Andy Van Bueren is a brother in the International Church of Christ in Athens, Georgia who is in his last days of life on earth due to pancreatic cancer. Below is a description of the great day of worship celebrating Andy and praising God, and a way for all who would like to send him a personal message. In their early marriage, Andy and Pat served in the full-time ministry in Colorado and Illinois. Andy has also served many churches through helping organize events.
Sunday, February 2 was an unforgettable day as old friends and neighbors converged on the college town of Athens, Georgia in honor of a very dear friend, Andy Van Bueren, in an amazing service highlighting God’s glorious promise of heaven to His faithful ones at the Athens Church of Christ. This was Andy’s hearts’ desire, to worship and honor God with some of his closest friends. And worship we did, with all of our hearts, as we read scripture after scripture about the glorious home God has prepared and as we repeated the lyrics of the song “God is so Good” until all of us were overwhelmed with all of the ways that His goodness had touched our lives.
Andy Van Bueren is a warrior with a heart for God! It all began at the University of Florida in the ’70s. His passion for God, his ability to encourage the saints, as well as non-believers, and his wholehearted zeal for God’s purpose were absolutely contagious. He had been saved and he wanted the whole world to know! In January 1976, he was sent out to Fort Collins, Colorado along with his wife, Pat to begin the campus ministry at Colorado State University. Those were thrilling and historic times in which God did “immeasurably more” than they could have asked or imagined.
In 1978, Andy began negotiating contracts to rent facilities for the first combined campus ministry retreat. Over the years, he has served God’s church wholeheartedly and tirelessly despite very difficult health challenges. He has worked hard to save local congregations money through negotiating retreat and conference facilities, a legacy that his son, Stephen now carries Andy’s service for God’s church has not skipped a beat or taken a day off in 40 years.
“Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today” — Hebrews 3:13
We had the opportunity to visit with Andy Van Bueren the other day and as always, left more encouraged than we could have possibly encouraged him. How does that happen? What an inspiration! Andy has been such an encouragement and inspiration in so many of our lives. As many of you know, Andy has also fought some intense health battles over the years and is currently struggling with cancer. We were thinking that it would be a wonderful gift of love for us to rally all of his friends together to encourage him.
Phone messages: With that in mind, we have set up a phone line from now until next Friday, February 7, 2014 where we can all call in encouraging thoughts, great memories and thank you’s to our friend and brother. Please identify yourself at the onset of the call and share thoughts from your heart. No messages will be taken after the 7th. The messages will be collected and recorded onto a CD and given to him and his family. The phone number is 404-487-8880. Leave your message after the recorded intro.
Email messages: We have also set up an email address where you can download videos, send photos or write messages to encourageandy@gmail.com.
Thank you for your love and your “heart of family.” We are sure that Andy and his family will be strengthened and encouraged with this gift.
We love you,
Lin and Mark Ottenweller
