 December 2007
Counting down Cooperative Ministries for 2007
With just three weeks remaining in 2007, Cooperative Ministries is almost $580,000 away from the $3,258,186 goal to which congregations committed themselves in the first days of the year. We praise God for the $2,682,039 (as of December 12) that has been forwarded to the General Church offices in support of our shared ministry priorities, and we are trusting that our U.S. congregations will finish the year strong for Cooperative Ministries. For those congregations that are able to go beyond their stated goals, we say a special thank you. These instances of added generosity will help make up for churches that are struggling to meet their commitments. As an assist to local church treasurers, the General Church finance office has set January 14, 2008 as the closing date for receipt of 2007 CM contributions. Adding up Cooperative Ministries for 2008
Even as we push on toward the CM goal for 2007, we have our eyes on 2008 and what we can expect from congregations in the coming year. The $3,523,322 goal (a five percent increase) presents us with an even steeper financial hill to climb than in 2007, and with the generous participation of every BIC congregation, we can do it. You can review the denomination’s 2008 Ministry Spending Plan or download an informational flyer about Cooperative Ministries online at the Cooperative Ministries website . You’ll also want to read what Pastor Keith Tyson has to say about his congregations’ participation in CM. New video resources for church treasurersJust in time for tax season, four short instructional videos created especially for local church treasurers and featuring General Conference treasurer Elizabeth Brown have been posted on the denomination’s website. The video titles are:
In Part in full online
The first issue of In Part (the magazine formerly known as Seek) may already be in your hands (it was mailed on December 7). But in case you haven’t received your copy, you can read In Part in full online at www.inpart.org, along with an impressive collection of interactive web-exclusive material the communications team has collected as an extension of the printed piece. Even as we celebrate the arrival of In Part’s premiere issue, we look forward with excitement to the spring issue of the magazine, in which we will explore the concept of salvation. We invite you to take part in the discussion of the theme by sending your 100- to 150-word responses to the following questions to the communications team at inpart@messiah.edu. When it comes to sharing the news of Christ with others, two approaches are identified within the Christian community: proclamation (witnessing through words) and demonstration (witnessing through actions).
Follow the BIC bloggersOver the past month, several groups of travelers from the North American church have been on the road, making connections with our BIC brothers and sisters in India, Nepal, Cuba, Zimbabwe, and Zambia. All have now returned home safely, but you can still read about their experiences through their blogs at:  
Fire destroys Macha Vision Community Center
Within a span of just two hours on Saturday, November 24, a fire destroyed the Macha Vision Community Center in Choma, Zambia. The fire broke out in the Macha Radio Studio and spread to the internet café, the Macha Innovative Community School, the restaurant, the library/craft shop, and several other areas of the center before it was finally contained in the kitchen area. Thanks to the valiant efforts of community volunteers, the Community Hall area of the building was spared, along with about two-thirds of the building’s contents. Read more >> Registration packets for General Conference coming in January Registration materials for General Conference will soon be off to the printer, with the goal of mailing to churches in early January. The materials will also be available on the denomination website, and delegates are encouraged to take advantage of the convenience of online registration. Graphic designer Nate Bridi has created a special General Conference section on the website and new information and materials will be added frequently. We encourage you to be a regular visitor to the General Conference section of www.bic-church.org. Devotional guides available for week of prayer and fasting
Fasting is doubly heart smart
We Brethren in Christ have long understood that fasting is good for our hearts, spiritually speaking. Now medical researchers tell us that fasting is heart smart from a physical perspective. When 515 elderly people undergoing X-ray examinations for suspected heart disease were asked about their lifestyle, those who fasted were 39 percent more likely than non-fasters to have a healthy heart. Dr. Benjamin Horne, author of the study, thinks that fasting might slow the development of diabetes, which narrows the blood vessels and increases the risk of heart disease. Periodic withdrawal of food might re-sensitize the insulin-producing beta cells, a theory that is backed by animal studies. (from New Scientist magazine, November 10, 2007) Be part of the Advent conspiracy
Perry Engle, bishop of the Midwest and Pacific Conferences, suggests that The Advent Conspiracy, an international movement aimed at restoring the scandal of Christmas by worshiping Jesus through compassion, not consumption, may be something the BIC Church could get on board with. According to the organization’s web site, “The central theme of the Advent Conspiracy is that Jesus is worshipped in such a way that His followers experience the power of Christ coming into the world. People being led in this journey will not be competing with the consumerist impulses of our culture but instead be aligning themselves with Christ, thereby worshipping Him in a holistic way.” If you would like to encourage your congregation to worship more, spend less, love all, and give more this Advent season, you may want to check out the stories and resources (including a downloadable brochure) at www.adventconspiracy.org . And if you and your congregation decide to conspire against the consumerism of Christmas, we hope you will consider the following gift-giving options with a BIC focus. A gift of $50 to the World Hunger Fund (US or Canada) designated for India will pay for educational supplies for a child affected by the flooding earlier this year A gift of $100 to the World Hunger Fund (US or Canada) designated for Honduras will provide a family with seed for a second bean crop A gift of $150 to the Scholarship Program for International Children’s Education (SPICE) will provide a year of schooling for a child in India or Nepal A gift of $250 to the World Hunger Fund (US or Canada) designated for Zambia will provide a pastor, pastor’s widow, or lay leader with seed for a vegetable garden (goal: 197 families served) A gift of $1,000 to the World Hunger Fund (US or Canada) designated for Zambia will help with the rebuilding of the Macha Vision Community Center For hundreds of other ideas, check out BIC WM’s Partnership Handbook 2007.
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Don McNiven and Warren Hoffman Contact Information: Web: www.bic-church.org Archived Issues of Momentum
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Prayer team leaders: Place your orders now for “Praying for Empowerment: One Week of Daily Readings and Prayers” in preparation for the annual Week of Prayer and Fasting. Printed copies of the guides are available through the BIC Communications Office for 25 cents each. Send your requests to the communications team at 
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