West Marva holds two training events simultaneously.

Knowing that all licensed and ordained clergy would be required to attend a district-wide Ministerial Ethics Training Workshop, the West Marva District Nurture Commission decided to try something different, reported Julie M. Hostetter, Congregational Life Team coordinator for Area 3. "They chose to provide a Christian education event that would take place on the same day and at the same location as the ethics training," she said.

On Nov. 13, participants for both events met together for opening worship, lunch, and closing worship at Sunnyside Church of the Brethren in New Creek, W.Va. Seventy-two pastors from 49 churches spent their morning and afternoon in sessions focusing on ministerial ethics with Mary Jo Flory-Steury, director of Ministry for the General Board. Forty-four church educators from 20 congregations attended a plenary session, "Called to Teach!" led by Hostetter.

Participants had the option of choosing from workshops options including "Learning Centers for Children," "Ministry with Youth/Young Adults," "Exciting Adult Education," "Christian Education with Special Needs Students," "Teacher Calling, Equipping, and Encouraging," "Storytelling for Children," "Media and Christian Education," "Small Group Ministry for Adults," "Christian Education for Students with ADD and ADHD," and "Many Ways of Teaching/Learning." Leadership for the workshops included Jennifer Sanders and Patsy Shenk from West Marva District and Alice Geiman, Jan Matteson, and Mary Alice Womble from Shenandoah District.

In a show-and-tell session, participants shared what was going on in the nurture and education programs of their congregations as well as what they learned in the workshops. Pastors and educators had the opportunity to peruse a display of curricula published and recommended by the denomination, and to purchase resources from Brethren Press.

Source: 12/31/2004 Newsline