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BRETHREN MISSIONARY
HERALD
VOL 58 NO. 1
JANUARY/FEBRUARY, 1996
$2.00
Into THE
^RMS OF JESU
Ifs not just for
Pre-Teens
VIiLLiE Davis
:ONFERENCE
VOMEN
Aay I Introduc
^ou to Kevin ai.
ill Yohe?
.ady Lancers: Na '
Champions!
breaking the S
VIorning Mold
i
\
Bring in the New Year with the Herald
Magazine and Your Membership!
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BRETHREN MISS10^JARY
HERALD
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HERALD
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Publisher's Pick
Quiet Times For Couplesm DaHij Devotional
H. Norman Wright
H^iD
This book is a collection of warm, personal devotions. Norman Wright gleans from his many years of experience
with helping couples draw together in Christ. These daily reflections will stimulate and nurture the simple sharing
between you and your Father. Some areas of interest include: love that makes marriages flourish, six levels of
intimacy every couple can enjoy, the art of companionship, handling adversity submission and leadership and
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^^DITORIAL
Jeff Carroll
AILS
I heard a sfory the other day that
is worth passing on. A certain
man wanted to sell his house for
$10,000. Another man wanted to
buy it very badly, but he was a poor
man and could not
afford to pay the full
price. After much
dickering, the
owner agreed
to sell the
house to
\ooo
n
■I
the man for $5,000. But, the reduced
price came with a stipulation. The
owner would sell the house, but he
would y> keep ownership
of a large y^<S. nail protruding
from ^^ over the front
door.
After several years, the
original owner decided he
wanted to buy the house hack.
Understandably, the ^
new owner refused to
sell. So the original
owner went out, found
the carcass of a dead
dog in the street and
hung it from the nail
that he still owned. Soon the
house became unlivable, and the
new owner was forced to sell to
the owner of the nail.
As the storyteller con-
cluded,
d evil
small
life, he
to hang his
on it."
we leave the
with even one
peg in our
will return
rotting garbage
When Dave Bogue came to
our church recently, he con-
cluded the service by inviting
people to come up and get a nail.
The purpose of the nail was to
remind us all of the sacrifice
Jesus made on the cross for our
sins. Hopefullv, we would be
encouraged to faithfully witness
to others about |-_^
our
faith in the /___/
~-~~-.^
Lord Jesus. That
~\ ^x
nail has also served
1 /""^N
to alert me to
/ 1
something else. It
/ / has
much to do with /
/ rny
future. It reminds /
/ me to
diligently guard /
/ the
front door of my /
/ life. I
cannot afford to /
/ gi\'e the
enemy access /
/ to even
one nail. C
Where's my hammer?
New Year
COMMITMENT
I am part of the "Fellowship
of the Unashamed." I have Holy
Spirit power. The die has been
cast. I've stepped over the line.
The decision has been made. I
am a disciple of His. I won't
look back, let up, slow down,
back away, or be still. My past is
redeemed, my present makes
sense, and my future is secure. I
am finished and done with low
living, sight walking, small
planning, smooth knees,
colorless dreams, tame visions,
mundane talking, chintzy
giving, and dwarfed goals!
I no longer need
preeminence, prosperity,
position, promotions, plaudits,
or popularity. I don't have to be
right, first, tops, recognized,
praised, regarded, or rewarded. I
now live by presence, learn by
faith, love by patience, live by
prayer, and labor by power.
My face is set, my gait is fast,
my goal is heaven, my road is
narrow, my way is rough, my
companions few, my guide
reliable, my mission clear. I
cannot be bought, compromised,
detoured, lured away, turned
back, diluted, or delayed. I will
not flinch in the face of sacrifice,
hesitate in the presence of
adversity, negotiate at the table
of the enemy, ponder at the pool
of popularity, or meander in the
maze of mediocrity.
I won't give up, shut up, let go,
or slow up until I've preached up,
prayed up, paid up, stored up, and
stayed up for the cause of Christ
1 am a disciple of Jesus. I
must go till He comes, give till I
drop, preach till all know, and
work till He stops.
And when He comes to get
His own. He'll have no
problems recognizing me . . . my
colors will be clear.
JaNVARYiPeBRVARY 1996
R E T H R E N
I S S I O N A RY
HERALD
VOL. 58N0.1
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1996
5
6
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
16
19
EDITORIAL
Nails
FEATURE
Breaking the Sunday Morning Mold
FRONTLINE
Kie\' Diary
SPECIAL
Grace Brethren Boys
PEOPLE WE MEET
Millie Davis
WMC
Terry
GRACE
$1.5 Million Donation
FAITHFUL
May I Introduce You to . . .
MISSIONS
"Into the Arms of Jesus"
SPORTS
Lady Lancers
NEWS
GB News Update
LAMP LIGHT
God Doesn't Wear Nikes
by Deborah Willis
HeralD
Cover: Pastor Chuck Davis and
his wife Millie Dai'is. She is the
coordinator for the Women's
Retreat in Orlando, FL.
Publisher: Jeff Ctirroll
Managing Editor: James E. Serra
Printer: Evangel Press
Department Editors:
CE National: Ed Lewis
International Missions: Tom Julien, Jenifer Wilcoxson
Grace Schools: Ron Manahan
Home Missions: Larry Chamberlain
Women's Missionary Council: Mary Thompson
Herald Newsline: 219-267-7826
The Brethren Missionary Herald is a bimonthly
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F
EATUPE
Breaking the Siinda^^
Morning MOLD m Pmd vancl
nother church?"
Tliat's what many people
. thought when the Winona
Lake Grace Brethren Church an-
nounced plans to plant another church
in Warsaw, Indiana. There are o\'er 40
churches in Warsaw and Winona Lake.
What difference could one more make?
But when Warsaw's newest
church had their grand opening on
October 1, 1995, it was clear Jesus
was ready to build one more. And
this one looked a lot different from
His others. There was no cross, no
stained glass windows, no organ, no
hymns, no rituals, and no pastor
Instead, tlie 291 people who came
out to see New Horizon Community
Church's first public ser\'ice saw a band
tliat had a soft-rock sound, a lead singer
and backup singers of professional
quaUtv', a drama that poked fiin at the
"l^Lrds and the bees," and a talk-not a
sermon-that laimched the series,
"E\'er)'thing you e\'er wanted to know
about God but were afraid to ask."
The new church is out to
surprise people who ha\'e gi\-en up
on church. It is the first church in
Warsaw to design a Sunday morning
service exclusively for people who do
not now attend church. Word-of-
mciuth has been their sole advertising
and it seems to have worked well.
"Everything we do on Sunday
morning is geared for people we call
'unchurched,'" says Brad Skiles,
senior leader for the church. "We
have a small group of people who
meet weekly to critique the Sunday
service. Their whole focus is whether
our music, drama, theme, and
message connected with unchurched
people. We ha\'e redesigned the
church service to provide a place for
people to learn about God without
feeling pressure to make a decision.
We realize that faith is a process and
we allow people to go through that
process at their own pace."
The idea to start this new type of
church in Warsaw, came out of a series
of earlv morning meetings that began in
September of 1994. Eight men commit-
ted themsek'es to meet weekly to pray,
study Acts, and discuss the possibiHtv
of starting a church that would present
the message of tlie Bible in a contempo-
rary way. The group was an urdikely
mix of interests and ages. Ranging from
an early-tv\'ent\'-vear- old to a 70 vear-
old, tlie group was made up of a college
professor, a retired missionary, two
financial planners, a denominational
executive, a lead singer for a hard-rock
band, a videographer, and an owner of
an area foundry.
Early in the de\'elopmental
process, John Tee\'an, pastor of the
home church for these men, was
brought into tlie decision. Soon the
vision for the new church became a way
of fiilfiUing the mother church's plans to
reach out to different people groups.
In January of 1995, the October
1 launch date was chosen. Then
meetings in the mother church were
used to communicate the strategy
for reaching out to some 8,000
unchurched people in this rural
community. From Januarv through
May, the mother church helped
nurture the movement and encour-
aged its development. By June, 50
adults left area churches to pursue
the church planting \'enture.
From June through September,
tlie new church met weekly on Sunday
morning in a "Spiritiial Boot Camp"
phase. Sunday morning topics and
small group acti\ities began educating
and expanding tliis core in anticipation
of a new design for church. Then the
October 1 laimch vje& a tremendous
affimiation of how God is working.
Although their Sunday morn-
ing service attracts attention, this
new church wants to be known for
what happens on other days of the
week. "We view Sunday morning as
a funnel," states Skiles. "When
people are ready to take a next step,
we ha\'e lots of ways to get into
smaller groups which meet during
the week. Someday, we'll be known
as a church of small groups . . .
where it is easy to make new friends
and feel a part of a family."
Behind the scenes of this church
is another uriique strategy. With a
core of about 130 attendees, the
church has yet to name a pastor "We
decided we didn't want a church
where it was expected the pastor
would do all the work," says Skiles.
"We ha\e se\'eral talented people
sharing the role of a pastor and nearly
everyone in our core is in\oh'ed in
some aspect of ser\'ice. One of our
values is to train leaders and our
current structure gi\'es many oppor-
trmities for leadership de\'elopment."
Tliroughout the nation people
have been praying for tliis churcli
planting effort. Commenting on the
preservice prayer time, one of the New
Horizon leaders said, "It was such a
special moment. As we started to pray I
could feel the prayers of many people
across tlie nation who have been
remembering us." The new churcli is so
gratehil for tiie pra\'er support of its
motiier diurcli and friends tiiroughout
the Grace Brethren Fellowship. God has
been aixsweiing tliose prayers . . . one
demonstration being the many un-
churched people who came on tlieir
first Sunday. •
_^^ Jam ARY/pEBRLARY 1996
F
RONTLINE
KIEVniARY
by John W. Schumacher
During period of September 1
through September 9, Martha
and I found ourselves in-
\'oh'ed in an opportunity for minis-
try we could never have imagined
possible, even in our wildest dreams.
The words of Paul in 2 Corinthians
2:12 kept coming back to me: "... a
door was opened to me of the Lord."
We were in the city of Kiev,
Ukraine, "half a world away"
from the comforts of home and
"a world away" from the com-
forts of politics, language and
culture that we so easily . . . and
so often . . . take for granted.
Where do events like
these have their begirmings? I
can easily remember the night
I met Sergei Timchenko in the
home of my friend and co-
worker in the National
Association of Evangelical
Chaplains Commission,
retired chaplain Jim Edgren.
Sergei had pastored an
underground church in a
community outside the city of Kiev,
uncomfortably close to the
Chernobyl nuclear power plant.
When the "Iron Curtain" lifted,
Sergei was permitted to move to
Denver, Colorado, to begin what
was to become a five year study
program at Denver Conservative
Baptist Seminary. Now he was
returning to Kiev where he had been
invited, because of his newly
acquired "Western" education, to
assume the "chair" of the Religion
Department at the University of
Kiev, Mohyla Academy. One of his
burning desires was to offer a course
at the University that would reflect
what he had experienced in the
United States. He wanted to call his
course, "Christianity and Democ-
racy". Unknown to me, he was
looking for "professors" he could
in\'ite to Kie\' to help him present
this academic opportunity for
Ukrainian college students. My
good friend, Jim Edgren, said to
Sergei, "talk to John, he taught
Ethics at the Army War College".
John Schumacher (R) in a Ukrainian University classroom.
After a brief conversation, Sergei
looked at me and simply, but
sincerely asked, "John, would you
come to Kiev and lecture on ethics at
mv university?" With almost no
confidence that anything like that
could ever happen to me, I told my
new friend, "if the Lord opens the
door, I will come".
The event is much greater and
more comprehensive than this space
can contain, but the Lord's loving
providence brought us to the
moment when we were at last on
board our 767 Martinair Holland jet,
Ukrainian visas and 40 pages of
manuscript in hand, ready for "take
off", fully knowing that the best
preparation we could have done
would not be enough for what lies
ahead of us.
Thursday, August 31: We
depart SeaTac International Airport
for our 10 hour flight to Amsterdam.
About 2 hours out of Amsterdam,
the sky turns a brilliant red, the
most spectacular sunrise we have
ever seen. "Thank you Lord, for
such a powerful reminder of Who is
really in control of the incredible
journey!" After a four hour layover
in Amsterdam, we board our
Ukraine Airline 737 jet for our three
hour journey to Kiev. I find this part
of our journey a time for quiet but
fairly intense reflection.
Friday, September
1: We land in Kiev, quite
weary from our journey
and experiencing a ten
hour jet lag, go through
customs and finally into
the airport lobby,
desperately searching to
find the familiar face of
Sergei. Almost 45
minutes later, after one
more prayer reminding
the Lord that He is "in
charge", I look up to see
Sergei coming toward
me. 1 hug him. I have
never been happier to
see a familiar face! We
are taken through the city of Kiev to
an apartment building as long as a
football field and 12 stories high,
containing over 4,000 people. We
will stay with Ludmila Gluchomen,
a native Ukrainian, who had studied
and lived in the US during the
"Cold War" years. For most of that
time, she had been completely out of
contact with her family. She is now a
missionary serving in the Ukraine
with "Great Commission Missions".
She knows both cultures and is
fluent in both languages. We begin
to feel a little more secure.
Saturday, September 2: After a
"fitful" night of "rest," we awake to
our first full day in a part of the
world about which the West knows
HeralD
so little. We spend the afternoon sight-
seeing and, early that evening, find
ourselves tra\'eling across the city with
a "taxi" driver ("taxis" in Kiev are pri-
vately owned cars you are able to flag
down, whose drivers expect a fee for
their service), who is a former Ukrai-
nian soldier and former member of the
Communist party. We share Christ with
him, through our host, and he responds
with sincere interest. We attend a two
and a half hour service in a Baptist
church where I am invited to give a tes-
timony 2ind sing . . . and where I am
greeted by an old Ukrainian gentleman
with a "holy kiss" square on my mouth!
Sunday, Septem-
ber 3: The morning is
ours and we cherish
every quiet moment.
We travel to another
Baptist church for
another two and a half
hour service where,
again, I am invited to
sing and give my
testimony. (No kiss . . .
but 1 am asked by one
gentleman if I have
ever sung opera. I think
it is a compliment!) We
meet Sergei's wife,
Irana, and his children,
Marsha, Kata, Andre
and Ilya. We are also privileged to
meet his sisters, Anna and Olga and
Olga's husband, Slava, a physician.
Precious Christians. We are re-
minded how artificial barriers melt
away quickly when you meet a new
brother or sister in Christ. We can't
imagine what Heaven wiU be Like . . .
but this is at least a "tiny" glimpse!
Monday, September 4: We
journey by "Metro" (their subway
system that "feels" like it must be at
least 200 miles of tunnel) to the
University where we have a very
enjoyable office call with Dr. Gorski,
head of the Department of Religion
and Philosophy. We see more of the
city. Government buildings still
have the "hammer and sickle"
prominently displayed. Sergei tells
us that it means nothing now but is
just too hard to "chip" it off. Late
afternoon finds us at the Military
Academy where they train their
middle-management "career"
officers. I ha\'e been invited to
lecture on ethics. It is a "first" for the
Academy. Few, if any, Americans
have ever been invited to speak to
these students and they have never
heard a lecture on ethics. Questions
are asked, the dialogue is energiz-
ing. I feel I have genuinely "con-
nected." 1 am able to share my faith
and the "faith of my fathers" who
gave birth to a nation that has
Mr. mid Mrs. Schiimachereiijoii a dinner unth Victor Kidaknnch,
CItesnokov, Vladimir Mandrageeja, Alexic Pavlovich and Ih: Edi
embraced a moral, ethical value
system from its earliest days, deeply
rooted in the Judeo-Christian
tradition.
Tuesday, September 5: The
morning is quiet. On the way to the
University, we pass by a fatality
accident. The body is sHll lying in
the street. It is symbolic to me of the
desperate plight of so many who
live in the part of the "Former Soviet
Union". The course is introduced by
Dr. Gorski and I am introduced by
Sergei. As Sergei begins to interpret
for me, he is interrupted by several
of the students. He looks at me and
tells me, "they do not want me to
interpret for you, they want to hear
you only in English". What a gift!
Lecturing through an interpreter is
exhausting and limiting (I was
"wiped out" after the lecture at the
Military Academy). The platform
time is long, over two hours. Again,
I have the opportunity to share my
faith and our precious Christian
heritage. Again, the dialogue with
the students is energizing and
exciting. Our evening meal has been
prepared by Sergei's mother,
Ludmila. It is ethnic food, which is
simple, but quite tasty and filling.
When we finish eating, I am invited
to do a mini-concert. It is a very
touching experience for both of us. I
sing Ludmila's favorite, "The
Hiding Place" to an
accompaniment played
bv a "gifted pianist"
(Martha!) playing a
very out of tune piano.
"Grandma" Timchenko
clasps her hands under
her chin and lovingly
smiles and quietly tells
us, "spaceba! spaceba!"
("thank you, thank
vou"). It is a moment
we will always remem-
ber and cherish. Our
return "home" is not
une\'entful! We are
escorted by Grandma
to a bus. We come to
the end of the bus route and are
required to exit the bus. It is late at
night, and we have no idea where
we are, except that we are with
"Grandma", who is also lost and
who speaks no English. It is hard to
imagine a situation where one could
feel more insecure! We finally arrive
at our "home," driven there by a
reluctant "taxi" driver. He is in a
hurry and drives recklessly fast. I
think of the title to an old movie,
"From Here To Eternity" (!!), but we
make it and Luda's familiar apart-
ment looks almost as inviting as my
own front room in Olympia!
Wednesday, September 6: 1
had been scheduled to address the
(continued on page 18)
Dr. \^adimir
vard Afoniii.
til
Cii^L-
January/February 1996
s
FECIAL
GRACE BRETHREN BOYS
It's not Just for the Pre-Teen -
rrrr^ by Bob Smoker
What is the age group
that you usually associ-
ate with Grace Breth-
ren Boys? Most likely your
answer is grades one through
six. Many churches have Grace
Brethren Boys for the older boys
as well. The Grace Brethren Bovs
program has always included the
older boys, taking them beyond
the elementary level with more
ad\'anced material and activities,
and incorporating them into the
leadership structure.
This renewed interest
among the older boys is linked
to the "Adventure Team." Being
part of the A-Team means that
the boy has demonstrated certain
qualities and skills as well as
reaching the right age.
This
past June 22,
members of
the A-team
along with
22 men
participated
in the Grace
Brethren
Boys High
Adventure
held in the
Adirondack
Park of up
state New
York. The
large num-
ber was
more than
expected and is an indication
that there is considerable interest
among our men and boys for this
program.
Older and younger men enjoy the great outdoors.
bined in a wilderness setting
away from the rest of the world,
and when man and boy are
stretched spiritually, emotion-
ally, and physically, good things
happen. It is no wonder that
Grace Brethren Boys, for the
older boys, is growing.
We are praising God for
what He is doing with and
through the ministry of Grace
Brethren Boys. Churches inter-
ested in learning more about this
ministry should contact:
Tlie young men of the Grace Brethren Boys
in the wilderness.
Roger Mills, National Director
118 Salem Ct.
Reynoldsburg, OH 43068
1-800-GRACE-12
HeralD
/
NTERVIEW
ONE on ONE with
The People
We Meet
MILLIE DAVIS
Conference on Women
Q
: Millie Davis is from Orlando,
Florida.Wliat is tlie project that
is on your heart right now?
A; Well, the main thing that is
on my heart right now is the hurting
pastor's wives or women who are in
the ministry today.
Q: You are going to have a
retreat. When is that going to be?
A: The retreat is going to be in
April, the 22nd tlirough tlie 25tli, 1996.
Q: Where is it going to be held?
A: It's going to be held at the
Hilton Beach Resort and Conx'ention
Center in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Q: Tliis is especially for pastor's
wives. Is this correct?
A: It is for women who are in tlie
ministry or their husbands who are in
tlie ministn,'; tliat is minister of music,
minister of education, whatever.
Q: Wliat is tlie goal of tliis retreat?
A: The goal of this retreat is
to help those pastors' wives to
understand their role, to be able
to cope with it, to fill in that gap.
Q: You shared with us a
statistic on people unhappy as
couples in the ministry. Would you
share that again?
A: Yes. H.B. London, who is with
Focus on the Familv, shared a statistic
that he had polled pastors and tlieir
wives. They asked tine pastors and their
wives if they had the opportunity to
leave tiie ministry today how many
would leave. Approximately 83"^ of the
pastors said tliey would leave and 100"/!)
of the pastors' wives said they would
lea\'e tlie ministry today.
Q: Tliat is shocidng! Now tliis is
die reason tliat you are going to have
tliis women's retreat, to encourage
women in the ministry?
A: Absolutely! Not only to
encourage, but we've got to find that
denomination in there tliat is going to
meet a need.
Q: What is the cost of the retreat?
A: The cost of the retreat is
$295.00. That is for four days and three
nights at the Hilton plus tlieir transpor-
tation. We are praying verv hard tliat
tliey will see tlie need to come, tliat they
will find tlie time to come and that tlie
people in their churches will see tine
need and see to it that they get there.
Q: If people want to help witli a
special fund, would they set it up
tliroughout her church or how should
tliey do it?
A; Tlie wives themselves who are
coming are to make their own reser\'a-
tioi\s, so the best way to do it would be
to go right to the wives or tlie pastors. 1
want your vrafe to go and 1 wiU pay the
way, or I wUl gi\-e them frequent flyer
mQes, or anytliing I can do. But you
need io be tliere. If you go and you get
inspired, you are going to come back
and bless our ministry here.
Q: Tlie dates of the reh-eat again?
A: April 22nd tlirough the 25tl-i
1996. Ste\'e and Maria Gardner are
going to be there in concert and song.
Patty Stiunp, a Cliristian counselor, is
going to he there. She is not only going
to be speaking, hut she is going to be
a\'ailable to meet witli any pastor's wife
who has a need on a personal basis. •
JaMARY/FeBRUARY 1996
IIIIH j^
MC
TERRY
by Martha Schwartz
H
/ /~W' "¥"6110! I'm back again." I
recognized my son's
. voice immediately. "It's
great to see the sun again after being
out under the sea for almost three
months."
"Oh, Terry, it's so good to hear
your voice and to know you're
safe." We had visited his submarine
just before he went out for this last
stint. I could understand what a
blessing sunlight would be and
how claustrophobic he might have
felt living in such limited space for
a long time.
"And something important:
Your brother's wedding is only
two weeks away and he needs to
know your measurements for your
tux."
On went the joyful conver-
sation with my 23 year old son
who was stationed at the
Nuclear Submarine Naval Base
in Bangor, Washington. He had
been in the Navy for over 4 years
and had excelled as an
electrician's mate on his "boat."
One time he worked 60 hours
straight because the elecrical
generator on the sub had failed,
which put the crew in danger
and in the dark, under the ocean.
At such times, he remem-
bered that God is there in the
depths of the sea: "If I take the
wings of the morning, and dwell
in the uttermost parts of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead
me, and your right hand shall hold
me" (Psalm 139:8- 10).
During some of those tedious
hours at sea he had opportunity to
work with Tony and to talk with
him about the Lord. Tony's child-
hood had been rough and he was
rather skeptical about what Terry
had to tell him, but he listened. And
when they were cin land, they had
lots of fun together boating, skiing
and being with other young people.
Sometimes Tony went with Terry to
the young adult class at church. He
was full of questions and objections.
Another week passed that
summer of 1988 and we had the
pleasure of another call from Terry
on Saturday. He would be leaving
Terry Schwartz in uniform.
Washington on Monday and arrive
home in Santa Maria, California, on
Tuesday.
Sunday was a busy day —
Sunday school at the C&MA church
in Silverdale, Washington, then to
another church to participate in the
worship service and fellowship
again with friends he had made
there.
He had attended the wed-
ding of a friend the day before and
one of the bridesmaids needed a
lift to catch a plane. "Always ready
to help," Terry was available. And
during the two-hour trip, he was
able to share his testimony with
the girl.
He had to hurry to be at
church that evening, where he had
agreed to share what God had
taught him during his time at sea.
Arriving home, he threw some
clothes in the washer, since he
planned to leave for California the
next morning.
He jumped into his bright
blue-green Porsche, with his Bible
on the seat beside him, and took
off down the twenty miles of
beautiful tree-lined highway
toward the church.
The meeting began without
him. Later, Terry still hadn't
arrived. Now it was very late!
Something must be wrong. Prayer
went up for him.
Monday morning in Santa
Maria was quite normal, although
the week had arrived for Curtis
and Susan's wedding. Ralph, my
husband, had gone off for his
morning game at the racquetball
club.
The doorbell rang — two
Navy officers were at the door. I
invited them in. They looked
extremely serious, but would not
say why they had come until Ralph
arrived. Then, they told us that
Terry had died in a car accident the
evening before. My reaction sur-
prised them as I said, "Oh, he has
gone to be with the Lord!"
Terry had been bom in Brazil
where we were missionaries, and he
had expressed his desire to visit BrazO,
2ind perhaps to return there as a
missionary. It was comforting to us that
the chaplain at tlie submarine base who
HeralD
10
conducted the memorial service had
also served as a missionary in BrazU.
Terry liked music and had a
collection of tapes. He especially
loved Keith Green's songs. 1 can
picture Terry rejoicing in the pres-
ence of the Lord singing:
"Oh Lord, You're beautiful.
Your face is all I see.
For when Your eyes are on
this child
Your grace abouncis to me."
{•Keith Green, copyright
Birdwing Music/Cherry Lane
Music Publishing Co.)
I miss my son more than 1 can
express. My heart cries because he is
not here. But, praise the Lord, he is
safe in God's house and some day
we'll be there together 1 don't know
why God would take one in the
prime of life, who was faithfully
serving Him and who planned to
serve Him in the future. I just leave
that with the Lord. He knows what
is best!
Tonv was greatly affected hv
Terry's death. He continued to attend
the young adult's meetings and
within a year accepted the Lord. He
later finished his military service and
mo\'ed to California near us. He was
G
RACE
hungry to know God's Word and
Ralph had the privilege of discipling
him, as well as marrying him to a
Christian young lady. Terry had
touched Tony's life as well as dozens
of others. 1 thank the Lord that I,
along with my husband, had the
privilege to raise a child of the King.
Riilpli and Martini Sclrwarfz
served ns Grace Brethren missionar-
ies in Brazil from 1964-78, then
pastored tlie Santa Maria, (CA)
GBC until 1991 when they joined
the GBC missionan/ team in
Portugal. •
GRACE COLLEGE receives
$1.5 Million Donation
Staff Report
Winona Lake-Grace College
and Seminary has received
a gift of $1.3 million—
the largest contribution in the
school's history.
The donation came from Mr
and Mrs. Robert Gordon of
Springfield, Ohio. The Gordons,
longtime friends of Grace College,
were honored at the school's
homecoming Oct. 20.
The gift includes $500,000
toward the renovation of the
former Westminster Hotel. The
building was purchased by the
college in 1994 with plans to
renovate it as a college dormitory,
student union, and conference
center Grace is involved in a
capital campaign to renovate the
facility.
The remaining $1 million will
help build a new student recre-
ation center on campus. Plans for
that facility will begin once the
capital campaign for Westminster
is concluded.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Gordon were honored
Grace College's homecoming on October 20,
This gift moves Grace substan-
tially closer to completing the capital
campaign for the Westminster, as
well as enabling the institution to
11
%
/
take a significant step forward in the
campus building strategy.
In thanking the Gordons for
their gift, Grace president, Dr
Ronald Manahan noted that they
are careful stewards of their
resources, seeing to it that their
gifts are in\-ested in work that is
eternal: promoting the work of
God's kingdom. The Gordons have
given to Grace over se\'eral decades.
The Gordons said their
agreement with the mission of
Grace College was an important
factor in their gi\'ing.
Grace College and Seminary
IS an evangelical Christian com-
munity of higher education that
"^ applies biblical \'alues in strength-
ening character, sharpening
competence and preparing
service. Degrees are awarded
through the doctoral level.
The institution is accredited by
the North Central Association. •
xJmmM^ JanvaryiPebrvary 1996
F
AITHFUL
May I Introduce You
to Kevin and Jill Yohe?
by Georgia Bateson
Kevin & Jill Yohe are members
of our Osceola Grace Breth-
ren Church. Ke\'in is active in
the choir anci together they are youth
leaders when Jill is able.
They met at Taylor Univer-
sity, tieen married about 6 years
and had even served as EMT's
together for a few of those. They
led a fairly normal life until
August 20, 1989. After vacationing
in Pennsylvania, visiting Kevin's
parents, they were returning
home with Jill asleep in the car.
When she awoke, she had a
tremendous headache and was
vomiting. Ke\'in took her to the
nearest hospital. This particular
hospital had had 6 cases of
meningitis and wanted to do a
spinal tap. Since Jill had to
remain flat on her tiack for 8
hours following the spinal tap, she
was admitted to the hospital.
Kevin in the meantime called his
parents to tell them what was
going on. It also seems Kevin had
an aunt that lived in this particu-
lar town, so Kevin gave her a call.
She came to the hospital and took
him and their dog, who had been
traveling with Kevin and Jill, to
her house.
When Jill awoke the next
morning, the left side of her face
was droopy. She remained in the
hospital 4 to 5 days. Kevin's aunt
spoke to her doctor and Jill was
transferred to a hospital in
Youngstown, Ohio. Jill spent
approximately a week and a half
there with still no diagnosis. Jill
finally convinced the doctor in
Youngstown to let her go home.
Kevin's parents came to take Jill
home to Indiana. At this point,
Kevin and Jill had a subcompact
car and Kevin's parents had a
larger car which would make her
6 hour trip home much more
comfortable. Back in Goshen, Jill
saw a local neurologist who
thought she might have mi-
graines. It was September by this
time and there still had been no
Tlie doctor called Kevin at
his office and told him to
come right away because he
didn't think Jill would live
through the night.
further testing done. They
contacted their family doctor at
the Elkhart Clinic who called in
another neurologist. Jill was
back in the hospital with her
right side paralyzed. She was
taken by ambulance to Rush
Presbyterian St. Luke's in Chi-
cago and admitted to the Neurol-
ogy Department. Finally, some-
one had some ideas! They
started her on high doses of
steroids. She would get better,
then would be worse. The doc-
tors there were treating her for
multiple sclerosis. The neurolo-
gist called in specialists who ran
tests, but there was no follow-up
on the testing. Jill was admitted
to the hospital in Chicago 4 or 5
times with no positive diagnosis,
all the while her condition was
deteriorating. Soon she was in a
wheel chair and almost was put
on a respirator.
The doctor called Kevin at
his office and told him to come
right away because he didn't
think Jill would live through the
night. Their pastor went with
him and they had an anointing
service. They were still getting
nowhere and asked for a second
opinion.
About this time Jill's mom saw
an article in the paper about a lady
who had the same sort of symptoms.
Jill called the lady who had traveled
all over the world seeking a diagno-
sis. She told Jill the best doctor that
she had founci was at Indiana
University Medical Center in
Indianapolis. Jill called the doctor,
but he wouldn't see her. Jill
called the lady back, who in
turn called the doctor and
explained Jill's situation to
him. The doctor (Dr. Kohler)
agreed to see Jill.
It was now December
of 1990 and there had not
been a positive diagnosis.
During Jill's first visit to Dr.
Kohler, he studied the
testing that was done at the
hospital in Chicago. By studying
the results, he seemed to think that
she had contracted encephalitis,
which is an inflammation of the
brain. Jill was admitted to the
hospital in Indianapolis two more
times between December 1990 and
June 1991. During this time. Dr.
Kohler tried to find a pam medica-
tion that Jill could take. In June of
1991, a nerve block was tried, but
only gave minimal relief. It was
suggested that a block of ner\'es be
removed from her shoulder. It was
during this time that Dr. Kohler
made a positive diagnosis. He felt
fairly certain that Jill did indeed have
encephalitis, but because it was let go
so long thev would never know for
(continued on page 15)
HeralD
12
M'
ISSIONS
//
Into the Arms of Jesus
A/
A Memorial Tribute to Russel H. Dunlap
1925-1995
by Larry N. Chamberlain
We had shared in our
staff devotions on
Tuesday morning,
October 17, how uncertain each
day's e\'ents can be, yet our
certain assurance is that the Lord
directs our steps (Proverbs 16:9).
On Wednesday, our dear
friend and colleague, Russ
Dunlap, suffered a sudden,
massive heart attack and was
ushered into the arms of his
Savior, only one month from his
seventieth birthday.
Russ was a layman who
dedicated his management skills
to the work of the Lord. He
ser\-ed as Director of Business
Affairs at Grace College for nine
years (1962-1971) and, for the
past twelve years, as Director of
Grace Brethren Financial Plan-
ning Service, holding steward-
ship seminars and individual
estate planning interviews across
the United States.
Russ and his wife, Phyllis,
traveled thousands of miles in their
motor home, to Grace Brethren
churches of any size congregation,
encouraging people to include the
work of the Great Commission in
their financial planning.
Russ conducted over 3,000
personal interviews, reviewing
estates totaling over $440 mil-
lion. He had the privilege of
seeing over $42 million desig-
nated for the local church.
Christian education and mis-
sions across America and around
the world.
Russ Duitlap.
The time and travel Russ
and Phyllis committed to their
ministry was far beyond any
measurable return of earthly
compensation. Yet they sought
only the advancement of the
Great Commission and the
eternal reward of Heaven.
To Russ, "stewardship" was
not only the focus of his minis-
try, it was a way of life. I know
of no one who offers a greater
example of Christ-like steward-
ship than Russel Dunlap. His
gentleness, caring spirit, eager-
ness to help, never-ending words
of encouragement and acts of
giving are testimonies to his life
that will li\'e on in our memories.
The song that was sung
during the memorial service was
precious to Russ during his
lifetime and comforts us who bid
him good-bye . . .
Over the sunset iiionutniiis
SoiJiedny I'll softly go,
Into the anus of jesiis,
He who has loved me so.
Over the sunset luouiitniiis,
Heiiveii nzvaits for me.
Over the sunset mountains,
Jesus my Savior I'll see.
Toiling will all be ended.
Shadows luill flee away.
Sorrow will be forgotten,
O what a wonderful day.
Cards and letters may be
sent to Phyllis and the family at
1782 Country Club Road, War-
saw, IN 46580. •
13
J.AMWRY/pEBRUARY 1996
s
PCRTS
Lady Lancers,
NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!
by Jessica Horner
The Lady Lancers clinched
their first NCCAA national
title this weekend at Lee
College, Tennessee. The ladies en-
tered the national tournament
corning off a disappointing home
loss to conference rival Taylor, but
they overcame their obstacles in
an overwhelming show of unity.
The tournament started
Friday, November 3, with three
matches of pool play. The Lady
Lancers first faced Trinity Chris-
tian College, (Illinois), whom
they had already beaten twice
this season. However, Trinity
took game one 10-15 while Grace
struggled to find their rhythm of
play. Grace came back to win the
next two games 15-12, 15-5.
The final game in pool play
was a tight match against
Concordia (Michigan). Again,
Grace lost the first game 11-5,
but continued to gain confidence
that they could overcome their
long, grueling day of volleyball.
They won the next two games
15-12 and 15-13 to finish the
first day still seeded number one
in the tournament.
Grace (35-3) began day two
of the single-elimination tourna-
ment by facing Judson College
(Illinois). Although Judson put
up a fight in game one, the Lady
Lancers took the match in two
games 15-13, 15-1. Grace played
an excellent match, only missing
two serves. Rebecca Wahlstrom
and Trish Dament finished with
seven kills a piece.
The Lady Lancers moved on
to a quarter-final match against
Mt. Vernon Nazarene, (Ohio).
Grace cruised to a 15-5, 15-9 win
over the team they had beaten
earlier this season. The outside
hitters were strong in this match
as both Stacy Pastryk and Stacey
Jackson recorded seven kills.
Wahlstrom had 15 kills in the
match, and Dament added 10
more.
Meanwhile, Concordia
pulled out a surprise upset over
Taylor University, setting up a
rematch between Grace and
Concordia for the championship
game.
The Cardinals tried to
continue their upset streak by
taking the first game 15-13.
However, the Lady Lancers were
not about to give up. They
dominated game two, command-
ing a 8-0 lead before winning
15-7. Momentum turned dra-
matically to set up the final
game. Grace took an early lead
and kept control of the game.
Concordia managed to score 12
points, but nothing could stop
the Lady Lancers. When Stacy
Pastryk drilled the ball past a
Concordia defender for the final
point of the game, the celebra-
tion began. NATIONAL
CHAMPIONS!!
Rebecca Wahlstrom was
honored as the tournament's
Most Valuable Player while also
claiming a spot on the NCCAA
Ail-American team. Setter,
Melissa Rants, was also named
to the All-Tournament and AU-
American team. Head coach,
Candace Moats, was voted
NCCAA Coach of the Year in her
first season at Grace.
The Lady Lancers finished
their regular season with a home
win against Marian Tuesday
night. They played Marian again
Thursday, November 9 in the
first game of the MCC tourna-
ment. The tournament continued
November 10-11 at Taylor
University. The winner of the
conference tournament advanced
to the regionals held at Michigan-
Dearborn, November 16-18.
The Lady Lancers ended the
season with a disappointing loss
to Taylor University in the semi-
final round of the NAIA Re-
gional Tournament. They began
the tournament by defeating St.
Xavier 3-0 on Thursday evening.
Friday, they defeated the Univer-
sity of Michigan-Dearborn 3-2
and the College of St. Francis (L)
4-1. They were defeated by
Taylor on Saturday.
Rebecca Wahlstrom paced the
Lady Lancers throughout the
tournament with 212 kills. Bridget
Byers added 88 kills and 22 blocks.
Melissa Rants and Wahlstrom
added 18 blocks a piece. Rants also
contributed 454 assists. Wahlstrom
and Rants were named to the
NAIA All-Region First Team for
their superb play this season. The
Lancers finished the season with
an overall record of 44-5. •
HeralD
14
c
ONTINUED
{May I . . . continued from page 12)
sure. Because the inflammation of
the brain had caused nerve damage,
Jill now had Cranial Reflex Sympa-
thetic Dystrophy Syndrome. The
RSD causes the pain and has spread
from her head to her shoulder. Jill
has also been diagnosed with
Collegen Vascular disease. This
causes the swelling she experiences.
Anti-inflammatory drugs build up
toxic levels in the liver and some-
times do not interact well with the
pain medication that she takes
causing further discomfort and
complications.
In recent months, Jill has
become resistant to the steroids. The
next step will be a chemotherapy
drug. Because of all the medication
she has been on, her immune system
is completely depleted. Because her
body cannot defend itself, Kevin
must be very careful not to bring
colds and flu home or Jill could
easily contract it herself.
God has taught Jill and Kevin
much through all of this. He has
taught them patience. He has kept
them humble and through all of
the trials they have learned to give
things over to God. The Lord has
provided for them every step of
the way.
The many hospital stays
and the medication costs have
totally destroyed their finances.
Jill's monthly prescriptions run
$300 a month (out of pocket).
Hospital stays are $350, also out
of pocket. At one point, the bills
seemed insurmountable. This
past year alone, January through
September has exceeded
$16,000.00, with the total since
1989 surpassing $300,000.00.
Even with insurance, many times
the bills were like heavy weights
on their shoulders. Since turning
over the responsibility to God,
Elkhart General has graciously
forgiven $7,500.00 of their bill
which Kevin and Jill are very
Opportunity
Kevin's employer has
been very accomodating
through the insurance
nightmare, and in letting
Kevin be with Jill in her
many hospital stays. Kevin
has even received permis-
sion to work at home and
take care of Jill during
times of home convales-
cence. But this requires the
use of a home computer
which is currently beyond
the realm of financial
possibility, due to the
medical bills. The cost of
an adequate computer has
been reduced to about
$1,250.00 thanks to a
special deal that has been
offered.
grateful, and have been working
with Consumer Credit to pay the
other mounting bills. Kevin says
that he and Jill have concluded
that, "if the Lord
sees fit to
send Jill
to the
hospital,
it's going
to have to
be the
Lord's
responsi-
bility to
pay for it".
As
they have
already
done, Kevin
and Jill
extend their
love and
appreciation
to all who
have so
generously
helped with bills in the past. The
entire situation has been hard on
them, but through it all, they both
are holding tightly to their faith.
As EMT's, Kevin and Jill
met many lifesaving emergency
needs. Maybe we can do the
same for them now.
Meanwhile, we praise our
Lord for the encouragement and
perseverance that the Yohe's
have shown to our church fam-
ily. They truly have exalted
Jesus' love in their testimony.
Obviously, it's been a long 6
years of trial and growth for
Kevin and Jill. Let's band to-
gether to pray for them.
Also, Kevin and Jill have
mounting financial needs.
Anyone who cares to help are
invited to send gifts to:
Kevin and jill Yoke
2703 Cearwood Court,
Goshen, Indiana 46526.
A special account is being
investigated at local banks. •
scripture press. David C.
Cook . Gospel LigM
u HFRALD. we want to serve you
Here at the HER^L. ^^^^^,„g
-^^^i:XtSMatenals.
,,,,c.».-on^^;^2^^:2;^:o,,r
,,iU qinckly answer
\'0U1
order proc
essed-
:^we won't keep
xoii tied up-
1-800-348-2756
15
JaNVARY/PeBRUARY 1996
EWS
New
Grace Brethren \y News Update
Touching You from Aground the World
Pastor Glenn Rininger has
resigned as pastor of the
Sebring, Florida GBC on
October 1, 1995. He is prayerfully
seeking God's will.
CE National has added
Timothy Kurtaneck to its staff.
Timothy (often called "T. K.") hails
from southern California with his
wife Dana and daughter Rebekah.
He serves as Director of Church
Relations and Operation Barnabas.
He traveled on Operation Barnabas
tours for seven years and taught and
coached at Whittier Christian School
for ten years.
Chery Otermat, former
Director of Operation Barnabas,
has had a change in her title at CE
National. She will continue to
oversee Girls' Ministries, TIME and
Crosswalk, but will have added
responsibilities in office operations.
Chery's new title is Director of
Operations and Specialized Ministry
Training. She administered the OB
ministries very capably for six years
and CE National is looking forward
to her expanded ministries.
On October 22, 1995 Dr. Paul
Fink and pastor Jesse Truax had
submitted their resignations as
Senior and Associate pastors effec-
ti\'e immediately to the First Breth-
ren Cliurch of Buena Vista. They will
continue to serve the church
through January 21, 1996, or until
the church is successful in securing
the services of a new pastor. Dr. Fink
will continue his teaching at Liberty
University and will seek opportuni-
ties of supplying pulpits or an
interim pastorate. Pastor Truax's
future plans are indefinite. Please
remember both the pastors and
church in prayer as each seeks God's
guidance for the future.
Mr. Ted Austin, father of
Gordon (GBIM) and Gary Austin
Retreat for
AA^omen
in Ministry
"Son-shine
in the Eye of
the Storm"
April 22-25, 1996
at the Daytonn Bench Hilton Resort
The Brethren Missionary Herald
Co. would like to challenge you
to contribute a donation to this
women's retreat. Your financial
support will help several women
attend this retreat and make the
cost more affordable.
Furthermore, the total amount
given to this project will be
matched by the Brethren Mis-
sionary Herald Company.
Please send your donations to
this address:
Brethren Missionary Herald Co.
RO. Box 544
Winona Lake, IN 46590
(pastor of GBC, Colorado Springs,
CO) went to be with the Lord
Sunday, October 29, 1995. He had
been part of the Grace Village family
since December 1, 1985. Wendell
Kent conducted the memorial
service on Thursday, November 2, at
Grace Village.
Ted was an active member of
Long Beach GBC under the minis-
tries of L. S. Bauman, Charles
Mayes, Dave Hocking and Dick
Mayhue. He worked as a consulting
engineer for North American
Rockwell, serving on the Apollo
moon project. His wife, Minnie had
passed away October 19, 1993.
At Grace College Homecom-
ing, President Ron Manahan
announced that Bob and Frances
Gordon of Winter Haven, Florida,
had given a gift of $1.5 million to
Grace college.
In late September, over sixty
people were baptized at the Yalok
church in Leigh, Philippines. Praise
God for how He is working in His
church.
Praise the Lord for opening
two new Bible studies — one in
Paradise, the other in Bulelac, both
in depressed areas of Malanclay. The
home in Bulelac has no breeze and
no electricity. They meet by candle
light.
A midyear invitational
meeting will be held in Santa
Monica, CA on January 30-31, 1996.
All FGBC organizations and cooper-
ating districts are invited to send
representatives to the meeting. To
make your reservations call Charles
Ashman at 219-269-1269.
From the Swains in Prague
Czechoslovakia — Praise the Lord
that over 600 students received New
Testaments this Fall. We passed out
NTs to high school students. We
hope to repeat this process many
times this Fall, perhaps even once a
week. We have discovered that
HeralD
16
Update
A^'
EWS
Czechs have a desire to learn
English or to use the English that
they know. Therefore, we have
planned to start a Czech-American
club where we can meet with
people. George has prepared a flier
in Czech about the club and is using
it as a method to talk to unsaved
people.
Please pray for fi\'e men to
accept Christ and to be discipled to
work with us here in Prague in
starting Grace Brethren churches.
Pray for Ralph Colburn who
has congesti\e heart failure.
From the Hewlitts in the
Philippines: Prav for sahation of
those attending the house churches
we started at Karangalan Village.
Praise the Lord for the continued
ministry in San Carlos at Freddie's
house. The Saturday afternoon
worship service is still well at-
tended. Praise the Lord for the
enclosed room built at the sicle of
the house that we can use, \'ery
helpful during rainy season.
Praise the Lord for the selec-
tion by the Ruizes of a new ministrv
area, Sumulong Highwav. Praise the
Lord that housing has already been
found and Ted and Viv moved in
October, 1995. Ask God to prepare
hearts for the Gospel. This will be
the start of our ninth work. Pray for
Ted as he turns the ministry of the
Cainta church over to David Torres
and the men and women there. Pray
that the folks will keep their focus
on reaching out to others.
Continue to pray for the
Marikina church as they are
looking for property to buy. Thank
God for the generous donors who
made this purchase possible. Pray
for Pastor Rey Paz as he leads the
church.
Dan Beaver has a full class
load this year as does Bonnie
Nissley at Faith Academy. Pray for
the response of the students to our
GBC teachers. Pray for Bonnie as she
plans a December trip to West
Virginia and then Switzerland.
From the Pouparts in Spain:
Thank you for praying for the work
in Valencia. We are seeing fruit after
several years of planting seed. This
Fall, our group will be dividing into
two cell groups. We're encouraged
by the steady growth of our group
this past year and ha\'e seen firm
steps in commitment to the work.
We'll continue with our church
ser\'ice on Sunday mornings in our
apartment.
Dr. Ted Hildebrandt, professor
of Old Testament, has completed an
BMH
TOUR
with
Ralph Colburn
& Jeff Carroll
Hawaiian Cruise to
4 ISLANDS
February 22-March 2, 1996
For more information please
call Pastor Ralph Colburn at
(310) 493-5613-BUS or (310)
630-2122-HOME or Jeff Carroll
at (800) 348-2756.
interacti\e, multimedia computer
program designed to teach first year
Hebrew. This program has been
published by Parsons Technology
and is available at local bookstores.
The program is designed as part of an
overall seminary initiative to provide
instruction for interested individuals
who cannot mo\'e to the Winona Lake
area. It has been adopted by other
seminaries and is also being used to
train missionaries as they remain on
the field. Grace Seminary offers credit
for the successful completion of the
program. Dr Hildebrandt is currently
working on a similar program for
biblical Greek.
The Deacons of the First
Brethren Church of Buena Vista,
VA are constituted as the Pastoral
Search Committee. They are
seeking God's direction for secur-
ing a pastor of the church. Any
member of the Fellowship of
Grace Brethren Ministers inter-
ested in being considered should
send a current resume to:
Mr. Charles (Buddy) Smals,
Moderator
First Brethren Church
100 East 29th Street
Buena Vista, VA 24416
Students at Grace College are
realizing the importance of ha\'ing
their spiritual life in focus. Already
this year, more than 30 women
students have come forward, of
their own accord, asking for ac-
countability and prayer partners.
The Student Life Department is
excited about this new year and the
obvious perspective on things
above.
Four Home Missions
churches will be "out of the nest"
as of January 1, 1996, and will be
self-supporting, although some
will continue with District Mission
assistance for awhile.
Pacific Hills Grace Brethren
Church in Murietta, CA, will enter a
new phase of ministry as Pastor
Doug Bukowski will find full time
employment outside the church in
order to support his family while he
continues to develop a core group
and establish a church.
In preparing the 1996 budget.
Home Missions has responded to
the requests of various districts and
included the following locations as
possible new points: Chilicothe and
Zanes\'ille, OH; Canton (Atlanta),
GA; and SaUda, CA (central CaHfomia).
17
jAM'ARY/fEBRUARY 1996
IIIIB C
ONTINUED
(Kiev Diary continued from page 7)
Police Actidemv, but it doesn't
happen. Tlie official with the power
to give the final OK is out of town.
(Subordinates were not allowed to
make decisions under Commu-
nism!) histead, we do more sight-
seeing. We go to "Lavra", the
ancient walled monastery, probably
the oldest structures in the city of
Kiev. We are told that Russia had its
beginning here in "Lavra". At my
request, Ludmila, our missionary
hostess, asks an old Orthodox priest
to explain the svmbolism of the
Orthodox cross. He looks angry and
mumbles something. She looks at
me and tells me that his answer is a
gruff, "why do you want to know?"
He walks away. We have just come
from the cathedral where they were
saying an Orthodox mass — no seats,
just people standing. The monks
were singing beautiful Gregorian
chants. No one looks happy, in fact,
very few people anywhere look
happy. Our e\'ening experience
stands in dramatically sharp con-
trast to much of what we have
experienced in the few days we have
been in Kiev. Sergei's friend, CDR
Victor Kulakevich, who had ar-
ranged for my presentation at the
Military Academy, was able to get
tickets to the ballet. It is an awe-
some, powerful, emotional presenta-
tion of the ballet, "Swan Lake". For a
little while we both feel "recon-
nected" to "our" world and are
remindeci of the rich cultural
heritage that is very much a part of
this unique country.
Thursday, September 7: In the
afternoon, we meet another
"Sergei", but fail to get his last
name. He is a senior advisor to the
President on matters having to do
with social issues and education. I
give him a "I Corps" Bible ("I
Corps" patch and camouflage cover.
I had purchased many of these Bible
for our soldiers at Fort Lewis when I
was still the I Corps Chaplain). I
give him a miniature Chaplain
Regimental pin. He immediately
places it on his lapel. I think he is a
belie\'er He is most anxious to
influence the establishment of a
Chaplaincy in the Ukrainian mili-
tarv We have a fascinating ex-
change. 1 give my second lecture at
the University. Afterward, I am
approached by a young Naval
officer who had been at my Military
Academy lecture, who is also a
journalist for their professional
Naval journal. He asks if he can
interview me. I tell him that I
welcome this opportunity. He tells
me early that he is not a believer, but
he is very professional and asks
probing questions . . . another
moment in time I could not have
expected, yet another very exciting
opportunity.
Friday, September 8: 1 am
scheduled to give another lecture at
the Military Academy. This time on
the "Ethical Conduct of War." Sergei
had been afraid of this lecture until
he heard me give parts of it at the
University. Now, both he and CDR
Vulakevich want the student officers
to hear it. I am excited about the
possibility. It doesn't happen. By the
time thev can get it scheduled, the
students are leaving for the week
end. We knew ahead of time that we
would need to be "flexible" on this
journey Little did we realize just
how "flexible" we would have to be.
Early that evening, we meet CDR
Vulakevich, COL Mandrageeja, COL
Pavlovich, Dr. Chesnakov and Dr.
Afonin. All men are in responsible
and influential military/government
positions. We talk, barely taking
time to enjoy a delicious meal that
has been prepared for us at the
Military Academy Officer's Club.
We begin at 6:30 P.M. and finally say
"Good-bye" after 10:00 PM. We talk
much about the future of Ukraine,
hopes and dreams for democracy to
work, and a longing on their part for
a chaplaincy for their armed forces.
It is so intense I am exliausted. I
doubt that I fully realize how
momentous this encounter really is.
They are absolutely mystified that a
clergyman can serve in the military
and be able to serve in responsible
positions. They are vmeasy with the
"power" needs of the Orthodox and
Catholic churches and they have
been taught to believe that all
"Protestants" are "cultists". Sergei
and I both ha\'e the opportimity to
share our military work so well. I
want to believe that I have helped to
dispel their "myth about "Protes-
tants" . . . and the mystery of
"clergymen in uniform." All of the
conversation has been warm and
affirming. I pray that they have seen
Christ in me and that they have
been made to confront what He
could mean to them.
Saturday, September 9: We
finally make it to Kiev's "Borispol"
International Airport for oirr return
flight to Amsterdam. We settle down
in our seats aboard our KLM 737 jet
plane. It is clean. We would not have
missed one moment of the past week,
but we are ready to leave this myste-
rious coi.mtry with its imstable and
very rmpredictable future, with a
deprived populace emerging from
the long, dark night of Commimism,
living in "quiet desperation". Yet, we
have "connected" with precious
brothers and sisters in Christ, and
ha\'e also "connected" with the
sincerely "curious" at the University
(Uke Olecya, a beautiful young girl,
who told us that she wanted to be a
'real Cliristian') and the Military
Academy, and, hopefully, the govern-
ment and military officials with
whom we have talked. I sincerely
believe that our times of sharing our
faith with these groups are recorded
in eternity and that someday we wUl
know more fully the impact of the
"open door" of opporttmity that the
Lord gave us in Kiev.
(To the many of our "Herald"
readers who remembered us in prayer
throughout this journey, we give our
enduring and heartfelt tlianks.) •
HeralD
18
B
IGHTS.
doesn H
W«.ar NIKES
by Deborah Willis
Sometimes I picture myself as
an ant. (I know — that's weird.
Bear with me.) So, I'm an ant,
and I'm crawling. (That's what ants
do.) I want to get to the ant hill. I
have a vague sense of where I'm
going, but I can't see it because of all
the grass. In fact, the only thing I
can see is grass. (OK — if I crane my
neck way back, I can see a little bit
of sky, but that's all.)
Grass in front of me, grass
behind me, to the right and the
left. But I know I have to get
through this forest of grass to
reach my destination. (Now
where was I going? Oh, yeah.
Home.) So I keep crawling. I
dodge, I climb over, I squeeze
under. I even chew through, if I
have to. But still it keeps com-
ing. Blade after blade. I no
longer stop to look at the sky. I
am focused on getting through
the grass. Soon I even forget
about the ant hill. All I think is,
"Dodge. Grass. Climb. Grass.
Squeeze. Grass. Chew. Grass."
It does not end. I move
mechanically. Around. Over.
Under. Through. I am exhausted.
And then I can go no further. I
have come to something too big to
chew through. I see no way
around it, and I certainly can't
crawl under it. It is a mountain, and
I have no choice but to go over it. I
sit down and cry tiny tears of
frustration and discouragement.
Then you come along. (You,
who are still a human.) You say to
me, "No, see . . . this isn't a moun-
tain. It isn't even close. This is just
Lam? Light
Chronicles
"Her Lamp does not go out at night"
a mound of dirt left by a mole.
Look. I can knock it down with
one well-placed Nike." And you
are, of course, right.
But in real life, God doesn't
wear Nikes. He is totally in
control, all knowing, and deeply
involved in the journey of his
"ants." But this does not guar-
antee us a smooth journey with
neither grass nor twig nor
mountain.
1 suspect God has a pair of
tennies in His closet, because there
are occasional accounts of moun-
tains being kicked down. But more
times than not. He lets us struggle
over the mountains. Yes, He's
always with us. And yes. He loves
us and wants only the best for us.
But no. He doesn't always knock
down our mountains.
"That doesn't make sense,"
you protest. "Mountains are
painful. Mountains are hard. Why
doesn't God just flatten them all?"
I must admit, I don't know
for sure. After all, I'm only human.
But if you will let me become an
ant once again (come on, be a
sport), maybe we can come closer
to an answer.
I am no longer at the foot of
the mountain. I am at the top.
What I went through to get
there, I don't want to remember.
I am sore and bruised. I have a
gash on leg #5 which may very
well become a scar. But the worst
is behind me.
19
As soon as I am strong
enough, I begin to notice my
surroundings. I am watching a
cloud go by when it hits me — I'm
above the grass. I can see for
miles! My, but the big picture is
bigger than I ever imagined. And
what's that speck of brown on the
horizon? It's the ant hill! Home. I
had almost forgotten. It comes
flooding back to me why I'm on
this journey and where I'm going.
I start down the mountain with
renewed vigor.
On the way down I meet a
fellow ant. Poor bug. He's going
up. I stop to encourage him and
to let him know I've been there. I
even show him the gash on leg
#5. He thanks me, but I can see
that he's too tired to catch my
optimism. Maybe he'll under-
stand when he gets to the top.
I reach the foot of the moun-
tain. More grass. But it doesn't
seem so bad now. I've been to the
top of a mountain and back. A
blade of grass is no big deal.
Sure, sometimes I still catch
myself letting the grass get to me,
forgetting my destination. So I
stop a bit, to remember what I saw
from the mountaintop. Then
things are back in perspective and
1 can journey on with confidence.
Because I'm going home. •
(If yon ivoiild like to write a short
story for the Lamp Light Chronicles,
please submit your stories to the
Brethren Missionary Herald.)
January/February 1996
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Crossing the
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Davy Troxel
PARADISE
remembered
Bible Prophecy
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A Passion
Jeff Carroll
I— H-t
UJ
I III I I
Do you like pickles on your
sandwich? I sure do!
Whether it's a cheeseburger
or a ham sandwich, biting into the
bun and tasting that crunchy
"vinegarized" cucumber just
electrifies my lunch. 1 like pickles,
but according to pickle industry
statistics, over the last decade only
the same people were enjoying the
same number of
pickle servings. No
matter how hard
the \'arious
pickle companies
tried, they could
not get more
people to eat
more pickles.
Sales were flat and
stuck at $700
million for 10
years. You might
say that pickle
sales had plateaued
(No wonder people are
always giving me cucumbers!)
One company began to have
a burden for this dilemma. That
company was Vlassic, you might
say they have a passion for pick-
les. What did they do? They
began to study the habits of the
pickle consumer. They asked their
customers all kinds of questions
like: "When did you eat your first
pickle?" "How can we make our
pickles better?" As Vlassic asked
their customers the questions, the
whole company listened instantly
and purposefully. One answer
kept surfacing: People
wanted their pickles
sliced lengthwise so that one
slice would co\'er the length of a
sandwich.
Vlassic then took the idea to
engineering. In a matter of months,
a couple of engineers had developed
a machine dri\'en by air that could
slice pickles lengthwise at high
speeds. Interesting to note
that in this whole
development process
p, the makeup and
'^■■' consistency of the
pickles was not
changed. The
company's mission
statement was not
changed.
Nothing was
changed except the
way the pickles
were sliced and
when the world
found out .... Well,
pickle consumption increased
15% the first year. That's an
additional $105,000,000 in sales.
Not bad for just a little innova-
tion and repackaging of a good
solid product.
Can we learn from companies
like Vlassic? Can we innovate in the
way we do church? Can we talk to
the people that we want to reach?
Can we change without changing
the message? Can we be driven to
the new ways to reach more people
for Jesus Christ? We must, if we
hope to survive! m-.
J[farch/J[^pril 1996
VOL 58 NO. 2
L
MARCH/APRIL, 1996
Paul & Cindy Michaels
^ CROSSING
' The Boundaries ,
8
BIBLE PROPHECY
And Scientific Fact
Q PEOPLE WE MEET
-^ Paul & Cindy Michaels
'I 'I CE National
-^ -*- Junior Quizzing
12
WMC
Missionaries of the Year
The Brethren Missionary Herald is a bimonthly publication of The
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Newsline: 219-267-7826. News items contained in each issue
are presented for information and do not indicate endorsement.
Publisher: Jeff Carroll
Managing Editor: James E. Serra
Printer: Evangel Press
EDITORIAL
A Passion for Pickles
PASTOR'S CORNER
Sister Churches
SO LONG,
Pastor Dick
Ordination of Steve Makofka
17
14
RALPH COLBURN
A Man of Service
SPORTS
Jerry Lucas
NEWS
GB News Update
LAMP LIGHT
Paradise Remembered
by Davi/ Troxel
The Sclnvans serve as missionaries in
England. Seated left to right are
David, Rachel, Becky, Philip, and
David. IT
Cover Photo: Ralph Colburn was a long time GBC Pastor. He
recently went home to be with the Lord.
CE National: Ed Lewis
International Missions: Tom Julien,
Jenifer Wilcoxson
Grace Schools: Ron Manahan
Home Missions: Larry Chamberlain
Women's Missionary Council: Mary
Thompson
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HeralD
Hut _ _ _ Hut _ _
5-1
CD ^
Every church family prays for
special opportunities to be
used by God to touch the
lives of others for His glory. We at
Susquehanna Grace Brethren
Church are well aware of the words
of the Apostle Paul as recorded in
Ephesians 3:20, 21.
"Noiv to Him who is able to do
immeasurablif more than all we
ask or imagine, according to His
power that is at work in us, to
Him be glorif in the church and
in Christ Jesus throughout all
generations for ever and ever!
Amen."
This promise came alive in a
spectacular fashion during the Fall
of 1964, when our church family
hosted every pregame meal during
the season for the Golden Knights
Football Team from Eastern York
High School.
The human element in this
ministry included church family
football parents, Fred and Ruth
Graver, and the head coach of the
team, Roger Getz. Each week prior
to the meal one of the men of the
church led the team in a devotional
and prayer. Always giving rapt
attention and genuine appreciation
were members of the team, the
coaching staff, trainers, medical
technician, and a number of the
players' parents.
The grand finale of the 1994
season was the football banquet.
orner
hosted by the church. Dr. Roy
Roberts was the guest speaker for
the occasion. He totally connected
with the audience. The gift of a
Bible was presented to each
member of the team from the
church family.
This initial experience was
repeated for the 1995 season just
completed. The expressions of
gratitude from the team mem-
bers, coaches, and parents
continue.
We are praising the Lord for
the unique opportunity of sharing
Him and the privilege of demon-
strating genuine friendship within
our community. We are confident
that "His Word will prosper where
He sends it." ■»
Sister Ohurches
WORKING TOGETHER
by Pastor Dan White
The psalmist said it well:
B
/ / I 1 eliold, how good
and pleasant it is
for brothers
(sisters) to dwell together in
unity!" (Ps. 133:11
And not only dwell together,
but also to find a common ground to
work together in reaching out to a
needy world for our Lord.
The relationship of the
Susquehanna and York Grace
Brethren Churches in York County,
Pennsylvania has been one not
unlike that of many others in a
general geographic area — conge-
nial when together, but not neces-
sarily making the time to get
together. Committed to the same
overall purpose of reaching
people, but not really taking the
time and effort to work together to
accomplish it.
The theme of the 1994 district
conference and the message of the
moderator. Rev. Les Nutter, also
pastor of the Susquehamia GBC, set
in motion a series of events that
have changed all that — for now, and
hopefully for the future.
"Keeping fellowship in our
fellowship" was Pastor Nutter's call
to all churches in our district. The
challenge was to explore ways to
encourage interchurch fellowship
and possible cooperative outreach
events.
The week immediately follow-
ing the district conference, the two
churches celebrated a Memorial Day
picnic on the grounds of the York
church. The pre-summer gathering
was reciprocated in September,
(Continued on page 18)
J\/Jarcli/J^pril 1996
o Long, Pastor Dick
by Joan Tsibouris
Pastor Dick DeArmey
leaves a long legacy of
touching lives
through preaching,
counseling, writing,
and teaching. It was a joy to
speak with many of those he
touched as I informed them he
went to be with the Lord on
September 14, 1995.
As Pastor Dick's secretary
for the past ten years, I had the
opportunity of witnessing many
of the changes his wise counsel
brought about in people's lives.
It was deeply rewarding to hear
so many of those folks testify to
how Pastor Dick had helped get
them on the right track. One
woman who did not have a good
relationship with her father said,
"If I could have chosen a father,
it would have been Pastor Dick."
As Pastor Dick's heart
attacks began to come closer and
closer together in the past few
years, he was forced to reduce
his teaching and counseling
schedule. Retirement was not an
option for this dear servant of
God. Instead, he undertook a
much heavier writing schedule.
Certainly he realized that he
could reach far more people
through his writings than in
counseling sessions.
At the time of his
homegoing. Pastor Dick had
completed six months of his
"Elephants & Onions" devo-
tional series, the last of 30
booklets he wrote. He had
hoped the Lord would allow him
to finish that project. Indeed, he
might have done so except for
the fact that he kept getting
ideas for other writing projects
that intervened! Those ideas for
new booklets came faster than
his hand could write.
Pastor Dick, we will miss
the twinkle in your eye, your
corny jokes, your wealth of
knowledge of the human condi-
tion, your love of Bible study,
and your uncomplaining spirit in
the face of major health prob-
lems. But how great it is to
know that we will meet again! nii
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ssing the Boundaries in
Christian Social Concerns
In a Christian ethics class I taught at Biola
University, I occasionally heard students speak
of the "Biola Bubble." Since I was just a naive
part-time facultv member, 1 asked them to explain
to me what this bubble was all about.
The "Biola Bubble" (or any bubble Christians
inhabit, for that matter) is a man-made separation
chamber. Inside the bubble we go about our
religious routine and speak our pious platitudes.
But we do not really penetrate the wall of the
bubble to have a real impact on the world outside.
Nor can outsiders easily look in.
But if we will really stop, look and listen to the
world aroimd us, if we will really listen to the
summons of the Gospel, we will break out of our
bubbles and enter the world for mission.
Folks, if we're living in a bubble, it's time to
wake up and smell the coffee. The world around us
is challenging us at every turn.
Recently, mv daughter found herself in a very
awkward situation. She's a teller at a credit union.
The customer was very obnoxious and made some
very racist comments which were heard bv the
woman she wanted to insult. My daughter must
respond to that situation from the \'alues her Chris-
dan faith gives her. What should she have done?
Last month, I walked around a corner in a
public place and came upon two men who were
engaging in sex. There they were, together, right in
front of me. When you see that, you know you're
out of your bubble. What should I do?
Last week our church received a threatening
form letter in the mail. It called for assassinations
and claimed that these killings were morally
justified. It said the assassinations would start with
leaders of the news media, including the news
managers of all the local Los Angeles TV stations. 1
phoned the information to my local newspaper and
to a TV station and 1 called the police who came
and took a report.
To others who mav have seen these threats:
What did you do about them? Did you throw them
away? Did you chuckle as you passed them around
the office staff? How you answer may reveal
whether or not you live in a bubble!
Here are two kinds of bubbles that keep us
from biblical social concerns: One is the isola-
by Donald P. Shoemaker
tionist bubble. Christians who dwell safely and
securely inside isolationist bubbles have certain
luxuries which Christians with a world-view of
their mission can't enjoy. Inside the bubble we
can spend our time debating exotic issues. We
can count the angels on a pin. We can see who
has the most detailed and exciting prophecy
chart. We can think of new ways to defend the
rules of our subculture. We can ignore the fact
that the world writes us off as "irrelevant."
After all, Jesus said we'd be rejected. We don't
have to listen to the cry of the widow or the
orphan. The cause of justice on our doorstep or
the suffering on the other side of the world
need not disturb us. Bubbles are quite sound-
proof. And they obscure our vision.
Another bubble is the nationalist bubble. In
this bubble we think first as Americans, second
as Christians. God and Caesar have become
inverted.
1 recently watched a Christian TV program
where the speaker stood in front of a stage set
draped in red, white and blue. On the back-
ground were the words, "Believe in America."
Now, I could accept that banner, maybe, at a
labor union rally. But on a Christian program
it's borderline idolatry. The Bible calls us to
believe in God while we honor our country.
Seems I read on a coin somewhere, "In God we
trust."
Our God and our Gospel call us out of our
bubbles and make us Christians with a view of the
whole world. How so? Here are five quick points:
First, there is but one true and living God
who is King of all the earth. God is not the God of
so-called "sacred things" alone nor is He just a
national god. He is Lord of all.
Second, there is one morality which is right
anywhere you go. Even in the Old Testament,
when God is yet working through a particular
earthly nation, the call of the prophets is a call to
all nations for justice and compassion.
Tliird, there is one humanity, made in God's
image and likeness, with a God-shaped void in
(continued on page IS)
f^archl\pril 1996
Bible PROPECHY
by Dr. Nathan M. Meyer
Thirty-six years ago
(after being in the
ministry 12 years) the
Lord very definitely
directed me into the
specialized work of
Bible Conferences dealing specifi-
cally with Bible Prophecy. I didn't
hear a voice, but the call was so
definite and so strong I knew 1 had no
choice. From that time to tliis, there
has never been any doubt in my mind
concerning God's will for my life.
Over half of the Bible is
prophecy. The Holy Spirit, by
divine inspiration, directed Bible
writers to record exactly, and in
detail, the whole future history of
the world and of the human race —
all the way into the eternal ages.
Nobody but God can do that with
100% accuracy. People can guess
about tomorrow, but only God can
write history in advance. 1 find that
extremely fascinating. It is one of
the irrefutable proofs that the Bible
is of divine origin.
"Bible prophecies are more
certain than the Law of Gravity,"
says world famous scientist. Dr.
Hugh Ross who has a Ph.D. in
astronomy. He grew up with no
knowledge of God, but in studying
the complexity and orderliness of
the universe, he reasoned there just
might be a creator, whether a
"being or a thing."
His question was, "If there is a
creator, has he revealed himself?"
To find an answer, he read each of
the major books which the chief
religions of the world claimed to
have come from their god.
Dr. Ross decided to compare
each one with known facts of history
and science to see how many errors
he could find. He knew that no
book written by mere men was
completely free from scientific
errors. He reasoned that if there was
a book that really came from the
creator, it would not be full of
mistakes.
Dr. Ross kept a notebook
listing all the errors he could find
relative to history and science. He
was amazed how long his lists were
for every single book except one.
The Bible was so different.
"Literally every page," he said, "had
an abundance of scientific and
historical statements," that he could
check. Furthermore, he said that
unlike the others, the Bible was
written in very clear, precise terms —
"verv direct, very clear and very
plain."
Except for the Bible, he found
no book that got the order of cre-
ation correct. For example, they put
animals before plants so the animals
would have had nothing to eat.
He used his scientific expertise
to calculate the probability that
Moses could get all thirteen events
listed in the Genesis creation story in
exactly the right order to be one
chance in six trillion. That really
made him think.
He studied the Bible every night
for a year, at the end of which time
his Bible notebook, intended for
listing scientific and liistorical errors,
did not have a single entry. After
years of intensive study, he concluded
that the Bible was never wrong.
As an astronomer, he was
surprised to discover that 2700 years
ago (long before Columbus) Isaiah
said the earth was round (Isa. 40:22).
He found the Second Law of
Thermodynamics and much about
the stars. He learned facts about the
star-cluster Pleiades that were only
verified in the Astronomical Journal
a year after he found them in the
Bible. It was in the book of Job 3500
years ago. He was very impressed.
He found hundreds of scien-
tific statements and thousands of
historical statements in the Bible —
every one of which he found to be
precise and correct.
Isaiah wrote 150 years before it
happened that a king named Cyrus
would set the Jewish captives free
and give them money to go home
and rebuild their temple. Nothing
like it ever happened before or since,
but every detail Isaiah foretold
happened as predicted.
Dr. Ross found about 300 very
specific prophecies relating to Jews
going into exile twice and finally
returning to the land that God gave
them. He spent many hours in the
library using microfilm and newspa-
per accounts to check out the
Biblical predictions concerning the
Jews, their land, it's desolation and
final productivity. He couldn't find
one mistake and most of these
prophecies were fulfilled since
1940.
Jeremiah listed, by name and
order, nine settlements that would
be built to expand Jerusalem after
the Jews returned the second time.
Every one has been fulfilled exactly
as foretold and in the right order.
Dr. Ross calculated that the
chance of Jeremiah getting this all
(Coiitimied on page 18)
HeralD
ONE on ONE with
The People
We Meet
PAUL & CINDY
MICHAELS
Russian Missionaries
Q
I'm talking with Paul and
I Cindy Michaels. You are
missionaries to central
RussiSralso known as western
Siberia. The capital of Siberia is
Novasibirsk. How did you come to
go to Siberia?
A: We heard news of Russia
opening up and we rejoiced in that as
Bible college students. I remember
praying for Russia and the gospel to
help freedom to spread throughout
that country. So, we were encour-
aged by the news and the only way 1
can explain it is that when we heard
this news it became a burden that
would not go away. I talked with
Cindy about the possibility of our
going to Russia and the more we
prayed about it the more God
confirmed in our hearts that this is
what he wemted us to do. I would
say that one of the things that the
Lord used was the need in Russia.
We Uved, at that time, in Lexington,
Kentucky, a city of 250,000 with more
than 200 evangelical churches in it.
We were hearing reports of cities of
half a million in Russia that didn't
have any churches in it and as we
heard that need, God pulled on our
hearts and we went.
Q: Where did you go to Bible
college?
A: I went to Philadelphia
College of Bible.
Q: Is that where you met
Cindy?
A: No, I'll let Cindy answer
that.
Paul and 1 met at Hatfield
Biblical Seminary. I was a nurse
working in the evenings and taking
classes during the day and that's
where we met.
Q: How long have you been
married?
A: 13 years
Q: How many children?
A: We have three children,
Benjamin 12; Andrea 10; and Josiah 8.
Q: And how do they adjust to
life in Russia?
A: They've done great! The
children in Russia are very accepting of
foreign children. Foreign children are
very unusual. The children that know
my kids are the first foreign children
they've ever met and that really helps
the children adjust to the culture. The
children wanted them to be their friends
right away. They've been great.
Q: Do either of you speak
Russian?
A; Not much. 1 speak a little
bit. I understand a lot more than I
speak. So, I haven't studied Russian
as much as Cindy has or the children
have. 1 stopped studying Russian
probably a year ago once 1 reached
the point of being able to function on
the day to day stuff. I realized that
for me, to become fluent in Russian, 1
had to make a great commitment to
it. We had decided on our first term
to focus on ministry primarily and
that's what I've done. I haven't
picked up Russian as much as I'd
Uke. But, that will come.
Q: Are the kids learning
Russian in school?
A: I home school them, but they
are being tutored four days a week in
the Russian language and they play
with other kids that don't speak
English. So that helps.
Q: What's your day Uke, Cindy?
A: Well, in the mornings, of
course, 1 teach the children and 1 do a lot
of food shopping. We don't have a car
(Continued on page 10)
J\/Jarcli/^pril 1996
{One on One continued from page 9)
SO we have to waE< to a lot of different
places to get food and carry it home.
There is a lot of waiting in lines and
finding food. That's a large part of my
day.
Q: I heard that you started
eight churches. Tell me about that.
A: We've used several different
methods in starting churches. We've
had short term teams come and saturate
the area with die gospel and through
the core of new believers that ha\'e
resulted in that outreach. We have
stcirted Grace Church. We've also had
the privilege of training Russian men
throughout southwest Siberia. In fact,
they've trained about 95 men in
regional centers in Siberia. 1 train them
in church planting, so some of them
have accepted the challenge of starting
some new churches. As a result, they
have altogether started eight and I
would say over 300 adults have come to
faith in Ctirist.
Q: Are these all Grace Breth-
ren Churches?
A: No. Grace Church is Grace
Brethren, but the others are all
national churches, primarily the
Russian Baptist Churches.
Q: That is really exciting! Is
there much political unrest?
A: Yes. There is a lot of political
unrest because of what is taking place
economically in the coiuitry We're
experiencing 20% inflation a month
officially. I tliink it's worse than that,
but that has caused incredible financial
problems for the families in Russia, in
particular for the pensioners. As a result
of the great difficulties that the Russians
are experiencing in the inflation, it
makes things very unpredictable. It
makes living very impreciictable.
People want change and so I really
think they wUl go to the extent of
electing someone like Sherenoski who is
a Fascist. We don't know what wiU
happen with him if he becomes
president.
Q: He has a lot of support
there?
A: Yes, he does. He was
elected the head of the Parliament,
so he has already gained a lot of
approval politically. We'll go from
here if he becomes president.
Q: What do you hope to do
this year?
A: What we did in the past,
primarily plant churches in
Novasibirsk. Six of the eight
churches are planted in the city, but
our desire is to extend throughout
western Siberia. Our vision for this
next year is to plant eight churches
in the four different regions around
us. This coming summer, we will
invite sixteen twelve member teams
to come for two weeks and to carry
out a saturation evangelism strategy.
We initially spread the gospel as
much as we can through a village or
through a region in a major city.
Then, through those who have come
to faith in Christ, we start a church.
Lord willing, we will start eight new
churches with that strategy as
Westerners come for a two week
term to be used of God in that way.
Q: Do you have any other
helpers on the way or would you
like to have more help?
A: We do have some young
ladies who are coming to work with
us that we really praise the Lord for,
who will be able to develop our
women's ministries that we have,
that we haven't really been able to
develop. We are thankful for the
young women who are going to
come and head those works. But, at
this point, we don't have any men
who are preparing to come and so
it's something that we really have
been praying for. I hope that God
will raise up a couple of men who
have a Bible foundation and some
ministry experience and a heart to
win people to Christ. I think that if
the Lord raises up a few more men
to join our team, we can continue
to expand what God is doing
there.
Q: Do you ever feel your lives are
in jeopardy or is there a stiong military
presence there? Do you ever feel
threatened?
A: No, we don't right now. There
is peace between foreign people. We
have been very warmly received by the
Russian people. We are not being
watched. You know, they have their
structure, the Communist structiire,
which is pretty much in place. We see
military presence everywhere, but we
don't feel tiireatened in any way. One
thing that has happened, especially in
the last year, is that the spiritual battie
has intensified. The Orthodox Church
has stepped up very much so. They
attack and oppose Protestantism, and a
partiailar form of Protestantism, wliich
is helping to see Protestant Churches
planted throughout Russia. They see
that as a real threat to tlie power tiiey
would like to have once again over the
country. We experience a lot of opposi-
tion from them, propaganda in newspa-
per, radio and television. Weekly, we
see the stuff and so I tliink that the
spiritiial conflict is intensifying.
Q: Cindy, do you get to use
any of your nursing skills in any
way?
A: I use my nursing skills in
the family and with the Russian
people who come to me. I think I
would ha\'e to be fluent in the
language before I could do that on
an official basis with the people.
Thank you very much! It's
really exciting what you're doing
there, m
COMMITED TO PRAY?
TO APPOINT A LOCAL
PRAYER COORDINATOR,
CONTACT RON BOEHM
2 1 6—467—6 1 23
HeralD
10
JunMeQtt^fFi^g
. . . Children's Bible Quizzing by Mark Vandegrift
Names like Taylor, Kear, Steiner, Bonar
and Wiley may not ring a bell, but these
are just a handful of quizzers involved
in past Northeastern Ohio district quiz
teams. And each one is currently or has been involved
in junior cjuizzing.
As with many good programs, a "feeder" system
is often present to maintain stability and quality within
the program. NEO has had such a system in place for
well over 15 vears. Junior quizzing, a vital program in
the NEO district, allows stucients in Grades 3-6 to
experience a quiz program with less competition, less
materials and less pressure than that experienced in
senior quizzing. Students can get their "feet wet"
and still enjoy the benefits of quizzing: studying
Scripture; gaining better study habits; learning
discipline, leadership, confidence and public speak-
ing skills; enjoying fellow quizzers from other
district churches; and burying God's Word deep in
their young hearts.
Junior quizzing does not vary much from the
senior quizzing format. Quizzes are still run using the
national guidelines, including type number of ques-
tions, point values, errors, bonuses, doctrinal questions,
fouls, time limitations, etc. Stats are maintained and
prizes are awarded at the end of the year for the top six
quizzers, highest team average, most improved team,
participant and spitshine award. However, the amount
of material covered is less than that of the senior
cjuizzers. For example, the national quiz program is
currently studying Hebrews and 1 & 2 Peter. The junior
quizzers are studying Hebrews only. Also, there is not
a rally winner; each team quizzes four times and point
totals for each quiz are not emphasized (i.e. coaches
and quizmasters do not declare winner and loser). This
portion of each rally is meant to mirror standard "jump
question" quizzing.
To end each rally, a quizdown occurs. Each
quizzer, in succession, is asked a regular jump cjuestion
not used in the previous rounds of standard quizzing.
Each quizzer has 30 seconds to answer the question. A
c]uizzer has two errors available and questions continue
Tliese young people are ini'olved with the Junior district quiz
teams in Nortlieastern Ohio. Tlte quiz teams are made up of
third and sixth graders.
to be asked until only one quizzer remains. Points are
awarded to the top 15 quizdown finishers. At the end
of the year, an award is given to the most accumulated
quizdown points. This portion of the quiz rally allows
those quizzers to participate who have studied the
material but are too shy to jump.
It is interesting to note that this level exhibits very
high quality quizzing. Very few errors occur because
the students have a great ability to memorize the
material. Comments from parents indicate that most of
the students involved make quizzing a top priority
because they are not pulled in as many directions as
high school students (i.e. sports, choir, band).
The benefits are obvious! The wonderful exercise
of studying and memorizing large portions of scripture
on a regular basis does not need to wait until seventh
grade. If you would like more information on junior
quizzing, please write or call:
Mark Vandegrift
704 29th St. NE
Canton, OH 44714
Home: 216^56-5630
Work: 216-493-9900
NATIONAL
For quizzing resources, contact CE National at P.O. Box 365, Winona Lake, IN 46590 or call (219) 267-6622.
For specific questions relating to Bible Quizzing for grades 7-12, contact Ray Feather, National
Quizmaster, at the Sunnyside GBC or Scott Feather, Associate National Quizmaster, at Grace Schools.
11
J[Jarch/ji^pril 1996
WMC MISSiONAF
Becky Schwan, England
My name is Becky Schwan
(maiden name Julien). I
.was bom in Ft. Wajme,
IN, but when I was two, my brother
Terry, my sister Jacqueline, and I
went to France with our parents.
We lived at The Qiateau (that was
fun) and attended French public
schools. Mom and Dad kept
informed of what we were learning,
especially in high school, so we
could talk through it at the supper
table and compare it to what God
teaches us in the Bible.
I asked the Lord to come
into my life when I was 6 years
old at a VBS program in
Winona Lake. As I grew, I
learned more about what
Jesus had done for me. I
struggled during my junior
year and finally rededicated
my life to God and had a
great senior year. I started a
small Bible study at school
and also was able to witness
to some of my teachers.
I attended Bob Jones
and Grace College and
graduated from Grace in
1978, then took a teaching
job at Dayton Christian
High School. I met David,
my husband, at church
there. (He was the cute
guitarist who occasionally
did special music, and was a
music teacher.) We were married
inl98L
We have three children.
David is 13 in senior school. He is
very outgoing, a leader in his circle
of friends, and has been a real asset
to us in our ministry. His hobbies
are soccer, juggling, and badminton.
Rachel is 11 in junior school. She is
quieter than David and is good
around people. She is generous
v^th everything she owns and is
sensitive to the needs of others.
Philip is seven in elementary school.
He is our "miracle boy," having had
two heart operations when he was
rune months old. He is a little ray of
sunshine, loves to read, and just
learned to swim. (His daddy hopes
he wiU be the musician of the
family!)
We went to England in 1990
after David graduated from Grace
Seminary. We live in the town of
Shirley, a suburb of Birmingham,
in a semi-detached house (a
duplex), on a very busy road. We
are fortunate to have a house with
adequate space.
The main goal of our team is
to plant churches that wiU be self
sufficient (with national leaders)
Tlw
left
Schwans serve as missionaries in England. Seated
to right are David, Rachel, Becky, Philip, and David
and growing. Our responsibilities
are varied, but they all center
around meeting people or helping
with activities that wiU give
people an opportimity to hear the
gospel. We are involved in
puppet clubs, a preteen group and
Bible studies. David preaches
occasionaUy and has started a
guitar club which has given him
good opportunities to contact
men. I have ladies coffees and we
entertain in our home. Building
trust takes time and response has
been slow, but we now have
several new families in our church
and we are growing.
My spiritual goal is to know
God better each day! A lot of
times I equate my spiritual life
with my service for the Lord, or
what I'm learning, but the Lord
just wants me, as a living sacrifice.
He wants me to slow down, listen,
and just spend time with Him.
I think I'm a missionary
today because my parents had
such a positive influence on my
life as a missionary kid. We
ministered as a family, and we
kids felt included in what our
parents were doing. We knew
that Mom and Dad had a real
burden for the souls of
people, as the ministry was
at times hard and discour-
aging. That instilled in us
the desire to do something
significant with our lives,
whether on the mission
field or at home.
Asked about SMM and
WMC Becky said:
We didn't have SMM
when 1 was growing up in
France, but SMM groups
did nice things for me as an
MK — letters, gifts, and they
prayed for me!
The WMC women
back home have been such
an encouragement to me,
and to many others. I've
often said that WMC is the "per-
sonal touch" in missions. It really
helps to receive letters and cards
assuring you that you're not alone,
and that you are loved and cared for
and prayed for! MyWMC'salso
have been so generous and creative
with their gifts; they really are a
wonderful group of ladies.
Joy Sims, France 1- X L O /
I
grew up in a small town in far
northeastern Pennsylvania and
have an older sister and a younger
HeralD
12
ES OF THE YEAR
brother. We used to joke that we only
slept in Pennsylvania, but Uved in New
York, since almost all of our schooling
was in New York as well as my parents'
jobs and our church. My parents are
committed Christians and we were
raised in an atmosphere of faith.
In junior church, when I was
seven, I surrendered my Ufe to the
Lord, but it wasn't until high school
that I began to take my faith
seriously. 1 was well grounded in
the Scriptures and had many good
role models. My mom is very
hospitable and I see the value of
growing up in a home that was
open to different kinds of people.
This model has especially helped
me in my present ministry. I was
exposed to missions and mission-
aries and learned to know them
as real people. Our independent
Baptist Church is one of our
supporting churches now.
After high school, 1 at-
tended Word of Life for a year.
There 1 grew in faith and was
deeply challenged to consider
missions as a vocation. At the
WOL missions conference, 1 gave
my Ufe to the Lord for foreign
mission service. That same night,
1 had my first "date" with Mark
Sims from Columbus, Ohio, who
had also committed his Ufe that ji,g
night for foreign missions. left
Then, I enrolled at Tennes-
see Temple College and Mark
began his studies at Columbia
Bible College. As our relationship
continued to deepen, we saw
God's hand leading us together,
and I transferred to CBC.
In 1978, we received a letter
from a former professor at WOL
who was serving in France. He sent
us a book, France, Forgotten Mission
Field, and asked us to consider the
field of France. We took this as the
Lord's direction and began gather-
ing information about France.
We were married in 1980 and
graduated from CBC in 1981. That
summer, we learned of the Euro-
Missions Institute — a firsthand
exposure to missions in France,
sponsored by the Grace Brethren
Fellowship of Churches in which
Mark had been raised. Although
the deadline had passed when we
heard of the opportunity, Mark
submitted our appUcation by phone,
and several days later, we learned
that we had been accepted! God
used those six weeks in France to
further confirm His direction for us.
Following Mark's gradua-
tion from Grace Seminary in 1986,
we returned to Columbus, Ohio,
Sims serve as missionaries in France. Seated
to right are Joy, Gabriel, and Mark.
to work with the GBC which was
now my home church as well.
In August, 1987, we added a
very important member to our
family, our son, Gabriel Mark. In
September, 1988, we were able to
leave for France. God was faithful
to keep us on track those many
years. We are praying that God
wUl add more children to our
family, but He has chosen to say
no up to this point. Gabriel
started first grade this year and
attends a private school which is a
15-minute walk from our home.
We live in the town of
Macon in a third floor three
bedroom apartment, five minutes
by foot from the main shopping
area of town, and across the street
from the train station. We work
with the GBC in Macon, the oldest
existing work of GBIM in France.
My main ministry is to my
family and I take this very seri-
ously. I beUeve the mom sets the
tone for the home. I have many
friends (most of them not yet
Christians) and enjoy seeing them
in their homes or at mine for
coffee and times to talk. I see
these occasions as great
vehicles for evangelism. And
our family plans time for
inviting other couples and
families for meals. I am also
teaching EngUsh to young
children. 1 teach a five to eight-
year-old Sunday school class,
and with two French women,
teach a Good News Club.
I want to thank the WMC
ladies for their faithful prayer
support and practical interest
in missions. Mark and 1 both
beUeve wholeheartedly that
WMC groups are a vital Unk
between missionaries and their
supporting churches. We
encourage you to keep your
focus on the world. We appreci-
ate your cards, missionary chests,
and projects you invest in year
after year. We love you!
Each year several missionary
women are chosen to he honored as V\IMC
Missionaries of the Year. Becky and Joy
are two of four selected for 1995-96.
More information about these
ladies is in the WMC Program Packet.
Yon may obtain either a slide/tape or a
video to introduce them to your WMC.
Order from Grace Brethren International
Missions, P.O. Box 588, Winona Uke, IN
46590 (phone 219-267-5161). Please
give the desired date, indicate your media
choice (video or slide/tape) and include a
love gift to cover expenses, m,
13
f^arclil/^pril 1996
Pastor Ralph Colburn
Pastor Ralph Colburn was bom
October 22, 1916, in
Wheatland, North Dakota, the
youngest of three boys. He moved to
Pomona, California the summer of
1923, after finishing the first grade in
Wheatland. He accepted Jesus as his
Savior in a boys and girls after-school
Bible class in Pomona, March 28,
1928. His whole family became
believers or assured of salvation
about that time. They helped start a
new Grace Fundamental Church in
Pomona in early 1929. They were
baptized by single immersion to-
gether as a family. They moved to
Long Beach, CA, late in the summer
of 1929. The first church they visited
was First Brethren in Long Beach on
Labor Day weekend, because they
knew the speaker was a great one.
They never did get aroimd to visihng
any other churches, as they fell in
love with "Fifth and Cherry" and its
pastor. Dr. L. S. Bauman. They were
baptized as a family by trine immer-
sion in 1930.
Pastor Ralph graduated from
Hamilton Junior Fiigh in January
1930. Graduated from Long Beach
Poly High in June 1933 (the year of
the big Long Beach earthquake!).
Taught boys Sunday school class in
First Brethren from 1932-38 (different
classes). Sang in a male quartet in
church, which was also part of a
gospel team, 1933-38. Graduated
from Long Beach City College (two
years) in February 1936. Enrolled in
Bible Institute of Los Angeles, ¥aR of
1936, lived on campus two years.
Graduated from Biola, 1949, with a
Th. B degree, a special four year course
they were offering at that time, which
included best of Bible Institute practical
studies, and much seminary level work
(three years Greek, two years Hebrew,
two years Systematic Theology, etc.).
Ralph enrolled in Westmont College,
first year of its existence as a college,
September 1940, graduated with a
B.A. in the first graduating class (four
members) in 1941. Ralph's father
died in late September 1938, necessi-
tating moving home from Biola,
commuting, taking over his father's
business to support self and mother.
He began a branch Sunday
school and church from First Brethren
in Naples, Jime 1939, called Light-
house Community Church, and
pastored this until December 1941,
right after Pearl Harbor. Sunday
school grew fiom 22 to 66 in one year,
and church from 12 to 40 in that year.
He started a high school group in a
home in Seal Beach in Fall of 1940, in
which attendance reached 50(+) and
over 40 received Christ as Saviour.
Ralph served as interim pastor
at Whittier First Brethren three
Ralph Colburn.
months of 1942. He was called to
serve as pastor of First Brethren
Church of Compton, May 1942
tlirough December 1947. He was
called to be Brethren's first National
Youth Director, January 1948 thi'ough
September 1954. He h-avelled
extensively over the country. Mjirried
Julia Rowland at First Brethren Churcli
of Inglewood, CA, April 10, 1954.
Ralph founded the Grace Breth-
ren Church of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida,
in January 1955. He saw it grow in 13
a Man of Service
years to 300(+) members, with Sunday
school attendance peaked at 600(-i-). He
helped found two other Grace Brethren
Churches in the immediate area and
three others in the state of Horida
during those years. Both of their sons
were bom in Ft. Lauderdale: Mark
Jonathan, July 31, 1955; and Timothy
Joel, May 31, 1958.
He came back to California in
April 1968 to become pastor of Com-
munity Grace Brethren of Long Beach,
served there for 10 years. He taught
11th grade Bible at Bretiiren High
School for six of those years. Both sons
graduated from Brethren High. Ralph
was inxdted to join the staff of North
Long Beach Brethren in May 1978 as
associate pastor to seniors. Ten happy
and effective years of ministry ensued.
When North Long Beach merged with
Rossmoor, he continued in the
capacity of pastor to seniors along
with other responsibilities.
Pastor Ralph served from 1959
to 1995 on the Bretliren Missionary
Herald Board of Trustees, as Vice
President, President, and Treasurer
of that board. In 1960-61, he served
as National Moderator of our
Fellowship of Churches. He has
served as alumni president of both
Biola and Westmont in the 1940's.
Ttic memorial service for
Pastor Ralph Colburn was held at
Grace Church in Los Alamitos on
Friday, January 19th. What a send
off it wasl Participating pastors
were Ron Jackson, Dr. George Peak,
Dr. David Miller, Dr. MickUkleja,
and giving the benediction was Dr.
David Hocking. Ralph told me once
that he used to change Dave
Hocking's diaper in the nursery. Part
of the service urns a video of Ralph
himself on his death bed telling of his
lozv for the Lord and his looking
forward to arriving in Heaven. What
a model for all of us. Ralph luas a
Pastor's Pastor and we will miss him
much. 1000 people were present, all
in some way touched by Ralph
Colburn's life. ■"=
HeralD
14
Catching Up With . . .
by Tom Felten
H
ere's a little trivia question
to tease your memory: In
. what city did Jerry Lucas
and the USA hoops squad capture
the Olympic Gold medal in 1960?
(Insert Jeopardy final question
theme music here.)
Time's up.
If you said Rome, (ding, ding,
ding) you are obviously either a
sports nut or a graduate of the Lucas
Learning System.
"The Lucas Learn . . . ?"
Well get to that later.
Now, if your memorv is really
good, you'll also recall that Jerry
was the first basketball player on the
planet to win a high school state title
(Middletown, Ohio), an NCAA
crown (Ohio State), an Olvmpic gold
medal (USA), and an NBA ring
(Knicks).
Not bad. But his most impor-
tant victory happened 3 months
after he left the game, when he
discovered God's plan for his life. "I
found Christ from reading the
Bible," he says. "Tremendous
change took place in my life, and 1
wanted to draw closer [to God]. The
next year I used my memory
principles to memorize the entire
New Testament."
Yes, you read that correctly.
When Jerry first began under-
standing the process of what he calls
"automatic learning" and de\'eloped
his amazing way to remember
information, he would tutor busi-
ness types in seminars. These days
his Lucas Learning System seminars
are held mainly in churches.
Here's what the big man with
the deft outside touch (Remember
the Lucas lay-up — the 15- to 20-foot
"J" that would rain all day?) says
about the seminars that have
touched a multitude of people:
"On Simday morning I preach a
family relationship sermon. I teach
people how to memorize the whole
sermon as I preach it. They walk out
with the ability to repeat an
entire 10-point sermon, and they
can't believe it.
"On Sunday evening I
have a how-to-learn seminar. I
raise people's confidence. I
show them that God has gifted
them with tremendous skills
that they've not been taught to
use. I compare learning prior to
school with learning after
entering school. Thev see a
huge difference in understand-
ing how the learning process
reallv works in what I call
'automatic learning.'
"As children, we are
taught by our parents as they
point to and identify objects. For
instance, we see a chair, and without
realizing it we register a picture in
our mind. It's an automatic gift God
put in us."
In his seminars, Jerry builds on
this understanding to help people
improve their memory and succeed
in Bible memorization, academics,
as well as their personal lives. On
Monday night, he holds another
learning seminar that goes deeper
into the learning process and helps
his listeners remember names of
new people they meet.
He also gi\'es his testimony
and explains the gospel of Jesus
Christ in this session — the main
message he wants everyone to hear.
An incredible event took place
in Jerry's life several years ago after
he gave his testimony at one of his
weekend seminars.
But first, some background.
When Lucas was in his twenties, his
parents divorced, and both remar-
ried other spouses. After Lucas
accepted Christ, he witnessed to his
mother and stepfather, and they
both asked Christ to be their Savior.
His father, who had struggled with
an alcohol addiction for years,
would have nothing to do with
Jerry's faith.
15
Jerry Lucas
Pro Basketball Player 1963-1974.
After countless attempts to tell
his father about Jesus Christ, Jerry
called him once more when he was
home in Ohio to speak at his
stepfather's funeral. Again, his
father said, "No." So Lucas was
surprised to see his father at the
funeral.
Jerry asked him to attend a
Sunday service he was leading in a
local church and the elder Lucas
agreed to go! While Jerry was
giving the invitation, his father
accepted Christ. Since that time, his
dad has not had even a sip of
alcohol. What's more, Mr. and Mrs.
Lucas have remarried.
Jerry's kids — five of them, ages
18 to 32 — and his wife Cheri are the
other key people in his life. And
even with five kids, something tells
me Jerry has no problem remember-
ing their names.
It's automatic! mn
Lucas Linkup
For more information on Jem/ Lucas'
seminars or the Lucas Learning System,
lurite to: jerry Lucas, PO Box 728,
Templeton, CA 93465.
(Printed from the February
1996 issue of Sports Spectrum.)
l[farM^pril 1996
mws
New^
Grace Brethren
News Update
Touching You from Around the World
Chaplain James Schaefer now
resides at 3547 Kelburn Drive,
Fayetteville, NC 28311-2041.
Reverend Charles Bearinger
has been pastoring the First Brethren
Church of Buena Vista, VA, since
February 1, 1996.
Bruce and Lisa Triplehorn,
missionaries to Brazil, had a new
baby boy, Jonathan Paul, born on
December 21, 1995.
Mark and JoAnna Berndt,
missionaries in the Czech Republic,
had Sara Kristine on December 23,
1995. The Doctors advised them to
have an abortion, warned that the
O Q O O O O 0
baby had Down's Syndrome. The
baby is perfectly healthy.
Larry and Cammie Robbins
serve with the Wycliffe in Zaire.
December 17, 1995, Sunday morning
at 3:00 a.m., a group of armed
robbers broke in the Robbins' home.
They threatened the Robbins and
stole many of their possessions
(nothing essential to their work). It
was a terrifying experience for them.
After the robbers left, the Robbins
gathered together to thank the Lord
that they were not hurt. They could
sense God's angels protecting them.
They are deeply grateful for
the director, Steve Anderson, who
came over and spent the morning
9 e • • « •
• oea***»
Knepper's Alaskan Fish N' Camp
is a "Christian Fisherman's Retreat" for men and boys centered around
God's Word. It will hold two camps this summer: July 7-13, 1996 and
July 14-20, 1996. Pastor Ed Jackson of Worthington, Ohio, once
pastored the Kenai
Grace Brethren
Church. He has a
genuine love for
the Alaskan
outdoors and for
the men, he will be
the speaker at the
first camp. The
speaker for the
second camp will
be Camp Director,
Col. John
Schumacher. He
has dedicated his
life to the outreach
of men as a U.S.
Army Chaplain.
For more information or for our brochure contact J. M. Knepper,
Knepper's Alaskan Fish N' Camp, 10761 Los Alamitos Boulevard, Los
Alamitos, CA [Tel. (310) 425-4001].
Ed Jackson.
John Schumacher.
debriefing the Robbins. The Re-
gional Security Officer of the
American Embassy, who is a Chris-
tian, came to investigate and took
charge of official matters. He helped
make the Robbin's home more
secure, and he set in motion certain
precautions to make sure the
Robbins were not hit again.
Pastor Quentin Mathis has
sets of the Brethren Missionary
Herald magazine for sale dating
back to 1960. If you are interested
call him at 614-878-6625.
Mike and Myra Taylor,
missionaries in Africa, had Joanna
Abigail on November 20, 1995.
Madelyn P. (Comeford)
Shipley — born September 13, 1922;
died September 20, 1995. Madelyn
grew up in the Peru GBC and was
married on June 16, 1946 to Charles
E. Shipley of Dayton, Ohio. The
couple served in the First Brethren
Church until 1959 when they moved
to St. Petersburg, Florida and upon
their return to Dayton in 1965. They
were later active in the Basore Road
GBC before retiring and moving
back to St. Pete in 1986.
Charles passed away in February
of 1993. Madelyn was subsequently
diagnosed with pulmonfiry fibrosis to
which she finally succumbed at the
home of her cousin, Janet Cooper of
Horida. She is survived by her three
sons: David, Steven, and Greg.
The Grace Brethren Commu-
nity Fellowship, 17651 New 38
Avenue, Okeechobee, FL has
dissolved. They have joined the
Grace Brethren Church at 701 South
Parrott Avenue, Okeechobee, FL, so
writes Pastor Larry Zimmerman.
HeraiD
16
Update
A^'
EWS
Cuyahoga Falls GBC closed its
doors on December 23, 1995. The
building in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio is
up for sale by Brethren Home
Missions. Walt Malick, former
pastor, has informed BMH news.
The Brethren Missionary
Herald has sent out a new leader-
ship letter to leaders of the Fellow-
ship. It is called the Leader's Edge.
Here are a few reminders
about the Women's Ministry
Retreat:
• (March 22nd is the last day to
register for the Retreat.)
• Hotel Reservation is due March
22nd.
• Hotel check-in starts Monday,
April 22, 2:00 p.m.
• First session together starts
Monday April 22, 7:00 p.m.
• Retreat will conclude Thursday,
April 25, noon.
• Shuttles can be arranged to /from
the Orlando airport.
• Contact Gladys Deloe or Kathy
Allison at (219) 267-5262 or
Milhe Davis at (904) 373-7235.
See you and 299 others in
April!
Steve Makofka,
Pastor of Youth and
Family Ministries, was
ordained to the
Christian ministry by
the Grace Brethren
Church of Greater
Atlanta on Sunday,
November 26, 1995,
during the morning
worship service.
Guest speaker for the
occasion was Dr.
David Plaster, Vice
President for Aca-
demic Affairs of Grace
Schools. Dr. Plaster
has made a significant
contribution to Steve
Makofka's life during
the past seventeen
years, both as pastor
and seminary profes-
sor. Sharing in the
ordination ceremony,
in addition to other
members of the local
church, were Rever-
end Bill Byers and
Pastor Dean
Fetterhoff. A reception for Steve and Lorrie and their family followed the
service in the fellowship hall of the church.
Steve Makofka ziHis ordained by David Plaster,
Reverend Bill Byers, and Pastor Dean Fetterhoff in the
GBC of Greater Atlanta, November 26, 1995.
John Patrick, former Army
Chaplain, was installed as the
pastor of Kittanning, PA Grace
Brethren Church on Sunday,
January 21, 1996. He also re-
ceived Legion of Merit award
from the army, presented by
Pastor Jerry Young of Lititz GBC,
a colonel in the reserves, at 3
p.m. There was an installation
service with Charles Ashman
speaking.
John Schumacher, Endors-
ing Agent, has just informed us
via FAX that Chaplain Com-
mander John Diaz, U.S. Navy, a
divisional Chaplain stationed at
Camp Lejuene, NC has received
17
orders for a six-month deploy-
ment with a Marine combat unit
that will be positioned, on ship,
off the coast of Bosnia. Com-
mander Diaz departed January
26 and appreciates prayer for the
opportunities for ministry
during his deployment and for
his wife, Brenda, during his
absence from home.
Mark the date on your calen-
dar for National Conference, July
27-August 1, 1996, in Toronto,
Canada.
COMPUSERVE number for
Brethren Missionary Herald is
103617,1777.
]\^arch/J^pril 1996
ONTINUED
(Social Concerns . . . cant, from page 7)
every heart. While God has determined
the contours of each nation, all people
everywhere are God's offspring and
share a common dignity in Him.
Fourth, there is one summons,
to take the one Gospel to every
people. The Day of Pentecost is the
terminus ad quern for all nationalist or
racial or social status bubbles, for
God pours out his Spirit on all flesh,
and the wonderful works of God are
proclaimed in every tongue so that
people might call on the name of the
Lord and be saved.
Fifth, there is one destiny,
when multitudes from every nation,
tribe, people and tongue will stand
before the throne and cry, "Salvation
to our God."
From this divine vision of a
universal God who has a universal
compassion and call, the message of
the Gospel goes forth to minister in
all its many issues and dimensions.
including its great message of social
justice and concern.
The question which remains is,
will it go forth through us or without
us or even inspite of us? Allow me to
paraphrase a word from the Book of
Esther, for perhaps God will speak to
us in Mordecai's plea to Esther, "If
you remain silent at this time, relief
and deliverance will arise from some
other place. And who knows
whether God has not raised you up
for such an hour as this?" nii
{Bible Prophecy . . . cont.from page 8)
exactly right is one chance in 10
biUion. He figured the Genesis
account had a one chance in 6 trillion.
He calculated that the prob-
ability that thirteen selected
predictions out of 3500 he found in
the Bible, would come true by
chance, was one in 10 with 138
zeros.
The probability for the Law
of Thermodynamics is one in 10
with 80 zeros. The probability that
the Law of Gravity won't work is
one in 10 with 200 zeros. Conclu-
sion: The Bible can be proven
mathematically to be more reliable
than the Law of Gravity. And yes.
Dr. Ross is now a very committed,
witnessing Christian.
The greatest prophecy for us
now is contained in four little
words. Jesus said, "1 will come
again." It couldn't be plainer. The
disciples asked when it would
happen and Jesus gave them more
than a dozen specific signs of His
return. All of these are now explod-
ing in their fulfillment.
The sad thing is that most
people know nothing about it. Even
people who call themselves Chris-
tians are in for the shock of their
lives. They are not ready. Many
seminary professors are not teaching
their divinity students about it and
many preachers are not telling their
people.
When Jesus came the first
time, the religious leaders were
caught by surprise in spite of the
fact that they had hundreds of
prophecies. Now it's going to
happen again, mi
{Sister Churches . . . cont.from page 5)
hospitality courtesy of the
Susquehanna GBC. In the meantime
(July 1994), the two pastors met to
plan how the sister congregations
could further capitalize on their
proximity and common desire to
magnify our Lord and Savior, Jesus
Christ.
Each church has found a
particular niche in presenting the
message of Christmas uniquely
and effectively (Susquehanna via a
still-life, outdoor portrayal of "The
Road to Bethlehem;" York via a
musical/drama approach). By
combining efforts in prayer and
dedicating local church meeting
times to be free to participate in
the program of the other, the
churches and people had some
most precious opportunities to
work together. Each church, as it
were, functioned in a support role
to the other, as they ministered the
good news of Christmas to their
primary ministry area. Positive
feedback from the participants
yielded a fresh appreciation for
the people, and a unique method
of outreach of the other church.
To top it off, the churches were
able to worship the Lord together
in a combined threefold commun-
ion service shortly after the arrival
of the new year (January 8, 1995).
The arrival of Pastor George
Traub at the Hope GBC,
Dillsburg, PA, in northern York
County, has added a new mem-
ber to the "planning triumvi-
rate." Our association has only
been met with his/their affirma-
tion as the Hope GBC partici-
pated in our spring fellowship
picnic in May 1995. New plans
for 1996 call for a three church/
threefold communion in January
at the York GBC, a pulpit ex-
change Sunday, April 21, 1996
(with the three pastors sched-
uled in one of the other churches
for the morning service), a
spring fellowship picnic hosted
by Hope GBC, and a similar fall
all-church picnic to be hosted in
September by the Susquehanna
GBC. Who knows what they will
do next!
Was it a good experience and
worthwhile? A resounding "yes!"
Certainly these cooperative events
and outreaches are worthy of
exploring for the future. "Try it,
you'll like it!" *
HeralD
18
A cooling breeze
came in off of the
lake just as I
finished the shear
climb up the
washed-out side
of the hill. Jutting tree roots and
large, buried rocks had been my
hand holds up the steep, bare cliff to
the grassy top. I clamored from
sunlight to shade as I crested the
hill, stopping under the towering
canopy of hardwood trees to drink
from my plastic canteen. My trusty,
rubber Bowie-knife hung ready at
my side, and a toy Winchester rifle
was slung over my shoulder. From
the summit, I could now look down
on a village of log buildings, beyond
which lay my ultimate goal: the
huge fort, with its blockhouses that
guarded the steam train and the
Indian tepees!
If you were that ten-year-old
boy, this might have seemed as
much like heaven to you as it did to
me then. But no, those picketed
gates didn't open into glorv. It was
a theme park near Angola, Indiana,
called "Buck Lake Ranch."
Every summer, from Memorial
Day to Labor Day, my weekends
were often spent wandering the hills
and hiding places of that young
boy's paradise. Saturdays were
especially fun, because there was
usually no one else around except
my grandparents. It was they, along
with my father and the owners
(Harry and Lienor Smythe), who
began the park. My grandparents
ran the Sno-Cone and Cotton Candy
stand that stood close to the stage, at
the base of the hill. Sundays were
quite hectic sometimes, and I can
remember days when I would stand
at the counter and sell Sno- Cones
for three and four hours straight
without stopping. But it wasn't
really work; I got to see the shows
for free, and on top of that usually
made from five to seven dollars for
the weekend as a "thanks for
helping" from Grandma.
But in the late sixties, the park
was sold, and my grandparents sold
out their business. The precious
memories of my adventures there
were priceless, and I have kept them
to this day.
So I was overwhelmed with
nostalgia one year ago when, while
on my way to a BCS basketball
game near Angola, I recognized the
road that turned off to Buck Lake! I
drove on down to the school where
the team was to play, but I couldn't
stav. Being that close, I just had to
see mv childhood paradise again.
But as 1 drove that familiar country
road, I wondered, "Would the place
look the same? Do I e\'en want to
see it from an adult's point of view?
Will seeing it after thirty years of
change spoil my enchantment with
that grand amusement?"
1 was glad that Ronda was with
me. Not only could I maybe glean
one more memory from the park to
share with her, but if things weren't
still as 1 remembered them, I could
look at her and think, "Yeali, but look
what great blessings God has given
me instead!" We slowly rolled
through the main entrance. The pine
trees that lined botli sides of the road
had grown, but I could see between
the trees that the rustic old fort was
gone. Clearing the
tree-lined road
I pulled on to
the beginning
of the brick
street that
sloped
gently down
to the beach.
Some of the
old log buildings were still
standing, but there was no sign
of the rides that used to glorify
the shore and throw colorful
electric reflections off of the lake.
The wind blew, rustling a lot of
the same old trees again, but this
time the feeling was eerie rather than
exciting. We walked down the brick
street past the stage, its rafters
echoing the haundng voices of the
many performers who had gotten
their start there: some long since
passed away.
I smiled to see the old Sno-
Cone stand still minding its place
near the stage. Peering inside
through a crack, I could see the door
to the old ice room. The many
layers of white enamel paint on the
counters were stained and bordered
with mildew. A large hole in the
ceiluig told of how a dead tree limb
had come through the roof. Nothing
was in the little building anvmore to
tell passersby what a joyful place
this used to be. I felt no more of the
sense of adventure, of carefree
summers, or of hope for prosperity.
Another car pulled in, and the
driver asked if there was going to be
an auction that night. "That's all that
goes on here ansmore," he said.
How could it be? How could
this marvelous place that so stirred
my imagination and shaped my
very life be left to fall apart? This
was once a wise man's dream, and
now it has rotted into an embarrass-
ing epitaph.
Where is evervbody? Doesn't
anyone care? Where is the caretaker
of paradise, and how can he have
the gall to permit such a wellspring
of joy turn bitter?
And so it was also, and many,
many times more, that went through
the heart of Christ as he visited Eden
after Adam and Eve's fall and said,
"Where are you?"
Lamp Light
Chronicles
"You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning"
19
j\/[arMj\^pril 1996
t S T /
W O R L D W
D E
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Permit No. 1:
VOL 58 NO. 3
PRAYER: The
Strength to Live
Dependently
OhiurcKi
a*
BOOTCAMP
fit
Lord, Use Me . . .
BUT NOT TOO
CLOSE TO home!"
Scripture Memory
Made Fun &
Steve Peti
1996 ModeratoWirreT^
GRACE Br
Touching Yo\
the World
thren News
from Around
I fiiACf THEOLOGICAL SEMWAIY
WWMA lAlfE. rNMAfU
S S I O N A R Y
MAY/JUNE 1996
r: •*';/
$2.50
EVE PETERS
96 Moderator of GBC
Alexander Mack
gacv
The author believes the lessons of the past have lost their relevancy to the present day church
status and attitudes. He senses the need for another serious look at the weaknesses of yesteryear — as
individuals and as a collective community. His Greatest Legacy sells for $13.99 at the Herald
Bookstores. Ask the Herald Bookstore for more information at 1-800-348-2756 or (219) 267-7158 or
FAX (219) 267-4745.
Kinsley is the author of Our Common Heritage. In this book, he depicts a German born Patriarch
and the family's country.
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The Brethren Missionary
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into our homes for over
57 years. It has literally heralded the
good things God has accomplished in
and through our Brethren churches
worldwide. The BMH Board has
tried to build our magazine as a basic
organ of communication with our
fellowship.
But communication has
changed o\'er the years, and it is now
changing even more rapidly. Many
churches have cellular telephones,
photocopiers, fax machines and
personal computers with modems for
e-mail. BMH took the lead in adjusting
to the rapid pace by offering a free 800
newsUne for sex'eral years. That senice
is still available on tlie Herald Newsline
by calling 219-267-7826.
We also are sending, by e-maU,
weekly BMH news each Tuesday to
everyone who has an e-mail address
listed with us. Tliose who ha\e not
sent their e-mail address are urged to
do so. 122 persons and churches are
currentlv recei\'ing this news.
Originally, the Herald magazine
was the chief communication of our
national Boards to our Brethren
people. Tliis, also, has changed. We
support all of our boards and pray for
their ministries to prosper, but each
board has found it more effective to
communicate with its constituents
through its own publications. All of
these changes necessitate a reevalua-
tion of tiie purpose of the magazine.
In 1980 the circulation of the
Herald reached an all time high of
11,000. In 1995 we sold 1,100 annual
subscriptions to the Herald for $13.50
each. The actual cost of producing,
printing and distributing the Herald
was $65.00 each. You can see that
adding subscribers only intensifies
our problem of losing $51.50 on each
one, or about $56,650 a year. This has
been the pattern for several years.
Consequently, after much delibera-
tion and prayer, the board has sadly
decided to cease publication of the
Herald magazine. The final issue wUl
be May-June, 1996.
We have, however, a new
publication that is alreadv meeting
needs in harmony with our purpose.
The Leader's Edge is being sent each
month to 1,800 persons: all Herald
subscribers, pastors, missionaries,
teachers and other Grace Brethren
leaders who gi\'e us their addresses.
Beginning with the May issue. The
Leader's Edge will include two pages
of current Grace family news.
We ask our present Herald
subscribers to allow us to reassign
their remaining subscription fees to
the cost of The Leader's Edge. To those
who recjuest it, we will be happy to
mail a cash refund.
This announcement is made
with a sense of sadness at losing an
old friend, but with much hope for
the future of our fellowship.
Change doesn't always produce
growth, but growth always pro-
duces change. We expect that our
church, and our world, will continue
to change rapidly as we approach
the time of our Lord's return. Please
pray with us that our efforts to
encourage our leaders and cast
vision for our churches will stimu-
late growth in our personal lives and
in our fellowship. •
][JttyJune 1996
8
10
12
14
16
19
■ ■ BRETHRfeN MISSIONARY
Herald
VOL 58 NO^ 3
MAY/JUNE, 1996
^ EDITORIAL
*^ Change Is Not Easy
C PAYER: The Strength
*^ to Live Dependently
SCRIPTURE MEMORY
Made Fun & Easy
CRUSTIAN GROUP
Survival
PEOPLE WE MEET
Steve Peters
THE IV LATIN
GBC Congress
CHURCH PLANTERS
At "BootCamp"
A NON-EULOGY
For Miss Ruth Snyder
NEWS
GB News Update
"LORD, USE ME . . .
But Not Too Close
to Home!"
In) Judy Dniiiels
•B-'-jpiH
FIJ
" cm
i. V
'■f^V
-i . :
i»
Tim and Aleue Enderle, with
"coach" Bill Snell, listen to Neil
Cole during a workshop session.
12
Barb teaches a daily community
Bible class in Sango and Andre
translates into the language of
his people in the forest. -i-i
Cover Photo: Steve Peters
is the 1996 Moderator of
the Fellowship of Grace
Brethren Churches. He is
featured on pages 9 & 10.
Publisher: Jeff Carroll
Managing Editor: James E. Serra
Printer: Evangel Press
Department Editors
CE National: Ed Lewis
International Missions: Tom Julien,
Stephanie Farrier
Grace Schools: Ron Manahan
Home Missions; Larry Chamberlain
Women's Missionary Council:
Mary Thompson
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The Herald Magazine offers space for
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includes publicizing special events,
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219-267-7826. News items contained in each issue are presented for information and do not indicate endorsement.
HeralD
PRAYER: The Strength
to Live DependentJy^^i^
Wiat is left to be said
about prayer? We
know essentially
what prayer is. We know why we
should pray. We know to Whom we
should pray. We know where we can
pray. We know ho\\' to pray. We
know lots of Scripti-ire about prayer,
even quote them from Scripture.
Many hours we have logged sitting
through seminars and sermons. And
beyond these things, we think we
know what the best prayers are, who
prays most eloquently, most sincerely,
most profoundly, most
ciramatically, with the deepest
voice, tears, and even cliches.
It is amazing how very
much we know about prayer,
yet how very little we
actually pray. A recent
survey indicated that
Christians pray only an
average of two minutes a
day. Most people responded
that they thought about
praying nearly every day.
Most expressed a deep desire
to have a consistent daily
prayer life. Perhaps most
stunning was the fact that apart
from public praying in ministerial
duties, the American pastor aver-
ages only seven minutes of prayer a
day.
Nafuralh', the question anyone
would ask would be, "Wliy?" Why
such prayerlessness? And, it's the
right kind of question. Ask a lot of
people ancf one would get a lot of
different answers. Ask the Lord and
maybe He would give but one. What
would it be? Let's check it out.
Lots of passages of Scriptures
speak of prayer: what to pray for,
how to pray, when to pray. Many
passages speak about what happens
when we don't pray. A number of
passages indict us for prayerlessness.
But few, if any, directly answer and
explain why we don't pray.
Maybe it's obvious through the
collection of the hundreds of pas-
sages of Scripture that address the
matter of prayer. Every passage of
Scripture that describes prayer
ultimately teaches one basic prin-
ciple: dependency!
Dependency may be called
different things and appear in
different forms: trust, faith, need,
A recent survey
indicated that Cliristians
pray only an average of
two minutes a day . . .
the American pastor
averages only seven
minutes of prayer a day.
despair, relationship, fear, awe,
worship, praise, thankfulness, and
many more. These and all other
descriptions flow ultimately from
dependency.
When Hannah prayed for a son,
she expressed total dependency.
When EUsha prayed for the move-
ments of the weather to cease, he was
dependent upon God to do it.
David's prayers for victory over
Israel's enemies was realized by Ills
total dependency on God for victory.
His psalms of praise deeply express a
total reliance on God for forgi\'eness,
power, and spiritual experience. Job's
ultimate realization, through his
ordeal, highlighted his dependency
on God above friends, family, and his
own wealth and reputation. E\'en his
strongest emoHonal queries toward
God, about the fairness of his suffer-
ing, betray a dependence on God to
be able to answer.
Prayers of praise and worship
have meaning because the presuppo-
sition behind them is an awareness of
the absolute and total dependency on
God. Isaiah's confrontation with the
Exalted One threatened his very
existence. He felt, in an instant, his
total dependency on the One
^ before him for his \'ery life and
forgiveness.
Other examples are given
to us from the Bible. Mary's
"magnificat" demonstrated
dependency for a miraculous
birth. Peter's prayer in prison
showed a dependency for
release. While in shackles, Paul
and Silas' praise and song
revealed a dependency for their
very lives.
To whom did Stephen
commend his spirit in his instant
final prayer? Of course, to the
One upon whom he knew he was
ultimateh' and eternalh' dependent.
Perhaps the most strikingly
dependent praying was done by God
to God. Such is the miracle of mutvial
dependency expressed to a degree
beyond comprehension in the Trinity.
Jesus postured Himself in a depen-
dent relationship upon the Father. It
was not His own will, but the
Father's that was the driving force in
His earthly walk. His prayers were
the highest expressions of depen-
dency expressed in all of the Bible.
Jolin 17's passionate appeal was an
(Prayer coiit. on page 6)
M'oJ'"
1996
THREE NEW RESOURCES
from CE National — Written Specifically
By and for Grace Brethren People
Builditig Blocks Leader's
Manual is an invaluable tool
for training your children's
ministry staff in the seven
essential ingredients for any
effective children's ministry.
The Leader's Manual conies
complete with overhead
masters, evaluation forms,
training materials, and the
Building Blocks book. Cost:
$24.99.
911 . . . Emergency Response for a
Hurting World: Leader's Guide
is designed to help a leader
train young people in outreach
skills and help them develop
confidence in using these skills.
Each chapter of the leader's
guide includes a section on
discussion, application, method
of evangelism, and project. Use
911 . . . Emergency Response for a
Hurting World: Practical
Handbook for Youth Outreach as
the youth's handbook. Cost: $3.49
(youth handbooks sold separately.
Cost: $6.49).
Vital Issues is a video
curriculum series on the topic of
the Holy Spirit. Each of the six
lessons has a complete leader's
guide. Scripture memory verse,
and video introduction
featuring what Grace Brethren
people believe about topics
such as spiritual gifts, speaking
in tongues, and filling of the
Holy Spirit. Cost for entire
series: $49.99.
Many more materials are available from
CE National to help you and/or your church. Contact
CE National, P.O. Box 365, Winona Lake, IN 46590;
Phone: (219) 267-6622, Fax: (219)269-7185.
(Prayer cant, from page 5)
awesome unveiling of a dependency that
surpasses the human mind's ability to
fathom. "Now they have come to know
that everything thou hast given Me is
from Thee; for the words which Thou
gavest Me I have given to them, and they
received them and truly understood that I
came forth from Thee, and they beUeved
that Thou didst send Me. And that they
may all be one; even as Thou, Father, art
in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may
be in Us; that the world may beUeve that
Thou didst send Me." On. 17:7-8, 21)
So, what does that mean to us?
Well, if indeed dependency is at the core
of all true prayer, then it helps to answer
the question we asked earlier, "Why
don't we pray more?" The answer then
might have a lot do with dependency, or
rather, the lack of it.
We are an independent people in a
self-sufficient culture. The American
perspective has been conditioned more
bv expectation than need. We are more
motivated to seek the fulfillment of
personal rights and expectations (what
we think we deserve) then we are
moti\-ated by need. We don't "need"
food. We "deserve" food, and not just
food, but more food than we need.
Couple with those expectations the
advanced ability we have developed to
supply all of our own needs and desires,
and we find a whole culture of people
who have lost their impulse of needi-
ness and dependency. This is devastat-
ing to the practice of prayer. Nothing
neutralizes the imperativ^e dynamic of
sincere prayer as much as independent
self-sufficiency.
It is fairly obvious that to the
extent one senses a dependency on God,
to that extent one will develop a signifi-
cant prayer life. What one of us hasn't
gone through those times of tragedy and
difficulty and been forced to increase the
intensity of our prayer? For most, it is
not an increase in praying, it is a restart-
ing. Who hasn't proclaimed, following
a particularly taxing and stressful time
in our life, "I never prayed more in my
life!"
(Continued on page 15)
HeralD
Scripture Memory
Made M^Ul &
The Word of God is living
cind powerful, and
sharper than any two-
edged sword. God has promised
that His Word, not ours, will not
return empty, but will accomplish
His purpose. It is important that we
teach our children to memorize
Bible \erses and passages to prepare
them for li\'ing the Christian life.
We are commanded to teach the
Word to our children at all times
(sitting, lying, walking, and stand-
ing). We are fortunate to ha\'e
access to Scripture, but it is not
always possible to stop and look up
the verse needed for a particular
situation. Through Scripture
memorization it is always readily
available. Psalm 119:11 says, "I have
hidden your word in my heart that 1
might not sin against you." The
Word of God will keep us from sin or
else sin will keep us from the Word.
It is important that children be
encouraged to memorize Scripture
because their minds are very quick
to learn and retain what has been
learned. The verses I remember best
are the ones that I memorized in
elementary school. I think Satan has
used the variety of translations of
Scripture to cause many people not
to memorize at all, especially adults.
The verses they learned as children
were in the King James Version.
Now they question whether to
continue in King James or change
versions. This often results in
nothing being memorized.
Bible memory with children
should be approached with excite-
ment (enthusiastically), example
(know the verse well yourself), and
expectation (encourage participa-
tion). The verse can be introduced
with a question, picture, or object
lesson. It must be established as
God's Word and should be read
directly from the Bible. Don't forget
to emphasize the reference as part of
the memory work. It is good to
have it at the beginning and at the
end. I describe it like an oreo:
cookie on both sides and the good
stuff in the middle. The meaning of
the entire verse should be explained
as well as individual words. You
can determine if they understand if
they can verbalize it back to you.
Once the preliminary things
given abo\'e ha\'e been done, you are
ready to help them memorize the
\'erse. The secret to memorization is
repetition and more repetition and
once it is learned, then re\'iew and
more review. Repeat the verse man)'
times in many different ways. Make it
fun and thev will learn in tlie process.
Begiii b\' ha\'ing the \erse and reference
on a paper big enough for all to see.
• 1. Read tlirough the verse a
couple times and then tiy covering
lip different parts of it as you
continue to repeat it. Start covering
up small portions and increase it
until all is covered. If the verse is
written on a chalkboard, zuords can
be erased in random order as it is
repeated and learned.
• 2. Put the words of the verse to
music. Several Scripture music
tapes are available at Christian
bookstores.
• 3. Dexvlop hand motions to
represent what is being said in the
verse. Tlie children like to help in
choosing motions each time you say the
verse. Tliis method keeps their hands
busy and aids in remembering the
words by associating it with the
motion. Tliis method helps them better
understand the meaning of the verse.
• 4. You can learn the verse by
adding a word each time you say it.
Start with the first word, then first
by Linda Kline
two words, then first three words,
etc., until the ivhole verse is said.
• 5. If the words of the verse are
on several strips of paper, they can
be put in the proper order to help
them learn it. This can be done as
competition by timing the process of
two teams, with their ozvn set of
strips, ivorking at the same time.
• 6. Have different groups of
people stand up and say the verse
(such as those with "red" on their
clothing or those who like a certain
ball team).
• 7. Divide the group into trvo
teams and have them alternate
saying ivords of the verse. (Have the
team stand when they say their
words.) Go through the verse tivice
switching who starts the verse the
second time. I call this "popcorn"
because they are going up and down.
• 8. Have teams, and rate ivho
does the best job at saying the verse
and making it sound like one voice.
• 9. Hot potato game could be
used to review verses. Pass around
a container with a couple pieces of
candy in it. Each child must say the
next word of the verse quickly (why
it is called "hot" potato) or he/she is
eliminated. Tlie child -who is the
last one standing gets the candy.
After the \erse is learned, it
should be applied tci the child's life.
What fact is to be remembered?
What promise can be claimed?
What command is to be followed?
Use the verse in different settings to
emphasize its practicality.
Review the verse the next week
and throughout the year Ask who
can say it, who knows the meaning,
and who obeyed what it said.
Special rewards for memory
work can be given occasionally.
Praise, stickers, stars, and smiley
faces are good rewards. •
J\^ayjune 1996
Crustian GROUP
S U R V I V A I.
■i^
iitWS.
Joe was a Crustian. He had made the decision
early in life to commit himself to the Crustian
way. His parents had been Crustians before
him, but he freely chose to join the Crustian
cause. He had no questions about what it meant
to be a Crustian or doubts about the superiority
of the Crustian way of life.
Joe publicly identified as a Crustian.
Anyone who knew him, had to know that he
was a Crustian. He regularly wore Crustian
symbols as jewelry. Joe even had a prominent
Crustian logo on his car. At work, he had an
especially interesting Crustian saying framed on
his office wall.
Now, it is the practice of Crustians to
gather together in assemblies every seventh
day. At the appointed time, they meet to
remind themselves of what it means to be a
Crustian and to help one another grow in their
practice of the Crustian life. At their meet-
ings, they retell the stories that shape their
movement. Season by season they review the
foundational lessons of the Crustian way.
They also take collections at their meetings to
support their cause. Some of the meetings are
energetic and exciting. Some of them are
quiet and even a bit boring. Yet, attendance at
these regular assemblies is an established part
of Crustian life.
Joe was a member of a Crustian assembly.
He had joined his family's meeting when he first
identified himself as a Crustian. Later, he
moved his membership to an assembly on the
other side of town. He wanted a little indepen-
dence from the place where he grew up, and
where his parents still belonged.
It was important to Joe that he belong to a
solid Crustian assembly. He liked knowing that it
offered sound Crustian teaching. People needed to
be able to learn true Crustianism. A good assembly
was also a place to turn to in times of need.
Crustians have a reputation for looking out for
each other. Being part of the group was a great
benefit.
However, Joe did not attend the meetings. He
was certain that he already was a Crustian. He had
learned the stories in his childhood and had heard
most of the lessons many times. Usually he had a
good idea of what the speaker was going to say as
soon as the topic was amiounced. Joe's weeks
filled up so quickly that it was hard to give one day
out of seven to a particular cause. The meetings
did not last all day, but they did put a real cramp in
scheduling flexibility.
Joe had so many demands on his money
that he never gave any financial support to the
assembly. He knew that a good Crustian con-
tributed to support the cause, but his money
always seemed to be taken by other needs. He
intended to start giving some day when his
personal overhead was not so great.
One day, Joe decided that he should drop in
at the weekly meeting and see how things were
going at his Crustian assembly. He imagined the
surprise his presence would cause in some of the
people gathered there. He anticipated some
gentle chiding from the Crustian leader, but
knew that there would also be genuine apprecia-
tion that he was present.
But Joe had a big surprise. When he drove up
to the building where the Crustians met, he found
it closed. In fact, it looked like it had been closed
for some time. This fact hit Joe hard. His assembly
had failed him. His mind filled with questions.
"Where were they meeting?" "Was anyone even
meeting?" "What had happened to the committed
Crustians?" "Why had they given up this meet-
ing?" "Didn't anybody care?" "Where was he
going to go when he needed help?" "How could
sometfiing like this happen?"
To any of us, it is very clear how it happened.
The assembly had too many Joes in it. Each Joe
assumed that the responsibility for the group rested
on the shoulders of others. He forgot that no group
can survive on the good intentions of inactive
members. Any cause can thrive only as long as
each Joe does what he knows needs to be done. Joe
had foolishly cut his own lifeline. •
HeralD
ONE on ONE with
The People
We Meet
1996 Moderator of GBC
Q
irenCtmr
Steve Peters is
I Senior Pastor of
Community Grace
BrethrenTnCrch in West Milton. He
is the 1996 moderator of our fellow-
ship. Steve, how long have you
been at your church?
A: I've been their 11 years.
I went there in December of
1984.
Q: What has happened in your
ministry there?
A: Ron Picard was there
before me. He had a feel for evange-
lism. God really used him to build
incredible leadership and to win
people to Christ in that area. I came
to the church when they were
without a Pastor for about 20-22
months. It was a church that was
running about 250-260. We'\'e
doubled the attendance there, and
built a 3000 square foot education
wing. In March, we will be finishing
another 14,000 scjuare foot audito-
rium and foyer that will seat 900.
We've seen a lot of ministries take
off there. We are really jumping into
the focus 2000 church big time.
Q: What's your biggest church
challenge right now?
A: The biggest church chal-
lenge is getting an associate. Scott
Distler (former associate), who went
to Osceola, and I were together for
ten years. We had a phenomenal
ministry together and he always had
a heart to become a Senior Pastor —
we knew that it was coming. I'm
tickled that he's part of the fellowship
and I'm really praying that the church
will "knock the socks" off all of us.
We ha\'e a Youth Pastor, so we
are looking for an associate right
now. We have a couple of families
that we're considering.
Q: You're also serving as
moderator this year. How are you
doing?
A: Things are going well. Our
theme is, "Personal Responsibility
Equals World Impact." The whole
thing revolves around the fact that
God wants to use us right now. If
it's a small church or a large church,
someone that's involved or not
involved at all in their church, I hope
that they can walk away from this
conference, in Toronto, knowing that
God wants to use them right now.
Q: You spent time, in the
fellowship, in different churches this
year, what would you like to see
happen as moderator? What
direction could you give the fellow-
ship in its effort to carry out the
great commission?
A: I get thrilled to see our
people get invoked in things they
never dreamed possible. It would
be my heart's desire for our confer-
ence to catch hold of God's place for
every person, that knows Him as
Saviour, to make a world impact.
Q: What is the biggest prob-
lem confronting our fellowship
today? What is holding us back?
{Continued on page 10)
][JayJime 1996
{One on One continued from page 9)
A: We are not free.
Q: What do you mean by
that?
A: We're not free to serve.
We have too many barriers in the
way. We have to cross too many
bridges. We have to go through
too many hoops. We have all
these hoops we set up, and we're
missing out on incredible
opportunities of ministry.
Jesus sent out guys two by
two — they didn't know hardly
anything. Even when they got
back, they didn't know a whole
lot about what was going on. He
wasn't afraid to send them. We
need to be free. It doesn't mean
that we ignore truth — 1 don't
mean that. We've got to have
truth, that's going to set us free.
I had a guy that was only
six months in Christ. He's a
great big truck driver, and I
travelled with him. He came to
me crying. He wanted to learn
how to lead people to Christ. I
told him before this year is out,
he would learn how to lead
people to Christ. I watched that
guy sit in a truck stop, reach over
a table, grab another truck
driver's hand, and pray with
him to receive Christ. That guy,
without any major formal
training, (he took a two-year,
nonaccredited Bible Institute
course at Liberty) is a missionary
in Alaska today.
Q; What do you hope to
accomplish in Toronto?
A: We want to commission
Pastors to start a fellowship. We
hope to have a tighter alliance
between national delegates so
that we have more of a team
effort in reaching our world for
Christ. Again, we want people
to know that God wants to use
them and to have a world
impact! •
The IV Latin
GBC Congress
by Pnil Gilerena
"Lord, please send laborers into
Australia and its surrounding areas."
This was one of the prayers being offered for the five continents
of our world. It was during the "Banquet of Nations," featur-
ing the countries of Cuba, Guatemala, Mexico, and the United
States. The menu even consisted of foods from these four countries.
Why just these particular countries? These are the places where
Hispanic Grace Brethren Churches are located who form part of the
international team, "Quipo International."
Over five years ago, Terry Hofecker and Martin Guerena spent
about one year brainstorming how to unite the pastors and churches
(Hispanic-GBIM) in planting more works with a united effort. Last
September 14-17, in Tecate, Baja California, Mexico was the fourth
annual gathering of most of those involved.
Seventy-five pastors and leaders came to Tecate to share and to
expand their vision in fulfilling the great commission. The food was
plentiful and excellent. Of course, the fellowship and small prayer cells
were stimulating. But the seminars were only part of the joy of being
present. Various topics pertinent to Latin American leaders were ex-
pounded. Sharpening leadership skills, discipling more effectively, and
strengthening small groups were some of those shared.
Since the last meeting one year ago, three new churches have been
started, and now, Cuba and the city of Guadalajara in Jalisco, Mexico are
preparing to plant Grace Brethren Churches no later than early 1996,
Lord willing. The two border Mexican pastors who went as missionaries
to Cuba were present with their ever joyful abundant experience.
The conference as a whole presented many, many leaders, some
leading worship, praying, emceeing, teaching, receiving, cleaning,
mopping, eating, playing, or fellowshipping. It was without a doubt, a
mountain-top ride in the lives of all who attended.
A spirit of togetherness, care and cooperation clearly prevailed.
This was exemplified by the director, leaders, missionaries, pastors, great
speakers, and everyone present. The highlight of this conference was
just being present, and experiencing the harmonious Christian spirit.
The excitement communicated afterwards by those who attended was
evident. Some said, "I want to get more involved. What can I do?" Also
overheard, were some saying, "I want to take a group next year," and "I
liked the enthusiasm of everyone being part of this congress."
Most of the Mexican GBIM missionaries were present, as well as
Terry Hofecker and Will Marling. It is our desire that more U.S. Hispanic
churches would come next year.
Concluding the four days of a spiritual high, focusing on the great
commission, the good-bye was, "See you next year. Lord willing!" Warm
hugs (abrazos) in typical Latin greetings and good-byes were freely
exchanged. Going home, the message was, "This is our vision, this our
work, this is our team." See you this year in Cuernavaeca, Mexico,
October 31— November 3, 1996. •
HeralD
10
BARB WOOLER
Missionary to the Pygmies
"by Miriam PaJ,.eco
How did a gal from
Philly land in the
Central African
rain forest? It was
a long trip, with God's unseen
direction over the years. Here's how
Barb describes it.
"I accepted Christ when I was
very young and was baptized when
I was five years old. My family, all
of whom are Christians, attended a
Plymouth Brethren assembly during
my childhood years. Then, after a
move north of Philadelphia when I
was 12, we attended Penn Valley
Grace Brethren Church. (That is still
my home church.) I have three
older brothers who each have a neat
Christian family. My oldest brother
Barb teaches a daily community Bible class
in Sango and Andre translates into the
langnage of his people in the forest.
is a missionary in Ecuador working
in a printing ministry.
"Christian high school had a
definite positive impact, and just
before my senior year, the
Lord revealed Himself to
me in a very personal
way. This was like a new
beginning in m\' walk
with the Lord.
"During my years at
Grace College (I gradu-
ated in 1982), I was
awakened to a sense of
Awe, wonder, and appre-
ciation for God's power
and majesty as it's
revealed through His
creation.
"All of these
factors together, plus the
faithful prayers of my
parents, have shaped
my life and influ-
enced my choices to
follow the Lord. 1 went to the
Central African Republic in
1985 because of the need, and
because of God's clear direc-
tion that my participation in
the Great Commission should
be as a career missionary.
"As for my goals in life, I
want to be used of God to
strengthen others in their love
for Him and in their knowledge
of the Word. 1 want to take as
many people with me to heaven
as possible, and help them
cultivate the kind of life which
will result in their receiving
much heavenly reward. In my
personal life, my desire is to
become a godlv person and to
finish the course the Lord has
laid before me. While I very
much enjoy this life, I look forward
to crossing the finish line and
getting on with the next "phase" of
my existence.
1
Barb and Jim Hocking serve as advisors to this team
of men ivho are instructors in the training of literacy
teaclters.
"I enjoy biking, music, walk-
ing, writing, and reading. I love to
be outdoors. I lo\'e the four seasons,
mountains, and fishintr — if I don't
ha\'e to put the worms on the hook
or take the fish off. I love the beach,
the ocean, sunsets and sunrises, and
trips in the car I would like to hike
the Grand Canyon some day, and to
go coral reef snorkeling.
"In the Central African Repub-
lic, 1 devote half mv time to Pygmy
work, and the other half to literacy
work around the countrv, especiallv
in the capital citv of Bangui. In both
ministries, my goal is to train
Central Africans to do for their own
people what I am doing. In both of
these works, I have found people
extremely eager to learn. For a
teacher, it is a high pleasure to have
eager and motivated students.
(Continued on page 13)
11
J[JayJune 1996
CHURCH PLANTERS AT
"B O O T C A M P"
' * • by Larry N. Chamberlain
»««$d«e'Ofi&a»««««fi«
The Antler's
Doubletree Hotel
in downtown
Colorado Springs
was the setting for
church planters and their spouses to
gather for intensive training in how
to start churches. Church and
denominational leaders came, as
well, to be trained in how to coach
church planters.
1
i
«
' \-
in
\
V^
\nH
1
V
i:
i
Tim and Alene Eiuicrle, with "coach"
Bill Sncll, listen to Neil Cole during a
workshop session.
Men and women from 21 states
representing 14 different denomina-
tions were challenged to identify
and articulate their vision, core
values and mission. In the
BootCamp, 29 church plants were
represented and 25 were trained to
coach church planters.
The workshop format was not
for spectators, but provided oppor-
tunity to put action plans
in place to be carried out
when they return to their
target communities.
After each presentation,
as the workshop assign-
ments were carried out,
individualized coaching
was an important aspect
of the entire experience.
Grace Brethren
Home Missions spon-
sored four couples who
are planting new
churches: Randall and
Ann Arthur from
Gaines\ille, Florida;
Tim and Alene Enderle
from Zanes\'ille, Ohio; Mike and
Teresa Sinteff from Atlanta,
Georgia; and Lynn and Sally Yates
from Jacksonville, Florida. They
were accompanied by "coaches"
Bill Snell and Neil Cole. David
and Denice Sincock,
exploring the oppor-
tunity of planting a
new church, also
attended from South-
ern California.
While the
daytime schedule
dealt with what to do
and how to do it, the
e\'enings were de-
voted to praise and
worship and the
personal spiritual
de\'elopment of the
participants. Times of
challenge, sharing
and praying were
significant aspects of
each evening.
Randall and Ann Arthur display their "strategic
plan" for reaching Gainesville for Christ.
Since its first BootCamp in
October 1992, the Church Multipli-
cation Training Center has trained
church planters for some 270
church plants. Over 50 different
denominations have participated
"We were able to develop a wonderful trusting
relationship with one another. After going through
BootCamp together, we noiv have a long-lasting
relationship based on a wonderful common experi-
ence." — Randall Arthur
HeralD
12
Lynn and Salh/ Yates:
church?"
"Yon ivant us to plant a
wife and I 'with cucoiiy-
agement and deep
iiisigiit. [We are] better
prepared, better orga-
nized, and more confi-
dent because of tliis
experience."
— Tim and Alene
"I cannot express
the importance of having
Teresa here to share in
tJic visionizing and
processes. I believe . . .
we have
Other people who are willing to take
risks. Other people who have a great
passion for the lost. Other pieople who
have a similar temperament and
personalitif make-up. It is evident tliat
Home Missions is committed to the
Lord and the task of reaching the lost
through supporting, helping, encourag-
ing, praying, sacrificing, caring and
loving Church Planters."
— Randall and Ann
Spiritual warfare is never so
fierce and intense as it is in the effort
with people coming from every
part of the United States and
Canada as well as some minister-
ing in Mexico, France, Sweden and
Zimbabwe. The BootCamp staff
come from several denominations
and have planted or o\'erseen the
planting of several hundred
churches. Experience and exper-
tise abound.
The practical training com-
bines with networking and excellent
fellowship in a supportive environ-
ment to better prepare couples for
the rigors of the task ahead.
Here's what our Grace Breth-
ren church-planting couples said
after their week's training:
"Experienced churcli planters and
church planter coaches surrounded an/
become a
unified
team
with a
united purpose, vision,
and passion for the work
Christ Jesus has called
us to. "
— Mike and
Teresa
"Of very high
value from this training
ivas the bonding
together of other church
planters in our Fello'w-
ship. We really grew to
love each other and have
a common vision larger
than ourselves. The
biggest value has been to
draw Sally and me closer in common
purpose and unity — a real team."
— Lynn and Sally
"We were thoroughh/ encouraged
/'!/ meeting other people who are like us.
■tm
^H^^l
b
■n
Pfji
h
^^ ^ ^
;,1
"The time spent planning tias been helpful. Teresa
and I have been able to put a 'stake in the ground'
in many areas of onr ministry."
— Mike Sinteff
to plant a new church. Remember
these church-planting couples in
vour prayers as thev go from
"bootcamp" to the "front lines" of
the battle! •
(Barh Wooler continued from page 11)
"Grace Brethren International
Missions has recently assigned me
to the "Rapid Deployment Force,"
so I will be traveling to various
mission fields to work on specific
projects as needed. Along with my
work in CAR, this last year I was
also in Cambodia to meet believers
who are asking for GBIM involve-
ment, and to evaluate a strategy for
planting churches there. I'm
excited with anticipation of what
the Lord has in His plans for my
future.
'"The Lord is my Shepherd, 1
shall not want,' is special to me. It is
so freeing to know that God is able,
and He intends to take care of me.
He is fully trustworthy as a partner,
always equipping me with all I
need." •
Barb Wooler is the fourth and
last of the WMC Missionaries of the
Year. You may obtain either a slide/
tape or a video to introduce all these
xvomen to your WMC. Order from
Grace Brethren International Mis-
sions, P.O. Box 588, Winona Lake, IN
46590. Please give the desired date,
indicate your media choice (video or
slide/tape), and include a love gift to
cover expenses.
13
J[fayjuiie 1996
A AAon-Eulogy for
MISS RUTH SNYDER
uy iviarvin Goodman
on S(7i/ I/O// luaiif
me to give a
eulogi/? A
cidogif for Ruth?
Weiiru'liich
Ruth are rcf
tnlkhig about? There are a lot of Ruths
around here hi Wmona Lake, so you will
have to be more specific. And if its the
Ruth I am tlhnking about, she definiteh/
wouhi zuant us to be spiecific. Oil, you
say its a eulogxj for Ruth Snyder? Hmiii.
With all the Ruth Sm/ders around here,
we still have to be more spiecific, don't we
Ruth? A eulog}/ for Miss Ruth Synder?
Oh, you mean the tall xohite haired
missionary lady? The one that you often
see walking around Winona Lake with the
short, white haired iiiissionary, also
named Ruth?"
Well, the Miss Ruth Snyder we
are going to talk about would be
terribly embarrassed to think we
were going to give a eulogy for her.
"Relax, Ruth, this isn't gohig to be
a eulog}/. See the program says "Personal
Commeiits. " We arc just going to give a
feiu facts about your life and the way yon
lived it. But Ruth, you can't blame us if
the facts we give sound sort of like a
eulogif, can you?"
Miss Ruth Snyder was bom in
Conemaugh, Pennsylvania. (We
would do well to observe that you
could take Ruth out of Pennsylvania,
but you couldn't take PennsyK'ania
out of Ruth. She was one of those
loyal Pennsylvanians whose roots
always remained there.) She was
bom there in 1912, and raised there
until she went to Asliland College in
1932. During the years she spent at
college and a short period as a school
teacher, the needs of Africa were
weighing on her heart. So she went
to Grace Seminary, graduated with
honors in 1940. (She often reminisced
about her Seminary days and the
friendships formed there.) Within a
year of her graduation, in March
1941, she was one of a partv of six
who set out for Africa on the ill-fated
Zam Zam. After some harrowing
experiences, she found herself back in
the States in June of 1941 . 1 am sure
Miss Ruth Snyder.
that many would accept such a
setback as a sign from the Lord to
stay in the good old U.S. — but not
Ruth. After a Hme to regroup and re-
outfit, she set out again for Africa,
arriving in January 1944.
From then on, Africa was her
life. Not even cancer and extensive
surgery could keep her away from
Africa. Even when deteriorating
health obliged her to remain in the
United States in 1983, she prayed for
Africa, she wrote lessons and litera-
ture for Africa. She wrote a book
about Estella Myers, a pioneer
missionary to Africa, with the hope
that others would be moved to ser\'e
m Africa.
What kind of a person was Miss
Ruth Snyder Knowing her over a
period of 50 years, 1 have formed
some definite opinions, but I wanted
to find out what others thought of
Ruth. First, I asked some of my
children what their thoughts were
about "Aunt Ruth." Children have a
way of being able to see through a
person, and our children spent a
number of their years in Africa on the
same station with Ruth. Here are the
kind of words I hear them say:
"sharp," "good mind," "very wise
and carefvil in the way she spoke,"
"always a twinkle in her bright eyes,"
"lovely," "peaceful and serene."
Well, 1 wanted to get some
other opinions, and here is what 1
heard from relatives and others who
knew her well; "Not a mean bone in
her body." "Loved everybody."
"Loved the Word." "A student of the
Word." "Had wide interests and was
an avid reader" "A good Bible
teacher." "Had a deep faith jind love
for the Lord." "A good sense of
humor" "Young at heart and
enjoyed being with young people."
"Nozu, Ruth, don't get upset. We
are just stating the facts, remember "
Now its my turn. How would I
characterize Ruth? Don't be shocked,
but the first word that comes to my
mind is the word "tough." Maybe
that is not a good choice of words
when talking about a lady, and she
HeralD
14
was certainly a lady. But the word
"tough" truly described her, in every
good sense of the word. We could
use other terms: brave, plucky,
courageous — and she was all of these.
God allowed her to go through many
trials in her life — and she stuck it out
through each one. Of course we
know, and she would want it to be
pointed out, that it was her deep
faith in her Lord that made it
possible.
Shortly after Ruth arri\'ed in
Africa, she was appointed to work
with the Beavers in establishmg the
Bible Institute, first at Bellevue, and
then at Bata. From that day on, she
had to show great fortitude and tact.
She was called upon to teach African
men. The subjects she taught most
were Church History, the Life of
Christ, and the Gospel of John. Now,
a lot of people, e\'en here in America,
would have trouble with the thought
of her assuming the role of teaching
men. But, think of her assuming that
task in Africa, where women were
supposed to fulfill only a subordinate
role. Somebody had to do the job!
Ruth carried out her job with wisdom
and in evident subordination to the
Biblical teachings and doctrines of her
Seminary professors and of the
missionary elders on the field. She
won the hearts of the African stu-
dents, and any time you traveled
with her and came across some of her
former pupils, their joy at seeing her
was self exident. You would hear
such words as, "Greetings mama."
"How are you, mama?" "We are so
glad to see vou, mama!" And I know
that when the news of her homegoing
arrives in Africa, there will be groups
of her former students, now pastors
of churches, who wUl get together for
several days to pray and reminisce
over all the good memories they have
of "mama Ruth Snyder." Yes, Miss
Ruth Snyder toughed it out in a
difficult role and came out a winner.
Her toughness was also appar-
ent in the way she handled herself
when the disease of cancer was
ra\'aging her body. She went about
her work, disregarding the pain as
much as possible. Some of you who
have known Ruth, only in the later
years of her life, were not fortimate
enough to know, to the fullest, the hm
loving. Light hearted side of her Oh
yes, it would peek out in the latter
days as well, but it was somewhat
veiled bv the \'icissitudes of her
health. Wliat was always evident
was her determination to keep on and
to accomplish all she could for her
Lord while time remained.
Another facet of Ruth's charac-
ter was her prayer life. Right beside
her fa\'orite chair were some well
worn cards in files. The cards in one
file had the names and facts about
each missionary. The cards in the
other file had the names and pictures
of all the students she had taught in
Bible Institute. And daily, she would
remember these people in prayer.
The word "prayer warrior" was
certainly exemplified in her Ufe.
Another word that I would use
in portiaying Ruth is a word she used
in her book describing Estella Myers.
She said of Estella: "God can work
wonders through one unpretentious
life." Tliat certainly can be said of
Ruth as well as of Estella. It is the
word, "unpretentious" that stands
out. She didn't "put on airs." She
was a remarkable woman, with many
great accomplishments, but she
didn't let you know about them. You
had to learn them for yourself by
observation. I cormt myself fortunate
to be one of many who were able to
do that. •
{Prayer continued from page 6)
What a shame that we have
such difficulty sustaining a similar
fervency, in a consistent way, through
the majority of our li\'es that repre-
sent bounty and togetherness. But is
that impossible? Of course not. In
fact, here in lies the secret to a pas-
sionate and consistently meaningfiil
prayer life, live a life that keeps us
aware of our dependency on the
power of the Lord.
It is not only possible. It is a
mandate from God. "Seek first the
kingdom of God, and all of these
things will be added to you." Seek
Me, depend on Me, and I will
supply your need. Live depen-
dently and prayer becomes a
lifeline. Seeking God, imploring
God, praising God, exalting God,
relating to God (not as an equal, but
as a dependent adopted child) are
all are expressions of a life that has
found its significance in a growing
awareness of reliance upon God for
all things.
The surest way to develop a
pattern of life that makes depen-
dency the norm, is to continually
li\'e beyond the parameters of safety
and surety. A life that is given to
committing its energv into accom-
plishing dreams and goals, that go
beyond what can be accomplished
through one's own energies, leads to
a life of dependency and conse-
cquently to a life of prayer.
The Fellowship of Grace
Brethren Churches has established
Focus 2000 Goals that take us
beyond our abilitv to accomplish.
They are bigger than us. They
require extraordinary power to
realize them. They must drive us to
prayer. That is whv the appeal for
2000 prayer partners is such an
imperative. The need is greater than
current supply. The resource we
have at our disposal is not sufficient
for the demand. But the resources
that we ha\'e at our disposal
through God and through prayer are
sufficient for more than we
dreamed.
Join together with the many
who are committing to living at risk
by going beyond the reasonable
limits of our comfort, and living
dependently upon the power of God
when we call upon Him in
prayer! •
15
Mayiju^
1996
]\fEWS
Grace Brethren
News
News Update
Touching You from Around the World
"Stand Up, Speak Out," was
the theme for the first NCO District
Winter Mini-Camp for grades 4-6.
The Woods\'ille, Delaware and
Lexington GBC's have held camp
for about four years, and this year it
was opened to the entire district.
125 children and staff con-
verged on the Pleasant Valley Ranch
for a 48 hour snow retreat. Chapel
services, singing & praising, spiri-
tual growing, praying, tobogganing,
tubing, and other e\'ents were apart
of the profitable retreat.
New Addresses &
Phone Numbers:
Kip and Mary Cone
Michaelstr. 220
74523 Schwabisch Hall
GERMANY
Brian and Rhonda Weaver
16 Pembroke Croft
Hall Green
Birmingham, 828 ^^EY
ENGLAND
Phone: (011-44) 121-745-1936
Steve and Celeste Kern's
Phone Number: (011-49) 7051-
59322
Editions Cle Office Phone
(in France): (011-33) 78-85-33-80
Hazel N. Smith, a member of the
Martinsburg GBC since 1946, passed
away February 8, 1996. Services were
conducted by Pastor James S. Laird, Sr.
and Pastor Robert A. Russell.
In Russia, there are new
restrictions on visa approval (only
three month \'isas are now allowed
until the elections) and the authori-
ties are limiting the number of
missionaries that are allowed at
work there in Novosibirsk. This is
being done contrary to the Russian
Constitution and the Religious
Freedom Act of 1989, but the au-
thorities believe it is inevitable that a
communist will be elected as
president, and foreign missionaries
will be expelled from the country.
Please pray that Russia will stay
open for the Gospel to be freely
preached, and the Spirit's direction
and power in these uncertain times.
Crosswalk: The new lay-led
ministry, known as the Crosswalk,
was laimched in Indiana at the Fort
Wayne GBC, pastored by Bob
Arenobine. This ministry focused on
lav people from Grace Brethren
churches, sharing personal and
Christian life testimonies as evidence
of God's power in changing lives.
The Indiana Crosswalk ministay was
held the weekend of April 27, 1996.
Continue to pray for Pastor
Dan Eschelman. He had surgery for
a cancerous ti-imor from the lower left
lobe of his left lung in March.
Many of you are enjoying the
Leader's Edge published by BMH. If
you can, we could use help with the
publication costs. We are providing
it free to over 1,700 people. What-
ever you can do, we would appreci-
ate it. If you have news, please
share it with us at 1-800-348-2756.
A Seniors Cabinet is being
formed by CE National to encourage
effective ministry for seniors and to
seniors in our local churches. A
group met this past month in
Lancaster, PA and are planning a
June 7 meeting to be held at Willow
Valley GBC, Lancaster, PA.
Pastor Bob Nicholson has
taken a leave of absence from the
Grace Community Church In Mt.
Vernon, Ohio. The congregation is a
daughter church of the Lexington
GBC (Pastor Dave Atkins). Pray for
the pastor, his family, and for the
congregation at Mt. Vernon.
Yukimasa Kinjo is the new
pastor-in training of the Hoya City
GBC in Tokyo, Japan. According to
missionary, Debbie O'Dell, "He is
gifted in evangelism and is a very
godly young man."
Pray for the transition this year
as the O'Dells turn over more
responsibilitv to Yukimasa as they
plan to return to the USA for home
ministry this June.
Grace College &
Seminai'y Neius
Grace College has released
figures for tuition, room and board
for the next 1996-97 academic year.
Grace is pleased to araiounce for the
second year in a row that tuition wiU
onlv increase with the rate of infla-
tion. The increase in tuition will
stand at a mere 3% with an overall
2.5% increase. Tuition, room and
board for next year will be raised
from $13,300 to $13,652 which
includes a 3% increase for tuition, a
4% increase for room and a 0%
increase for board. Grace has made
an effort to keep its tuition in a
moderate range so that a degree from
Grace will not be out of reach for its
HeralD
16
Update
A^'
EWS
constituents. Grace College offers its
students over $1.5 million in financial
aid to help fund their higher education.
The Teacher Education
Committee of Grace College voted
to extend the following honors to
some of the students who completed
their student teaching during the
Fall of 1995 in the local Warsaw area
elementary and high schools. The
Grace College Outstanding Prospec-
tive Teacher Awards goes to the
following students: Heather
Bartlett, a senior from Rib Lake,
Wisconsin; Rebecca Hulthen, a
senior from Shabbonah, Illinois; and
Kim Gage, a senior from Lettz, Iowa.
The Grace College Outstanding
Prospective Teacher Award Honor-
able Mention goes to the following
students: Amv Mathewson, a senior
from Reynoldsburg, Ohio; Audrey
Henderson, a senior from Dryden,
Ontario, Canada; Ann Hinz, a senior
from Warsaw, Indiana; Rebecca
Matheny, a senior from Doylestown,
Ohio; and Bryan Nelson, a senior
from Waukesha, Wisconsin. Con-
gratulations are extended to these
students and best wishes for their
futures in education.
Grace College and Seminary
has employed Mark Messenger as
Network Administrator. Messenger
received a Bachelor of Science m
Computer Science and Mathmatics
from Grace College in 1990. He
came back to Grace after working
for Boston Whaler, a boat manufac-
turer, because he said wanted to take
the opporttmity to use his business
skills in a ministry position."
On March 19 and 20, Dr.
Charles E. Hummel, speaker for the
1996 Staley Lecture Series, was at
Grace College and spoke in chapel
and selected classes. Hummel
graduated from Yale Uni\'ersitv and
earned an M.S. in chemical engineer-
ing from M.I.T He has worked with
Intervarsity Christian Fellowship in
various positions since 1951, as well
as being President of a college in
Rhode Island for ten years. He has
written se\'eral books including. The
Galileo Coiiuectkvi: Resolving Conflicts
between Science and Clnistinnity which
is used as a text at Grace College.
Hummel spoke about the harmony
between Christianity and science.
The Tliomas Staley Foundations is a
private, nonprofit organization that
strives to hirther the gospel among
college students nationwide.
• • • • •
)ur
FICGBC
The First International
Conference of GBC's
The First International
Conference of Grace Brethren
Churches will occur in Toronto,
Canada, July 27— August 1, 1996.
Put those dates on your
calendar. Home
Missions is
making plans to
commission the
launch of our
first Canadian
church at that
conference. Call 1-800-
268^838 for hotel reservations m
Toronto.
Dave and Jean Vittum have
been accepted as Rapid Deployment
missionaries to the Philippines.
Dave is finishing a career with the
U. S. Navy, having specialized in
service of nuclear submarines. They
are members of the Waldorf GBC,
and will leave for the Philippines in
October if God provides a support
team for them at that time. Pray
that the Vittums will be able to raise
all their support bv October.
Pastor Dave Marksbury has
moved to the Seattle, WA area
where he has assumed the pastorate
of the Grace Bible Fellowship GBC
in Maple Valley. Tliis former Home
Missions church has been without a
regular pastor for nearly two years,
but has held together well. The
church Dave formerly pastored in
Garden Grove, CA (New Life GBC)
has closed. Dave continues to serve,
part time, as Western Director of
Church Planting and Development
for Home Missions.
After much prayer and
searching, the Ron Schemmer
family located a rental home in the
Otay section of Tijuana. This means
fewer long waits at the border.
Teaming up with two boys inter-
ested in reaching; their friends, Ron
Schemmer began meeting boys in
the local park to play soccer. Within
a month, 15 to 20 boys ranging from
six-year olds to 20-year olds were
playing. Ten of these boys professed
faith in Christ at a birthday party at
the Schemmer home. Pray for
effecti\'e follow-up for these children.
CE National's Time Program:
Time (Training in Ministry Experi-
ences) will be sending teams this
summer to inner-city Chicago and
Northern Brazil. The Chicago Time
Team will be led by Bill & Patty
Willhite and will minister in coop-
eration with the nationally recog-
nized Circle Urban Ministries.
Ivanildo Trindade will lead the
Brazil Time Team ministering in
beach evangelism , campus out-
reach, street e\'angelism, and to the
churches In Macapa and Belem.
Paul Mutchler will be leaving
Littitz, PA, and will be joining the
staff at the GBC of Columbus in
Worthington, OH. He will begin his
new ministry as Pastor of Adult
Ministries, CE, Programs & Services.
He'll be starting May 1, 1996.
Address Correction:
Grace Brethren Church, 6259
Faber Dr., Brooksville, FL 34602
Pastor Bill Stevens
17
][^ayjune 1996
CONVICTIOKS • I'MINTHBWOHD • I WON'T WATCH TRASH TV • CONVICTIONS • EVERTHINOISNOT GHAY • NOPREJDDICE
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Jars of Clay P
Plus:
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Rebecca St. James ^
Sound Investment g
Paul Guffey g
COWVIGTIOKS • BEBOLD-DON'TFOLD • KEEPING MY COMMITMENTS • CONVICTIONS • RIGHT FROM WKONG • THE BIBLE IS RELIABLE & TRUE ■
"Lord, Use Me
T! he summer before I started
college, 1 took a job as a
__. waitress at one of Winona
Lake's old hotels. Restaurant work
was not my first choice, but the job I
wanted fell through at the last
minute. With college looming ahead,
I was in a near-panic mode.
The work was exhausting and
we were always shorthanded. Our
boss was a temperamental old Navy
cook who looked as though he hadn't
shaved since the Korean War. A
highlight of my summer was watch-
ing him throw a plate of eggs on the
floor after a customer sent them back
because they weren't cooked right.
But the job was OK. Almost
everyone who worked at the hotel was
my age, so one of the benefits was a
little social life at work. And, because
this was 1968, there were still confer-
ences in Winona Lake — which meant
people coming and going constantly.
We met people who were well-
known in Christian circles — almost
celebrities. Most of them were as
nice as pie (even to teenagers) and
we enjoyed being around them.
One woman, however, was the
exception. I was warned about her
early on. When our paths finally
crossed, I realized no one had been
exaggerating. She was rude and
demanding, and Eked to look at us as
if we had just come from a slave
auction. We all avoided waiting on
her. When we saw her heading for
the dining room, we would rush to
the kitchen to decide who the un-
lucky server would be for that meal.
One day, I was the unlucky server
Our lady was sitting at her table with
some friends, entertaining them witli a
monologue about an upcoming
Christian film she was working on. I
was distributing the food, when 1 heard
her say the oddest tiling: "Yes, we're
hoping to reach the young people in
America wdth this film."
I couldn't believe it! 1 wanted to
scream. 1 wanted to jerk her to her feet,
and shout, "Lady, if you want to reach
/ t in I / i—y ii I I IL lb
young people, why don't you start
here? There are a dozen of us tliat you
see every day, and not everybody is a
Christian. Don't you care about us?"
For some reason, I said noth-
ing. Although I didn't react out-
wardly, I've never forgotten how
bizarre her statement was.
She wanted to reach young
people, but not the ones close to her.
She wanted to influence teenagers
she didn't know, but she couldn't
even be friendly to the ones she saw
every day. Who knows what might
have happened if she had?
I've thought about her com-
ment in the years since that summer.
Along the way, I've met other
people who have operated the same
way. Maybe they weren't rude and
demanding to the people around
them — just oblivious or uncaring.
It's easy to tliink of examples. The
Old Testament priest, EU, somehow
managed to minister to the children of
Israel, but lost his own sons in the
process. King David was a hero in the
entire country, but not with his family.
I've known people who could list
missionaries all over the world, but had
a tough time remembering who li\'ed
two doors dovvTi tlie street.
But I guess I'm the same way.
Why is it easier for me to go across town
where I don't know anyone, Jind pass
out invitations to church, than it is to go
next door and give one to my neighbor?
Two reasons come to mind. First, my
neighbor knows me. Somehow I have it
in my mind that she's going to say, "Oh
you want me to come to church with
you? And didn't I hear you yelling at
your kids in the yard last night?"
My neighbors are nice people,
and not one of
them has ever
said something
like that to
me. But the
thought of
hearing them
say it is still
there. 1
But Not Too ^
Close To HOME" ^
should somehow be perfect before I
invite them to cliurch, or they won't
want to come. Wliat I'm forgetting is
that my neighbors wouldn't be coming
to churcli because of me, but because
God is working in tlieir hearts.
The second reason close-up
evangelism is hard, is that it's riskier if
someone asks a question and I don't
know the answer Or what if I'm asked
to do something tliat throws my
schedule out of whack? What then?
Both of these reasons involve
"me" a lot. 1 suppose that's why
long-distance ministry is so popular
with us. We can feel good about our
involvement when we drop a ten
dollar bill in the offering, knowing
that our pastor or some missionary
will use it to tell someone we don't
know about the Lord. And it
doesn't cramp our schedule or give
us an identity crisis.
Somewhere there's a balance in
all this, and I admire people who
have it. These are people who have
a genuine concern for folks in Africa
they've never met, and they have
the same concern for their co-worker
in the next office. They write to
missionaries overseas, but they also
volunteer at their child's school.
They don't miss opportunities —
whether close by or miles away.
Our lady in the dining room
probably thought she had quite a
ministry. But her balancing act with
close-up and long-distance evange-
lism needed a lot more practice. She
ne\'er knew what opportimities she
missed by ignoring tlie people around
her I probably don't know what I've
missed along the way, either •
Lamplight
Chronicles
"Yoii, O Lord, keep my lamp burning"
19
Moyjw
'1996
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