It has been nearly 60 years since Encompass World Partners first acquired the Chateau in Saint-Albain, France. Despite being located in a de-Christianized country, we utilized it as a Christian retreat center with the purpose of facilitating encounters with God. This ancient structure has a long history within religious circles. It was built in the …
This past weekend Pastor Jim Custer was honored for his decades of ministry and widespread impact in the Central Ohio area. Assist Church Expansion, a national ministry of the Charis Fellowship with a mission to empower churches for healthy expansion, hosted the banquet at East Side Grace Brethren Church in Blacklick, Ohio. Jim’s ministry in …
It was five years ago that I found myself sitting in the basement of one of our district churches. Across from me sat the bulk of the Northwest District pastors. Their eyes looked up from the exam before them. Then, down again. Then, back to me again. I shifted nervously in my seat, awaiting their …
The year was 1964 and the dilemma was clear. A variety of impersonal methods to share the Gospel were yielding little fruit among spiritual resistance in eastern France. Tom and Doris Julien were discouraged by the response. In God’s providence, however, an opportunity arose regarding an old castle in a quaint village – the Château …
Viki Rife and Liz Sprankle, members at Leesburg Grace Brethren Church in northern Indiana, have been meeting together for years for encouragement, support, and prayer as they both navigated their anxiety. A friend recommended the book Finding Quiet by J.P. Moreland to Viki, who read it and in turn recommended it to Liz. The author …
A commonly heard expression in the part of Texas where I live is, “If you don’t like the weather, just stick around for a few minutes. It’ll change.” Maybe that’s a true sentiment where you live, too. Changes in the weather rarely catch us off guard. We have television channels and apps on our phones …
Years ago, several leaders in our Fellowship declared it the “Golden Age of Relationship.” The Charis Fellowship had found its stride in a common mission and identity. It linked arms with a global family. It rebranded and reformatted conferences to increase access to one another. These were good days. I almost expected a resurgence of …
Each spring Grace Church in Ashland, Ohio, hosts an event for seniors called North of 55. The goal is to inspire and equip older generations to invest well in younger generations. This one-day event is hosted and organized by Grace but is open to all Charis Fellowship churches, especially in the northeast Ohio and northcentral …
The Charis Fellowship is blessed with many gifted speakers and teachers. Last summer we had the chance to hear from five of them at Access, which was held at Grace College in Winona Lake, Ind. During the conference’s five main celebrations, speakers presented on various elements of relationships, each highlighting a different component. See photos …
