We posted a staff opening for a fulltime pastor of Youth and Worship at Prince Street UB, Shippensburg, Pa.

Bethany House of the Lord is a four-year-old United Brethren church planting project in Cumberland, Maryland. The congregation emphasizes a simple household approach to ministry and worship. Using an age-integrated curriculum for daily devotions based on the Sunday sermon, parents are encouraged to take responsibility for the discipleship of their own children.

On Fathers Day 2008, Pastor Michael Mudge took vacation and left the responsibilities for leading worship and preaching to the congregation for the fourth consecutive year. This year, the preaching was done by three young men of the congregation...ages 15, 13, and 39!

On May 12, Global Ministries Director Jeff Bleijerveld (right) participated in the 25th anniversary of the Looking Unto Jesus churches in the Philippines. These churches, in 2005, affiliated with the United Brethren denomination to become a national conference. While we refer to them as the Philippine National Conference, they are known locally as Looking Unto Jesus.

Joining Jeff was Mike Brown, pastor of Franklin UB church in New Albany, Ohio. Mike's connections with Superintendent Prudencio Lim and the Looking Unto Jesus churches led to them becoming part of our fellowship.

Jeff Bleijerveld put together a short video from the trip. You can watch the YouTube version above, or download larger a 22MB version suitable for showing in a church service or other setting.

Click photo for larger view

To fund the project, College Park promoted "Build a Bunk" for about six week. A sample of the bunk they would build was placed in the church. For $150, people could sponsor a bunk. That amount covered materials for the bunk itself, but also for other projects.

The Bishopblog has included such recent posts as these:

• Pat Jones tells about visiting our Hispanic (and only) church in Massachusetts.
• Jeff Bleijerveld tells a couple stories from his visit to our Canadian churches.
• An exciting church service at Mount Pleasant UB (Chambersburg, Pa.).
• A UB church in Kansas that bought an elementary school.

Jana Hoobler (right) sent these items from Macau on June 15:

• This week we start Children's Summer English classes at Living Stone Church. As we make changes for the future, this will be the last set of children's classes I teach here. I'm thankful for the opportunities God has given me to work with these children over the last several years. Pray that our time together the next four weeks will be quality.
• This Saturday our church is having a Family English Carnival. Please pray that many people will come and that it will be a positive testimony to our church neighborhood. Also pray that church members will grow in their relationships through serving together at the carnival.
• In July I will help with an English teacher training camp across the border. A team from the States will be coming, and I'll join them. Pray that all the details will come together for this camp. 

The planning committee (l-r): Nate Perry, Steve Dennie, Josh Greenfield, Heather Umbaugh, Chris Kuntz, Amy Pennington, Ron Ramsey, E. J. Ramsey, Donna Hollopeter, Opal Sherman, Marci Hammel, Cathy Reich.

The 2009 National Conference will return to Saw Mill Creek Resort (Huron, Ohio), scene of the 2007 US National Conference. Last weekend, an extended version of the planning team (above) met at Saw Mill Creek to continue the planning they've been doing for the past nine months.

The date: June 4-7, 2009. That's Thursday through Sunday morning. We'll follow pretty much the same schedule we did in 2007.

The location: People liked the general location, northern Ohio, according to the evaluations. It made a good mid-point for the bulk of our people (Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, the Virginias). We looked at various venues large enough to accommodate 900-plus people, and Saw Mill Creek floated to the top of the list.

Two things to know:

• Saturday will feature a "missionary homecoming." Many currently-serving UB missionaries will be brought back for what promises to be an amazing day.
• We intentionally minimized conference business in 2007. But next year, we'll need to spend more time in this way, and will devote all of Friday to conference business. It will include election of a new bishop.

The Healthy Ministry Resources office will be closed on Fridays for the rest of the summer.

New hours: 7 a.m. -- 5:30 p.m.
Dates: June 16 -- August 29.

So Bishop Ramsey approved trying something different: a four-day work week, with ten-hour days. If you need anything from Healthy Ministry Resources, be sure to call between Monday and Thursday.

The annual meeting of the Michigan United Brethren churches (a hold-over from the previous Michigan Conference) will take place:

• Date: Saturday, July 19
• Location: Carson City Christian Camping Center, 5940 S Mt Hope Rd. Carson City, Michigan 48811
• Time: 9 a.m. to noon, followed by a noon meal.

• Worship in music
• A message from Pat Jones, Director of Healthy Church Ministries.
• A business session, with various reports and elections.
• Each cluster leader introducing the pastors in their cluster.
• A chicken barbeque meal at noon ($1.50 per quarter).

The 2008 UB church history class (l-r): Marvin Schwartz, Jeff Bleijerveld, Warrick Fuller, Doug Moyer, Dustin Staples, Steve Henry, Howard Cherry, John Shadle, Brad Kittle, Thurm Payton.

The annual UB church history course has been meeting this week, June 2-5, at Miller Hall on the Huntington University Campus. Dr. Howard Cherry, a UB minister who served on staff in the graduate school until 1992, has taught the course for nearly 20 years. The course is one requirement for receiving a national conference ministerial license.

The class members are:

• Marvin Schwartz, senior pastor of New Horizons UB church (Rockford, Ohio) since May 25.
• Jeff Bleijerveld, Director of Global Ministries.
• Warrick Fuller, from Devonshire Church (Harrisburg, Pa.). He holds a local church license. (He's got a blog.)
• Doug Moyer, youth pastor of Lancaster UB (Lancaster, Ohio).
• Dustin Staples, youth pastor of Atlantic Avenue UB (Franklin, Pa.).
• Steve Henry, senior pastor of Victory Heights UB (Franklin, Pa.).
• John Schadle, associate youth pastor at Fowlerville UB (Fowlerville, Mich.).
• Brad Kittle, currently pastor of Findlay Evangelical Congregational Church (Findlay, Ohio). 
• Thurm Payton, senior pastor of Lighthouse UB (Williamston, Mich.).

Eric Beck resigned as pastor of Ebenezer UB (Chambersburg, Pa.) effective May 31, 2008. James Mack is serving as interim pastor.

The denominational Bible quiz finals will be held June 13-15 (Friday through Sunday) at Huntington University. The Saturday night awards banquet starts at 5:30. Churches from three areas will compete:

• Michigan: Eden UB (Mason, Mich.).
• Pennsylvania: Salem UB (Chambersburg, Pa.) and Ebenezer UB (Greencastle, Pa.).
• Central: The Chapel and Bethel (both non-UB churches).

Jennifer Blandin sent these updates from Macau on June 3.

• On May 30, Carlson and Naomi Becker returned to the States. Pray for their adjustment back to life in the States and reuniting with family and friends. Pray for the staff and Living Stone Church as we move through this time of transition.
• Starting in June, I will be preaching twice a month at Living Stone Church. My first Sunday will be June 8. I have already started to prepare for that Sunday, and while it has not been easy, I have enjoyed the journey.
• June 3 marks the beginning of the final term of English classes as they have been up until now. These classes will end July 10. Many relationships have been built over the years. English classes brought those relationships together, and now it’s an exciting time to discover new ways to keep them going.
• Please be in prayer for those affected by the earthquakes in China. Beyond the many who have died, there is a great need for food, safe water, and places to live for those who have survived. There is also an acknowledgement of a great need for psychological help as well. Thankfully, Macau was barely affected by the earthquake and has been able to offer assistance and help to the mainland.