Update on Brethren Global Partners: The Mole Report

Periodically, Linda Immel distributes the MOLE Report, a gathering of Brethren Global Partner news for churches and individuals who support these ministries. You can download PDF of the MOLE Report here

Dear Friends,


Let me just start by saying how grateful I am for each one of you who have patiently waited for this edition of the Mole Report. Many of you have asked where I have been, and honestly I have been struggling over the past several months. For a person who likes to have a plan and doesn’t like those plans to be changed, I have found myself frustrated, lonely, and depressed by all the cancelations and changes that have happened in our country and world since March. Believe me, this is not the first time I have sat at my computer to make a Mole Report, but before I could even finish it, more changes were reported and more things were canceled. Before I could report about what was happening with a Global Partner, something new would occur. Even though I was getting reports of how God was moving in the midst of this pandemic, I wasn’t feeling it, and even still today it’s hard to see the big picture and plan that God has through this mess we’re living, but I know He is faithful every day (Lamentations 3:19-23), and He has great plans ahead for us who follow Him (Jeremiah 29:11) and believe in His Son, Jesus Christ. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I pray God’s richest blessings upon you all.


I have been collecting information and updates from our Global Partners over the past months, and I will include as much as I can in this Mole Report. Some of them are from two or three months ago, but a lot of the situations continue as we continue in this pandemic. Each of you W.M.S. groups should have received your mailing and ballot from Norma Waters in June. Hopefully groups are beginning to meet again, and can read through the information sent from the National Executive Board. You will see there that I do plan to continue with the Mole Report, and will have discussions about what that will look like. The purpose of this report has always been to inform you of the needs of our Global Partners, share prayer requests, and tell stories of God’s movement through the Brethren Church in other countries. We want that to continue.


Several of you have requested that I include our Global Partner’s birthdays and anniversaries again, so you will find that included on page 4. Some societies still send me cards to mail to our Global Partners, but for right now I am holding those until things open up more for international delivery. I don’t want those precious cards and notes to be lost in some warehouse between here and there. We have discovered new ways of encouraging and supporting our partners around the world, and you can do that as well. Many of our Global Partners are on Facebook which is a great tool for connecting with them. I am also including that information on page 4. If you have Facebook, I urge you to send a note of encouragement, a Bible verse, or a prayer for our partners. You can be such a blessing to them during this time of uncertainty. The Brethren Global Partners also has a Facebook page where you can find current updates and information sent from Scott Soden. I have retired from working at the school this year, so if you would like me to visit your church or W.M.S. meeting, I will be more available this coming year, and would love to come see you. Even though our ways of doing things many have changed, God is still calling us to serve Him. May we all serve Him well.

Linda Immel, W.M.S. Mole

SPAIN: David & Cecilia Molina

Spain has been closed completely, so David & Cecilia have not met with their church family for over 3 months. They don’t have any way of doing video services, so they ask prayers for their congregation. They want to visit them, but want to be wise and safe for themselves and for their church family. This was a note from Cecilia written on May 11th: “I just hope that at this stage of de-escalation we learned something. Just as at first we thought that Covid-19 here would not affect us like other countries, but in the end it came to us and we don’t want to think now that this is over and we won’t have any contagion upturn. If we don’t take precautions and keep the safety distance or use the masks, we are sure to go back and that is simply reality for us right now.”

CHILE: Carlos & Zulema Quiroga

Chile is in lockdown except for essential workers only. The Brethren Church in Santiago has not met since March, and has not been able to pay Pastor Carlos during that time. He has been working as a security guard at a bank to provide for his family. They do not have the capabilities to do on line services although Zulema has been doing Bible studies on Facebook. Funds raised from the Brethren Response to COVID-19 was sent to the Santiago Brethren Church to help with basic expenses at the church, with some going to help the Quiroga family. They are so grateful for this help from U.S. Brethren.

PHILIPPINES: Gary & Joy Castro

The Philippines continue on lockdown, but the church there is adapting to separation well. Gary reports that they are having daily Bible studies, discipleship groups and Sunday worship on line, and it is going well. There are reported cases of COVID-19 in their town, but they are all well and staying mostly at home. Jesus Our Firm Foundation (JOFF) Brethren Church in Bocaue and in Bulacan have been serving their communities by delivering supplies to homes and facilities such as portable germ zappers, air purification cleaners, germ guard, and pocket sterilizers. Some of these supplies have also been purchased through the Brethren Response to COVID-19 funds. You can hear messages from Pastor Gary and others on Facebook. 


           Just a note: Some funds were sent to the National Office for the Brethren Churches in Malaysia. It has been discussed that instead of sending someone from the National Office, that these funds might be better used to send Gary Castro from the Philippines to meet with Pastor Ernest Ng and the Brethren in Malaysia as soon as things open up and it is safe for him to travel there. He has agreed to do this, and we are hoping this will be the start of reconnecting with them. Please keep this in prayer.


INDIA: Prasanth & Nirmala Kumar and Sudhir & Latha Kumar

 In April before the country of India became more closed because of the coronavirus, the Brethren Mission in India was able to conduct their Lenten services in Rajahmundry and in the villages. Nirmala sent this report on April 2nd: On the same dates, we had mini revival meetings on the streets in front of the church members’ homes in the evenings. Every evening around 300 people gathered and heard the messages on the CROSS. We also met together in the church at Rajahmundry for praise and celebration of what Christ did for us. Let us all pray that the fire of the gospel again would rise in India and across the world. 


           Nirmala continued this report a week later: The SUN RISE DEVOTIONS OF THE CROSS has taken place at RAJAHMUNDRY BRETHREN CHURCH from Ash Wednesday until Easter. Our hearts were broken when the government shut down everything after that day due to the coronavirus across the globe.

 

           India has now opened back up some and they plan to be back in church very soon. Sudhir said that his parents are doing well, but they have not been away from home since April. The Kumars have some wonderful ways of worshiping and often use multiple languages including English. They are trying very hard to stay connected with the many village churches and pastors, and are trying to stay connected with the congregations in Rajahmundry and Visakhapatnam through LIVE telecast of the services. You can see them on Facebook. Of course, we were disappointed when Sudhir’s trip for General Conference was canceled. We pray he will be able to join us in the future.

 

           At this time, I am continuing with my plans to visit India in 2021. It may not be in February if things are still uncertain, but if not then it will be in the fall. I have felt this leading of God for a couple years, and believe He is still calling me to go there. This is open for a team to go so if you are interested, please contact me. I have some very tentative information that I can give you. For W.M.S. groups, there is information about how you can be a part of this trip in the mailing you received. I will be sending out more information to you in the coming months.

 

           One final thing about India. Over the past month we have lost three very dear India partners, and I want you to know how special these people were to the ministry of the Brethren Mission in India. On June 6th Dean Hess moved into his heavenly home. He and his wife, Mary, were from the Gretna Brethren Church and began to sponsor a village pastor many years ago. Even after they moved to Arizona they continued to be India partners. June 20th was the homegoing of another wonderful India partner. Grace Grumbling had been a blessing to the Kumars and their work in India over the years. She was also a longtime sponsor of a village pastor. She was a member of the Johnstown Third Brethren Church, and mother of our National Secretary, Norma Waters. And, Patty Sweet from the College Corner Brethren Church passed away on June 26th. Over the years she had been a faithful India partner. Each of these individuals were not only financial partners, but they were faithful prayer warriors for the ministry in India and they will be greatly missed. Thank you, dear saints.



LIMA, PERU: Luis Angel & Zoraida Morillas

Pastor Luis Angel and his family send greetings to all the Brethren in the U.S. During our patriotic month, they want us to know that they are praying for us, and for healing for our country. The city of Lima is past it’s 100th day of lockdown because of the coronavirus. There have been many hardships in Lima, many without support or means to survive. The Lima Brethren Church is grateful for the money they received from the Brethren Response to COVID-19 funds. With this money they have been able to continue helping the children and families of Ticlio Chico. That is one of the poorest districts in Lima, and the families there were desperate for food and supplies. Because there was no travel outside the city, Luis depended upon a dear Christian lady in Ticlio Chico to make purchases and distribute the food bags to families. A group of women, with funds from Lima, have started preparing the common pot where families can come and receive a meal for the day. The children and families are in critical situations. White flags can be seen on the hillside to indicate the dire need for food. Pastor Luis and the Lima Brethren Church are sending as many funds as they can to help supply food and also cleaning kits when possible.


           On June 16th we received a note from Pastor Luis that he had been able to travel to Ticlio Chico for the first time and be reunited with the families. He said it was a very touching moment. They realize they still have a long way to go before they will be able to gather for worship at the church building in Lima, but they are reaching out to those in need as much as possible. Zoraida is teaching the children at home as all the schools are closed. Luis Angel’s mother who was actually in the United States visiting family in Texas has not been able to return to Peru since all this started in March. Please continue to pray for the ministry in Lima.




PUERTO MALDONADO, PERU: Italo & Rebecca Abuid and Segundo Gonzales

Because Our Good Shepherd Orphanage is outside of town and pretty isolated anyway, they have not felt the severe effects of the virus as Lima has. The children are not in school of course, but they are doing well and continue to grow under the care of Italo and Rebecca. What a wonderful picture of Italo with their son, David, and the children taken on Father’s Day. They have been trying to treat Italo’s cancer from home because travel to Lima for treatments is not possible right now. They are praising the Lord for sustaining him and their home during this hard time. They are thankful for the help they received at the beginning of the year from Chyann Mackey (on the far left) of the Mt. Olive Brethren Church. She was there for several weeks and was able to assist Rebecca with a VBS in March. It was well attended by children in the area and with the help of Pastor Segundo of the Brethren Church Puerto Maldonado. Segundo says the church has not been able to meet, but before this they had approximately 45 adults baptized and 100 children. They are helping families with food and supplies as they can using funds from the U.S.




ARGENTINA: Willy & Viviana Romanenghi

In Argentina the government has suspended many activities and events including schools and churches. However, they remain hopeful, and their pastors and churches have made adaptions. Bible studies and sermons are online and music fills their homes. They are discovering that Jesus is always with them, and He is using them to bring hope to the people around them. This was reported by Lautaro Vitale, one of their young church workers. He served as an interpreter for Scott Soden and Tom Schiefer during their visit last September. He is pictured here with Juan Carlos Poletti, Scott, and Carlos Quiroga during that meeting.


On June 14th Willy wrote this about the ministry in Argentina: “Even though the quarantine is still mostly in effect in Argentina, the Spirit continues to move and bring groups together in amazing ways for study and fellowship. With joy and enthusiasm, there are always testimonies because Jesus is real and His Word is eternal and present. We pray God will give us wisdom to return to the temple without losing this joy and enthusiasm.”  





PARAGUAY: Juan Carlos & Mar Poletti

Our Brethren Global Partners in Paraguay are experiencing incredible hardship with the unemployment rate and poverty line rising exponentially throughout the country and region. Yet the Brethren in Asuncion have stepped out to make a difference. Just a few miles outside of the capital lies the small barrio of Ypani. Every day, members of the Brethren Church go to this poor neighborhood to feed breakfast and lunch to approximately 185 men, women, and children. The need is extraordinary! However, because of the Brethren Response to COVID-19 funds hope is alive again! Children are smiling, adults are active with participating in preparing and serving food, and because of that they have decided to build a new church in Ypani, where a place of gathering is so desperately needed. They are also helping to provide sanitary supplies to homes to keep the people from getting sick.





COLOMBIA: Marcelo & Adriana Ferreri

In Colombia, the Brethren Church is working hard to provide supplies, especially for children and families. Even though they had to move one of their churches to a smaller building because they could no longer afford the rent, the church continues to develop some amazing new ways to connect with their congregations. They are using Facebook to hold Bible studies, worship, and even develop new disciples online. You are invited to join them on Thursday nights via Facebook as they study God’s Word led by Marcelo & Adriana.   

Midwest Pastors Gathering

By Miles Larson • 08 May, 2024
On April 9th, over 20 pastors gathered at North Manchester for a time of encouragement and dialogue about their local ministries in their local Brethren churches. The day started with some simple and intimate worship led by Tom Schiefer, who reminded us that God can hear all of our prayers at once, which is a common way for people in other cultures to pray. Miles Larson then led those gathered through a time of celebrating one another, reminding us that we have a responsibility to encourage one another in the hard work of ministry, both with urgency and consistency, as the writer of Hebrews shares. Before moving into a time of identifying some of the significant local challenges we are all facing, elders shared a meal and discussed resources, books, and other tools that we use to inform our ministry, how we’re continuing our education, and staying committed to sharpening ourselves in ministry. In the final part of the meeting, Steven Cole gave an update on several efforts of The Brethren Church on the national level and many ministry developments to celebrate. Following that, about half of the pastors gathered went to golf on a beautiful spring day in Indiana. Our time together was encouraging and refreshing. There is much to celebrate in the continued efforts of The Brethren Church in the Midwest!

Northeast Missions & Ministry Day

By Miles Larson • 08 May, 2024
On April 20th, over 25 pastors, leaders, and families journeyed through the picturesque countryside of Bedford County, Pennsylvania, to spend a day of shared experiences, fellowship, prayer, and worship at Raystown Brethren Church. This event marked the Northeast Region’s fourth Missions & Ministry Day, and it was a powerful day for all involved. After a welcome time of coffee and donuts, the parade of awe-inspiring ministries began. Al Chamberlain, pastor of Raystown Brethren Church, started with a devotional word to remind us of the importance of having a vision and trusting God’s voice when we hear from him. Following that, Bryan Miller from Valley Brethren Church talked about how the “Seeds to Harvest” funds that the Northeast has made available to support the starting of new ministries are already proving fruitful in their community. The archery ministry that was started at Valley is blessing the children and adults in the community in surprising and powerful ways. Miles Larson, Director of Pastoral and Congregational Vitality, shared some of the exciting things coming out of the vitality office nationally, including the partnership with web company Postmodern Pulpit, the Brethren Pastors’ Orientation in June, the Certificate in Pastoring Transitions that will launch in September with Ashland Theological Seminary (ATS), and more. After that, Ben Frank, pastor of New Hope Church in State College, told stories of changed lives from their ongoing prayer ministry on Penn State’s campus and how a simple, consistent commitment to obediently position ourselves for service can bring transformation to desperate people. Scott Soden, Global Partners Coordinator, shared about his incredible 24-day trip around the world, traveling to the Philippines and South Africa. During the trip, he and several other Brethren Elders and pastors were able to gather, fellowship, and even ordain the first group of Brethren Elders ever in South Africa. He also unpacked some of the excitement about the new vision statement and how this is already shaping the future of The Brethren Church. Finally, TJ McLaughlin, Northeast Regional Resource Coordinator, and Richard Ringler, Director of Camp Peniel, rounded out our time with some camp updates and regional discussions specific to the Northeast. Perhaps most powerful was the time of worship and prayer after lunch. The Holy Spirit was heavy with the people gathered there as they sang and prayed. The Northeast Region Mission & Ministry Day is just one of the regularly scheduled opportunities people in the Northeast have to gather and fellowship in celebration and support of the works to which God is calling his people.

Camp Bethany "Tent Campers" Gather

By Lynn Mercer • 01 May, 2024
On Saturday, April 20th, beautiful Camp Bethany hosted a reunion of campers who slept there in the tents in Camp Bethany's earliest years! Those in attendance camped way back in 1959, the very first year that Camp Bethany hosted overnight campers. Some of the tent campers were ‘there’ via Zoom! Many brought in photos and other memorabilia from their camping days to share. Everyone had an opportunity to share their name, what Brethren Church they attended when they were campers, and a memory. Of course, much more was shared, tears were shed, and God received all the glory! Reflecting on the day, here’s a text from one of those who attended: “I can’t stop thinking about Saturday and just what a wonderful time I had. It was so very special in every way. . . . When I saw the invitation, . . . I had no idea what a wonderful time was in store for all of us; so many warm memories.” Sherry (Barnhart) Van Duyne and Sherry (Shannon) Fabian led us in singing some of the old camp songs! We remembered the Camp Bethany cooks and enjoyed a delicious lunch made by Paula Strickland. The names of many of those who volunteered as Camp Staff were mentioned. Ken VanDuyne gave a very interesting and informative presentation about Camp Bethany's early history, showing us pictures of the Camp in its earliest days! Following that, the Camp Board provided information about the many ways to support Camp Bethany, including IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions, wills or bequests, retirement plans, investment accounts, life insurance, and more. Kenton VanDuyne, Camp Director, served as photographer for the day. We want to acknowledge that the Camp Bethany Board members & the North Central Region Leadership Team of The Brethren Church cooperated together to sponsor this event, and we extend a heartfelt thank you to both Camp Bethany and the North Central RLT. If you have questions, please get in touch with me, Lynn Mercer, who thoroughly enjoyed planning this Reunion (937-441-9771 or class_of73@yahoo.com ). We thank God for bringing each one of us to Camp Bethany when we were younger & we thank God for bringing us together for a great day of celebration! As a promotional article stated prior to the camp's dedication in 1959, “(This is) an ideal place to worship God. . . . We can rest assured that many will find Christ as Savior here.” True! True! True! Lynn Mercer Pastor, First Brethren Church of West Alexandria (OH) North Central Regional Leadership Team

Skilled Brethren Community-Builders

By Stephen Longenecker • 01 May, 2024
Brethren excel at community. Traditionally, Brethren emphasized a tight-knit community as an alternative to the corrupt world. During Threefold Communion, or Love Feast, the height of the Brethren church year, members demonstrated their commitment to the faith community, especially through feetwashing. The early Brethren were an intense, intimate community. The old Brethren, however, did little to enhance community in the larger society, which they considered soaked in sin and best avoided. They even steered clear of the temperance and abolition movements although they philosophically agreed with them. But later generations of Brethren became more active in the world. The branch of the German Baptists that evolved into The Brethren Church pushed the Dunker envelope on contributing to the global community, especially through temperance, mission, and, later, disaster relief. Enhancing the larger community became part of the faith journey. Thus, the old Brethren built community from within, and newer Brethren added an outward, activist perspective. Combining the two gives Brethren a special talent for community-building. Contemporary society needs the Brethren sense of community. The strains on our social fabric are painfully obvious. Pessimism, for example, has often become the default response, especially among young people. They are gloomy about their future, think that society is stacked against them, and consider success increasingly unattainable, often because outside forces suppress their aspirations. They feel alone, and whatever community they recognize, they consider hostile. From another perspective, we have become a society of angry, aggrieved minorities. Almost everybody, even many white people, regard themselves as a member of an oppressed subgroup. Some define Americanism so narrowly that they exclude numerous groups, while others come close to rejecting the concept completely. Surely, many minorities have legitimate concerns, but a countervailing commitment to American society has all but disappeared. On and on. Everybody has their favorite instances of an unraveling society. I hesitate to offer more examples, for surely almost every one will offend someone. The challenge, then, is to bring the Brethren sense of community to the larger society. True, we cannot change the world by ourselves, but normally that is a positive. When powerful individuals send seismic shocks through society, it’s usually bad -see Vladimir Putin. The call, then, is not for individual Brethren to single-handedly change the social trajectory but to keep their little corner of it clean and orderly. Do what we can in our own way. A friend has been organizing Sunday afternoon community programs at a public library for over ten years. She reasons that “if I can get my neighbors together once a month to talk and enjoy a program together, maybe it will help us see our community and neighbors as ‘people of value.’” Recently, a prominent liberal pundit (Mara Liasson) and a well-known conservative (Jonah Goldberg) appeared shoulder-to-shoulder at my home institution, Bridgewater College, to make the point that we can disagree with civility. But rather than supply quick suggestions, let me challenge Brethren to develop their own strategies. Pastors, give your congregants a list of concrete steps they can take to heal our society. Along with basic theology be specific. No bromides. We may not get Congress to work, but we can brighten the corner where we are. In sum, society needs us. Admittedly, the inward-looking old Brethren are a poor blueprint for ministering to the world, but their skilled community-building nevertheless inspires us. They treated all within the fellowship with love, respect, and equanimity. Later generations more aggressively applied this to the larger society. Hence, with a deep tradition—first inward, then outward—Brethren know community. May we share it with a world that needs us. Steve Longenecker is Professor of History, emeritus, at Bridgewater College (VA).

A New Library Developed in Pucusana, Peru

By Scott Soden • 01 May, 2024
Last Christmas, Your partners in Pucusana, Peru, began working on a new project that would not only update the building but also add more opportunities for children and their parents in the surrounding areas to work on their education and discover a love for reading and exploration. Thanks to an investment on your behalf, the library has been completely renovated and updated with new shelves, tables, desks, and more books. This Christmas gift for the community will impact not only families today but also families yet to be a part of this incredible ministry. Elena, Isaac, Alli, and Topher are thrilled to offer the library as a resource for children. While the kids are busy discovering all new worlds in the pages of so many new books, their parents are discovering better parenting strategies in specialized classes and learning to cook as Isaac takes groups of adults through the basics and beyond. These small things create real impact and transformation, bringing hope and love throughout the region. Your donations to the Brethren Church and Brethren Global Partners continue to have the real-world effects seen and felt for the kingdom each and every day! Thank you for making this happen! Please continue to pray for your partners in Pucusana and around the world! Scott Soden Global Partners Coordinator

Philippine Brethren Launch New Church in Caypombo

By Scott Soden • 24 Apr, 2024
Praise God for all the fantastic blessings he pours down on his people! Sunday, March 24 th, marks a significant day of praise and celebration as the Brethren Church in the Philippines officially launched a brand new church plant in the community of Caypombo! Pastors Rolly and Efren both set up new leadership in their previous churches so they could concentrate on this rapidly growing community. In fact, the church launched in Pastor Rolly’s own covered garage area. The opening day began with the inaugural message by The Brethren Church in the Philippines Executive Director, Gary Castro. It was punctuated by tons of praise, laughter, and joy as families gathered to participate in this new ministry! Our new church is not just a building but a community filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. The people and the community are being transformed, and it's not hard to imagine that they will quickly outgrow their current location. Let us all pray that the spirit continues to use them to impact the lives of the community for Christ in miraculous ways!  By Scott Soden Global Partners Coordinator

Season of Lent and Easter Lead to Baptisms in India

By Scott Soden • 17 Apr, 2024
Easter is such a critical time for the church. Not only do we celebrate the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus for our sins, but it’s also an incredible opportunity to share our faith with the world around us. In India, the season of Lent begins a 40-day period of significant prayer and fasting, during which many lift the needs of their neighbors, friends, and the world before the throne of grace. Each morning, groups of men and women come to churches throughout the region to pray and hear the word proclaimed. Lent is a serious time for your brothers and sisters, too. They pray for you and lift you in prayer as well. Each year during this season, many are convinced that Jesus is Lord and make a significant decision for themselves that will have profound implications here on earth and in eternity. This is especially important to note because once a Hindu chooses to profess faith in God and God alone through Jesus, his son, they take all other idols out of home and heart. This can lead to shunning, persecution, and even death, especially when their statement of faith is followed by entering into the waters of baptism. A decision to follow Jesus is never taken lightly. This year, we have the profound joy of announcing that at least 21 new brothers and sisters have joined the family! On Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday, the services of your partners at the churches in Rajahmundry and Visakhapatnam, India, served not only as a call to the world that Jesus Christ is King but also marked that fact with baptisms. Hallelujah! Praise God! Please keep your partners in India in prayer as they continue to serve the Lord with unwavering dedication and perseverance. They are witnessing lives being transformed daily through the power of prayer and the Holy Spirit. Despite the high levels of persecution in the country, their spirit remains unquenched, serving as a beacon of hope and inspiration for us all. By Scott Soden Global Partners Coordinator

Southeast Region Gathers at Maurertown Brethren

By Gail Heiston • 17 Apr, 2024
On Saturday, April 13th, Brethren from across the Southeast Region, representing Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, and Kentucky, gathered for the Southeast Region Annual Meeting. This year, the meeting was hosted by Maurertown Brethren Church of Maurertown, Virginia. Approximately seventy people were in attendance for a day of worship, teaching, fellowship, and service.  Our morning began with corporate worship and messages from Steven Cole, Executive Director of the Brethren Church; Gail Heiston, Southeast Regional Resource Coordinator, and Pat Gravatt, Chair of the Southeast Regional Leadership Team. Scott Soden and Miles Larson sent video updates on Brethren Global Partners and Brethren Church Vitality, respectively. Everence spoke of the partnership and opportunities for congregations, and Nate Riddle from Mt. Olive Brethren Church invited others to participate in a mission trip to Riverside, Kentucky, this coming June. After lunch, various breakout sessions were held. The sessions focused on regional networking and collaboration, church health, and church planting with the GSE (Gatherer-Shepherd-Elder) principles of Vision USA. This year, for the first time in many years, we invited our youth to attend. They were certainly busy, decorating cookies for our lunch, hosting a Jesus-themed egg hunt, and even undertaking a service project. The project was to package cake supplies and a card to be taken to local churches to be distributed to those in need in their local communities. Some of the youth spoke at the end of the day and did a wonderful job sharing about their morning. We appreciate those who attended for the morning; it was great seeing each and every one of you and those who came to share. And thank you to Maurertown Brethren Church for their warm welcome, generous hospitality, and delicious lunch. Gail Heiston Pastor, Bethlehem Brethren Church Southeast Regional Resource Coordinator

Bethlehem Brethren Celebrates Easter, New Members, and Baptisms

By Gail Heiston • 17 Apr, 2024
March and April were truly months of celebration for Bethlehem Brethren Church in Harrisonburg, Virginia. As our family grows at Bethlehem, we had the joy of celebrating Easter together, both longstanding members of our church as well as new families we've been blessed to have added recently. Resurrection Sunday was filled with flowers and singing from our Bethlehem Kids. God's message of His death, burial, and resurrection over 2000 years ago resonated with us, reminding us of His continued work in our midst today. We were blessed to celebrate two baptisms in March! Praise God! What a moment of joy to welcome these souls to God's family! Thanks to the portable baptismal provided by the region for our regional churches, we were able to baptize in the church. Ten people were received into membership the following Sunday, and two Sundays ago we received three more people into membership! Three young boys were dedicated to the Lord in March as well. The week before Easter, we held an egg hunt and breakfast. Most of those attending were from our surrounding community. We had a packed house for breakfast, and the egg hunt (which we had to move indoors due to the weather) was a success as those children collected over 640 eggs in about ten minutes! We are grateful to God for how He is moving in our midst and look forward to what He has in the future! Gail Heiston Pastor, Bethlehem Brethren Church Southeast Regional Resource Coordinator

Everyone Needs a Good Doctor - Even a Church!

By Dan Acker • 09 Apr, 2024
I have a friend who says that every person needs to have a good barber/hairdresser and a good mechanic. Let me expand that advice to also include a good doctor. I thought about this piece of advice after having recently attended the Natural Church Development (NCD) training in Orlando, Florida. Finding a doctor is not fun. After all, who enjoys having to endure the tedious repetition of going from one doctor’s office to another, trying to find a doctor that is right for you? Answer: No One! And when you do find a doctor, it is often not a rip-roaring good time to go! However, it is necessary for our health and longevity. We need someone in our lives to share with us what we are doing well and what we could improve. Even if we are healthy, an occasional check-up is still a good thing. I believe this is also good for a local church to do. The local church needs a way to assess what it is doing well and what it could improve. Like people, churches can struggle with being healthy. As one author observed, “People do not drift towards holiness, and churches do not drift towards good health.” While there are certainly many church assessments to choose from, I want to share with you some compelling reasons why I believe Natural Church Development is a valuable tool for your church's health assessment. It is used extensively. NCD has been around for over 20 years and has been used in over 70,000 churches on six continents in 84 countries. Put simply: That’s a lot of churches in a lot of places! That means NCD has a track record and extensive data by which to effectively measure church health with a great deal of accuracy and reliability. It measures church health, not church growth. It is easy to equate church growth with church health, and along with it, assumptions such as if your church is growing you must be healthy, and if you're not growing, then you must not be healthy. NCD does not focus on church growth measurements but health measurements. Think of it like health vitals for the church. Here are the vitals the NCD measures: ● Empowering leadership: How well does church leadership empower others to become all that God wants them to be? ● Gift-based ministry: How well are people matched with their gifts to ministries in which they can use their gifts? ● Passionate spirituality: How well are people's faith actually lived out with commitment, fire and enthusiasm? ● Effective structures: How effective is the way your church is structured at achieving your church’s purpose? ● Inspiring worship service: Is the worship service an inspiring experience for those who attend? ● Holistic small groups: How well are people involved in groups where the Bible is studied and applied to everyday situations? ● Need-oriented evangelism: How well does your church identify and help meet the needs of pre-Christians? ● Loving relationships: How well do people in your church practically love one another? It is more than an assessment. Yes, the NCD is known most notably as a tool to measure church health, but it also offers much more. In addition to the church health assessment, Natural Church Development digs deeper into many of the eight factors described above. The NCD offers such things as a spiritual gift assessment, leadership assessment and practical ideas and ways to incorporate each factor into your church. My church has used it. What good would a recommendation be if my church didn’t use the NCD. My church has used the NCD assessment several times, and each time we have found it helpful in assessing our church health, including areas where we need to improve and areas where we are doing well. Recently, we have decided to utilize NCD more fully in helping us achieve our purpose. As I shared at the beginning, we all need a good doctor, and so does the church. It’s not always fun to see a doctor but it is oh so necessary for our health. We often find a doctor on the recommendation of a friend or family member. So, as a fellow church leader and co-laborer, let me recommend Natural Church Development. No doctor is perfect and neither is the NCD. However, I believe the NCD is a great option to help measure the health of your church!
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