie Johnson.
ANTELOPE VALLEY, California--Tom Papania, formerly in the Mafia, now a Christian minister, spoke to the Antelope Valley congregation and others from the community July 19. Five hundred people attended.
Mr. Papania got involved in the Mafia when he was 15. He worked his way up in the New York Gambino organized crime family.
His past caught up with him, and he was sent to the Atlanta, Georgia, federal penitentiary to await trial for a crime he didn't commit. He was set free and now travels the world sharing his testimony and bringing others to Christ. Ken and Joanna Mitchell.
Copyright © Worldwide Church of God, 1998