July 2006

Tonight’s missionary reception was enlived by several kinds of live ethnic music. Small ensembles, a Mariachi band, and an African drum ensemble entertained the crowds while they enjoyed ethnic foods and visited with missionaries.

Tonight’s GBIM reception provided excellent opportunities for one-on-one meetings with missionaries to make new friendships, renew previous ones, and to get updates from the field. Here GBIM missionary and Europe Field Director Dr. Paul Klawitter (left) chats with Long Beach pastor Dale Workman and other friends.

Old college buddies hook up again. Joe Beaver (left), son of retired GBIM missionaries Wayne and Dorothy Beaver, and now living in Simi Valley, California, chatted at the reception with his college friend Greg Burgess (right), now living and working in France with Editions Cle, the French publishing arm of the Fellowship.

Dr. Tim Boal, pastor of the Penn Valley Grace Brethren Church in Telford, Pennsylvania, and the incoming moderator of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches, gave the annual Moderator’s Address at the 3 p.m. Saturday session of Celebrate06. Prefacing his remarks that his assignment is to analyze the Fellowship’s strengths and current situation, Boal found

Pastor Charles Ashman, who retired from his last pastorate in 1989, addressed the first session of the Celebrate06 conference this morning with an address entitled “Coals Aglow.” Speaking from 2 Timothy 1:1-7, Ashman, 82, began by saying “I promised the Lord I would serve Him as long as He gives me breath.” Then he went

Pastor Phil Helfer, of the Los Altos Grace Brethren Church in Long Beach, California, adds his touch to the praise and worship sessions as percussionist.

Doug Lee, pastor of The Fountain Community Church, a Grace Brethren fellowship in Fontana, California, is leading worship for the Celebrate06 conference. He and his band of nine backup singers and instrumentalists are beginning each general session with a mixture of hymns and praise and worship choruses.

Dr. Lester Pifer, now on the staff of the Columbus, Ohio, Grace Brethren Church as Seniors Pastor, gave testimony in the opening session of Celebrate06 of God’s provision and blessings since his conversion to Christ in 1940. Beginning as a church-planter at “Hairpin Curve Chapel” in Tennessee while in college, Dr. Pifer went on to

Sandi Avey (right) and Sandy Barrett assisted Dr. Christy Morr of the Grace Seminary faculty in registering this morning for the Celebrate06 Grace Brethren conference being held at the Hyatt Grand Champions Resort in Indian Wells near Palm Springs, California. Activities this first day of conference included a morning session with Charles Ashman as speaker,

The center of gravity of the Grace Brethren Church shifted several hours to the southeast about noon today. The Biola University campus in LaMirada, California, was just about emptied out after an intense week of Brethren National Youth Conference, attended by some 3,000 teens, youth pastors, youth leaders, staff, Grace Brethren national organization staff, and