New UCG Congregation in Manhattan, New York!

Often spoken about, but not in place until now: a fledgling new congregation in upper Manhattan has formed. The New York City metro area is a complex mass of roads, rails, subways and waterways and it is important to locate a meeting location as close to the people as we can.

Pastor Lewis VanAusdle writes:

"The first Sabbath service took place at the new location on the Oct. 27. There were 20 in attendance including nine or 10 who plan on being regular attendees in Manhattan. I anticipate that there were a number of folks who weren't able to make it due to the bad weather that day (high winds and rain, especially in the morning). We've been told the hall can actually fit 200 people. I can only hope and pray that we will one day fill it. Lomax Morris gave the sermonette, I gave the sermon. We also had the opportunity to bless the two children of a brand-new attendee from Yonkers who plans on attending regularly now that she has a place to go.

"Last Sabbath (Nov. 3) there were 16 people, including James Calantjis who led songs, gave the sermon, and gave a Bible study after services. I think this number might be closer to the usual attendance we might see in the coming weeks. I know there are at least a few more who plan on attending, but are limited by their health and by any bad weather."

Mr. VanAusdle also serves congregations in Queens, Connecticut and New Jersey.

Hurricane Relief to America from Kenya

On Oct. 10, 2018, Hurricane Michael made landfall in the panhandle region of Florida. The peak winds of 155 miles per hour wrought havoc throughout the area, devastating homes and businesses. We have been collecting funds to provide immediate and long-term relief to members affected by this storm. There is still a need for Good Works funding to help victims who had major damage.

We were moved by a contribution from Kenya! In the United States we are usually the ones sending relief abroad. It was so moving to me and to our Good Works staff to receive a donation from elder Antonio Ndungu in Kenya:

"Following an appeal by Good Works projects at home office for assisting the church members in Florida who were affected by hurricane Michael, the Nairobi church has raised US $110 on our behalf to the Good Works program."

I responded:

"We are greatly touched by this loving gesture of support of money. Yes, we do have people in the United States who suffer from unfortunate loss and we appreciate hearing from caring people far and wide, including those whom we have helped, when we have our own trials. Thank you for helping our brethren!"

Pastoral Development Program Ends

Classes for the ten-day Pastoral Development Program ended yesterday and most participants are on their way home. We personally hosted Filius and Chosiwe Jere from Chipata, Zambia, and truly bonded with them and others as workers together in the ministry of Jesus Christ. We learned not only from the course material, but from each other's experiences. We will miss our friends.

On Sunday evening, we were graciously hosted by Steve and Kathe Myers in their home. The entire group was there for dinner followed by a "Modern History of the Church of God" discussion moderated by our staff. We talked about our modern roots, the genesis of UCG, past trials and our current work and mission.

On Monday morning, the ladies took part in a two-and-a-half-hour break-out session which was facilitated by Lisa Fenchel, Beverly Kubik, Debbie McNeely, Kathe Myers and Barb Welch. This interactive session gave time for questions along with discussing various themes specific to serving within the Church. Some of the topics included the role of a pastor's wife in supporting her husband's ministry and her service in the congregation, developing and maintaining friendships and relationships, setting realistic expectations and responding to criticism, and recognizing the blessing and opportunities of being a minister's wife. As a church we certainly recognize and value the women in our congregations and the contributions they make.

Some of the other classes of note were Biblical Apologetics and Teaching as You Have Been Taught, presented by Steve Myers, and Combating Common Heresies, a class by Darris McNeely. Our group was very interested in learning to use and explain the Bible more effectively.

I spoke also on First Contact Counseling, showing the need to create those first engagements ourselves through family, example, social media and more. We have to take steps to reach out and find new contacts. As we look at the demographics of our congregations, very often we see that established families and acquaintances are the core of the church. The people are fed by the material we publish, and then bonded by relationships. Do we make ourselves known for what we stand for? Are we known in our community by our example? People do search for answers. We want them to come across what we have.

Chris Rowland reviewed the contents of our Ministerial Resource Site and gave good guidelines about proper etiquette for social media platforms on topics ranging from health to politics. Gary Petty addressed the topic of Time Management.

We have thoroughly enjoyed being with this group and look forward to their ongoing service to God's people.