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Our lives must bear fruit. Doctrine isn't just stored as head knowledge, but created through a life that testifies of Jesus Christ as Lord. For this reason, Brethren Life, like Brethren Belief, centers on Jesus Christ…

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Recent Articles


By Michael Cook 06 Mar, 2024
While walking through the woods as a family recently, we fell into a dispute about the water we had brought along to drink. And by “we” I mean my oldest and youngest daughters. The center of this disputed water claim was the hydration backpack that my eldest was wearing. The problem wasn’t wearing the backpack; the issue was that our youngest wanted another drink every four steps or so. It was a classic power struggle between the youngest child and the oldest. Solutions were offered. “Maggie, stop being annoying,” was one. I wasn’t sure how helpful – or likely – this solution would be. “Ellie, just let me have a drink and stop complaining,” was another possible but unlikely way forward. Finally, I realized that this was a self-limiting problem. Maggie isn’t very big; how much water could she possibly drink? “Ellie, stop and let her drink all of it she wants. Then she won’t want any more for a while, and she’ll leave you alone.” Ellie was indignant. “She’ll drink it all!” she exclaimed. “She won’t drink it all. There’s plenty of water there for everyone.” “BUT SHE’LL DRINK IT ALL!” Ellie would not be convinced, even though she wasn’t wearing some kid-sized hydration backpack that only held a thimble of water. She was wearing my pack, which holds close to two liters of water. All three of my daughters could have drank until their bellies and bladders were full to the top, and there would still have been water left over. But the fear of not having enough runs deep, doesn’t it? Electric cars typically have a range of approximately 10x the average daily commute. But we stick with internal combustion power because we’re afraid electricity might not have the “juice” when we need it. People are filling storage units as quickly as they can be built. There’s a candy dish calling my name from the next room. I’ve already had a few pieces out of it. Certainly, I’ve had enough. Why do I still want more? What is it inside of us that remains unsatisfied? Why does it so often seem like there’s not enough? Before he was King David, he was simply David, the little brother. As the little brother, he got stuck watching sheep because his older brothers had better things to do. While watching sheep, he came to one of the most profound truths about God recorded in Scripture. Just as David was a shepherd over his sheep, God was the shepherd caring for David. The LORD is my shepherd. I lack nothing. What did David have while shepherding? Probably little more than a bit of food, a big stick, his sling, and a few rocks. And yet he lacked nothing. Why? Because the God of the Universe, the creator and sustainer of all things, was his shepherd. He wasn’t worried about the things he didn’t have. He knew what he did have: a Shepherd-God who had delivered him from a lion and a bear. The LORD is my shepherd. I lack nothing. The fear of not having enough is a tool of the enemy. It keeps us from making big plans and dreaming big dreams. Are we afraid to ask God for audacious blessing? Is it a fear that God won’t give us what we need? Or are we afraid that he actually will? Is God the owner of the cattle on a thousand hills, or is he not? Is Jesus the master of the fish and loaves, or is he not? In my own life, I’ve felt the Spirit’s conviction that I’m not dreaming big enough. And I suspect I might not be alone. If the Lord is your shepherd, you lack nothing. Go boldly in the assurance of his care, and seek out the dreams he has for you, your church, and your community.
By Michael Cook 27 Feb, 2024
Nappanee First Brethren Church (NFBC) has been busy these last few months ministering and reaching out to its local community. Since last fall, they’ve rolled out several new ministries and community outreach initiatives that offer hope, healing, and the Gospel to the community. Last October, NFBC launched "Life Groups" which go beyond traditional small groups to connect with communities and serve as mini "house churches." One of the stated goals of Life Groups is to serve as a vehicle for congregants to reach out to unchurched friends and neighbors. The initiative has been met with a good amount of success and has resulted in a number of people becoming reconnected to church through the ministry of these Life Groups. Tom Anders, Senior Pastor of NFBC, notes, "When you start doing what the Lord wants, people start coming out of the woodwork." Beginning in January 2024, NFBC became a local affiliate of Celebrate Recovery. Celebrate Recovery, now being used by more than 3500 churches, was birthed out of Saddleback Church in the 1990s, is a Christ-centered 12-step program that uses the principles outlined in the Beatitudes to bring healing to peoples’ “hurts, habits, and hang-ups.” These might range from drug and alcohol addiction to trauma and relational wounds to grief and mental health. On Thursday nights, Celebrate Recovery meets at NFBC. The first hour is the large group session, which includes worship, a review of the Celebrate Recovery principles, a lesson, and testimonies. Then, there’s a brief refreshment time before people move into their small groups, organized by the specific issue the group addresses. The success of Celebrate Recovery extends beyond the meeting, though, as one of its tenets is that participants must engage with a church community. Although Celebrate Recovery is a ministry not intended for outreach, a few participants have found a home at NFBC. Part of the launch of Celebrate Recovery was to air a few radio spots advertising the new ministry on the local Christian radio station Pulse FM. With several satellite towers, Pulse FM has a reach covering roughly half of Indiana and Michigan. Once those radio spots were up and running, NFBC’s advisory team began to feel God inviting them onto the airwaves in a bigger way, and began investigating what it might take to start a regular radio show on Pulse FM. Once the question was asked, God started opening the doors. A parishioner with a metal roofing business was approached and asked if the business would be interested in underwriting the program. “Doing this would cost less than our monthly spend on Facebook!” was the enthusiastic reply. With the sponsor secured, Pastor Tom was ready to bring the Word to the airwaves weekly. And on Sunday, February 4th, 2024, “Living Life Victoriously,” hosted by Pastor Tom Anders, went on the air. You can tune in at 8 pm every Sunday night on Pulse FM to hear his teaching if you’re in the broadcast reach or listen online at pulsefm.com!
By Austin Kaufman 14 Feb, 2024
“‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’” Matthew 25:20-21 Faithfulness is risky and rewarding. It requires more than just maintenance. Turning a profit points to a job well done. These were the thoughts that challenged our congregation as we reflected on what God has handed Goshen First Brethren Church over the decades. Being a new pastor here, this was an education in history that hit home a few times as I saw family names on plaques and pages, recording the story of GFBC. The conclusion was clear: if our story was the parable of the talents, we were the servant blessed with five (Matt. 25:14ff). But the challenge came when we considered what that servant did with those five talents. He “went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more.” (v. 16) This is in contrast to the servant called “wicked and slothful” who buried his one talent, keeping it in pristine condition just as it was given to him (vv. 24, 26). When we considered this example of faithfulness as risk-taking and profit-making versus hiding and maintaining, the “talent” of our building came into focus as one of the blessed deposits with which we have been entrusted. So what does faithfulness look like? This particular building has stood for almost 100 years, with a few additions here and there. The space is abundant and well-kept, but like many church facilities, the lights were off five days of the week. On top of that, my wife and I are native to this area and already own a home, so the same was true for the 5-bedroom parsonage next door. Through the dedication of trustees and volunteers throughout the years, both have been kept in pristine condition. So, we asked the Lord and pondered together what faithful, risky, profiting would look like at 215 W Clinton St. The answer came a couple of months later from a neighbor with a ministry connection. Downtown Ministries is a Christian non-profit organization that seeks to offer second chances to folks in Elkhart County who face adversity of many kinds. Their efforts include transitional houses for women and children, job skills training, financial classes, and addiction recovery. Each one of these initiatives happens in partnership with local churches through individual Christians coming alongside people to offer the support and hope of Christ. As one can imagine there are many people facing this type of adversity in our area, and DTM needed to expand to meet that need. The conversation began with our empty parsonage becoming a safe haven for a single mom seeking a fresh start. But that vision quickly ballooned into keeping the lights on in our building as beacons of hope throughout the week. Currently, the tenant in The Clinton House (parsonage) is working through the DTM classes, started a new job, is receiving spiritual, medical, and mental healing, and is an active member in a local church. The facilities are buzzing at GFBC with classes offered almost every night of the week, that all include a meal shared between students and Christian mentors. Sixteen teens graduated Jobs for Life last year, as well as thirteen adults with more completing the program during just the first quarter of this year. Faith and Finances classes will meet and offer the first Spanish-speaking class in the fall of 2024. Over 20 volunteers from various churches have been trained as champions and allies for these folks, and the need is only growing. Since the partnership began between GFBC and DTM, three more transitional houses have been acquired and connections are being made with local law enforcement, the local school system, and other ministries to bring hope to Goshen. In essence, our partnership with DTM is akin to an investment brokerage, taking the capital of our building and trading with it in the open market of community impact. DTM has leveraged our facility to create positive growth in people’s lives, the community, and the Kingdom. Last year, multiple students came to faith in Christ through Faith and Finances and were baptized as members of a local church. In the Kingdom economy, the risk of loaning our building is paying dividends in a big way. While there's much work ahead—logistics, connections, and equipping disciples for this task—the lesson we've learned at GFBC is clear: Kingdom growth involves investing what we’ve been given, not merely maintaining it. The ongoing risk in this partnership is met with tangible rewards, reminding us that God works through our blessings, like buildings, to build His Kingdom. Our “talents” are not just for our benefit but are opportunities, rather, obligations for investment. “For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance.” (Matt. 25:29a) Grace and Peace, Austin Kaufman Pastor Goshen First Brethren Church
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