Much of the emphasis in the spiritual formation movement focuses on personal disciplines such as prayer, Bible study, solitude, and silence. While these are good activities to engage in, an overemphasis on individual activities may result in a devaluing of the role of community in spiritual growth. My experience of spiritual community was started in my biological family, developed in […][...]
This update on Matthew Brown comes from his dad, Pastor Jack Brown, of the North Shore Bible Church, a Grace Brethren congregation in Essex, Mass. Matthew is in the Cardiac Care Unit in Burlington, Mass. (See Urgent Prayer Request for Matthew Brown.) Here’s the latest on Matthew’s condition. Matthew is under heavy sedation (essentially a medically induced coma). He is on a […][...]
Michael Saldivar has been called by by a unanimous vote to pastor the Pataskala, Ohio, Grace Brethren Church. He will start July 7. For the last 11 years, he has been on staff at LaLoma Grace Brethren Church in Modesto, Calif. (Joel Richards, pastor), where he has served as pastor of youth and worship. Fenton McDonald, long-time pastor at the Pataskala […][...]
It’s a nice problem to have. Last weekend, the board of Women of Grace USA, the women’s ministries board of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches, met to discuss the many opportunities before them and how prioritize them, according to Viki Rife, who serves as communications director and oversees Girls’ Ministries. “We discussed how to meet requests for Summits and Women’s Leadership Studies [&[...]
Spring is not even a month old, but the folks at Centerville Grace Church, a Grace Brethren congregation in Centerville, Ohio, are beginning to think about summer and their plans to take the gospel to the children of their community. “We were doing VBS (vacation Bible school) at the church just one week in the summertime. After doing it a […][...]
Participate in a worship service at the Grace Brethren Church in Toppenish, Wash. (Greg Stamm, pastor), and soon you’ll be drawn in by the musical dexterity of Bob Ferguson. But it’s not for him, says the long-time instrumental teacher, who is part of the church’s worship team. “I can’t tell you how that actually works,” he admits. “It’s where I’m […][...]
Prayer is requested for Matthew Brown, son of Pastor Jack and Christine Brown, of the North Shore Bible Church, a Grace Brethren congregation in Essex, Mass. Matthew is in the Cardiac Care Unit in Burlington, Mass. “On Saturday he was having difficulty breathing and went to the emergency room,” says Jack. “Subsequent tests have showed his heart is only functioning at […][...]
This coming fall, Grace College will be offering two new majors, a Health Science major with added pre-professional tracks and a Mathematics and Computing major. The new Health Science major is specifically designed for students who aspire to provide health care for people through a variety of avenues. The major will provide specific concentrations of study for future medical doctors, […][...]
Pastor Jim Custer, teaching pastor at Grace Polaris, the Grace Brethren church on the north side of Columbus, Ohio, participated in discussion on “Faith in Columbus” with host Vince Tornado yesterday on 610 WTVN. From the WTVN website: Faith is one of those “elephant in the room” topics that people just don’t talk about. It’s a pivotal part of who […][...]
It started as part of the seniors’ ministry. A few weeks ago, the Health Fair at the Grace Brethren Church in Wooster, Ohio, opens its doors to the public. A story in today’s Wooster Daily Record tells the story. A portion appears below. Click here to read the complete story. WOOSTER’S GRACE BRETHREN HEALTH FAIR HIGHLIGHTS LOCAL ASSETS By STEVEN F. […][...]
A recent post on Desiring God, from the ministry of John Piper, features Grace Seminary graduate and professor, Robert Duncan Culver. On a previous post on GraceConnect, it was noted: [Culver] lives in southeastern Minnesota and is still active in preaching, writing, and presenting papers at the Evangelical Theological Society, was originally from the Yakima, Wash., area. Recruited by Alva […][...]
The Promise of Honor program was designed to raise sufficient funds … to ensure those retired pastors and widows that the promises … would be fulfilled. Pick up almost any magazine today, and you’ll likely find an article about retirement planning. Making sure that income continues and needs are met after the regular paycheck ends is a concern for most […][...]
Earlier this week, Lynn Parrish, youth and worship secretary at Community Grace Brethren Church in Goldendale, Wash., sent a few photos from last weekend’s Easter celebrations. She writes: Every year we do a community outreach Easter egg hunt. We serve a free Hot Dog lunch and give away prizes. Each child received a bag of candy and a book about […][...]
A post this week on the website of HCJB Global, an evangelical network of media partners around the globe, reveals the extent of damage experienced by ICDI, Integrated Community Development International, during the recent political unrest in the Central African Republic. A portion of the story appears below. Click here to read the complete post. Fatal Shooting – Abduction – […][...]
“People are now aware of each other’s needs and feel a sense of support for other people as well,” reports Steve Kern, associate pastor of spiritual growth at the Grace Brethren Church in Wooster, Ohio (Bob Fetterhoff, senior pastor). What brought about this change? Kern credits it to the creation of Grace Groups, which began in the fall. According to […][...]
The long-awaited Spanish language edition of the late Dr. Todd Scoles’ Restoring the Household: The Quest of the Grace Brethren Church, Restaurando el Hogar: La Búsqueda de la Iglesia Hermanos en Gracia, is now available. It was Scoles’ vision to see his book, which was fashioned from his doctoral dissertation, translated into Spanish for use by Hispanic churches in North and […][...]
A redesigned website for bmhbooks.com, the Internet presence for BMH Books, has been launched. Featuring a new logo and a crisp look, the site includes easy-to-use search features, an shopping cart, and information about the more than 140 products in the BMH Books catalog. Many of the books are useful for small group or Adult Bible Fellowship studies or to […][...]
An estimated 100 Grace students attended the third annual Communitas, a symposium hosted by the Office of Faith, Learning and Scholarship, which was held on Wednesday, March 20, at the Orthopaedic Capital Center. The symposium, an event designed to showcase student creativity and research, gives students experience in presenting their work in a professional atmosphere, and provides opportunities to explore the integration of [[...]
Grace Fellowship, a Grace Brethren church in Pickerington, Ohio, is in the beginning stages of their new 33,000 square foot facility. Here’s a video showing some of the recent progress, which was posted on Pastor Keith Miniear’s blog today. 3/28/13 – Building Update from Grace Fellowship on Vimeo.[...]
Rachel Cruze, daughter of well-known financial advisor and author Dave Ramsey, will speak during the Grace College chapel on Friday, April 19. The public is invited to the 10:30 a.m. session, which will be held in the Orthopaedic Capital Center. Her visit will conclude Financial Freedom Week at Grace, a week focused on different aspects of finances such as generosity and stewardship […][...]