Otterbein Church

Changes in our Preschool Ministry Leadership

For the past year, Heather Blount has served as our Director of Preschool Ministries and has done an excellent job for us.  When we hired Heather, we knew that she was attending graduate school so she could acquire her teaching certificate to teach in an elementary school in the future.  We also knew that once she received her certificate and was hired as a teacher, she would be stepping aside in her role as our Preschool Director. Heather will be completing her course work and receiving her teaching certificate in June.  She also was recently interviewed and hired by the Waynesboro School District as a teacher beginning this fall.  As such, Heather’s leadership role with our Preschool ministry will end on July 15, 2008. While we will miss Heather’s leadership of our preschool ministry, we wish her the best in her new teaching role.  In the next month or so, our Management Oversight Team will meet and discuss our next steps in replacing Heather. 

Reputation

"Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world."  1 Peter 2:12 (NLT)

Apparently God is concerned about the reputation of the citizens of His kingdom among those who have not yet become full participants. So much so that He has led the Apostle Peter to challenge us in this way to behave honorably. Thinking about this exhortation has recently inspired me to read a couple books addressing what people outside the community of American evangelical Christianity think about current expressions of the faith. The reputation revealed in both UnChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity ... and Why it Matters by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons and Rapture Ready! Adventures in the Parallel Universe of Christian Pop Culture by Daniel Radosh is not so flattering. Of particular concern to me is a disturbing trend in American evangelicalism observed by journalist Adam Davidson through an evaluation of the differences between the 1972 film A Thief in the Night and its sequels, and the hugely successful, best-selling Left Behind series of novels. Both present possible views of events surrounding the return of Christ, and Davidson argues ...

It's a move from a complex view of the individual to an oversimplification that identifies everyone as either good-believer or bad-heathen. It's also a change in sentiment towards the unbeliever from sadness, caring, and invitation to triumph, judgment, and dismissal. It's a chilling mutation, and has entrenched evangelical Christianity in an antagonism to secular America that borders, at times, on cruelty. (Radosh, page 84)

Wow. The truth is, so-called "secular America" is people desperately loved by God for whom Jesus died. So if I've somehow ceased loving what Jesus loves, even to the extreme of antagonistic cruelty, doesn't it follow that I should probably cease calling myself "Christian"? But maybe that's part of the reputation problem. There might just be too many people identifying themselves with Jesus who in reality are living out very little of His way.

May God grant me the courage to look at myself honestly and the power to change what needs to be changed for His greater good.

Check out Pastor Mike's Blog

I have been trying to write a more frequently in my own blog.  I hope you will take some time to check out not only the church blog, but my blog as well.  You can get to it by clicking on the link on the right of this page or by choosing it when you first enter our blog site.

Pastor Mike

Breakpoint Commentary

On Thursday, March 27, 2008, Church Colson featured Joyel Ministries and Nancy Derrick on his breakpoint commentary.  Nancy attends Otterbein Church and we partner with her through out Global Ministries budget.  Nancy works with Joyel Ministries where she serves as the Director of Released Time programs for our local area.

Following is the test of the Breakpoint Commentary that Colson shared.  You can also click here to go to their website where you can listen to online to the commentary featuring Nancy and Joyel.

Dismissed! To Study the Bible

By Chuck Colson
3/27/2008

Released Time Programs

Eric was a little boy who did not have much going for him. His older brother was in prison, and he had never known his father. He had never been to church in his life.

According to the experts and the statistics, Eric was headed straight for a life of crime. But last year Eric got a break. He lives in Pennsylvania, where, some 40 years ago, a group of Christians began a Released Time Bible Program in the public schools.

Pennsylvania has a generous released time law, and Eric’s mother gave permission for her son to take part. Volunteers take Eric and his classmates out of school once a week and walk them to a nearby church. There, they enjoy singing, Bible study, prayer, and Scripture memorization. Eric has become close to one of the adults who teaches his class and has had dinner with his family several times. And last summer, Eric earned enough points from Scripture memory to cover the cost of a week of Christian camp. He cannot wait to get back there this summer.

Nancy Derrick, one of this year’s class of Centurions—the year-long worldview training program that we run—is a regional coordinator for Joy El Ministries’ Released Time Bible Program in Pennsylvania. She says that fully half the kids who take part in Released Time programs are un-churched.

Clearly, even parents who do not attend church themselves recognize that Bible lessons are good for their kids. This is tremendously important because those who study crime tell us that criminal behavior is a result of a lack of moral training in the morally formative years. Well, moral training is a big part of Pennsylvania’s Released Time Bible Program; volunteers both model and teach godly character.

Kids who participate in Released Time often have chaotic home lives and lack meaningful relationships with adults. It is not unusual for these kids to form strong relationships with Released Time volunteers. This means kids from broken homes have a chance to see firsthand what healthy family relationships look like. Far better to have crime-prone kids bonding with Christian families instead of the gangs.

Through Joy El Ministries’ program alone, some 3,000 kids from 25 school districts in Pennsylvania are reached every week with God’s Word—and the program just keeps growing.

All too often, public school officials do everything they can to keep Christian influences out of the classroom because they consider Christianity a bigoted faith for the foolish. That is why programs like Released Time classes are so important. Five years ago, the National Council on Crime and Delinquency studied Released Time programs and found that kids who take part in Released Time perform better academically than their peers. It also found the program reinforced positive moral and character development in schools where teachers struggle to control disruptive students.

If one were a cynic, one might say Released Time volunteers are doing the work of the schools for them—for free!

Is there a Released Time program in your state? If there is not, why not start one? No special training is needed, and the courts have upheld challenges to the law. You can find out more about the Released Time Bible Program by coming to our website.

It is a chance to bring the Gospel into schools—and bring the crime rate down. That is not bad for a few hours volunteering each week. How about it?

Money Map Live January 26th 9:30-4:30

Did you spend way to much money that you didn't have at Christmas this year.  What would it look like to have a roadmap this year to handle your finances.  Come to the Crown Financial Ministries Money Map Live Simulcast on January 26th at 9:30. 

In this simulcast you will learn strategies to: 

• Get out of debt
• Save for the future
• Make ends meet
• Invest wisely
• Give generously
• Budget effectively
• and more!

Tickets are $30.00 for Couples and $25.00 for Singles.  A morning and afternoon break will be provided and lunch will be on your own. 

Register online at www.otterbeinchurch.org or you can pick up tickets in the lobby on January 20th. 

If you would like additional information contact Rick Duesler at 717-762-7147 or e-mail rick@otterbeinchurch.org

For some additional information go to http://www.ccn.tv/moneymaplive/index.htm

Thanks

Rick Duesler 

Weather/Cancellation Information

We are monitoring the weather forcast through the weekend and we understand that things are looking questionable.  At this time, it is our plan to not make any decision about cancellations until Sunday morning -- hopefully no later than 6:30 a.m.  Cancellations or postponements will be posted on our church website www.otterbeinchurch.org.  We will also put them on our voicemail system at the church.  You can listen to the message by calling 717-762-7147 and choosing option 6 when the voicemail message begins.

Christmas Spectacular Ticket Info/Update

Both performances of the Christmas Spectacular for December 16 are sold out.

IF YOU HAVE TICKETS OR RESERVED SEATS FOR EITHER OF THE PERFORMANCES ON SUNDAY, DECEMBER 16, AND ARE NOT PLANNING TO USE THEM, PLEASE LET US KNOW.  We have a waiting list for both of the performances.  You can bring them to church with you on Sunday and give them to Pastor Mike, Pastor Bill, or Linda Etter.  You can also call Linda Etter during the weekend and leave a message on her voicemail.  The number is 717-762-7147.  When the voicemail message begins, hit 222 which will take you into Linda's voicemail.

Christmas Spectacular Tickets Update

As of this morning (Tuesday, December 4), we are sold out for all four performances of our Christmas Spectacular.  We are taking names for a waiting list for those who were unable to get tickets.  You can be placed on the waiting list by contacting the church office at 717-762-7147.

IF YOU HAVE TICKETS AND ARE NOT PLANNING TO USE THEM, please let us know so we can make them available to others.  You can return them to our office at 912 South Potomac Street or call us and make us aware that they are available.

You may wonder why tickets are limited.  Unlike some other events we have at Otterbein where we can just add some extra chairs, the Christmas Spectacular is designed for seating around tables.  We are fully maxed out at 360 tickets per performace and do not have any additional room to add tables or chairs.  Consequently, only those who have tickets will be able to attend.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

New Associate Hiring Information and Process

During September, Pastor Bill Schuit and his wife Barb shared with the congregation that they had been approached by the Board of Directors of Liebenzell Missions USA and asked to consider becoming the Global Ministries Director of Liebenzell Missions USA.  Both Pastor Bill and Barb agreed to pray about their request and felt that God wanted them to pursue this new opportunity.  On November 17, 2007, the Board of Liebenzell Missions USA unanimously voted to offer Pastor Bill the Director’s position and Pastor Bill accepted believing that was what God was calling him to do at this time.  He will remain on our staff through the end of February 2008 and will begin his new ministry role with Liebenzell in March 2008.

Our Elders and Management Oversight Team have launched a search for a replacement for Pastor Bill.  We are currently looking for someone with theological training to join our team as the Associate Pastor of Connection and Spiritual Development.  He will perform many of the same pastoral responsibilities Pastor Bill did including preaching, teaching, weddings, hospital visitation, and provide oversight to our adult ministries.  He will also help to provide leadership to our new 18-30-year-old ministry which is one of our 7 Next Steps at Otterbein.  If you want to learn more about the position, go to www.otterbeinchurch.org.

Please pray for God’s provision for the right person to join our pastoral team.  It is clear that God called Pastor Bill to his new ministry role and the same God who called Pastor Bill will also call someone to be our new Associate Pastor.  If you have any questions about the hiring process or if you have suggestions of someone we should contact about the position, please speak with Rick Duesler (Director of Administration).

Operation Christmas Child Huge Success

On November 18th we wrapped up our annual Operation Christmas Child shoebox drive.  If you didn't get to see the mountain of boxes in the church on Sunday see the picture below.  I have a challenge for you.  We will announce the actual number of shoeboxes collected during the service on the 25th.  Until then lets see who has the best guess of the actual number of boxes collected.   To guess, just hit the comment link below and fill out the information.  I will give you a hint----Its more than 230.

    

Rick Duesler    

Update the correct Number was 931