GRACE BIBLE CHURCH OF VAN WERT, OHIO

is looking for a pastor

This church has been recently formed by mature Christians that have transferred from other area churches. The church was established in January, 2007, and has 90 to 100 people attending Sunday morning services.  We believe that the Bible is God’s word and we strive  to live as God’s Word instructs us.

We are looking for an individual who can:

1. Lead the congregation to continue our spiritual growth.

2. Preach in Sunday morning worship services.

3. Provide guidance for the church administration and growth.

4. Encourage and direct missionary outreach.

Our constitution and other information will be made available to interested persons.

If you are interested, or know of persons to recommend,

please contact:

Dean Williamson 419-238-7737 or e-mail arldean@wcoil.com

1139 Charlotte Circle Van Wert, Ohio 45891

Grace Bible Church  -  Job description for Senior Pastor

Ministry Duties

 The Senior Pastor’s primary responsibilities are to preach/teach the Word  to the congregation.  Along with the official board, the Senior Pastor will develop a vision for the future of the church that helps equip the congregation for the work of ministry.  (Acts 20:28)

1         Prepare and preach the Sunday morning sermon and special called services.

2      Promote the spiritual growth of Grace Bible Church.

3      Provide leadership for a young church with a mature membership.

4      Attend and provide input for Grace Bible Church Official Board meetings.

5      Report to the Grace Bible Church Official Board and be responsive to the congregation

6      Follow the Grace Bible Church constitution.

7      Make or delegate hospital visits and visit shut-ins as needed.

Position Requirements

     8         Expresses a clear testimony of personal salvation, believer’s baptism, and a commitment to the         Lord Jesus Christ.

       9       Demonstrates effectiveness in personal evangelism.

      10      Holds a degree in pastoral ministries.

      11      Has experience as a pastor in leading a church.

      12      Holds a license or ordination, or eligible to obtain such in the State of Ohio.

Experience, Skills, and Qualities

     13       Exhibits the godly character and qualities outlined in 1Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9. 

      14      Demonstrates strong interpersonal and relational skills and have a passion for pastoral care.

      15      Commits to personal regular accountability with other godly men

      16      Exhibits a heart for evangelism, missions, and a deep desire to reach the lost for Christ.

      17  Demonstrates effectiveness in discipleship.

      18  Inspire and equip members of the congregation to reach out to the community addressing both

                spiritual and social needs.

Last Sunday my senior pastor preached from 1 Timothy 6 about the importance of godliness/contentment vs. materialism.  In the original context, people were using ministry and godliness to try to get rich (vs.5). But Paul’s point is that true gain is found in the spiritual growth and spiritual rewards that actually last.

He states in vs. 12 that we should ‘take hold of the eternal life to which you were called’. I’ve read that verse before and one’s like it. On the surface, it seems like a classic case of ‘Christian-ese’. Yet as my pastor pointed out, when you consider the context, Paul’s point is pretty profound. We should cling to our eternal life and value that treasure rather than clinging to our wealth and material possessions.

That is such an important principle. My wife and I recently purchased our first house and in doing so, have plunged head-first into a part of adulthood we hadn’t been in before. It has been somewhat stressful but we’re happy to have moved into a bigger place. Yet we could very easily make the mistake of finding security in our house and our things rather than our relationship with God. We can enjoy our things as blessings from God (vs.17) but we must be striving for a greater purpose and living for Christ and Him alone.

New members of the Lancer Athletic Hall of Fame are (front, left to right) Eve Dawes, Willa Henry, Cheryl Pulver, Gary Woolman, Tim Van Duyne, (back row, left to right) Rebecca Macy, Ron Henry, John Boal, Jim Woolman, and Darrell Johnson

Grace College inducted nine members into the Lancer Athletic Hall of Fame November 7. The inductees honored at the banquet in the Orthopaedic Capital Center include: Rebecca Macy (Wahlstrom), volleyball; John Boal, men’s basketball; Darrell Johnson, baseball and golf; Eve Dawes (Arthur), women’s soccer; Cheryl Pulver (Myers), women’s basketball; Tim VanDuyne, men’s soccer; Lloyd Woolman, athletic director and coach; and Ron and Willa Henry, for their meritorious service to Grace Athletics.

Macy was an NAIA All-American (‘95), MCC Player of the Year (‘95), and two-time NCCAA All-American (‘95, ‘96) for volleyball.

Boal was a two-time NAIA District 21 Player of the Year (‘83, ‘84), NAIA All-American Honorable Mention (‘84) and two-time NCCAA All-American (‘83, ‘84) for men’s basketball. During his speech, he spoke about his bond with fellow teammates and the lessons that 33-year veteran head coach Jim Kessler taught him.

Johnson was named MCC All-Conference  (’73) for baseball and MCC Golf Coach of the Year (’97). He also holds Grace College’s pitching records with wins in both career and season, as well as single season ERA. Johnson pitched in the very first game at Grace College’s Miller Field, and as a long-time faculty member, he has enjoyed seeing Lancer Athletics evolve over the years.

Dawes was an NAIA All-American Honorable Mention (’99), NCCAA All-American (’97, ’98, ’99) and MCC All-Conference (’96-’99) for women’s soccer. She also holds the individual records for goals and points in a career.

Pulver was a two-time NAIA District 21 All-American (’91, ’92), NCCAA All-American (’92) and two-time MCC All-Conference (’91, ‘92) for women’s basketball; and Van Duyne was an NAIA All-American (’76), NAIA All-American Honorable Mention (’78) and MCC All-Conference (’76-’79) for men’s soccer.

The late Lloyd Woolman was also honored. Woolman won four MCC track and field championships, and an MCC soccer title as a coach.  Woolman also served as athletic director and he helped institute Grace’s track and field, cross country, baseball, tennis, golf and soccer programs. Woolman’s two sons were in attendance to accept the award.

Ron and Willa Henry were also honored for their meritorious service to Grace Athletics. Ron has been a faculty member for over 50 years, and he was the public address announcer at Lancer games and Warsaw High School games for a number of years. Willa has also been named Warsaw teacher of the year.

“We want to thank those individuals who have brought much distinction and honor to Grace College and have established a tradition of Christian excellence which is incomparable,” said Grace Athletic Director Chad Briscoe. “These achievements have touched everyone associated with Grace College both in and out of the arena of athletics.”

Grace College’s Indiana Gamma Chapter of Alpha Chi, national college honor society, inducted 27 students at a ceremony November 8. Alpha Chi is a coeduational society whose purpose is to promote academic excellence and exemplary character among college and university students and to honor those achieving such distinction.

New members are Elizabeth Balasa, elementary education and Spanish education; Jennifer Benner, English and history; Lauren Cartwright, social studies; Megan Crawford, physical education; Jaime DeWeerd, art education; Corey Grandstaff, social studies; Bethany Henderson, psychology and sociology; David Henry, biology; Rebekah Kesler, business administration; Brooke Kovac, criminal justice and psychology; John Leichty, accounting; Darci Long, marketing; Linda Molyneux, psychology; Cassie Patterson, criminal justice and counseling; Sheila Remington, sociology and counseling; Sarah Rice, history; Samuel Roth, mathematics; Caleb Roth, business administration; Emily Rush, biology; Tommi Sauder, graphic design and drawing and painting; Julie Shearer, counseling and sociology; Nathan Short, biblical studies; Daniel Smith, accounting and information systems; Heather Speckman, counseling; Kori Sutterfield, business administration; Rachael Warrington, elementary education; and Melissa Witwer, biology.

The 61st Annual Meeting of ETS will take place in New Orleans, LA, Nov. 18-20, 2009. Grace Theological Seminary’s very own Dr. Tiberius Rata and Dr. Matt Harmon will each be presenting papers at this convention. Below are the summary descriptions of their research to be shared at ETS:

Dr. Tiberius Rata

Chair, Biblical Studies Department
Professor of Old Testament Studies
Grace College and Theological Seminary

Does it take a village?  Issues in Ezra-Nehemiah authorship

The authorship of the books of Ezra and Nehemiah has been the subject of continuous debate, conjecture, and research.  Because both Ezra and Nehemiah write in the first person, many scholars agree with the Talmud that Ezra wrote most of the work, while Nehemiah finished it.  Most scholars also suggest that an editor/compiler put the book together in its present form.  My paper will examine the textual and linguistic arguments for and/or against these options, with a special emphasis on the analysis of the Hebrew/Aramaic employed in both books.

Matthew S. Harmon, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of NT Studies
Grace College & Theological Seminary

http://bibtheo.blogspot.com/

Title: Letter Carriers and Paul’s Use of Scripture

Abstract:

Within the discussion of Paul’s use of Scripture, scholars have frequently wondered how his predominantly Gentile congregations would have recognized his often subtle allusions to and echoes of the Old Testament, let alone their broader context. One solution has been to suggest that the carrier of the letter played a role in further explaining its contents. In order to assess the validity of this possibility, this paper begins by exploring the role of letter carriers in the ancient world. A survey of the Pauline epistles indicates that although his letter carriers performed a similar range of tasks; they were more than merely letter carriers. They were similar to Greco-Roman envoys, sent as a manifestation of Paul’s parousia and authorized to act on his behalf. As a result of this survey two implications emerge for the study of Paul’s use of Scripture and the audience’s competency to recognize it: (1) Paul’s use of envoys suggests they were authorized to further explain the contents of the letter, including his use of Scripture; (2) Given the letter’s role to mediate the very presence of Paul himself, it is reasonable to conclude that his envoys engaged in teaching, a central component of his own ministry. Thus there are solid grounds for suggesting that Paul’s letter carriers played a role in helping the audience to recognize OT allusions and echoes, as well as their original context.

Last night was a major success in the lobby of Westminster dorm. Grace had its annual masquerade with fall themed games and activities as well as choreographed dancing! This year, SAB joined with Westminster in bringing a square dance to the outside terrace area of the dorm.
The Students came in an array of costumes such as the H1N1 virus, Yoda, the Sham-wow guy, Salt and Pepper, and two hillbillies who MC-ed the whole event. I was thoroughly impressed by the creativity of the costumes. Also, students participated in games by bowling with pumpkins, fishing for candy brains in jello, eating a doughnut from a string, and dropping chocolate covered marshmallows, which were very entertaining to watch. And while students were standing around socializing, they could grab a cup of hot cider and some cookies to satisfy their appetite.
My favorite part was the line-dancing that took place outside as well as inside. Students channeled their country roots as they listened to a square dance caller and gathered in circles to clap and do-si-do (I have no clue how to spell this). Such favorites as the “Cha-Cha Slide” and the “Cotton Eye Joe” made appearances in the lobby of Westminster too.
It truly was a night to remember as we celebrated the fall together!

- Brie Cremean