EvangelistThe Brethren

March/April 2012

Transform One 3 Effective Youth Ministry 6 Conference Registration 16+ Youth Ministry Issue

Winter CampCamp Bethany, Ohio

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“… we would do well to pay attention to those around us, for they will inherit our story …”

• They believed the best for me. Certainly I gave little evidence, but no matter; they relied on the grace of God that they embodied. Their words became prophetic I suppose, in the sense that they spoke into my heart the very things to which God was already calling and preparing for me. I am not sure they understood at the time how important were those few words of affirmation that literally directed my life. What they said in faith about me, and to me, be-came me.

• This is the most amazing part, they trusted me. Almost to a person, the ones who made the most impact on my life were the ones who were fearless in entrusting re-sponsibility; at least just beyond any measurable evidence that I could deliver. With their help I often at least modestly succeeded. Sometimes I failed, and learned even more in the process.

So now at this stage of life I have resolved to attempt a break with the controlling tendencies so evident in my parenting. Somehow my progeny is succeeding in spite of the fact that I broke with many of the qualities that others modeled for me. I have been extended the grace of another chance to get it right. I am a grandfather. And for me this means listening twice

as much as I speak, being the biggest fan a grandson ever had, and squelch-ing the urge to protect him from learning the big life lessons of grace as well. For a denomination with a family-oriented name, we would do well to pay great attention to those around us, for they will inherit our story, which will become for them either a memorial to the past, or a foundation for the future. Let’s embrace the latter!

This issue of the Evangelist is de-voted primarily to highlighting our youth and the work of our church-

es, camps, and BYIC/Brethren Youth in Christ. This topic certainly allows me to wax nostalgic about my experience “once upon a time.” The pre-teen to young adult years are fraught with highs and lows. It is often, and was for me, the best of times amid the worst of times. It was a time of confusion and a time of clarification. It was a time of loneliness and a time of community. It was a time of despair and a time of great hope. This dichotomy has caused me to reflect on the grace of God and the grace of so many around me who — despite my best efforts — loved and encouraged me nonetheless.

Ultimately what made the difference for me as I have mentioned, was the grace extended to me in the form of those older and wiser than I. We had little in common. Different ages, differ-ent stages of life, and believe me — few who had experienced some of the things that were a part of my formative years. Many of them did not know the details of my story, but they somehow understood that my path was more challenging than most. They were graceful as a result, and this grace was extended in so many ways. . .

• They listened. They did not offer answers, and certainly no “pat an-swers.” They asked good questions. They helped me reflect on my life in ways that allowed me with God’s help to discover a good path on my own.

Leaving a Legacy

Ken Hunn, Executive Director

each unique and valuable “I” fits into the greater context of “WE” as a team and a church. This part of the journey also prepares that local leadership team to have an even greater impact later as they disciple others, helping new Jesus-follow-ers and emerging leaders discover their unique wiring and special ways of serving in God’s mission.

With the preparation of the “I” work, the “WE” phase involves an NCD survey at the church level to determine the next steps. Depending upon the NCD results, a church may:

1. Stop and assess their need for some direct intervention or specialized coaching,

2. Continue with a comprehensive 5-step NCD process us-ing both objective and subjective instruments to increase their congregational health by working on their area of greatest opportunity, or

3. Proceed to the next phase of TRANSFORM ONE — the “THEY” phase. A church with sufficient internal heat to increase their

missional capacity moves into the “THEY” phase, where objective instruments assess their area’s demographics and

Personal transformation always precedes corporate transformation.

Dr. Robert Logan

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Every so often God sends another piece of the larger puzzle our way that helps fill in the blank spaces of where he is taking us and how we are to get there. At

a recent training event, pastors G. Emery Hurd, Brian Moore and Alan Schmiedt, and Indiana District Pastor Tim Garner, who are all part of the MOBILIZE team, learned about one of those very important puzzle pieces.

TRANSFORM ONE, created by ChurchSmart Resources, is a comprehensive expansion of what began as the Natural Church Development (NCD) process. It now provides a complete, well tested, verified, and effective pathway for all churches to journey toward health and more ef-fective ministry. This new initiative now encompasses two groups of congregations that in the past were perceived as inappropriate for NCD: those not healthy enough to begin an NCD process, and those churches whose high level of health made NCD seem ineffective.

It is a reality that corporate growth always follows personal growth. TRANSFORM ONE begins with the “I” phase where a congregation’s key leaders enter an intentional six-week journey of self-evaluation. Through four weekly sessions, each facilitated by the authors on DVD, a weekend retreat experience, and a final wrap-up session, individuals on the team are led through an objective series of instruments and a subjective telling of their story. These self-assessments and storytelling help them gain insights into areas of personal growth, giftedness, and conflict style. With greater awareness at the individual level, the team then learns more about how

G. Emery Hurd Cheyenne, Wyoming

Transform One Person, Church, Community

M U L T I P L I C A T I O N

M O B I L I Z A T I O N subjective instruments help them understand their community’s story. These are combined to develop strategies that help the church inten-tionally become more outwardly aware and appropriately engaged.

As the church moves through this phase, they begin connecting with the larger Body of Christ in their area or region in the “ALL OF US” phase. They intentionally partner with other like-minded churches, agencies and ministries to

leverage their collec-tive Kingdom impact in the larger commu-nity context.

The process then takes on a rhythm of regular, recurring cycles to continue evaluation of the church’s progress and to promote ever increasing church health and ministry effectiveness. Each cycle gets custom-ized to the specifi c context of the indi-vidual congregation.

An additional feature of the TRANSFORM ONE journey is the ability for groups of churches to go through this process together, providing an addi-tional dynamic of sharing resources and multiply-ing benefi ts. TRANSFORM ONE is broad enough and fl exible enough to be used by any Brethren church, regardless of size or current status.

The denomination has sought for some time an easily accessible, long-term process around which all Brethren congregations that choose to do so could benefi t. The statistical validity, robust content, individual attention, oversight and operative fl exibility make TRANSFORM ONE a premier opportunity for any Brethren church ready to improve their congregational health and ministry impact. It’s one more puzzle piece that the Father is fi tting into place as we journey toward that NEW DAY when more lives are be-ing transformed into the character and nature of Jesus Christ through the work of his Spirit.

To learn more about TRANSFORM ONE and its value for your congregation, connect with a MOBILIZE team member. You can email Emery at EmeryHurd@att.net, or call him at 307.421.3708; Alan at Aschmied@bnin.ne; Brian at pastormo@myactv.net; Tim Garner at tgarner57@msn.com; Gary at gary@brethren-church.org, or call Gary at 877.289.1708 to get the conversation started! UPDATES

The vision of MissioChurch is to initiate and sustain a national church multiplication movement with regional focus.

If these sound like a bunch of loaded words, it’s because they are. Each word has meaning that has literally shaped the way that we have begun to collectively approach starting new churches. Over the last 3+ years the Missio-Church team has been building a PathWay for prospective church planters and cultivating the resources needed to help steward the calling of planters, their parent churches and the districts they are planting in. We are certain that no training or method for planting churches is as powerful as the movement of the Holy Spirit in the hearts and minds of those whom he has called to establish a new church. The PathWay takes this into account and provides individualized training and personalized strategic plans for each and every unique start. We help them plant the church that God has planted in their hearts.

How can we come alongside you and discern what God wired you to be and do?

If you have a clear picture of those things, then how can we help equip, empower and release you to become that and to do those things?

As more pastors, leaders, teams and congregations wrestle with these questions, the Mobilize team continues our focus in four important areas in an effort to help you an-swer them. Here are a few ways the activities of “Mobilizing God’s People to BE the Church” c ontinue taking shape:

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M U L T I P L I C A T I O N

M O B I L I Z A T I O N Gary Diehl

• This spring we had our largest orientation class with nearly a dozen individuals and couples attending.

• Several individuals are preparing to go to Exponential Conference in April for the unique training and fellowship that happens when you get more than 4,000 enthusiastic, risk-takers for the gospel into one place!

While our emphasis has been on preparing the PathWay and working with individuals and mission boards, there has also been some church planting activity.

• Two more church plants will be deployed this spring in Ohio!

• Several other church planting projects are in development with their planters and teams in some phase of the PathWay. Look for new Brethren Churches starting in the SouthWest District, North East District, Ohio District, and Florida District in coming months. (Some may yet be deployed in 2012!)

The “with regional focus” part of our vision continues to shape how we do things as we understand that a sustainable movement must be found fi rst in the hearts and minds of the people in a local area. We have been praying for and looking to develop persons in whom God has placed a vision for what

Bill Ludwig

• Ministry Vitality: A newly unveiled Pathway resource called TRANSFORM ONE is now becoming available (see the description on page 3 in this edition). Three Brethren leaders received training in February to facili-tate that journey. The Pastors and Spouses Retreat in Phoenix provided refreshment and renewal for all who attended.

• Ministry Transitions: Three Brethren congregations now have Intentional Interim Pastors, with several others in conversation about the details of the process. A few leaders are learning how and where their gifts and experiences will potentially be most effectively deployed in a new ministry context.

• Leadership Development: Plans are in motion to increase our capacity to identify and develop new leaders, and to help existing pastors and leaders sharpen their ability to lead well. Potential “modular” training and equipping events were recently discussed with the Indiana district executive leadership team, and will be targeted for later in 2012. Similar conversations

have begun in Ohio, Arizona, Central and the Northeast districts. A coach training event is set for May 14-15 on the Ashland Theological Seminary campus.

• Resources, Partnerships and Networks: Ron and Chery Boehm of VisionOhio, partners in our coaching and church multiplication efforts, facilitated a great pastors and spouses event. Intentional prayer and coaching relationships continue to be a vital part of Mobilizing the people of God. Coaches with specialized training in discipleship are engaged in coach-mentoring relationships with CoachNet that continue preparing them to assist other congregations. A training event for intentional interims will be presented by Interim Pastor Ministries, a new partner, and is set for April 12-13.

If you are ready for more information about how to connect with a specifi c resource, or to learn how you can help The Brethren Church increase our capacity to multiply new disciples, leaders and churches, contact Gary Diehl at gary@brethrenchurch.org today!

he wants to do in more than just their city or town, but perhaps their whole state and beyond.

• This part of the vision is becoming clearer as God is raising up men and woman from around our country with unique and specifi c visions for church planting in their region! We call these folks Regional Coordinators.

• Two Regional Coordinators have been identifi ed, and three others are clarifying their calling to the role in their respective regions.

• People in The Brethren Church are no longer asking “When are you going to co and plant a church here for us?” Instead, they are learning to ask “How can you come alongside of us to help us pursue our specifi c vision for church planting?”

Hopefully you are beginning to grasp what God is doing in church planting through MissioChurch. We pray that the more you learn about our vision and purpose the more ex-cited you become to see what God might do in your neck of the woods. When he moves, we commit to follow him with you. For more information on supporting church plant-ing, planting a church or becoming a Regional Coordinator please contact Bill Ludwig, bill@brethrenchurch.org or call the Brethren Church National Offi ce at 419-289-1708.

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Effective youth ministry

by Scott Soden Cheyenne, Wyoming

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How do you know when a youth program is effective?

friends was about. They discover a place where they can be safe — a place free from judgment and a place where they can be themselves, develop friendships and begin a journey that will lead them to a cross, an empty tomb and a real lasting love. Most amazingly has been that in the past year or so we have seen seven of those youth come to find faith and saving grace in Christ Jesus and be baptized. Of those seven, three of them did so even though their parents were not believers and chose not to attend, but they placed their faith in Christ anyway. That’s the power and the grace of an effective youth ministry!

I’d love at this point to say how great a youth leader I am and that if you just follow my easy steps and read my forth-coming book, that you too can have an incredibly effective youth program that will drive your teens wild, increase your total attendance by sixty percent and your budget into heights never before seen. I’d really love to do that and my ego would too, but the truth is it’s not about me. Every com-munity is different and every culture unique. There is no one way, no magical formula or all-inclusive pathway that I can share to instantly make your youth program effective and successful. However I can share a few principles that are uni-versal no matter the culture, community or neighborhood.

If you are in a church with no youth program, start one! This is number one priority. Why? Unless you have set up shop in a retirement village, your church will sputter and die with-out a youth program. Seriously, when have you ever seen a thriving and living body of believers that is growing and shaping their community that does not have a youth pro-gram? Chances are you haven’t! This is essential not just for

When you start watching the ministry grow all on its own. When you see those young men and women asking peers to come and are excited

to have them show up. You begin to see it when teens are talking about their youth group at school and family gath-erings and online while posting to their Facebook page. You know it’s effective when they begin to ask to lead, ask to be involved in ministry, ask the hard questions about life and God and then seek those answers together. You know the group is effective when adults are excited to be a part of the ministry and develop mentoring relationships across the board and they don’t object in the slightest to back-ground checks because of the confidence they have in the ministry and the call. You know it’s effective when you see new youth not just stick to the group, but develop real relationships themselves and come to church not simply because of their parents’ involvement or insistence, but be-cause they are connected! When you see young men and women struggle with the deep issues of faith in a culture that screams in opposition to those very ideas and choose to follow Christ anyway. When they get baptized and their own parents choose not to attend. Ultimately you know your youth program is effective when you realize it’s not about what you are doing, but rather it’s about what God has decided to do through you and with you!

In the last few months I can truly say that the group that has developed in the Cheyenne Brethren Church has become an amazing ministry. Oh it still has its bumps and bruises; we have experienced great numerical growth and then watched it shrink some. There are tussles and teenage angst to say the least, but in the last year we have seen some of the most incredible things happen. Out of a group of eight kids we now have a roster of over 40 youth. To put it in perspective, if they all showed up at the same time they would equal half of the at-tending adults. From those we have a core of about 20 that are consistently engaged in the ministry and, barring school events and homework, attend the weekly meeting on a regular basis. We’ve devel-oped two small groups that meet on Sunday morn-ings before church as well as a monthly ministry for teen girls to discuss issues related to their needs. Last year eleven young ladies traveled to Denver to attend the Revolve Tour. We have seen youth of all walks come to find out what all the hype from their

Jeff Soden baptizing a youth member with Pastor Scott supervising.

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the sake of the community, but for the health of the church and the body itself. We need all of the various generations working together to really change our world and our com-munities. I know what I am saying; it’s time intensive, energy draining and resource consuming. It will also give new life to you and unbelievable energy. When teens realize people care about them and value them amazing things will hap-pen. They will be the energy that moves your church if you let them. But you must get the engine going!

If you have a church with a youth group and one leader only, it is imperative that you find more adults to help! Youth ministry is impossible by yourself and you were never meant to do it alone. Find a compelling vision for your ministry and then recruit other adults to engage in it with you. The more adults involved the lighter the load and the more enthusi-

astic both you and the youth will become. As your ministry takes shape you will be amazed by the energy that you and the body will receive. Even better will be the direction youth take as other adults reach out to mentor and guide. Youth, especially in this age, are looking for people who will care about them. Often enough they don’t receive it at home because of divorce, abuse, or neglect. When they see the church reflect the kind of love and grace that it preaches, it becomes more than theory, it becomes real, tangible and authentic. That’s when lives are changed! Not just theirs but those involved in the ministry as well. Believe me, there is nothing more incredible than having another youth leader step into the baptistry with you because a youth has been so influenced by them they ask for them to participate in their baptism. This is the crux of youth ministry! This is also why so many of them are leaving our churches and are seeking spiritual guidance from others. We have failed to realize that finding faith is not just hearing a story, but seeing it lived out daily by those who invite us along for the journey.

Finally and most importantly, we must recognize the extraordinary blessings of God. I think that’s the most valu-able principle of all. God does incredible things, but in his time, not always ours. You may do all of these things and still have a group of eight. There’s nothing wrong with that as long as you are living out his call to ministry. It’s a struggle in our culture because so often it is only the big, the flashy and the showy things that get honored. Mega churches take the center stage and often develop everything, and if we can’t be them, then we must be doing something wrong. God blesses where he blesses and often it has nothing to do with our programs and buildings or our great abilities as super-servants, but because he is God and he is at work in our world in amazing ways. I have seen great churches fall flat because they honored and built on the wrong things and forgot to see where God was working, then move to partner with him. I have seen small churches explode with unprece-dented growth because they saw a simple need and met it. They were blessed by God for no other reason than he likes to do it. We must stop comparing ourselves with the latest and greatest and start making sure that we are in alignment with God’s purposes, plans and his heart for people. Like the farmer, we keep tilling the soil and planting the seed, all the while preparing for rain, for when it does come… the harvest can be extraordinary.

In the end I have come to the conclusion, that God did indeed gift me and gave me skills, abilities and a vision to pave the way, but it is he who has blessed us. Because oth-ers have also seen the harvest here, they have come along and it is they, not me who make the ministry happen. To-gether we have discovered God’s heart not just for this new

generation of young men and women, but for all genera-tions, and that by serving the least of these we are blessed by the Greatest of all!

Writing notes with sins, giving them to God and then burning them.

Pastor Scott with youth sponsors.

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A Publication of the Women’s Missionary Society

March/April 2012

Continued on p. 12

Think Outside the Box

Continued on p. 12

I am a creature of habit. I like to take the same route to and from work every day, sit in the same spot at church, and choose the

same thing to eat when I eat out. I like the “same old, same old”. The only thing I like to change is my furniture. If I rear-range my furniture, it makes me feel like I have something new. I guess I don’t like to get out of my comfort zone very much. It makes me feel a bit uncomfortable and I don’t like that feeling. However, I am learning that God didn’t create me so that I could be comfortable; rather He wants me to be conformed to the image of His son. That doesn’t happen if every day is the “same old, same old”. It is so easy for me to fall into the pattern of doing the same things every day the way I have always done them because that’s comfortable. As a result, I am not always open to the Spirit’s prompting to try something different, whether it be in my own private worship, in a new ministry opportunity at church, in my community or even in my home with my family.

For example; I have always had Christmas at my house. Our 4 children, their spouses and all 10 grandchildren come and fill our house to the brim. I take time off of work to clean, cook and get everything just the way I want it. The menu is always the same and the sched-ule for the day is pretty much always the same too. This year we had Thanksgiving at our daughter’s home and Christmas at

Praise the Lord that it is our seventh year (13th time) going into China Mission. We encountered different experiences on each trip and witnessed God’s mighty hands at work— signs, wonders and miracles. His glory was manifested during each trip.

The work we do in China involves in many areas. David preaches and teaches the Word of God. Jenny teaches worship songs (they sing mostly songs of praise), shares testimonies and shares words of encouragement as Holy Spirit leads. We always pray for everyone present on the last day of the meetings followed by testimonies of healings and deliverances. Often, healings took place during praise and worship.

China is a big country with a popula-tion of 14 billion. There is a great need for workers to reach out to the lost souls. The field is big and the harvest is ready, but the workers are few.

Though we are of Chinese descen-dants, we live in different countries and have different cultures. We had cultural shocks on our first visit to China. We have to overcome many things. Just to see so many people everywhere scared me! I was afraid I would not be able to find David or the leader if I got lost in the crowd. The sanitation is poor, especially in the villages. This is the biggest sacrifice we have to make.

The weather is another challenge we have to conquer. There is no heating system in the homes we go to. We keep our outdoor coats on except when we

go to bed. Our first visit was in the winter month (Feb 2006). It was so cold. We live in an equatorial country which is warm all year round. I put on seven layers of clothing and still felt very cold because of the vast difference in temperatures and I didn’t have the right kind of warm cloth-ing! Pray that the fire of the Holy Spirit will burn within us to keep us warm.

During the past six years, the police came to our meeting areas on four occa-sions. On the safe side, we will not go into details how we dealt with the dan-gers. It can only be shared face to face. The best thing is not to be at the pulpit and out of the meeting area.

We need to prepare ourselves both physically and spiritually before our mission trips.

Physical PreParations

We go for a walk every morning to keep our legs strong and to keep fit because we need to do a lot of walking while in China, be it catching a train or going to the villages with our belongings.

Sharing China Mission Experiences

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Park Street Joy Circle turned a cold, snowy day in January into a beach party when they hosted the second annual E-luncheon. “What is an E-luncheon?” you might be wondering. Sherry Van Duyne answers:

“All women need encouragement and God gave me the idea to focus on our young mothers in the church by hosting an ‘E-Luncheon’ for them. ‘E’ stands for Encouragement and also reminds us of the relational aspects of this culture (E-mail etc.). PLUS it encourages all of the plan-ners, workers and children TOO! It is a win-win. We decorate, use china, have special luncheon food that ladies love, honor Jesus, provide childcare for children, Infants – Preschool, get to know each other and laugh a lot!” We WMS ladies get to pamper and build relationships with young women, the kids get a fun, safe play-day with some of their friends and kid-type food and the young moms feel loved and supported! See, win-win!!!

We used this verse from Romans 1:12 (NLT). ‘When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours.’ It works. We encourage them and they encourage us! Yeah!”

Beach umbrellas, beach chairs, picnic baskets, beach balls, fish nets, and

seashells transformed our meeting area. Our lunch tables were bright and color-fully decorated with seashells of all sizes and colors, fish nets, and even beach sand! At each plate there was a colorful lei, pair of sunglasses and a bright curly straw. God provided the sunshine! Even though the weather was cold, and a few inches of snow covered the ground, the sun streamed brightly through the windows of the room where we gathered to have lunch.

While ladies were getting their coffee or tea, Joy Circle president Karen Wei-denhamer, asked each lady to list three facts about herself on a 3 x 5 card. One of those facts had to be a lie! As each lady introduced herself, she had to tell the three facts and the other ladies then had to tell which they thought was the lie. Much laughter followed as we got to know a little about each other.

Karen Little, JOY circle member, pro-vided the program. Karen talked about the Romans passage which was our theme. Karen stressed that we are called to be encouragers. She said that spiritual gifts are given to mutually encourage one another. She encouraged us to learn what our gifts are, and to use our gifts to uplift each other and to glorify God. She outlined the attributes of spiritual gifts:

they don’t look the same; even the same gift does not always look the same; they don’t cost the same; and they don’t have the same worldly value. Each gift blesses, encourages and strengthens our faith. She also told us there are some cautions about spiri-

tual gifts. Sometimes it isn’t easy to know what our gift is. (We should pray that God places us in situations that require that we use the gift He has given us.) Experiment-ing based on feedback from others or personal desire to have a specific gift may lead to a wrong fit. Our git may be underdeveloped in its early stages. Our gift does take effort. (The gift is incomplete without it.) Different gifts are used at differ-ent times in life. We can fail to use our gift. Wanting a gift that someone else has may distract us from using the gift we do have. We can fail to receive the gift. (If we don’t receive it, it does not encourage our own or other’s faith.)

She delighted us with stories from her own past about discovering something wasn’t really her gift or using her gift for something other than what God had intended. Karen presented a number of gifts to emphasize her points. Some were gift baskets she had put together, some were items she had made, and some were gifts that had been given to her. She drew a name, that lady had to choose which gift best suited her. She, in turn, drew another name. The second lady had to choose a gift for herself, or she could take the gift the first person had chosen. And so it went. Each lady was able to take home a gift. Some of the gifts changed hands several times, and it was fun to watch as some tried really hard to hold on to their gifts, and others tried equally hard to snatch one away! We’ll all look at our spiritual gifts in a different way thanks to Karen’s cre-ative message.

I asked some of the young moms to tell me what the luncheon meant to them. Susan Hinkle responded: “I felt truly blessed to be surrounded by a group of very special ladies from different generations and stages in life. I am so thankful for the ladies that served us in many ways and gave of their time and

Park Street Joy Circle Treats Young Moms to a Beach Picnic

Aubrey Bates, Karen Weidenhamer, Wendy Lemon, Marla Johnson, and Linda Bartlett chatting before lunch.

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resources to pamper us and demonstrate God’s love for us. It was a loving envi-ronment where we could laugh, relax, and know our children were in excellent hands while we enjoyed fellowship.” She continued, “I noticed that the JOY ladies were actually interested in getting to know us and cared about us. That meant a lot as well. It meant so much that you all cared enough to put this together for us, and make us feel special. I know it had to take a lot of work! We enjoyed not only physical food, but spiritual food as well. There is a great need for the dif-ferent generations of women to fellowship together. It is a very important part of ministry, and we would like to see more of it. I look forward to future gatherings!”

This is the second E-luncheon we have done. Will we do it again? Absolutely! Take our idea. Tweak it and try it! Not only will your young moms be blessed, so will you—far more than you can even begin to imagine!

Connecting with the Younger Generation

encouragement or congratulations and often would send her a treat or small gift on special occasions. She also, would respond by way of her mother to my husband, as they were co-conspirators in helping keep the secret.

What a fun year it was! Not only was it wonderful to reconnect with the younger generation, but I, in the process, have gained a lovely new friend for life. At the end of the year, we had a picnic and all the girls were invited. At that time identities were revealed! What a joy!

It was decided that we would continue the program a second year and many of us chose to keep our same pals and use this time to establish a deeper relationship where mentoring and prayer as well as continuing notes of encouragement could be a part of our friendship.

I have found this experience so rewarding! Naomi is an absolutely delightful young lady, full of energy and bubbling with the love of God. As mentioned earlier,I hope this will be a lifelong relationship. It will be fun to follow her as she graduates from school and goes on to all the exciting things God has in store for her life.

I thank God and my WMS group for providing this experience for me. I have been so blessed!

Karen Weidenhamer

Naomi’s Story:Last year I remember my mom

asking me if I wanted to participate in this secret sister thing. I asked her what is was. She told me I would be connected with one of the ladies from our WMS and we could exchange letters. She would know who I was, but I wouldn’t know who she was. It

A couple years ago, our WMS group at Park Street Brethren Church in Ashland, OH, felt the need to try to bridge the gap between our genera-tion and the teens in our church. So, we collected names of the young girls active in our church and distributed them among ourselves. We decided to use a “Secret Pal” format with a big “reveal” at the end of the year.

Karen’s Story:I was assigned to a young lady

whom I did not know. I had heard her name but didn’t have any idea who she was. We had each been given a sheet with some personal information about our “pal” from our benevolence coordinator. Therefore, I had knowledge of her age, interests, and a little information about her family. At various times throughout the year I would send her notes of

sounded kinda fun so I said yes.

So I waited for my first letter. It took about three weeks. I was the one to get the mail every day, and finally a

letter came! She told me a little about her life and asked about mine. I told her about my family, friends, my cats, sports, everything in my life. At Christ-mas she gave me the biggest hot chocolate mug I had ever seen. At Easter she gave me a bookmark and a small jar of jelly beans. We became friends even though I didn’t know her name. We wrote all year back and forth.

Then I got an invitation to a party. All the ladies were going to meet their secret sisters. I was very excited to meet her. A few days later I found out my secret sister had fallen and broken her arm, but she was still able to make it to the party.

At the party we finally got to meet! Her name is Mrs. Karen Weidenham-er. I got her some blue flowers. We talked and talked.

We still write each other today. I enjoyed getting to know Mrs. Wei-denhamer. We have become good friends! I enjoyed the secret sister ex-change and would gladly do it again!

Naomi Strickland

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Loi’s, continued from p. 9

We do prayer walking as well. Some-times, we walk with umbrellas when it rains.

We also plant some vegetables in our garden. Good exercise and chemical- free vegetables!

sPiritual PreParations

During the past years, we did differ-ent preparations spiritually according to the move of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes, we did all night prayer from 9 pm till 7 am the next morning once a week for three consecutive weeks. Sometimes, we partook of the bread and the cup daily for two months prior to the mission trip. We often fast a meal or two a day. We have a family altar where we sing praises, worship and pray, and have done this regularly since 2006.

The important thing is to get intimacy

with God. Bible reading and prayer are not enough. We must take time with Him, not asking for anything but more of Him, more of His fullness, more of His Presence in our everyday lives.

God releases power through us as we dwell in intimacy with Him. The natural outworking of His Presence is miracles.

Finally, thank you for the support in our ministry in finance and in prayers. Thank you for the birthday cards and anniver-sary cards. We apologize for not being able to write to all of you.

Lately, we have been occupied by at-tending to a lady with diabetic ulcers. She has had this problem on and off for the past 20+ years. When I saw the multiple deep wounds, I had compassion for her. So I offered to do the wound dressing for her daily. David also had the burden to help her. We sang praises and prayed

Continued from p. 9

in your local WMS ministry that will attract other women to want to be a part?

I belong to an accountability group that helps me keep my weight under control and when the scales seem to not be mov-ing, the saying is “You’ve gotta change it up”. As women in today’s society, we are all busy. We wear many hats and meet ourselves coming and going most of the time. There are many good philanthropic women’s organizations available to women today.

If WMS is going to warrant time away from our homes and families, then we need to wake up, return to our first love, remember our purpose, pray and “change it up a bit”. God has so much more in store for us. Let’s not miss it. Think outside the box. If you would like to share ideas or things that have had an impact in your local WMS group, you can e-mail me at: mgradcliff@juno.com.

Gloria Radcliff National WMS President

reluctant to change we need to remem-ber that.

Our pastor is presenting a series on Revelation. It is interesting that Jesus be-gins by commending each church for the good attributes that He sees in them. But to each one He says “I have this one thing against you.” To the church at Ephesus He says that they have forsaken their first love. To the church at Sardis He says, “You have a reputation for being alive, but you are dead. Wake up!” Could He be say-ing that to us as Christian women in this society, as well?

This summer, at General Conference, Sherry Van Duyne, our national WMS Vice President, challenged us with the fol-lowing questions: Why do you belong to WMS? What is the purpose of your local WMS? Do you have a mission to women and girls in your community? These are questions we need to be asking. I would add another one to that list. What chang-es do you need to make personally and

our son’s. I was a little reluctant to give up hosting Christmas. That’s the way we’ve always done it. I wasn’t sure it would be the same. But something (or someone) told me that it was time to “pass the baton” and give someone else the op-portunity. It was wonderful! What a joy it was to be in our children’s homes and watch everyone interact and have fun. It was a gift all its own to see our children, along with their wonderful spouses use the gifts God has given them to share with the family. I would have missed that joy if I had insisted on doing things the way we have always done them.

I think that is where we are so often. We have opportunity every day to grow and experience all that God has for us, but we miss it because we are not willing to risk, to give up “the way we have always done it” and try something new or something done in a different way. I have a little sign that sits on my desk that says, “Oh yeah, I keep forgetting, It’s not about me, it is about HIM!” When we are

for her before I did the dressing. We did this daily for the past two months plus.

Praise the Lord that the wounds are healing slowly and steadily. Since we started attending to her, her blood sugar has been under control. She had not taken any diabetic medication during the time we attended to her. She saw the doctor twice and he said she doesn’t need to take the medication anymore. Praise the Lord! We believe the Lord has healed her of diabetes!

To God be the glory!Jenny

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Despite the lack of snow (a first for winter camp), the weekend at Camp Bethany was a success. This year’s theme was Call of Duty: Modern Spiritual Warfare, a play off a popular video game. The focus of the weekend was to have real discussions with the campers about the reality of spiritual warfare and what they can expect to face having decided to give their lives to Christ. Topics ranged from angels and demons, the armor of God, weapons of spiritual warfare, and examples of modern day warfare.

Between a mix of workshops, small groups, and large group sessions, campers were able to enjoy the unseasonably warm weather, and the new faces to camp had the opportunity to see

what makes Bethany so great. For the leaders, the best part of the weekend was having the campers completely open up, asking questions about spiritual warfare, their own lives, and ways to become closer to God. With such a vast topic and so much to cover, the weekend provided an opportunity to spark discussion, and we encourage all parents and churches to continue that discussion so that these young warriors will continue to fight for the Lord.

Bethany (OH)Winter Camp: “Call of Duty:Modern Spiritual Warfare”

Brethren Youth Enjoy Winter Retreats

When I was a teenager, the month of February caused great excitement for me. Not because of Valentine ’s Day but because I had winter retreat. I knew that my friends from summer camp would be there, and I was bound to meet some new lifelong friends. It was a great spiritual boost to help me get through the remaining school year and gave me a new excitement about sum-mer camp. Now as a youth pastor, I still get excited to play a part in a winter retreat. Brethren Retreat Center did a great job host-ing 75+ students and advisors at Winter Blast (February 17-19) with the theme “Journey”. The theme verse was Proverbs 16:9, “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.”

Our speaker, Ben Pippen (pastor at Corinth Brethren Church in Twelve Mile, Indiana), started the weekend by telling us that there is a beginning to this journey. Pastor Ben had us look at our lives and realize that God has a plan for our lives, and we must follow after

him. We then looked at the life of Joseph (Genesis 37).

Saturday morning and learned that when hardships come and we do not understand why, we need to turn to God and trust that he will show us the answers we need. It may not be the answer we want to hear, but if we hold onto our faith in God’s ultimate

Shipshewana (IN) Winter Blast: “Journey”

continued on page 15

Maggie McClinden Louisville, Ohio

after him. We then looked at the life of Joseph (Genesis 37) Saturday morning and learned that when hardships come and we do not understand why, we need to turn to God and trust that he will show us the answers we need. It may not be the answer we want to hear, but if we hold onto our faith in God’s ultimate wisdom, we can continue on the journey with him. In wrapping up the retreat, the lessons turned toward the understanding that this journey is not about our timing or plans but our willingness to bloom where he has planted us.

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Our Dominican mission trip is an adventure emphasizing physical labor and serving others. We go to Carib-bean Mountain Academy, a school for American teenagers which is under the direction of Lifeline Ministries, Fort Wayne, Indiana. At the school we are involved in improving the school grounds. This includes pouring con-crete, placing tile on the roof, remod-eling group homes, building a chapel and most recently building a mission house. One of the most important op-portunities we have is to encourage the staff and students.

This mission trip began because of Jefferson Brethren Church’s de-sire to support a JBC member, Matt Yoder while he taught at CMA. Matt relayed the need for work projects at the school. Out of our desire to sup-port Matt in his mission, we have spent the last 20 years sending many work groups to help improve the grounds, encourage the staff and reach out to the Dominicans.

Most recently we have completed the Goshen Mission House for the campus, community and other mission groups to use while serving in the Do-minican Republic. This house has been built to provide a safe, restful place for

Matt Yoder and Scott Taylor praying for Eligio and Juliana before we start their project in an area called Hipolito.

Rick Rhude helping site in the levels of the house and floor.

Goshen Mission House: A place to provide rest, shelter and hospitality for God’s servants.

Taking a moment out of work as Derek Troeger leads a young man to Christ.

Jeryl saying “Good job” to our new work friends.

Jefferson Completes 20th Mission Trip to Dominican Republic

mission groups to work at CMA, Boma and other mission opportunities in the Dominican Republic. Goshen Mission House can also be a place for confer-ences and retreats of missionaries on the island of Hispaniola The mission statement reads, “To provide rest, shel-ter and hospitality for God’s servants as they work in His will, spreading His love and salvation in word and deed. …to prepare God’s people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up. Ephesians 4:12”

Here are some photos of this year’s project of building a house for a needy couple that the local church suggested. This couple, Eligio and Juliana, have been waiting on the list for two years. He is sick with asthma and cannot work. He has a wonder-ful son-in-law who helped our many workers with the process of tearing down the old house, laying cement block for the walls, filling in the founda-tion, building a roof, adding tin to the rafters, and pouring the concrete floor. Many people brought funds to help with this project, and there were still leftover dollars to help a family have electricity to their house, concrete on another family’s kitchen floor, paint for the church in Boma and homemade basketball backboards and hoops for a community in need. God blessed our

time in the Dominican Re-public because of God’s love for us and for them.

There is more work to be done and so we will con-tinue to go every February to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Get your passport now and plan to join us on this wonderful adventure to the Dominican Republic!

Pat Hochstedler Goshen, Indiana

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Twenty-eight pastors and wives gathered in Phoenix March 2-4 to rest and renew their energy with the help of Ron and Chery Boehm. Ron is the VisionOhio Senior Mis-sionary, coaching church planters for the Grace Brethren Church. Chery is Director of Leadership Development for Women of Grace USA.

The group participated in the Phoenix Art Walk on Friday evening, visiting the Phoenix Art Museum, downtown gal-leries and street fair. Some of the pastors viewed a vegan demonstration of a woman with oozing wounds wrapped in cellophane who represented supermarket packaged meat.

On Saturday morning the sessions on rekindling fire and developing intimacy were held on a hillside overlooking Lake Pleasant. Afterward, the group ate lunch in a float-ing restaurant on the lake. The more energetic members accompanied Jim Miller on a four-mile hike through desert and lake vistas where they encountered wild donkeys.

Pastor’s Retreat Attendees: Front row: Anthony Van Pelt, Ann & Jim Miller, Kim Stogsdill, Nancy Diehl, Cynde & Ron Speicher Second & Third rows: Socheata & Viseth Hou, Norene & Billy Hesketh, Bev & Larry Baker, Bonnie & Al Chamberlain, Marcia & Clair Lathrop, Sally Ellis, Gary Diehl, Roger Stogsdill, Wes Ellis, Lynn Mercer, Tim Garner, Sue & Emery Hurd

Larry & Bev Baker, Wes & Sally Ellis on a “stroll” through the desert

Saturday evening’s banquet was held on the hotel patio. Roger Stogsdill and Jim Miller played guitar and led worship. Participants broke into groups for discussion and prayer.

The retreat concluded on Sunday morning with worship and Ron’s message on the necessity of change. Those involved appreciated the positive atmosphere of the retreat and getting to know one another better.

The retreat was filled with great icebreaker games, the amazing race (which took us around the camp grounds and into town), and the most popular… sock wrestling. As I reflect on the winter retreat, I find myself getting excited for summer camp and the partnership that it has for the local ministry.

Here are some of the quotes that were on Facebook soon after the weekend:* “Had an amazing weekend with a ton of amazing people at an amazing place!!!!”* “I love camp!! And I love my camp friends even more! (I would tag you all, but there’s just too many of you:)”* “And the miracle of Christ in me is the mystery that sets me free.”

Pastors/Spouses Retreat in Arizona

John Howenstine Goshen, Indiana

Winter Retreats, continued from page 13

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Change has come to the Engage registration process. For as long as I can remember, registration for Conference has been done with pen-cil and paper. And for the most part, it’s worked,but as with all things, change eventually happens. The hope is to ultimately make the process easier and more effective, helping to ensure a greater exchange of infor-mation between the churches and the Conference.

Gone are the paper registration forms. Instead, the entire process has been moved online to BYIC.org. The online registration asks for much of the same information as before. The advantage to an online form is once the “submit” button is clicked, we have it. No more forgetting to mail in your form on time, or having it lost somewhere in transit. No more forget-ting to fill out a section, as the online from will not allow you to submit until all the required fields are filled in. Once we have received an online registration, we will email you a copy of the registration, keeping you informed which of your youth have registered.

One variation youth leaders may opt to use to register their group is to make a paper registration of their own (unique for their group), and have youth fill it out and return to the youth leader by a preset date. The youth leader can then go online and fill in each individual youth attending.

In a further effort to simplify the registration process, we’ve streamlined Conference pricing. The cost for Engage, if you online register by June 1, 2012, is $295 (full payment due by July 16, 2012). For online registrations received after June 1, the cost is $350 (full payment due by July 16, 2012). A deposit is not required, only that your online registration be received by the dates listed. Participants will not, however, be allowed to check into the Conference until they have made full payment. Payment information can be found by visiting BYIC.org.

One last change to mention is that medical release forms are no longer required to be on file with Engage Conference in order to attend. The exception is the AU Rec Center waiver form (which can be down-loaded at BYIC.org, and will be collected at check in).

Medical release forms are the responsibility of each individual church. The medical responsibility of the individual participants is the direct re-sponsibility of the person bringing them. This means that the youth leader in charge of the group is also the individual entrusted with the medical care or concerns of those in his or her group while at Conference. To help ease into this change a sample medical waiver has been made avail-able for download at BYIC.org. Youth leaders feel free to use this form to collect the necessary medical information you may need on each youth you bring with you to Engage.

Please, if you have questions, or need some assistance navigat-ing the online registration from, contact us, yac@brethrenchurch.org or give Ryan Smith a call at 317.560.4466.

We look forward to seeing you this year at Engage, whether it’s for the first time or you’re a repeat at-tendee. We believe God is piecing together an exciting, challenging, inspiring week and we want you and your youth to be a part of it.

2012

If you have attended Engage Conference more than once, it’s quite possible you have a long list of memories you could share. For many, the countdown to attending Engage begins the day after it ends. During the course

of the year, youth groups do much to plan and prepare to ensure that another year of Engage happens. Sometimes however, despite all the planning and fund-raising there’s a gap in financial abilities, and for some the prospect of attending another year of Engage is bleak.

While it does cost mon-ey to attend Engage, it is the goal of YAC to help

ensure that everyone who desires to attend is allowed to do so, despite financial hardships. One way we do this is to provide the Marty Haskins Memorial Scholarship. This is a $100 scholarship that students can apply for, above and beyond personal financial contributions and fund-raising. Each year, YAC makes avail-able 20 such scholarships.

To apply for this scholarship, begin by down-loading an application from the website, BYIC.org (on the forms and info page). The due date to submit your application for review is May 7, 2012. Generally, each year there are a handful of scholarships that go unclaimed. It would be wonderful to fully maximize the potential of this program to help as many youth as possible attend.

For those that don’t know, Marty was a dear friend of Engage. An advisor who saw many years of conference, Marty was someone who was passionate about Jesus and about youth and he wanted to see the two combined. Marty passed away three years ago from cancer. I remember hearing some of the stories of the wild and crazy things Marty and his youth group would do to raise funds so they could attend. He was someone who gave everything he had to his family, his friends, and the BYIC. While he’s dearly missed. his memory and mission live on through this scholarship.

Don’t hesitate to apply for a scholarship should you need an extra financial boost in order to attend Engage.

Haskins Scholarships Available

Marty Haskins

ENGAGE Registration Online

Ryan Smith

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2012 General Conference Registration Wednesday, July 18 - Sunday, July 22 @ Ashland University

Name: __________________________________________ Home Phone: (____) _____ - _________

Address:_________________________________________ City, State, Zip:_____________________

Email Address: _________________________________________________________________________

Complete and Mail, or Register Online at Complete and Mail, or Register Online at Complete and Mail, or Register Online at Complete and Mail, or Register Online at www.brethrenchurch.org

Conferences Cost & Delegate CredentialsEarly Registrations submitted before June 18, $60.00 per person.Early Registrations submitted before June 18, $60.00 per person.Regular Registrations submitted after June 18, $75.00 per person.

Delegate credentials are obtained from your pastor and have been billed to your church. A limited number of district and cooperative credentials may be available through your district organizations. Credentials do not need to accompany your cooperative credentials may be available through your district organizations. Credentials do not need to accompany your registration but need to be submitted by June 18. registration but need to be submitted by June 18. Registration fee does not need to be paid if you are only attending a Ticketed Event.

Total for Registration: $__________

Bringing a group or leadership team with you? Email

Bringing a group or leadership team with you? Email brethren@brethrenchurch.org before June 18 to discuss discounted group rates.

Housing

Housing is available on the campus of Ashland University in the dormitories (no air conditioning) for attendees of General Housing is available on the campus of Ashland University in the dormitories (no air conditioning) for attendees of General Conference 2012. There are also several area hotels and bed & breakfasts available. We recommend that you make Conference 2012. There are also several area hotels and bed & breakfasts available. We recommend that you make arrangements for housing as soon as possible to assure your stay. Housing at Ashland University includes a linen packet for arrangements for housing as soon as possible to assure your stay. Housing at Ashland University includes a linen packet for sheets, towels and washcloth.Some area hotels offer a discounted rate if you mention “Brethren Conference” while booking your reservation.

Days you will be staying in a dorm: Tuesday ___ Wednesday ___ Thursday ___ Friday ___ Saturday ___ Days you will be staying in a dorm: Tuesday ___ Wednesday ___ Thursday ___ Friday ___ Saturday ___ Cost per room is $45.00 per night.

I prefer to be on a floor with: Women’s restroom/shower _____ Men’s Restroom/shower_____

Total for Housing: $__________Total for Housing: $__________

Continue on other side

Complete and Mail, or Register Online at Complete and Mail, or Register Online at What to expect: General Conference is an opportunity for Brethren Church leaders around the country to gather together to make strategic General Conference is an opportunity for Brethren Church leaders around the country to gather together to make strategic decisions, celebrate what God has done, be refreshed with old and new friendships and take part in leadership development training decisions, celebrate what God has done, be refreshed with old and new friendships and take part in leadership development training that will guide us for the next chapter of our story. 2012 General Conference main sessions will feature Brandon Hatmaker, Ron that will guide us for the next chapter of our story. 2012 General Conference main sessions will feature Brandon Hatmaker, Ron VanderGriend, returning guest Hugh Halter, Executive Director Ken Hunn and Moderator Ron Waters. Beyond Main Sessions, VanderGriend, returning guest Hugh Halter, Executive Director Ken Hunn and Moderator Ron Waters. Beyond Main Sessions, General Conference features various workshops, a ticketed event to celebrate the ministry of Malaysian missionaries David and General Conference features various workshops, a ticketed event to celebrate the ministry of Malaysian missionaries David and Jenny Loi, a chance to deepen friendships, leadership training opportunities, Business Sessions and plenty of opportunities to be Jenny Loi, a chance to deepen friendships, leadership training opportunities, Business Sessions and plenty of opportunities to be encouraged and challenged by one another. encouraged and challenged by one another. General Conference also provides an ideal way for your church leadership to be exposed to all the ways the Brethren Church’s General Conference also provides an ideal way for your church leadership to be exposed to all the ways the Brethren Church’s Church Health Team & MissioChurch Team can come alongside your unique ministry. Whether you are currently stuck in ministry, Church Health Team & MissioChurch Team can come alongside your unique ministry. Whether you are currently stuck in ministry, ready for something different, or excited to plant a new daughter church -- wherever you fall on the spectrum we want to walk ready for something different, or excited to plant a new daughter church -- wherever you fall on the spectrum we want to walk with you.with you. We look forward to hosting you and assisting in reconnecting you with the vision and mission God has for us. We hope you and We look forward to hosting you and assisting in reconnecting you with the vision and mission God has for us. We hope you and your team will join us.

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2012 General Conference Registration Wednesday, July 18 - Sunday, July 22 @ Ashland University

Ticketed Events

Elders & Spouses Gathering w/ Dinner Free Event x No. of tickets _____ = $_________Elders & Spouses Gathering w/ Dinner Wednesday, 6:30 - 8:30 - Location TBAWednesday, 6:30 - 8:30 - Location TBABrethren Ministry Wives - Reception and Fellowship Free Event x No. of tickets _____ = $_________Brethren Ministry Wives - Reception and Fellowship Thursday, 8:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. - 5 Stones Quarry Ladies Luncheon $12.00 x No. of tickets _____ = $_________ Thursday, 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. - Park Street Brethren Family Life Center Thursday, 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. - Park Street Brethren Family Life CenterGlobal Dinner - Loi’s Celebration $15.00 x No. of tickets _____ = $_________ Thursday, 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. - Park Street Brethren Family Life CenterThursday, 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. - Park Street Brethren Family Life CenterGlobal Paradigm Lunch & Workshop $5.00 x No. of tickets _____ = $_________ Friday, 12:00 - 2:30 p.m. - Location TBAFriday, 12:00 - 2:30 p.m. - Location TBAHugh Halter & Brandon Hatmaker - Lunch & Seminar $20.00 x No. of tickets _____ = $_________Hugh Halter & Brandon Hatmaker - Lunch & Seminar Saturday, 12:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. - Location TBA

Total for Events $__________

Ticket sales will end on June 30. Ticket sales will not be available during the week of General Conference.

Kid’s Conference & Nursery

Nursery for children up to 4 years old will be available throughout the conference starting on Wednesday night and concluding Nursery for children up to 4 years old will be available throughout the conference starting on Wednesday night and concluding on Saturday evening. Kids Conference, ages 5 -11, will be provided Thursday morning through Saturday afternoon of General on Saturday evening. Kids Conference, ages 5 -11, will be provided Thursday morning through Saturday afternoon of General Conference. Cost for the nursery or kids conference is $75 for your entire time at General Conference. Nursery and kids Conference. Cost for the nursery or kids conference is $75 for your entire time at General Conference. Nursery and kids conference includes lunch and snacks for all ages. If you are bringing more than 2 kids, contact Conference. Cost for the nursery or kids conference is $75 for your entire time at General Conference. Nursery and kids Conference. Cost for the nursery or kids conference is $75 for your entire time at General Conference. Nursery and kids conference includes lunch and snacks for all ages. If you are bringing more than 2 kids, contact conference includes lunch and snacks for all ages. If you are bringing more than 2 kids, contact brethren@brethrenchurch.orgbrethren@brethrenchurch.org to discuss discounted rates. Please go to conference includes lunch and snacks for all ages. If you are bringing more than 2 kids, contact discuss discounted rates. Please go to discuss discounted rates. Please go to www.brethrenchurch.org for more details regarding Kid’s Conference & Nursery care.

Child name(s): ___________________________________________________________ Age(s): ________________

Total CostRegistration Fee : $_____________

Housing: $_____________

Ticketed Events: $_____________

Kids: $_____________

Total Registration: $_____________

Payment Options: I am paying by check which is enclosed. I am paying by check which is enclosed. I am paying by check which is enclosed. Please make checks payable to The Brethren Church. Please make checks payable to The Brethren Church. Please make checks payable to The Brethren Church. Please make checks payable to The Brethren Church. Please make checks payable to The Brethren Church. I am going to pay by credit card. I am going to pay by credit card. I am going to pay by credit card. Please send a bill to my email address. Please send a bill to my email address. Please send a bill to my email address. Please send a bill to my email address. Please send a bill to my email address. I will be paying the full amount before July 1. I will be paying the full amount before July 1. I will be paying the full amount before July 1. Please send a bill to my registration address.

PLEASE MAIL REGISTRATIONS AND FEES TO:Brethren Church General Conference

524 College Ave. Ashland, OH 44805

Important Information¥ Registration rates change on June 18. Be sure to register early.

¥ Delegate credentials can be obtained from your pastor, district or

organization. Please submit your credential before June 18.

¥ Updated information regarding 2012 General Conference can be

obtained by visiting our website: www.brethrenchurch.org

¥ Ticketed Event sales will end on June 30th.

¥ If you are bringing a group or leadership team to the conference for the

week or even a session, contact brethren@brethrenchurch.org to find

group rates before June 18.

¥ Stay connected to brethrenchurch.org to learn how individuals from your

church can watch parts of General Conference through our live broadcast.

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Wednesday, July 1811:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Blood Drive12:00 p.m. Check-In Opens2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Women’s Missionary Society Meeting NABCE Meeting4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Evening Worship Location: Hugo Young Theater6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Elders, Spouses & Staff Gathering

Thursday, July 198:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Team Processing Time at Breakfast 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Worship & Business Session 1 Location: Hugo Young Theater11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Budget Workshop12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Ladies Luncheon2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Women’s Missionary Society NABCE Meeting2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Workshops4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Evening Worship Location: Hugo Young Theater6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Global Dinner honoring the Loi’s

Friday, July 20 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Team Processing Time at Breakfast9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Worship & Business Session 2 Location: Hugo Young Theater11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Global Paradigm Luncheon1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Ministry Team Gatherings2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Workshops6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Evening Worship Location: Hugo Young Theater

Saturday, July 218:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Team Processing Time at Breakfast9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Worship & Teaching Location: Hugo Young Theater11:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Speaker Luncheon12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Workshops6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Evening Worship Location: Hugo Young Theater

Sunday, July 2210:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Worship & Teaching Location: Hugo Young Theater

Hugh Halter is the national director of Missio, a ministry team committed to training, develop-ing, and apprentic-ing Incarnational leaders for the church. Hugh is also lead architect of Adullum, a local movement of mis-sional communities in Denver, CO.

Hugh is co-au-thor of The Tangible Kingdom, and the accompanying Tangible Kingdom Primer, as well as AND...The Gath-ered & Scattered Church. Hugh is an advocate for disoriented God seekers and loves to in-spire and re-orient leaders around the mission of God.

ISBN 978-0-8010-1359-1

9 7 8 0 8 0 1 0 1 3 5 9 1

5 1 4 9 9

US $14.99 CLGN Christian Living

Sacrilege_cover_cs5.indd 1 7/19/11 11:04 AM

“…and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Matthew 28:20a

124th General Conference of The Brethren Church

Hugo Young Theatre, Ashland UniversityAshland, Ohio

July 18-22, 2012

Brandon Hatmaker is an author, church planter, non-profit collaborator, and missional strategist. He currently serves as lead pastor of Austin New Church (www.austinnew-church.com), is co-found-er of Restore Communities (www.restorecommuni-ties.org), and is a min-istry coach with Missio. Together, ANC and Restore Communities have developed a unique network of missional communities, churches, and non-profits which serve in a col-lective effort to impact their city and world.

The Brethren Evangelist (SSN 0747-4288) is published bi-monthly except July/August by The Brethren Church, Inc., 524 College Ave., Ashland, OH 44805-3792 (telephone: 419-289-1708; email: brethren@brethrenchurch.org; fax: 419-281-0450.Authors’ views are not necessarily those of The Brethren Church. Subscription rates: Sent free to Brethren Church members; $15.00 per year to others. Member, Evangelical Press Associa-tion. Postage: Paid at Ashland, Ohio or addional mailing office at Mansfield, Ohio. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Brethren Church, 524 College Ave., Ashland, OH 44805-3792. March/April 2012, Vol. 134, No. 2

The Brethren Church 524 College Ave.Ashland, OH44805

_______________

_______________________________Name__________________________________Address__________________________________City, State, Zip__________________________________Phone #__________________________________ Home Church

Please complete the information above, detach this form, and mail it to the address below, or call the toll-free- number. Secure contributions may also be made online through PayPal by going to www.brethrenchurch.org/contributions.

Thanks for contributing to the fund!

The Brethren Church 524 College Ave.

Ashland, OH 448051-877-289-1708

My gift for the Marty Haskins Scholarship Fund

Please let us know when you are moving. This will save us much-needed funds for ministry.

$

Sometimes those who need to attend an event are often those that find it most difficult to attend. Whether it is a training event for a healthier church, an opportunity to learn more about church planting or helping a youth attend Engage Conference, the Brethren Church seeks to be of assistance as much as possible. While sometimes the barrier is time or the ability to get away from home or work, other times the only thing that someone needs is a little financial assistance.

Every year the Brethren Youth in Christ offer the Haskins Scholarship to help students who would like to attend Engage Conference, but need some financial assistance to do so. The scholarship is named after Marty Haskins, who for years attended this event and was willing to help countless students attend, regardless of their financial situation.

Marty Haskins Scholarship Fund

Would you contribute to the Haskins Scholarship Fund to ensure scholarship money will be available for the youth who would like to attend, but need some financial help? Thank you for your contribution.