April 2007For those of us who worship a risen Lord, Easter is truly the best of times. In Christ's resurrection are celebration, hope, new life, and new beginnings. As we attend the various regional conferences, we are sensing celebration, hope, and stories of new beginnings for the Brethren in Christ Church as well. It is encouraging to hear how God is at work among our congregations. In our planning, both for the short term and as we seek God's leading for our churches in the coming decades, we can find encouragement in the angel's words to the women at the tomb: "He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you" (Matthew 28:7). All we have to do is follow. Church health initiative gets noticed
But don't just take his word for it. Check out the church health pages for yourself. And come back often. New resources are added weekly. Church Member Profile points to continuity as well as change
Messiah Village goes green
Amazing Grace, the movie, can spur discussion
Vision events focus on things to come
If you would like to be part of the visioning process, there's no need to wait for an invitation. Your thoughts on the following questions are welcome at any time:
Revisiting budget projections within Cooperative MinistriesWhen the 2007 congregational commitments to Cooperative Ministries (shared and designated) were tallied, the bottom line revealed both good and not so good news. Read more >> Healthcare conversations ongoingAs we noted in the March issue of Momentum, providing health insurance coverage for their ministry teams is one of the most significant financial challenges facing our U.S. churches. And our sense of urgency about this issue grows with each subsequent conversation with pastors and other church leaders. In fact, the need to “do something, and do it quickly” came up again this past week as we met over lunch with a group of Pennsylvania pastors. Read more >> Another testimony to the power of tithing to CM
"I enjoyed the article on church tithing to Cooperative Ministries in your Momentum newsletter. It sounds so similiar to Millersfield BIC Church several years ago. I don't believe we were deeply in debt at the time, but as we are a small congregation with limited income. Our bishop led us through a plan for giving to Cooperative Ministries, and it has not failed us yet. Starting with a minimal amount the first time, we've been able to increase every year until we reached our top dollar amount."
Richard Lehman, pastor of the Millersfield Church, adds that "it has been a blessing to the church to participate in Cooperative Ministries, and our year-end balance has increased each year.
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Don McNiven and Warren Hoffman Contact Information: Archived Issues of Momentum
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This past week, a leader in one of our sister denominations let us know that he had "run across the BIC website and was impressed with the helpful and creative approach given to church health." He praised the "Vital Signs" instruments and also commented on our use of resources that reflect Anabaptist distinctives. "You have provided an excellent resource for your congregations," he told us. 
The past three decades have been a time of rapid growth for the Brethren in Christ Church in North America, and as a result, it is increasingly difficult to speak of an “average” BIC congregation or parishioner (if indeed, it was ever “safe” to do so). Within every one of our 298 congregations and 8 regional conferences there is considerable diversity of opinions, attitudes, and even theological perspectives. However, as the Church Member Profile 2006 demonstrates, there are points of considerable agreement and commonality within our fellowship of churches. 
The board of Messiah Village, a Brethren in Christ-affiliated continuing care retirement community in Mechanicsburg, Pa, is thinking "green" as they plan for the campus's newest neighborhood, the Cottages on Willow Way. The leadership team's decision to employ principles of "green building" design in the expansion plans is as much about theology as it is about concern for the environment. From its founding, Messiah Village has sought to be a careful steward of all its resources--human, financial, and physical. You can learn more about Messiah Village's new earth-friendly neighborhood at on their 
Most churchgoers know the story of how John Newton came to pen the much-loved hymn, "Amazing Grace." Now, the feature-length movie of the same name provides the historical context of the song. The movie will be available on DVD in early June, and when combined with one of the several study guides that have been developed, it's an excellent option for intergenerational Sunday school classes during the summer months. 
Even as we push toward completion of the ministry goals in Impact 2010, a listening process is focusing attention on the second decade in the 21st century and what God has in store for the Brethren in Christ Church in North America. Several conversation groups have already met to consider future challenges and opportunities for our network of churches, and many more such gatherings will be hosted over the coming 18 months. Our goal is to provide a synthesis of the conversations at General Conference 2008 as a first step in preparation for a 2020 ministry plan.
After reading in the March issue of Momentum about the Port Colborne (Ontario) BIC Church's experience with Cooperative Ministries, Phillip Gaskins, secretary of the board at the Millersfield BIC Church (Columbia, Ky), was moved to share the following from his congregation's story. 
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