November 2005
Welcome to the second online issue of the Momentum newsletter! Thank you to all who sent us e-mail addresses during the past few weeks. Wider online readership enables us to fulfill the purposes of Momentum – to report leadership news and developments from across the church – and at the same time, save on postage costs. While you’re here, we invite you to check out Momentum’s new home – our recently redesigned BIC web site. Then let us know what you think – about the web site and/or any of the stories that follow.
General Conference in Miami
General Conference 2006 will go where no other has gone as we take the biennial business meeting of the church to Miami, Florida, home to the third largest concentration of BIC congregations in North America (after Pennsylvania and Ontario). More >>
Denomination's Health Plan Faces Critical Juncture
Although astronomical increases in health insurance costs are nothing new for US employers, this year’s experience for the Brethren in Christ Church is well beyond the usual, testing the denomination’s ability to provide affordable coverage for pastors and other church workers. More >>
BIC Connection Visible as Messiah College Inaugurates New President
When the Messiah community celebrated the October 14 inauguration of Kim Phipps as the college’s eighth president, the school’s historic ties with the Brethren in Christ Church were visible for all to see and hear. More >>
Miami Churches Hit by Second Storm
Still reeling from the impact of Hurricane Katrina, Brethren in Christ churches in the Miami area now face additional clean up and damage repair in the wake of Hurricane Wilma, the second major storm to hit the region this season. More >>
New CFO Brings Experience and Heart to His Work
For Gene Blessing, chief financial officer for the General Church, there’s a whole lot more to his work than balance sheets and audit reports. It’s as much about mission as it is about the money. More >>
Two Months and Counting for Cooperative Ministries
If giving to Cooperative Ministries continues at the current pace through the remaining two months of 2005, we can look forward to one of the church’s strongest giving years in recent history. More >>
Oh, to MasterCard, Visa, American Express, etc., How Great a Debtor
Thirty percent of adults in the United States identify themselves as being “deeply in debt,” and data from Statistics Canada reports that the average household debt has climbed to 111 percent of disposable income. Curiously, faith doesn’t seem to make much of a difference when it comes to controlling our spending. Thirty-three percent of born again Christians say it is impossible for them to get ahead in life – let alone give – because of the financial debt they have incurred. In fact, researchers tell us that 37 percent of Christians don't give to any Christian cause, and only three to five percent tithe.
As Randy Alcorn writes in The Treasure Principle, “By telling us that our hearts follow our treasure, Jesus is saying, ‘Show me your checkbook, your VISA statement, and your receipts, and I'll show you where your heart is.’” In other words, it’s time we ask ourselves what it’s really all about.
Share your insights!
You receive Momentum because you are a leader in the church – within a congregation, a regional conference, the General Church or all three. You may have asked to be included on the mailing list for Momentum or your name may have been picked up automatically when you entered your current position of leadership. Regardless of how you have come to Momentum, your feedback is important. Please let us hear from you.
Warren Hoffman & Darrell Winger
General Church Leaders
Contact Information:
Email: bic@messiah.edu
Phone: 717.697.2634
Fax: 717.697.7714
Web: www.bic-church.org
