Please join us for FB’s Christmas Concert December 7, 2008, at 4:00 PM, in the Faith Builders gymnasium in Guys Mills. Refreshments will be served after the concert. For more information about this free concert, call (814) 789-4518 ext. 348. You can also download a promotional brochure below.

Thanks to the generous responses to our appeal for funds, we have received adequate contributions to upgrade our phone system. Please remember us in prayer as we work on deploying this new technology.

Thanks to the men who participated in the Heart & Voice Men’s Music Weekend! We’re hearing some great things about the weekend.

Brandon Mullet wrote,

We had a very good weekend! Forty-seven men in the group and a wide range of ages and backgrounds made it especially rewarding. The programs were well attended (374 at Sandy Ridge and approximately 650 at Fairhaven). People were appreciative and affirming. We also enjoyed having David Seitz come and work with us for about an hour on Saturday. He sang with us for an hour or so of rehearsal in the forenoon, then rehearsed several pieces with us after lunch. He was just ecstatic at the privilege of working with a group like ours, largely because he felt so connected to his roots. David lives in Elkhart, IN, but used to teach music at EMU and was a one of the voices of the Mennonite Hour. He has arranged quite a few pieces over the years and we sang three of his arrangements in our program. He attended our Sunday afternoon program. I was also distinctly privileged to have several of my Grace College music professors at the afternoon program—a  very special connection for me.

A guest at a program wrote,

As a fan of Heart and Voice, I think it was definitely the best program I’ve heard. There was something other-worldly about such a big group of men singing such beautiful music. I loved your selections. Sometime programs have a section that kind of drags, but this one kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. It was moving, worshipful, and beautiful in ways I have rarely experienced. Thanks for blessing us all with that!

 

A participant in the weekend wrote,

My participation in the Heart & Voice Men’s Music Weekend continues to be a highlight of my year.  I am always challenged and encouraged to pursue musical   excellence.  I enjoy working with this group of committed men who share a passion for great music.  New friendships are formed and old ones renewed.  To see the audiences drawn into authentic worship is deeply gratifying.  Long after the programs are done, my soul continues to be refreshed by the melodies, harmonies, and text in which I have been immersed.  These are some of the reasons I keep coming back for more.

Program bulletin posted here (PDF, 92 KB)

I just published our annual report issue of the newsletter to the web! You can get a preview by downloading the PDF below. Included in this issue…

• Annual Report
• Marriage Seminar
• FB Calendar
• Staff Photos
• Financial Report
• News from FB

Steven Brubaker writes,

It is with profound gratitude to God and to you, our partners in the work of Faith Builders, that we offer this annual report. Our desire is to describe accurately the life, the opportunities, the needs, and the challenges of the continuing ministry of Faith Builders Educational Programs. Our hope is that this picture will add one more link in the chain of partnership. Your ongoing counsel, prayer, and support are vital if Faith Builders is to serve God and His church.

Read more below (PDF, 2.3 MB).

Are you looking for ways to strengthen your marriage and deepen your relationship with your spouse?  Faith Builders is offering a weekend of teaching and interaction with other couples designed to encourage and support married couples.  Teaching sessions will alternate with times of small group interaction as couples.  Plan now to include this weekend in your spring schedule!

The dates for this seminar are March 28-29, 2008. If you would like to attend this seminar, please register by March 15, 2009.

Read more information about this weekend here.

Johann Butikofer will be arriving at FB on November 8 and is planning to spend a year with us as a maintenance volunteer. He is a brother to TAP student Joel Butikofer and currently lives in Richland Center, Wisconsin. Johann will be a “maintenance apprentice” until Lynford leaves in December and will then fill Lynford’s role. Johann brings with him experience and skills in both mechanics and building construction. We are eagerly looking forward to making him part of the team.