As reported by Rev. Jeff White

Very early Monday morning one of our congregations in the Indianapolis area, Bells Chapel, was destroyed by fire.  The cause is uncertain at this time. The building was insured, but to what extent is unknown. The church was the home of a daycare that ministered to over 100 children of low income families in the surrounding area.  The ministry to these families by Pastor Adrienne Holmes and her congregation has been immeasurable in that area of Indianapolis. 

The Church of God Foundation welcomes Dr. Jay A. Barber, Jr., president emeritus of Warner Pacific College as the newest member of the Foundation’s team. Capitalizing on his unique relationship across the movement and tremendous expertise in the area of gift planning, Barber will join the Foundation as senior consultant for stewardship services.

Harry Hoehne, a firefighter and Church of God layman from Hamilton, Ontario, spearheaded an effort to donate a sea-freight container of gospel literature to the Church of God in Uganda last year. The container held 2,200 copies of the songbook Camp Meeting Favorites along with thousands of pieces of surplus Sunday school curriculum and other books. Church of God Ministries (CGM) and Warner Press made the items available for this effort at deep discounts or at no charge.

More than $13,000 was raised through the generous donations of individuals and congregations as part of the special Fifth-Sunday Offering conducted on Sunday, August 31, 2008. Sixteen congregations responded to the call during this special time of giving in support of the World Ministries Budget of the Church of God. Of those, nine were churches that previously did not give in support of the Basic Budget.

“The gifts and supportive prayers were a blessing to receive and reflected the very heart of those congregations expressing their love and support for the collective ministries of the Church of God,” said Dr. Ronald V. Duncan, general director of Church of God Ministries.

Every plant begins with a seed. Courtyard Church (Tulsa, OK) began four years ago as a dream in the heart of Melissa Smith. Through her prayers and the prayers of her family, this seed was nurtured and began to grow. Rachelle Nelson, wife of Courtyard’s preaching pastor, Todd Nelson, shares her thoughts about how this church plant began as a seed in 2005 and continues to thrive today:

Todd and Doug and Melissa Smith became acquainted at a church planters boot camp at Southpark Community Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 2005. It was during this boot camp that God began to knit together the hearts of these families and the dreams God had given them for his kingdom.

On October 3, 2008, President Bush signed the Tax Extenders and Alternative Minimum Tax Relief Act of 2008, which extended an excellent charitable planning opportunity for both 2008 and 2009. The IRA rollover provides an excellent means for individuals to support any of the ministries they love, for example, their local church, state, or national ministries, missions, Women of the Church of God.

Lake Wales, FL (October 28, 2008) – Warner Southern College, the Christian liberal arts college founded in 1968 on the western shore of Crooked Lake, is now Warner University. “The Board of Trustees voted unanimously to change the name effective October 28, 2008,” President Greg Hall said. “The change comes at a pivotal time in our history. We have been a four-year college for 40 years, have offered master degree programs since 2001 and have greatly expanded campus facilities over the past 15 years. The name change broadens the institution’s image to more accurately reflect the quality and diversity of our people and programs.”

By Jenny Peter

MONROE CITY, IN—The parishioners of the First Church of God here won't be sitting in their regular pews this morning [Sunday October 12, 2008]. Instead, you'll find them out running the streets.

More than 150 parishioners from the church, located at 4930 S. DeBord Road, are participating in Faith in Action Day, a national event where parishioners abandon their church buildings and look to serve God by serving their neighbors.

If you haven’t pre-ordered your 2009 Yearbook of the Church of God, it’s time to act. Friday, October 31, is the last day to obtain FREE SHIPPING with your Yearbook order. That is also the final deadline for ordering the custom hardcover edition of the Yearbook. The paperback, spiralbound, and CD-ROM editions will continue to be available for order after October 31, with applicable shipping charges. Pre-orders will ship by January 15, 2009.

Petersburg, IN—The First Church of God celebrated their one hundredth year of serving the Lord,  October 5, 2008. A special service was conducted for a crowd of more than 125 people. The service included special music, remembrances from former pastors, a slide show of historical pictures, a reading of the history of the church, and other special events.

The congregation commemorated the occasion by dedicating a centennial stone inset in the church’s entrance and taking a photo of those in attendance. Following the services, a carry-in dinner took place; it featured a special cake decorated to celebrate the event.