300 Families Thank You For the Thanksgiving Dinner

The Line in Front of Urban Hope

Hundreds of people lined up along Tioga and Ella Streets in front of the Urban Hope Training Center to receive a free dinner. Many said how much they appreciated the Thanksgiving meal that their families would enjoy.

Jason Holt and Brent Saba are excited that these families will have the opportunity to watch a video that shares Jesus with them as well. Read more and see pictures...

CE Hmmm... College-Age & Beyond: Hurdles and Helps For the Church

The Hurdles

• Young people drive change. Older adults tend to resist change
  Change comes, and every older generation struggles with new ideas and different perspectives, even in the church.
• Different World Views
  18-25 year olds see the world differently than even those in their mid to late thirties. The older group tends to be governed by the “mind,” finding truth by reasoning, while the younger group tends to be governed by the “heart,” finding truth through experience.
• Relevance
  The "packaging" of the Message can make the Gospel irrelevant for many younger people. It’s not just the church service that they don’t connect with, but more so how their “parent’s church” no longer fits into their view of what the church should be.
• Leadership
  Most young adults feel isolated because they don't have a voice in the church's decision-making process.

Clearing the Fence

Eighty Now Expected For the First Bible Quiz Invitational

Eighty people will be part of the first Bible Quiz Invitational held at CE National's Russell Center which starts tonight.

Key leadership at the BQI are Scott Feather, serving as main quiz master; Ray Feather, senior pastor at Grace Community Chapel, Mukilteo, Washington, serving as a quiz master and sharing challenges from the first six chapters in John; Timothy Clothier, youth director at Community Grace Brethren Church, Warsaw, Indiana, leading worship. Ed Lewis will emcee the event and Courtney Cherest, Judy Fisher, and others will assist with the weekend, coordinated by Lois Maxson. Read more...

The National Institute Continues to Grow

CE National is excited about growth of the Youth Ministry program offered through Grace College. Currently, the Evangelism and Discipleship course is taught weekly to a group of 31 students under the leadership of Rich Yauger and Jon Rauch, both from Grace Community Church in Goshen, Indiana. Many adjunct speakers active in youth ministry teach the Foundations and Philosophy of YM course to 23 students this semester. Next semester there will be 39 students involved in the Strategizing for Church and Campus Youth Ministries course and 29 students in the course Contemporary Issues for Today's Youth.

CE National is happy to have a positive relationship with Grace College in this way. Semester-long courses are taught at CE National's Russell Center and all courses include practical, hands-on opportunities for putting course work into practice. Timothy Kurtaneck (TK) serves as the advisor and coordinator for each of the courses, and Courtney Cherest assists TK with these responsibilities.

412 Students Return from a Two-week, Seven-State, Metropolitan Tour

412 Students at a Restaurant in NYC

Mike and Connie Pumphrey report that the two-week tour with the 412 Commission students, a ministry based on I Timothy 4:12, was a tremendous success. God blessed in their travels, experiences, safety, ministry, and learning. The tour, which included 16 people, started in Philadelphia at the Urban Hope Training Center, where students learned of inner-city opportunities and spent time with homeless people, sharing their faith on the streets. Read more...

Operation Barnabas Decision Time

During the month of December, the OB selection committee will meet to go over applications and choose students to serve on the three domestic Operation Barnabas teams. The orientation for those teams will begin in Norwalk, California, and the tours will take them to Momentum West and Momentum East, and of course to numerous churches in between.

OBI selection is also taking place in December, offering alumni the opportunity to serve in Africa this summer. Orientation for OBI will take place at CE National.

Your prayers for the selection committee are greatly appreciated. This is an important time for all students who applied. For more about Operation Barnabas, go to www.OperationBarnabas.net.

Momentum Gift Certificate

Looking for a good Christmas gift for your student? Why not consider a gift certificate toward a week full of impact? Sometimes people do not realize that one week at a Christian college with room, board, and books would cost them $1000. What a bargain to realize that for one week during the year at less than half that amount, a student can be exposed to spiritual challenges, ministries, and life-changing decisions.

Why not consider giving a spiritual challenge to a student for Christmas and help with their finances toward youth conference?

Momentum will take place in two locations: Momentum West in Southern California, June 23-28 and Momentum East in Cedarville, Ohio, July 21-27.

Visit the Momentum Website to print the gift certificate.

CE National Gift Helps With True Love Waits in CAR

Word has come from Tina Walker, missionary with Grace Brethren International Missions in the Central African Republic, thanking CE National for donating over $500 to True Love Waits. Tina writes, "I wish to thank you for your very generous gift. We give God all the glory for the incredible way He has worked in our lives this past year, and in the lives of those we have invested in via the True Love Waits and True Love Stays campaigns."

The $500 was given to CE National, earmarked for overseas missions. CE National is pleased to be able to help with this initiative in Africa.