Grace College in Winona Lake, Ind., added a degree in professional communication to its course offerings this year. The major is designed to prepare students to communicate effectively in the demanding and complex world of business. The unique, interdisciplinary degree combines principles and practices of three distinct programs: communication, behavioral science, and marketing in order to equip graduates for roles […][...]
The Charis Fellowship has seen significant transition over the past two years. Two national ministries welcomed new leaders, one ministry underwent a merger, and the Fellowship gained a new coordinator. In early 2020, Ryan Bowell stepped into the CEO position for Grace Brethren Investment Foundation as Ken Seyfert was retiring. During the fall of 2020, Tim Hodge began the transition […][...]
Greg Howell, senior pastor at Community Grace Brethren Church in Goldendale, Wash., died on November 21, 2021. Greg served as secretary for the Charis Fellowship Council for more than 30 years and was involved in various committees for Grace College and Theological Seminary. A version of his obituary appears below. Greg was born to LeRoy and Juanita (Denbeigh) Howell on […][...]
Bobbie Ridenour, member of Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church in northern Indiana (Kip Cone, lead pastor), died on November 26, 2021. During her career she worked for the Brethren Missionary Herald Company (now BMH Books and GraceConnect) and CE National (now Momentum Ministry Partners). A version of her obituary appears below. Bobbette “Bobbie” Juanne Ridenour, a resident of Grace Village […][...]
The Eagle Commission is a national ministry of the Charis Fellowship. On November 11, the board of directors met. Below is a recap from their meeting, provided by Endorser Mark Penfold. The Eagle Commission’s board of directors had its annual board meeting on Veterans Day, Thursday, November 11, via Zoom. Our board president, Jim Augspurger (Grace Polaris Church in Westerville, Ohio) […][...]
One of my favorite memories from my 23 years on active duty was celebrating Thanksgiving with my soldiers. It happens like this: Normally, the dining facility (or mess hall) closes early on Wednesday after serving lunch. The cooks have been preparing for weeks. During the next 20 hours or so, there will be no end to the preparations. The dining […][...]
Encompass World Partners, a national ministry of the Charis Fellowship, employs workers to the least reached in 30 countries. To enable Charis churches to better engage with these efforts, Encompass has created a weekly email update. PrayNow is sent out on Monday mornings with one prayer request for each day of the week. See a full explanation and how to […][...]
“Our mission statement is ‘worship God, serve others.’ This is part of how we serve others.” Brian McCall, executive pastor at Martinsburg Grace Brethren Church (MGBC), a Charis Fellowship congregation in southern Pennsylvania, explains how they pursue this mission. “We have three community outreach focused ministries that we invest in through volunteers and financial support: Wheels of Joy, Family Counseling […][...]
Pastor Greg Howell died on November 21, 2021. Greg was admitted to the hospital on October 19 with COVID-19 and spent the last month fighting complications from the illness. In addition to being senior pastor at Community Grace Brethren Church in Goldendale, Wash., Greg served as the recording secretary for the Fellowship Council for decades. He was also on the board […][...]
DaZhane Jones, a Grace College sophomore from Indianapolis, was recently one of 30 Hoosier students to receive the “Realizing the Dream” scholarship from Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI). Each of the honorees is a sophomore student who has “realized the dream” to be the first in his or her family to attend college. The event is made possible by the […][...]
Water for Good is a cooperating ministry of the Charis Fellowship. A version of this story appeared on Grace College’s blog. See the original post here. Jim Hocking Spoke Sango Before He Spoke English. He grew up in the Central African Republic as the son of a minister, and it fostered in him a deep love for the country and its […][...]
Greg Howell, senior pastor at Community Grace Brethren Church in Goldendale, Wash., was admitted to the hospital on October 19 with COVID-19. On November 16, Greg’s family sent the following update: Greg was able to tolerate dialysis yesterday and they plan to do dialysis today. His oxygen levels are doing good. He is stable, but still in critical condition. Please […][...]
For Don MacGregor, member at Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church in northern Indiana (Kip Cone, lead pastor), 1966 was a year of change. In January he accepted Christ, in March he joined the Marine Corps, in May he turned 19, in June he married his wife, and in September he left for Vietnam. Fifty-five years later, Don shared about his […][...]
As the number of Hispanic Charis churches in the U.S. grows, the question has come up of how to connect and equip the women in those churches. We’re happy to introduce Alicia Morales, who is taking on the role of coordinator for Hispanic women. Alicia was born in Mexico. Her father was assistant director of a Bible institute. She accepted […][...]
A version of this story appeared in the Ink Free News. Read the original story here and see photos from the event here. The annual “WE CARE WARSAW,” featuring more than $32,000 worth of goods and services, was held Saturday, November 13, at the Gordon Health and Wellness Center, in Winona Lake, Ind. The event is provided to help those in the community […][...]
The historic season for Grace College’s cross country teams continued at the NCCAA National Championships, with both the men’s and women’s teams bringing home national titles. The championships are the first for Grace in cross country, and mark the fifth and sixth NCCAA titles for Lancer athletics in the past three years. Overall, the school has claimed eight national titles. […][...]
Jeannette Whited, wife of Charis Pastor Robert (Bob) Whited, died on October 20, 2021. She served alongside her husband at Charis churches in North English, Iowa; Cheyenne, Wyo.; San Jose, Calif.; York, Penn.; Kansas City, Mo.; and Cherry Valley, Calif. A version of her obituary appears below. Jeannette Maxine Whited, 93, went home to Jesus on October 20, 2021, in […][...]
Three members from Community Grace Brethren Church, a Charis Fellowship congregation in Warsaw, Ind. (Reg Overstreet, lead pastor), helped a local farmer with his harvest when his wife died after a month-long stint in the hospital with COVID-19. A version of this story appeared in the Ink Free News. Read the original story here. A Warsaw farmer is getting some […][...]
Greg Howell, senior pastor at Community Grace Brethren Church in Goldendale, Wash., was admitted to the hospital on October 19 with COVID-19. On November 7, Greg’s wife, Colleen, sent the following update: Please let our dear church family know that we really appreciate their prayers, love, and encouragement. We know that God is in control and He has our best […][...]
Assist Church Expansion was formed in 2017 when Nathan Bryant was encouraged to combine his long-time Charis Fellowship church planting initiatives in Canada with efforts in the U.S. They serve churches within the Fellowship through planting, expanding, and revitalizing. In August of 2021, they received National Ministry status during a vote by Charis Fellowship delegates. “Being recognized as a National Ministry in […][...]