Brethren bits: remembrance, personnel, and more.

• Gwen Bobb, an employee at the Church of the Brethren general offices in Elgin, Ill., for 20 years 1959-79, died May 27 at Pinecrest Community in Mount Morris, Ill. She worked as administrative assistant for the Ministry and Home Missions Commission and later for the General Services Commission of the General Board. She completed her employment with the board as coordinator of historical resources. Bobb was a key person behind the restoration of the Kurtz organ and the acquisition of many items of historical interest for the Brethren Historical Library and Archives. After retirement, she still had a desk at the general offices as a volunteer for the Fellowship of Brethren Genealogists, serving as president of the group and producing the organization's newsletter.
  
  
• Brethren Benefit Trust announces the hiring of Lauryn Estes as coordinator of office, production, and information services in its Communications and Information Services Department, effective June 1. Estes was previously employed in the General Board's Brethren Witness program and in Brethren Press, and has worked in a temporary position for the Annual Conference office since February this year.
  
  
• The Brethren Witness/Washington Office of the General Board is acknowledging the service of Bryan Hissong, who completed his term as a Brethren Volunteer Service worker May 28. While working as a legislative associate for the past 18 months, Hissong did extensive research and development around issues of the environment, nuclear energy, and the war in Iraq. He provided leadership at numerous conferences and workshops and assisted groups and individuals in political advocacy work in Washington, D.C. He also helped bridge the transition from one director of the office to another.
  
  
• The 2004 series of Church of the Brethren workcamps for junior and senior highs and young adults began with a May 28-June 10 trip to the Taize community in France and the World Council of Churches in Geneva, Switzerland. Leaders are Beth Rhodes and Cindy Laprade, co-coordinators of this year's workcamp program. Crystal Waggy, of Rock Run Church of the Brethren, Goshen, Ind., and a student at Manchester College, is assistant coordinator.
  
  
• Flash floods and mud slides on the border of the Dominican Republic and Haiti May 24 have not directly affected Church of the Brethren congregations on the Caribbean island, reported Irv and Nancy Heishman, the General Board's mission coordinators in the DR. Up to 1,000 people may have perished in floods that hit in the middle of the night while most were sleeping, the Heishmans said. "Fortunately, all of our Dominican Brethren were out of harm's way during this intense three-day storm," they said. "However, the Dominican Brethren have caught the Brethren spirit of disaster relief and will likely organize a response effort in the weeks to come."
  
  
• After a week of turbulent weather across the US, with devastating storms, and floods in Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, district disaster coordinators are on the alert for ways Brethren can help reports Jane Yount of the General Board's Emergency Response program. A Disaster Child Care team was dispatched to Hallam, Neb., a small town that was nearly obliterated by a tornado, Yount reported.
  
  
• "Celebrating Possibilities: Hope for Our Congregation" is a mini-conference especially for small membership and rural congregations in Michigan, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. June 26 at Midland Church of the Brethren. The conference is sponsored by the Small Membership/Rural Church Leadership Team and is the third in a series of mini-conferences. A suggested donation of $20 will help cover costs. For more information contact Don Willoughby at 231-362-3345 or e-mail donmar@kaltelnet.net.
  
  
• "Enriching Worship Music" was the theme for a series of events in Shenandoah District April 16-18. Shawn Kirchner, musician and worship leader from La Verne, Calif., was the guest leader. Pastors, church musicians, and others interested in worship gathered at Harrisonburg (Va.) First Church of the Brethren for a session on "Choosing and Using Music to Create Meaningful Worship Experiences in These Changing Times." A hands-on workshop for church musicians, "Theory and Practice," was held at the piano lab at Eastern Mennonite University. Worship services featured Kirchner's music at Bridgewater (Va.) Church of the Brethren, Front Royal (Va.) Church of the Brethren, and Sunrise Fellowship in Harrisonburg. A total of 205 people from three districts participated. The series was coordinated and sponsored by Shenandoah's nurture commission and the General Board's Congregational Life Team Area 3.
  
  
• Faculty and staff of Manchester College, a Church of the Brethren school in North Manchester, Ind., are donating an estimated 9,000 textbooks to help a fledgling Philadelphia community college for Hispanics build its library. The texts cover subjects ranging from science and education to computers, writing, languages, and math. The collection--including cataloging the texts--is a project of the first graduating class of Manchester's newest degree program, Master of Arts in Contemporary Leadership. The texts will travel this summer to Nueva Esperanza Center for Higher Education of Eastern University.
  
  
• Fourteen young adults from across the country spent Memorial Day weekend at Camp Emmaus in Mount Morris, Ill., at a "Raise Your Voice" retreat offered by the New Community Project, a Brethren-related nonprofit organization. The event was a leadership development experience to equip young adults for advocacy within and beyond the church on issues of justice and care for the earth. Leadership was provided by Don Vermilyea, Brethren Volunteer Service worker who is doing a Walk Across America; David Radcliff, New Community Project director; and Brethren musician Joseph Helfrich. The Ecumenical Eco-Justice Network was a co-sponsor, and funds for participants' travel were provided by Lancaster (Pa.) Church of the Brethren and Modesto (Calif.) Church of the Brethren. For more information call 888-800-2985 or e-mail dradcliff@newcommunityproject.org.
  
  
• Applications for a Young Adult Stewards Program at the National Council of Churches (NCC) General Assembly 2004, to be held Nov. 9-11 in St. Louis, Mo., are available from the General Board's Youth and Young Adult Office. Call 800-323-8039 ext. 297 or e-mail cdouglas_gb@brethren.org. The assembly will gather delegates from 36 Christian denominations for business, worship, and fellowship. Stewards ages 18-30 will help provide hospitality and help staff the assembly. Stewards also will have opportunities to network with other young adults, join in worship, and interact with national Christian leaders. Expenses, except for personal expenses, will be covered by the NCC. Completed applications are due Aug. 2.

Source: 6/04/2004 Newsline
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