Here are a few samples of
our section devoted to Free Methodist news.
"All the king's horses and all the king's men ..." couldn't get it done when it came to putting the shattered Humpty Dumpty back together again. But at Warm Beach Horsemanship Camps over the past 12 months, more than a dozen boys and girls have "gotten it together," accepting Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; another 42 have rededicated their lives to following Him.
These numbers are typical for the 25-year-old program, which holds 13 horsemanship camps annually to reach out to approximately 300 youths (ages 10-17). Using horses as a "reliable tool" to illustrate biblical principles, the program's stated purpose is to "share God's truth in many contexts while providing the highest professional standards." This includes Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) accreditation of both the program and its instructors.
"Because we view horses as a tool for sharing the good news," says Eugene Barnes, horsemanship director for nearly 10 years, "we want to have the best horsemanship program, horses and facilities. This gives us the right to be heard." Warm Beach has 60 horses, 62 acres of pasture, indoor and outdoor arenas, stables, a hay barn and some 500 acres of riding trails.
Barnes says he and his campers explore "many parallels between the horse and its trainer and us and our Trainer, God. The horse trainer knows what's in the best interest of the horse," he says, "and the Lord, who knows our hearts, knows what's in our best interest. It's a matter of willingness and submission to authority."
One recent camper's story illustrates how the Christ-centered horse ministry works to change hearts and lives. A young teen learned about the horsemanship camp when he picked up a brochure during Warm Beach's annual Lights of Christmas outreach. During his week at camp, this young man met Jesus and committed his life to Him. And, at the final day's riding-skills exhibition, the camper's mother caught her son's excitement and asked Barnes about finding a good church.
"My kingdom for a horse!" lamented Shakespeare's King Richard III (act 5, scene 4). At Warm Beach, it's clearly a case of horses for the kingdom. Even Humpty's friends couldn't do better than that!
Sierra Pacific Conference Ministers in Eight Languages
California's Sierra Pacific Conference is ministering to eight language groups: English, Chinese, Filipino, Fijian, Spanish, Korean, Samoan and Tongan. They join a growing number of conferences eagerly embracing the challenges of cross-cultural, multiracial, multilingual ministry.
"Communications, leadership perspectives and the meaning of 'church' are areas that must be explored in order to effectively minister," says Superintendent Forest Bush. "The 'church' becomes a 'cultural center' -- encompassing the traditions and practices of one's native country," he adds. "Among Pacific Island cultures (Filipino, Fijian, Samoan) for example, the pastor is placed on an incredible pedestal because 'back home' his clout is equal to the village chief's. This can present quite a challenge to our pastors."
Many multicultural pastors come with their people groups, joining the FMCNA en masse. The conference is working hard to bring their communications abilities and biblical training levels up to that of the FMCNA pastorate. Assisting these groups by sharing building space and offering a wide variety of training, fellowship and encouragement has done much to prepare them for purchasing their own buildings and becoming bona fide Free Methodist church plants reaching out to a whole new set of people with the good news of the gospel.
Seniors Get Smart About Senior Fraud
The Psalms, more than 30 lively seniors at Orange Coast Free Methodist Church (Costa Mesa, CA), are now better prepared to thwart con artists who target them.
According to the group's May guest speaker, Harold Muraoka of the AARP 55 Alive Program, seniors own more than half of America's financial assets and unfortunately are easy targets for perpetrators of fraud. Some 30 percent of scam victims are seniors, and their losses total an unrecoverable $40 billion annually.
Muraoka detailed the three most common methods used to defraud seniors -- telemarketing, mail and door-to-door -- adding that fraudulent telemarketing is so widespread that as many as 14,000 firms may be involved. Top scams include prize offers/sweepstakes, credit card offers, magazine sales, investment opportunities, advanced-fee loans and identity theft (the selling of one's name, social security and credit card numbers, etc.).
These five tips can help seniors (and others) avoid being victimized:
1. Don't give out social security, driver's license or credit card numbers on the phone.
2. Shred mail, bank statements, receipts or canceled checks that have any important numbers listed on them (see item 1).
3. Don't mail checks from a home mailbox -- take them to the post office or a drop box.
4. Obtain a credit report annually and check your credit status.
5. Remember, it's OK to hang up on telemarketers -- better to be "impolite" than victimized!
Central Christian College Hosts
National Bible Quiz Finals
Central Christian College in McPherson, KS, served as the backdrop for this year's National Bible Quiz Finals June 25-29. Anyone who has attended the finals knows that when quizzers aren't quizzing, they like to relax and enjoy their surroundings. As host for the first time in 10 years, Central didn't disappoint.
Carnival events, swimming, basketball and ping-pong tournaments, banana splits and chapel giveaways kept quizzers busy when they weren't answering questions. They made themselves at home in the "Tiger's Den" and "Mud Hole" and enjoyed the leadership of "His Hands," a college music group, during worship time.
The highlight of the week, however, was the Communion service. For over an hour, quizzers gave testimonies of how God has worked in their lives during the last year. Confessing spiritual struggles and sharing spiritual victories, the young people spoke from sincere hearts.
Several shared about what quizzing has meant to them. Jilian Brady, a sophomore and first-year quizzer from Dearborn, MI, said, "I never imagined how beneficial quizzing would be to my school, home and church life. Quizzing, although stressful and frustrating at times, has helped me know God's Word better and has helped my relationship with God grow strong."
The awards banquet following the week of competition saw over $1,150 offered for the purchase of jump seats and Bible-quiz supplies to send overseas.
As the quizzers gear up for the new quiz season, they'll begin studying 1 and 2 Corinthians, looking toward next year's finals at Seattle Pacific University in Seattle, WA, June 25-29, 2002. Quiz portions and other materials can be ordered through Light and Life Communications at (800) 342-5531.
For more information about Bible quizzing, contact one of the denominational co-directors: Mike Hopper, (507) 352-5455, swimfast@hmtel.com or Mark Colgan, mrcolgan@taylor.edu, (765) 998-7763.
