May 23, 2011
On the heels of serving in tornado-ravaged Arkansas a month ago, Alliance Chaplain Paul Northcut now is in Joplin, Missouri, where at least 89 people perished in an EF4 tornado, Sunday, May 22. “Please keep this situation in your prayers,” says Paul. “I will be one of many chaplains helping there. We will need a lot of grace as we deal with the tragedy and loss of life.”
Bob Collins, executive director for Alliance Chaplain Ministries, was headed for General Council 2011 in his vehicle when he came upon the tail of the storm. “Denise and I were traveling north on I-35 through southern Oklahoma yesterday and came through a terrific thunderstorm with hail and very high winds,” he says. “Radio broadcasts warned of tornados, which may have been the beginning of that storm.”
Although there are no Alliance churches in Joplin, Alliance people in nearby Springfield and St. Louis are poised to help. “I know some of you will want to help [also],” adds Paul. “Please pray for the chaplains, first responders, and the many families who have lost loved ones as well as their homes and all of their possessions. May God bless each of you and use you for His glory.”
What You Can Do
Pray that God will pour out His Spirit on the people of Joplin, preparing their hearts to receive His Son. Pray for Alliance Chaplain Paul Northcut as he ministers to heartbroken people. For more information, contact Paul at ChaplainPaul@suddenlink.net
Learn More
Find out how Alliance institutional and military chaplains are serving God on the front lines of ministry in the United States as well as overseas.
One More Thing
When you give to Alliance Great Commission Ministries, you enable the worldwide work of The Alliance to continue shining the light of Jesus into the lives of lost and hurting people.
Editor’s Note: The following commentary is from a blog by John Stumbo, who has served at the C&MA National Office, as senior pastor of Salem Alliance Church, and currently serves as interim pastor at Alliance Church of Fox Island in Fox Island, Washington.
I have a book in my library titled 88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Be in 1988. I never read it. But, I like to have it on my shelf. It reminds me of what idiots Christians can be.
Not that I should need any reminders.
Before I proceed, I should identify myself. In case a new reader stumbles onto this blog today, may I clearly state that I am a lifelong follower of Jesus Christ and (sometimes with embarrassment, sometimes with great joy) include myself in the Christian community. I’m writing as an insider.
By now you’ve no doubt heard the news that we’re down to our last 24 hours . . . at least according to radio host Harold Camping. At age 88, Harold continues a worldwide broadcast and has studied the Bible longer than most of us have been alive.
If history reveals anything to us, it tells us that just because one has studied a subject at length does not automatically make one accurate.
I believe Camping is wrong.
I believe he’s worse than wrong.
I believe Camping is in the same “camp” as the pastor who burned the Quran, the crazed individuals who bomb abortion clinics or kill doctors, and the venom-mouthed haters of homosexuals.
Let me introduce myself a second time. I believe the Quran misleads millions, abortions are the taking of a human life, and the act of homosexuality is a degrading sin. Yet, I’m convinced that Christians are to love Muslims, abortionists, gays and a thousand other people groups that have different perspectives than ours. I’m convinced that this love should be genuine and tangible . . . you know, like the love Jesus expressed.
The reason I lump Camping in with these others is because from burning Qurans to predicting dates, Christians once again come off looking like idiots.
The news media loves these stories. The skeptical community has more reason to scoff. Stand up comedians have an easy night on the job.
And don’t think that people haven’t heard about Camping’s prediction. One of the best ways to know what has the world’s attention is to follow Google Trends. The brains at Google make available to us what are the hottest searches each day. For most of this week, searches like “end of the world may 21″, “judgment day may 21″ and “harold camping may 21″ have been high on the list.
I’m no expert in Harold Camping’s theology, nor do I care to be. But, from what I understand, he came upon his date-setting by using mathematical calculations. These calculations arose from the theory that words in the Bible have numeric value. By putting together three words- atonement, completeness and heaven-multiplying them and then doing so again (squaring them)-Waa Laa-the Judgment Day is tomorrow!
Make sense to you?
Not to me either.
But that’s what billboards across the world-from Minnesota to India-are proclaiming: Judgment Day May 21 The Bible Guarantees It.
At least Harold’s Bible does.
Mine says something simpler, “No one knows about that day or hour . . . therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come” (Jesus in Matthew 24).
None of this would matter much to me if I didn’t fear one thing. I’m concerned that because of people like Harold Camping, many serious minded people will not bother exploring who the real Jesus is.
When they wake up on May 22, I don’t think they’ll head off to find a Christian church. I think they’ll have all the more reason to write off the Christian faith as a myth or conspiracy theory.
The real Jesus-the heaven-sent Messiah come into this world to atone for our sin, conquer death and lead us to the Father-will be missed.
And that makes me sad.
Thanks, Harold.
Next time, save your math skills for a Sudoku puzzle, not the Scriptures.
John Stumbo
May 20, 2011
Learn More
Find about more about Alliance beliefs and theological perspectives, as well as the denominations rich heritage.
April 29, 2011
Following the recent outbreak of tornados throughout the Southern states, Alliance chaplains are on the scene in several areas in order to help and encourage victims of the storms. Chaplain Rich Gorman, the Spiritual Response Team coordinator for the Red Cross National Disaster Response Team, is in Alabama, where more than 200 people were killed and thousands left homeless. Chaplain Gorman is well acquainted with serving in the midst of disaster, as he participated in the 9/11 chaplaincy team and has been involved in national disaster response teams several times during the past nine years.
Alliance Chaplain Paul Northcut with Cross and Shield Ministries in Russellville, Arkansas, is in nearby Vilonia, where tornados leveled the community of 3,800 and killed four. “So much pain and destruction,” says Chaplain Northcut. “So many families experienced overwhelming loss. Pray that God will use these situations to draw folks to Himself. Pray for us, as chaplains, that we would have wisdom, protection, and provision and that we will be the hands and heart of the Lord to the victims.”
Frank Smith, relief director for the Southern District, says, “As far as we now know, no Alliance structure was damaged and no person in the district churches had major losses, but several family members of people in our churches did.
“The district is assessing what the [Alliance] response would best be, so that we can minister in a manner that most effectively uses the limited resources we have available to us. We must depend upon the One whose resources are limitless, and we must be good stewards of what He gives us to use.”
Smith, who coordinated Alliance relief efforts in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina decimated the Gulf Coast, added, “This is a great opportunity for the Church to do what it should do best-represent the love of Christ in a tangible way to many hurting people.”
What You Can Do
Pray for Alliance chaplains as well as local Alliance believers who are providing relief aid as well as encouragement to victims of the tornados.
If you would like to help, beyond prayer, contact the Southern District office at office@southerncma.org or Frank Smith at frankdsmith@southerncma.org
Learn More
Read about Alliance relief and development work after Hurricane Katrina.
March 29, 2011
Rev. Stan L. Sniezek, senior pastor of New Life Alliance Church, West Palm Beach, Florida, and lead chaplain for the Lake Clarke Shores Police Department, was recently awarded an Exceptional Service Commendation. Chaplain Stan serves his community with the highest degree of professionalism. “Anytime you receive formal recognition from a government agency, it means a lot,” says Stan. ”The reassurance that you are doing an exceptional job is invaluable. This award spurs me on to continue to fight the good fight.”
Stan’s duties include-but are not limited to-counseling police officers, offering guidance to other members of the department and townspeople, making death notifications, visitation of the sick and hospitalized, and providing assistance to victims of trauma or crisis incidents, as well as offering invocations/benedictions at special events. Also, Stan is in the process of establishing CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) for the community. He will recruit and train local residents to join CERT.
“Being an Alliance chaplain with the police department has offered me a chance to minister to others outside the church,” he says. ”I have another congregation that I am involved with. I am a pastor not only to my church but also to the community.”
Learn More
Read about other Alliance chaplains who are impacting their world for Christ.
What You Can Do
Pray for Alliance chaplains, who are called by God to respond daily to lost and hurting people.
When you give to Alliance Great Commission Ministries, you enable Alliance workers to shine the light of Jesus into spiritually dark places.
November 24, 2010
Here’s a great Thanksgiving greeting from Iraq. It was sent to me November 24 by one our Alliance chaplains, Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Kevin Pies.
Kevin is traveling with our U.S. Army Chief of Chaplains, Chaplain Maj. Doug Carver, who is in Iraq visiting our deployed troops and chaplains. Kevin is there to support the Chief’s mission. Together they’ve visited the area where one of our Alliance chaplains, Rob Olson, and his unit are serving. Rob has been deployed for almost a year and is expecting to be home by Christmas.
Please pray for Rob, Alliance chaplains and their units, and the many others deployed to difficult locations around the world in support of freedom. Pray also for the many brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering for the cause of Christ around the world today.
Here are the names of deployed Alliance chaplains and the U.S. bases from which they’ve been deployed:
- • Rob Olson—Ft. Stewart, Georgia
- • Rob Ginsburg—Ft. Carson, Colorado
- • Randolph Hall—Tennessee National Guard
- • Mark Nevius—Hill AFB, Nevada
- • Ted Randall – Ft. Campbell, Kentucky
- • Brian Daum – Montana National Guard
- • Phil Meher—New Hampshire National Guard
- • Benjamin Ahn—Ft. Riley, Kansas
- • Bill Fry—Ft. Riley, Kansas
I hope the Chief and Kevin will have opportunity to visit a few more of our Alliance chaplains while in Iraq. Please pray they will be an encouragement to all of our troops.
Blessings to you all!
Bob
Rev. Robert W. Collins, II
Chaplain (Lt. Col.) U.S. Army (Retired)
Director/Federal Chaplain Endorser
Alliance Chaplain Ministries
August 17, 2010
Alliance military chaplains enjoyed a night of fellowship and inspiration at a banquet hosted by Chaplain (LTC) Bob Collins, U.S. Army (ret.), director for Alliance Chaplains, and his wife, Denise, August 14 at the U. S. Air Force Academy. Two chaplains were honored for their long-time service with The Alliance and with the military. Air Force Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Bob Wido and his wife, Diane, received a decorative clock for 27 years of service. “A small token of our deep gratitude,” Alliance President Gary Benedict told Wido. Also, Army Chaplain (COL) Jim Puchy and his wife, Becky, were honored with a framed picture noting Jeremiah 29:11.
Puchy, who will retire in 2011, is stationed at the Pentagon and serves as Chief of Chaplains and director for Sustainment and Information. He oversees the church experience and spiritual life for military families throughout the world. Puchy also pastors the chapel at Ft. Belvoir, Virginia, where, “God is moving in a powerful way among the military families,” he says. “As the Holy Spirit speaks to people’s hearts, they can gather in ‘clusters’ for prayer and laying on of hands. One gentleman received prayer for healing of a physical ailment and returned last week to give testimony of the Lord’s touch. The man is now symptom free.”
The evening’s keynote speaker, the Honorable Allen Clark, founder of Combat Faith Ministry and former assistant secretary in the Department of Veterans Affairs, recounted his painful journey from the battlefield of Vietnam to the cross of Jesus.
Clark, who lost both legs during a mortar attack in Vietnam in 1967 that left him 4 feet 6 inches tall, quipped, “When it was time to be fitted for prosthetics, the doctor asked how tall I wanted to be. I told him 6-foot-2.” More seriously, he said, “I may have lost my legs, but I gained [spiritual] legs for a cause that I believe in.”
The double amputee encouraged and challenged the Alliance military chaplains, who represented all branches of service. “What is your spiritual mission?” he asked. “To proclaim the gospel to all you meet. That is your mission. That is your job!”
Learn More
Read stories about Alliance chaplains.
What You Can Do
Pray for military and institutional chaplains as they impact their communities for Christ.
Give to Alliance Great Commission Ministries.
June 30, 2010
“We see the world through the cross,” says Andy Kikuta, who has pastored Hawaii Kai (Alliance) Community Church for nearly 30 years. The Honolulu suburb of Hawaii Kai takes on a crimson hue viewed through a red cross centered in the middle of a “stained glass” window transparency. “That’s our community out there,” says Andy, pointing beyond the cross to the city skyline.
It’s All About Community
Andy’s passion is community outreach, which begins in the church. “We look to our own people first,” he says, “building them up to be Great Commission Christians. They, in turn, can reach out to people around them with Christ’s love and minister to their needs in whatever way that might be.”
The Hawaii Kai family connects with the community in countless ways through practical demonstrations of God’s love. Andy serves on the board of the Independence Day at Maunalua Bay Foundation (IDMBF), which hosts an annual Fourth of July benefit that provides scholarships for east Honolulu public high school students who desire to go to college.
Andy also serves as vice president in charge of the scholarship fund-raising and distribution, and the church rents a booth at the fireworks extravaganza each year. Hawaii Kai Community Church was the first church in the city to contribute to the fund, donating more than $500.
At the IDMBF festival on July 4, Hawaii Kai members will provide games for the kids and also distribute business-card-sized invitations to visit the church to the hundreds of people attending the celebration. “This event opens doors for us to meet people and build relationships,” Andy says. “Last year, our church gained a family through this outreach.”
Love Your Neighbor
Occasionally, Hawaii Kai Community Church “moonlights” as a coffeehouse, providing free refreshments and featuring a local band, Heartsong, of which Andy is a member. Friends and neighbors are invited to hear Heartsong’s smooth jazz and contemporary pop in a warm, friendly setting. “We had 78 people attend recently,” says Andy. “Only 28 were from the church.
“Through the years church members have shared the gospel through varying ministries in our church,” says Andy. “Much of our contact with lost people has come through one-on-one encounters, which we believe were divine appointments.
“Children and youth have come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ through the witness of our Sunday school teachers and also through our partnership with Youth for Christ. One child accepted Jesus as his Savior, and he is still a part of our church as a young adult. Another young adult member shared the good news with a peer through friendship evangelism. The man became a believer and has been a solid church leader, consistently sharing his faith with others.”
Sometimes neighbors come to the church. “I have received calls for many things,” Andy recounts. “One morning, a friend was waiting at the front door when I arrived. He was crying as he told me that his grandson had choked on a gumball and died.” After offering a compassionate shoulder for his friend to lean on, Andy prayed for the man, who later began attending the church.
On Mission
Missions is always a priority at Hawaii Kai, whether at home or overseas. One way that the small church supports overseas missions is through an innovative stamp ministry that is facilitated by Alliance Women Ministries. Each year, thousands of used stamps are collected from around the world, including from the Hawaii Kai church family, and sent to Shell Point (Alliance) Retirement Community in Florida, where they are categorized and sold to wholesalers who buy them for distribution to collectors. All proceeds are designated for Publicaciones Alianza, a ministry in Argentina that produces curriculum emphasizing Scripture for youth in Latin America.
For 25 years, Andy also has served as an Alliance chaplain in the Honolulu Police Department. On more than one occasion during his tenure, Andy has been called upon to intervene in a life or death situation. When a man threatened to jump from a cliff to the rocky coastline below, it was Andy who went out on the slippery ledge and dissuaded the would-be jumper. “I have kept a pair of hiking boots in my police vehicle ever since that day,” he quips.
Living the Call
Holding fast to Christ’s Command in Matthew 28:19, Hawaii Kai is a disciplemaking church. “Recently, the people have rededicated themselves to being a Great Commandment and Great Commission church,” Andy says.
Hawaii Kai Community Church members are impacting their neighborhoods for Christ through every door that God opens, reaching lost and hurting people with the hope of the gospel.
“I have been preaching through our Alliance Core Values,” says the impassioned pastor. “The people reflect those vital beliefs and commitments in their lives, thus we get excited over outreach opportunities like the one coming up on the Fourth of July.
“Lives are being transformed and families are being restored for the glory of God as our little church looks at its big world through the cross.”
November 16, 2009
Editor’s note: The following is an account of God’s call on the life of Alliance Chaplain Lt. Brian Daum, U.S. Army Reserves. Brian, his wife Tammi, and their two children live in Belgrade, Montana and attend Alliance Fellowship in Bozeman.
I sensed God’s call toward Army chaplaincy in 2005 after reading A Table in the Presence by LT Carey H. Cash. I received the book from my wife, Tammi, on my 30th birthday. As I read Lt. Cash’s testimony and processed the role of a chaplain, I began to envision how God could use my skills and gifts for such a ministry, believing my strong sense of patriotism and love for the Lord would make this a good choice. This vision grew into a desire to serve both God and country by ministering to soldiers and their families.
The years of 2004 and 2005 were a time of transition for me and my wife. We enjoyed our six years of ministry in Wisconsin, but sensed God leading us to be available for cross-cultural ministry. We received this calling without details, as we did not sense a call to a specific people group or country, just that we were to have our lives available for God’s purposes. We heeded godly advice, pursued graduate school, and trusted the details to God as we moved forward in faith.
In the course of the next four months, we chose a school, enjoyed what was to be a short sabbatical and prepared for what was ahead. Life seemed in order, but God had other plans. My father was diagnosed with cancer, so we decided to stay in Montana for what we thought may be a year. We started school via distance learning, got steady jobs, and planned ahead. But when we found out that Tammi was with child, it seemed as though our plans were beginning to unravel.
I understand now that God was preparing us for the unique calling of the military chaplaincy. This is a calling to a people with a unique culture, language, and location. In my role as a Alliance Army Chaplain, Tammi and I still face many unknowns such as an impending deployment. These are the details which lead us to pray for wisdom and understanding, trusting God to reveal His purposes for our family as we seek to invest our lives into the lives of those who faithfully serve our country.
July 28, 2009
Miss Ann Droppa of Dunnellon, Florida, went to be with the Lord on July 25, 2009, at the age of 92. She was a retired missionary who served faithfully with The Alliance in India for 37 years, from August 1945 until her retirement in May 1982. She is survived by her brothers, Rev. Charles (Dot) Droppa of Whitinsville, Massachusetts, and Donald (Leona) Droppa of Ocala, Florida; her sister-in-law, Vera Droppa, of Skaneateles; and several nieces and nephews.
Services will be held at 1 p.m. on Thursday, July 30, at Plis Funeral Home, Inc., 33 North Street, Marcellus, New York. The burial will be in Lakeview Cemetery, Skaneateles, New York. Friends may call on the family from noon to 1 p.m. Thursday, prior to the service, at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to: Rose Hill Baptist Church, 2609 Rose Hill Road., Marietta, New York 13110 (phone: 315-673-1092); or Auburn Alliance Church, 630 North Seward Avenue, Auburn, New York 13021 (phone: 315-253-2650).
Condolences may be sent to Rev. Charles and Dot Droppa: 2 Chestnut Street, apartment #103, Whitinsville, Massachusetts 01588.
Prayers for the family during this time of bereavement are very much appreciated.
May 6, 2009
“Chaplains tell me they sometimes feel separated from The Alliance,” says Robert Collins, retired lieutenant colonel (Army) and director for Alliance Military Chaplains Ministries.
Collins is the professional and spiritual mentor for Alliance military chaplains whose deployment takes them around the world, and to the frontlines of war. “They have no Alliance churches close to where they are stationed, or they live in an area of the world where there is no Alliance fellowship.”
Collins understands isolation, having experienced it while he was in the military; he is working to change the situation.
Alliance chaplains stationed in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kuwait have been telling the stories of God’s amazing work among troops for six years. Conversions and baptisms have taken place in historic places recorded in Genesis; Bible studies have sprung up throughout the many battalions.
One Chaplain’s Mission
In Kuwait, Alliance Chaplain and Army Captain Erik Gramling recently baptized several troops and attended the Lighthouse Church, where Alliance pastor Daniel Harstad is “on loan” from the Canadian C&MA. The church is part of the National Evangelical Church Compound in Kuwait City, where 10-20 thousand people from 73 multilingual congregations attend worship services each week.
“The Compound was founded in the early 1900s by an American medical couple who were invited by the ruling family of Kuwait,” says Gramling. “The ministry is robust; many come to Christ.”
Gramling also encouraged his German military congregation to give to the ministry of the Evangelical Alliance Church in Baghdad. In one Sunday offering they designated over $12,000.00 to the GCF for that project.
A Global Vision
“The vision is larger than Alliance Military Chaplain Ministries,” Collins continues. “I believe we bring our Alliance chaplain family closer to the true reality-we are Alliance-and we have a vision that is larger than are own ministries. It is a worldwide vision to take the whole gospel to the whole world!”
What you can do
Pray for Alliance military and institutional chaplains as they serve in difficult places.
Learn more
Read other stories from Alliance chaplains.
Donate now to support Alliance Great Commission Ministries.
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