September 2007
Seek lost to trademark infringement
The past few months have provided a crash course of sorts in trademark law as we have responded to notification from attorneys representing Standard Publishing (Cincinnati, Oh.) that the title Seek infringes on a trademark that company has held since the early 1970s. We are working with our own attorney in clearing the way for a new name for the magazine. In the meantime, the communications staff is doing a bit of redesign, reviewing the purposes of the publication, and, with this issue of Momentum, seeking feedback from readers. To participate in the readership survey, read more »
Echoes of The Call
More than 200 young adults from all seven regional conferences of the BIC Church in North America registered for The Call, held August 10 -12 in Harrisburg, Pa., with 70 or so walk-ins boosting attendance at the evening worship services. When Freddie Colloca and his band from Vida Abundante BIC (Miami, Fla.) turned up the amps, the walls shook (literally) with the sounds of spirit-filled worship, guaranteeing that from the first session to the last, this latest iteration of the once-every-three-years event was a high-energy, high-intensity invitation to follow God’s leading.
“The event accomplished everything we wanted,” Doug Sider, Jr., pastor at Summit View BIC Church (New Holland, Pa.) and leader of The Call planning team, reports. “There was a real sense of the presence of God and a wonderful openness to God's leading. Dozens of young adults indicated their interest in pursuing ministry as missionaries, pastors, or church planters. The BIC Church can look forward to great things from these future leaders in ministry.”
Video wrapup of The Call »
Relief efforts continue in India
For BIC churches in India, the word “urgent” has a longer-term meaning than most North Americans understand. In the month since we first alerted Momentum readers to devastating flooding in South Asia, including in the Indian states of Orissa and West Bengal, the BIC churches in the region have provided first-response assistance of food and basic supplies to flood victims. Bijoy Roul, BICWM coordinator for South Asia, reports that, thanks to $10,000 provided through the World Hunger Fund, Indian churches have already assisted 800 families, with another 200 to be reached in the coming month.
Now cholera and other waterborne diseases pose a new threat, and so relief efforts are expanding to include getting medicine and safe drinking water to affected villages, along with helping people repair their homes. This is a long-time effort and the Indian churches are looking to their North American brothers and sisters to stick with them. Read more »
Health insurance census completed
Thank you to everyone who cooperated in providing the census information needed to advance conversations with potential health insurance providers. Almost 100 percent of persons contacted responded positively when we called, which is a remarkable show of commitment to the idea of a brotherhood health plan. As promised in the telephone calls to church staff, information collected through the census will be held in the strictest confidentiality.
Although we initially thought that we would be able to announce a new health plan as early as January 2008, the research process is taking longer than anticipated due to the complexity of fitting an insurance plan to the range of congregational sizes and staff configurations among our churches. We also need time to take the information to regional conferences and General Conference to address the question of full (mandatory) participation.
Leadership searches progressing on pace
Following the formal notice by John Brubaker, executive director of BICWM, and Craig Sider, bishop in the Atlantic Conference, that they would not be available for a new term of office, selection committees were formed to secure their successors. Both search committees report that they are making good progress on the charge handed to them. Read more »
Adjusting your pastor’s housing allowance
The Church Treasurer Alert! suggests that “now is a good time to review the housing allowance designated for any minister on the church staff for 2007. It may be that the allowance designated for 2007 was too low. If so, it can be increased for the remainder of the year. The church board (or other group that designated the original allowance) should adopt a resolution amending the allowance. But remember—any amended housing allowance is only effective from the date of the amendment. It cannot be applied retroactively.”
Remembering a promise to the Zimbabwe church
John Byers, pastor of congregational ministries at Messiah Village BIC Church in Mechanicsburg, Pa. and a long-time leader within the denomination, was the BIC representative on an eight-member, Mennonite World Conference-sponsored delegation to Zimbabwe. The trip, which extended from August 16 - 29, fulfilled a promise made at the 2003 global assembly held in Bulawayo, that the worldwide Anabaptist community would not forget the BIC Church in Zimbabwe. John urges BIC churches in North America to remember this promise. Read more »
Pastors invited to be part of the coupon connection
For a number of years, the World Missions staff has reached out to BIC students enrolled at Messiah College with Ignite events. Now, as a complement to Ignite, the Office of Congregational Relations is inviting pastors to partner with the General Church in holding onto the loyalty of students who are enrolled at Messiah through the Coupon Connection.
“We are eager to provide pastors (senior, youth, or whoever a church deems most appropriate) with a book of coupons that can be redeemed for a meal or snack for two (or more) in any of the college’s three eating facilities: the Lottie Nelson Dining Room, the Falcon, or the Union. Pastors simply fill in their names, the names of the students with whom they are meeting, and hand the coupon to the cashier. The General Church will pick up the tab,” Rebekah Basinger, director of congregational relations, explains. “We’re doing this because we believe it is important to hold onto the hearts and loyalty of our young adults during their college years. While we can’t provide this same benefit for BIC students enrolled in other colleges and universities, it is in keeping with the church’s covenant relationship with Messiah that we offer the program for students enrolled at the college.”
Pastors (or parents), please let us know that you have a young person attending Messiah College, Email us at BICComm@messiah.edu, providing the name of the student and home church of that student, and we’ll send a coupon book to the pastoral staff of the church.
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.
Don McNiven and Warren Hoffman
General Church Leaders
Contact Information:
Email: bic@messiah.edu
Phone: 717.697.2634
Fax: 717.796.4781
Web: www.bic-church.org
