NEWS

• Mission worker develops first-of-a-kind university course on disabilities in Vietnam.
  
• "Widening the Circle" gathering deepens spiritual roots for living in a diverse world.
  
• Christian Citizenship Seminar focuses on tension between Israel and Palestine.
  
• ABC Board reviews strategic plan, discusses realities of providing quality ministry.
  
• Forum considers relationship of Brethren retirement centers to the districts.
  
• More than 500 attend 13th Dominican Conferencia.
  
• Brethren bits: Church of the Brethren Credit Union, Brethren Press, and more.

PERSONNEL

• Glenn and Linda Timmons to coordinate Brethren Academy's pastoral excellence initiative.

COMING EVENTS

• Song and Story Fest will examine conflict and conscience near Antietam battlefield.
  
• Church of the Brethren takes lead in planning Africa conference for peace churches.

FEATURES

• Holy Humor Sunday brightens worship at Goshen City Church of the Brethren.

Mission worker develops first-of-a-kind university course on disabilities in Vietnam.

When mission worker Grace Mishler, Goshen, Ind., a social worker by training, developed a course in the social work department at National Vietnam University in Ho Chi Minh City, she expected it to be a quiet ministry of presence. But she began opening doors in a far-reaching way for those with disabilities to take a greater role in Vietnamese society.

Mishler began teaching English to social work staff at the university in 2000. Soon her knowledge about working with the disabled and the fact that many persons in Vietnam are disabled from the war, most often from land mines, sharpened her focus. She was invited to develop a course, "Social Awareness of People with Disabilities."

In late February, General Board Global Mission Partnerships staff Merv Keeney and Janis Pyle visited Mishler and saw the ripple effects of a placement jointly sponsored by the General Board and Eastern Mennonite Missions. Mishler's course "is the first time [this has been] done in Vietnam," said the dean of social work at the university, Tran Thi Kim Xuyen. "More than 500 third-year students have had the opportunity to practice their social work skills through working directly with people with disabilities. Besides, the course enhances public awareness of people with disabilities and their needs." Through the course, students gain first-hand experience in what it is actually like to have one of four impairments: hearing, sight, mobility, and intellectual disabilities.

"Grace's ministry empowers those with physical challenges, which has a healing impact on society," Keeney said. "Disabled herself, Grace has been surprisingly successful both interpersonally, by forming networks and encouraging local efforts, and professionally, by developing a comprehensive social work curriculum. Perhaps, in a small way, this project also promotes healing between our nations and peoples."

Source: Newsline 4/02/2004 top

"Widening the Circle" gathering deepens spiritual roots for living in a diverse world.

"When we talk about diversity, we're not talking about some utopian goal but a reality that is already among us. Many of us don't yet navigate the crossing of boundaries very well! This difficult journey is the heart of following Jesus." With these words, Bible study leader Ched Myers captured the essence of "Widening the Circle: Peacemaking in the Midst of Diversity," which took place March 11-14 in La Verne, Calif.

Over 120 Brethren and friends from various faith traditions, including students from eight universities and seminaries, attended the third annual Organizing for Peace gathering. The event, co-sponsored by the University of La Verne (ULV), the La Verne Church of the Brethren, and On Earth Peace, a peace education organization in the Church of the Brethren, was intended to deepen the spiritual roots of faith-based peacemakers working in a world diverse in race, class, and religion.

Speakers included Lourdes Arguelles, professor of education at Claremont (Calif.) Graduate University; Daniel Loera, director of Multicultural Affairs at ULV; and Muslim imam Ali Siddiqui. James Lawson, an associate of Martin Luther King, Jr., spoke about the connection between peace and justice, asserting that peace churches have failed to grapple with the deep spiritual evil of the $800 billion war industry and have failed to engage the politics of Jesus and the Kingdom of God. Sunday morning worship featured Claremont School of Theology professor Elizabeth Conde-Frazier on the transforming power of Jesus to create shalom.

Jubilee Troupe, an Anabaptist-based interactive arts ensemble, made its debut at the conference. The troupe contributed sacred drama and dance, often poignantly reflecting the feelings and dreams expressed by conference participants. "This was a peaceful, spiritual, and blessed event," said participant Amy Adkins, of the Brethren Witness/Washington Office.

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Christian Citizenship Seminar focuses on tension between Israel and Palestine.

Tensions between Israel and Palestine formed the central focus as nearly 100 youth and advisors met for this year's Christian Citizenship Seminar March 20-25 in New York and Washington, D.C.

Participants came from California, the Midwest, and several East Coast states for the event, sponsored by the General Board's Youth/Young Adult Ministries office and the Brethren Witness/Washington Office. The seminar examines a different theme of current global or domestic significance each year. News of the assassination of a Hamas leader in Israel came during the week this year, adding a note of immediate relevance to the conversations. Most speakers approached the issue from the Palestinian perspective, recounting the difficulties and oppression this group has suffered in a struggle over land that has significance to several major religions.

Rick Polhamus, a Brethren member of Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) who has spent several extended stays in the West Bank, shared about CPT's work, his own experiences of being tear-gassed and breaking up situations of conflict, and the need to find the people behind the stories. "It's when we get back to being human that we can transform things," he said. Catholic aid worker Joseph Donnelly, a drama/music team from New York, and Brian Avery of International Solidarity Movement also described their experiences working among the Palestinian people, sometimes with strong emotion. Much attention was given to the "separation barrier" being built as a security measure and boundary through the disputed territory; simulated security "checkpoints" even greeted participants as they came to one session.

Other speakers included National Council of Churches general secretary Bob Edgar, who talked about the political process in general as well as the NCC's work on the Israel-Palestine issue including his own recent trip to the region. He described the situation as one of rage on one side and fear on the other. Jim Wetekan, media director for Churches for Middle East Peace, framed the discussion in terms of political advocacy; Washington-area Rabbi Bruce Aft helped to express some of the Jewish/Israeli perspective in the situation; and Imam J. Abdul-Malik gave an outline of Islamic beliefs and practice.

"I found (the seminar) as a whole really valuable, because it allows us to discuss world events and the Middle East," participant Nick Kauffman of Goshen, Ind., said. "We never discuss things like this at school. This gives us a chance to all get together and talk about it."

The week also featured worship in New York churches, a tour of the United Nations, small-group discussions, a political comedy performance by Dave Lippman, visits with congressional representatives, and free time for exploring the two cities.

Source: Newsline 4/02/2004 top

ABC Board reviews strategic plan, discusses realities of providing quality ministry.

The organization's strategic plan and realities of providing quality ministry were talking points at the Association of Brethren Caregivers (ABC) Board meetings Mar. 19-21 in Elgin, Ill.

Kathy Reid, ABC's new executive director, led the board through a ministry evaluation process that staff completed during a spring retreat. The process evaluated ABC's programs and provided a forum to suggest future directions for the agency. Following board discussion and response to staff suggestions, Reid said the staff will take the board's feedback and return with three to six imperatives for ABC's programming at the fall board meeting.

Two study papers from the Fellowship of Brethren Homes exploring the issue of uncompensated care were presented by ABC staff member Ralph McFadden. For most Brethren-affiliated retirement centers, the issue affects their ability to provide care to residents who no longer have the financial resources—including private insurance, Medicaid, and Medicare—to pay for their own care. A 2003 survey by 18 Brethren homes revealed that the combined financial loss of uncompensated care amounted to $14,393,615. The board suggested that the fellowship work with districts and congregations on the Christian ethics surrounding the ministry provided by the homes, and the need for better financial planning for older adult years.

This was the first board meeting for Reid and new board members John Katonah, of Evanston, Ill.; David Fouts, Mayesville, W.Va.; and Vernne Greiner, Mechanicsburg, Pa. Another first was the attendance of Chris Bowman, Annual Conference moderator. "It is significant that ABC Board members were able to discuss the state of the denomination with the Annual Conference Moderator. The ABC board believes that collaboration within the church and its agencies will benefit us all," Reid said. Collaboration also occurred during a report on the Ecclesiology Consultation by Wendy McFadden, publisher for Brethren Press.

In other business, the board approved individuals and organizations to receive awards at ABC's Annual Recognition Dinner at the 2004 Annual Conference; learned about ABC staff leading workshops on deacon and older adult ministries this spring in Atlantic Northeast, Michigan, Southern Ohio, and Western Plains Districts; heard staff reports on activities for chaplains, disabilities, Brethren-affiliated homes, and the creation of a series of workshops about coping with fear; received a report from the Finance Committee and created a Sustainability Committee to craft and implement a funds development strategy. The committee will be chaired by Wally Landes, board chair elect.

The board also received a report about Health Promotion Sunday materials on "Healthy Faith Communities," available at www.brethren.org/abc. The annual emphasis is May 16. This is the first year that resources were made available solely on ABC's website.

Source: Newsline 4/02/2004 top

Forum considers relationship of Brethren retirement centers to the districts.

More than 50 participants from 13 facilities attended the seventh annual Forum for CEOs, administrators, senior management, board members, and residents of Church of the Brethren retirement centers. The forum is sponsored annually by the Fellowship of Brethren Homes, a ministry of the Association of Brethren Caregivers.

The Brethren Retirement Community, Greenville, Ohio, hosted the event March 4-6. District executive ministers were invited to the meeting to consider the ongoing relationships of the homes and districts. Seventeen of the 23 districts have historic and current relationships with Brethren retirement centers.

Other highlights included a recognition and awards dinner, presentations, workshops, a tour of the host facilities, and significant times of fellowship. Recognitions were given to three CEOs who have retired or are no longer with the homes: LeRoy Weddle from The Cedars, McPherson, Kan., who retired at the end of 2003; Vernon Showalter of Pinecrest Community, Mount Morris, Ill., who will retire this spring; and Cathy Snell, of the Lebanon Valley Brethren Home, Palmyra, Pa., who died in 2003. Eleven staff, volunteers, board members, and facilities were given "outstanding" awards.

Nine sponsors provided exhibits, workshops, and financial support. Participants also heard from Brethren Benefit Trust, Bethany Theological Seminary, and The Peace Church Purchasing Group, a collaborative agency of the Friends, Mennonites, and Church of the Brethren. The next Forum is tentatively scheduled for March 17-19, 2005, at Timbercrest Senior Living Community, North Manchester, Ind.

Source: Newsline 4/02/2004 top

More than 500 attend 13th Dominican Conferencia.

Record attendance was a highlight of the 13th Annual Conferencia of Iglesia de Los Hermanos (Church of the Brethren in the Dominican Republic) Feb. 19-22 in Santo Domingo. Twenty of the church's 24 congregations or preaching points sent delegates, and more than 500 people attended. The theme, "Renewed in the Same Spirit," came from Romans 12:2.

Moderator Wilson Nova welcomed visitors from congregations in Puerto Rico and guest preachers Ruben DeOleo and Guillermo Encarnacion from Atlantic Northeast District. Encarnacion, director of theological education in the DR, said,"Although it has been a difficult year overall for Haitians, the church is one place where Haitians and Dominicans can dwell together in unity." He pointed out that the new moderator, Anastasia Buena, and Ernesto Mereciel, moderator elect and pastor of the Mendoza congregation (the largest in the conference), are both of Haitian descent. Nova, pastor of the Bonao church plant, was elected as the new president of the board.

In business items, delegates approved a redesigned medical ministry that envisions doctors traveling from a central location to hold holistic faith-centered medical and health education clinics organized by churches; approved guidelines for congregations considering building projects; and approved a budget including an increase to help churches with pastors' salaries.

Source: Newsline 4/02/2004 top

Brethren bits: Church of the Brethren Credit Union, Brethren Press, and more.

• The Board of Directors of the new Church of the Brethren Credit Union expressed thanks this week to the people who for the past several years have staffed the credit union's predecessor organization, Brethren Employees' Credit Union (BECU). Dennis Fisher, BECU president and CEO, concluded his service March 31, and Stacie Wirtz and Jane Potoczny concluded their service today, April 2. As of April 1, the credit union offices were moved to a new location within the Brethren Benefit Trust offices in Elgin, Ill. The credit union will hold an open house at 10 a.m. April 5. Contact the credit union at its new website, www.cobcu.org, where membership applications and loan applications may be made online.
  
  
• Alana Geuder will begin April 5 as the General Board's Customer Service Resource Specialist for Brethren Press, a position located at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill. Through her background in retail management, Geuder has experience in customer service, order-processing, inventory management, and daily operations.
  
  
• The Association of Brethren Caregivers (ABC) seeks a full-time administrative assistant to serve as assistant to the executive director and other staff. The position also carries responsibilities for administering ABC's loans and scholarship program, maintaining all financial services, and acting as registrar for all ABC-sponsored conferences. Applicants may contact Mary Lou Garrison at (847) 742-5100 or e-mail mgarrison_gb@brethren.org.
  
  
• Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) has named Doug Pritchard and Carol Rose as co-directors, to begin Sept. 1. Gene Stoltzfus has served as director for the past 16 years. Rose, of Wichita, Kan., will become Operations Co-Director and Pritchard, of Toronto, Canada, will be Program Co-Director. Rose recently completed six years of pastoral leadership in the Mennonite Church of the Servant in Wichita, and previously worked for 13 years with Mennonite Central Committee in Honduras, Thailand, the Philippines, and Lancaster, Pa. Pritchard, a member of Toronto United Mennonite Church, is coordinator of CPT Canada, a position he has held since the inception of the program in 1997. CPT is an ecumenical program initiated by Brethren and Mennonite Congregations and Friends Meetings.
  
  
• "Many thanks to those who have already used the system and gained the benefits!" wrote Lerry Fogle, Annual Conference executive director, in a statement expressing appreciation to those who are pre-registering for the 2004 Conference. Registration using www.brethren.org/ac facilitates the work of his office and will make registration for next year's Conference even easier, he said. Information collected this year will be retained to expedite future registrations and send customized Conference invitations. Benefits of pre-registering online before May 15 include a discount of $10 per registration for each attendee or family member, and no waiting in line on arrival in Charleston. Name tags and Conference booklets will be mailed in advance to those who pre-register. In addition, those who pre-register have two payment options, via credit card while online or by sending a check after registering.
  
  
• Volunteer translators are needed for the English-Spanish translation services at the 2004 Annual Conference. Nadine L. Monn will be coordinating the translation effort. Monn is working on written translation of business items and any sermons that are available in advance of the Conference. Volunteers are needed for on-site translation of business sessions, worship services, and any insight sessions or meal events, as a service to Hispanic attendees. Contact Monn at 301-759-4710 or e-mail nadine_monn@yahoo.com.
  
  
• A planned tour of the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md., on the morning of Saturday March 20 expanded into an all-day experience for the Maryland Boy's Choir when their bus broke down. Volunteer hosts at the Conference Center made sure the visitors--50 boys and 16 chaperones--had a good experience, according to Kathleen Campanella, BSC's manager of communications. To fill the time, a generous chaperone provided each member of the group with $20 to spend in SERRV's International Gift Shop. "The chaperone really took 'Shopping is Mission' seriously," Campanella reported. "We also provided a place for the group to eat their bag lunches, basketballs to burn off some energy, and a place to rehearse for their next performance."
  
  
• As of March 31, 212 people have registered to participate in National Young Adult Conference. The Young Adult Steering Committee encourages young adults aged 18-35 to register soon, because registration will close April 15. To register online, go to www.nyac2004.org and click on the registration link. All forms and the entire registration fee of $225 are due in the NYAC Office by April 15. For questions or more information, please visit the website or contact Becky Ullom at 800-323-8039, ext. 286.
  
  
• The Susquehanna Valley Satellite of Bethany Theological Seminary sponsored a Continuing Education event for pastors on March 13. "Restoring the Soul of Ministry: Weaving Spiritual Practices in Solitude and Community" was led by Kent Ira Groff, founding mentor of Oasis Ministries. The retreat-seminar was conducted through video teleconferencing between Juniata College and Elizabethtown College. Thirty-six pastors participated.
  
  
• As a fund-raiser for Church of the Brethren disaster response, a small group at University Park Church of the Brethren in Hyattsville, Md., is selling prints of a photograph of Scharzenau, Germany, and the Eder River. Church member Warren Kissinger took the photograph during the denomination's 250th anniversary celebration at the site of the founding of the Brethren movement. Copies of the photograph hang in the University Park church, the Mid-Atlantic District office, and the Young Center at Elizabethtown (Pa.) College. Another will be auctioned at the Mid-Atlantic District Relief Auction this spring. Cost for 11-by-14-inch unframed prints is $20. Contact University Park Church of the Brethren, 4413 Tuckerman St., Hyattsville, MD 20782.
  
  
• Cincinnati (Ohio) Church of the Brethren is holding a mosque tour May 1. The one-and-a-half-hour tour, which can accommodate up to 150 people, will begin at 1 p.m. at the Islamic Center, 8092 Plantation Dr., West Chester, OH 45069. The tour will address Islamic beliefs, the art and architecture of the mosque, and major issues in the community. A $2 per person donation is suggested. Women are asked to dress appropriately in pants or long skirts and wear head coverings. For more information contact Wendy Smith at 513-947-0539 or e-mail kurtandwendy@fuse.net.
  
  
• The Level 1 Disaster Child Care (DCC) Training Workshop scheduled for March 26-27 at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Frederick, Md., has been rescheduled to Sept. 17-18 at Frederick Church of the Brethren. Space is still available for additional participants in the Level 1 DCC Training Workshop at the Tearcoat Church of the Brethren in Augusta, W.Va., April 16-17. The trainings are for volunteers interested in ministering with children following a disaster. DCC is a ministry of the General Board. For more information contact Helen Stonesifer, DCC coordinator, at 800-451-4407 or e-mail hstonesifer_gb@brethren.org.
  
  
• The Middle Pennsylvania District Church of the Brethren Resource Network Catalog is now available online. The network, which is primarily for use within the district, provides materials and information for ministry including print and video resources located at the District Center for Congregational Ministry as well as some helpful Web resources and a listing of individuals with special ministry focus areas who are willing to assist others. Log on to the website at either www.midpacob.org or public.juniata.edu/midpa. For more information call the District Center at 814-643-0601 or e-mail dness_ds@brethren.org.
  
  
• "Evangelism and the Progressive Church" is the theme for the Western Regional Event sponsored by Voices for an Open Spirit (VOS), 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on May 8 at Modesto (Calif.) Church of the Brethren. Jim Burklo, pastor of the Sausalito Presbyterian Church and author of "Open Christianity: Home by Another Way" will be the presenter. Cost for the day is $25. For more information visit www.voicesforanopenspirit.org where VOS is described as "a network of people who want to give voice to a progressive spirit in the Church of the Brethren."
  
  
• "Brethren Alive 2004," a conference sponsored by the Brethren Revival Fellowship July 23-25 at Elizabethtown College, will focus on the theme, "The Christian Family--Under the Design of God." Speakers are Garnet Myers, minister at Upton/Trinity Church of the Brethren, Greencastle, Pa.; Kenneth Nell, minister at Pleasant Hill Church of the Brethren, Spring Grove, Pa.; Mervin Keller, minister at Lewiston (Maine) Church of the Brethren; and Craig Smith, district executive minister of Atlantic Northeast District. The purpose of the meeting is to gather evangelical Brethren "to celebrate our life in Christ and encourage one another to spiritual growth and faithfulness." Cost is $50. Contact Brethren Alive 2004, 155 Denver Rd., Denver, PA 17517.
  
  
• An "early bird" registration discount is available through April 15 for the North American Stewardship Conference on the theme, "The Joy of Stewardship: A Guide to Generous Giving" June 23-26 in Toronto, Canada. The conference is for congregational stewardship leaders to receive inspiration, practical help, and creative insights. For more information see www.stewardshipresources.org.
  
  
• April 2 is the deadline to receive a special event room rate for the North American Conference on Christian Philanthropy, to be held April 28-30 in St. Louis, Mo. The conference provides resources, ideas, and connections with others committed to faithful and creative stewardship ministries. For more information go to www.stewardshipresources.org.

Source: Newsline 4/02/2004 top

Glenn and Linda Timmons to coordinate pastoral excellence initiative.

Linda and Glenn Timmons have been appointed coordinators for the Sustaining Pastoral Excellence initiative of the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership, a ministry training partnership of the General Board and Bethany Theological Seminary. As coordinators they will provide leadership for the Vital Pastor Program and the Advanced Foundations of Church Leadership program, made possible by a grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. They will begin in late April at the academy offices in Richmond, Ind.

Glenn Timmons served the General Board as executive director of Congregational Life Ministries and executive of Parish Ministries from 1992 until his retirement in 2003. He also has pastored four Church of the Brethren congregations. Linda Timmons has served the Association of Brethren Caregivers as administrative assistant since 1997, and previously served as coordinator of recruitment for Brethren Volunteer Service, managed a SERRV gift shop, and has been a lay minister of Christian Education at Highland Avenue Church of the Brethren, Elgin, Ill.

To learn more about the Vital Pastor and Advanced Foundations programs, visit www.bethanyseminary.edu/pastoralexcellencemain.htm. To learn more about the Lilly Endowment initiative, visit www.pastoralexcellence.org.

Source: Newsline 4/02/2004 top

Song and Story Fest will examine conflict and conscience near Antietam battlefield.

This year's pre-Annual Conference "Song and Story Fest" family camp will be held on the banks of the Potomac near the Antietam Civil War battlefield. The theme will be "Gathered at the Cross-Roads of Conflict and Conscience." On Earth Peace is a co-sponsor.

The June 27-July 2 event will be hosted by Shepherd's Spring, an outdoor ministry center of Mid-Atlantic District. Participants will spend most of a day at Antietam and gather in its old Dunker meeting house to tell stories, sing, and pray.

The family camp is for all ages and includes intergenerational gatherings and worship; workshops for adults, children, and youth; family time and recreation; story swaps; music making; campfires; and a concert or folk dance. Among many others giving leadership is Bethany Theological Seminary professor Dena Pence Frantz, who will offer a Brethren Academy course on "Faith and Art" for which students can receive credit. For more information e-mail Ken Kline Smeltzer at bksmeltz@adelphia.net or register online at www.brethren.org/oepa/SongandStoryFest2004.html.

Source: Newsline 4/02/2004 top

Church of the Brethren takes lead in planning Africa conference for peace churches.

The Historic Peace Churches are planning a conference in Nairobi, Kenya, Aug. 8-14 at the invitation of the World Council of Churches' Decade to Overcome Violence. The conference, called "Watu Kwa Amani" or "people of peace" in Swahili, will focus on the question, "What does it mean to be a peace church in Africa?" through the telling of stories of experiences of violence and the response of the church.

The Church of the Brethren has been asked to take leadership for the conference and Bethany Theological Seminary is hosting the planning process. Don Miller, Bethany's emeritus professor of Christian Education and Ethics, convenes the planning committee and Scott Holland, associate professor of Peace Studies and Cross-Cultural Studies, also is in the group along with representatives of the Mennonites, the Friends, the National Council of Churches, and the World Council of Churches.

Participation will be by invitation only and will include primarily African members of the Historic Peace Churches. Miller said the committee anticipates attendance by men and women representing Ekklesiyar Yanuwa a Nigeria (EYN—the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria); Friends from Rwanda, Kenya, and possibly South Africa; and Mennonites from Ethiopia and the Congo. "It's really a remarkable event," Miller said. The first Historic Peace Churches conference was held in Bienenberg, Switzerland, in 2001 at the initiative of the Mennonites. For more information visit www.peacetheology.org.

Source: Newsline 4/02/2004 top

Holy Humor Sunday brightens worship at Goshen City Church of the Brethren.

Humor in worship "can create some excitement if you can emphasize that Christ is risen," said Yvonne Riege, pastor of Goshen (Ind.) City Church of the Brethren. The church is one of many Christian congregations that are extending the celebration of Easter through "Holy Humor" or "Bright Sunday" services, according to the Fellowship of Merry Christians.

In 1988 the fellowship began encouraging churches to revive an old Christian custom of using humor, parties, and picnics to celebrate Jesus' resurrection on the Monday or Sunday after Easter. According to the fellowship, the practice dates from theologians such as Augustine, Gregory of Nyssa, and John Chrysostom who mused that God played a joke on the devil by raising Jesus from the dead, and that Easter was God's supreme joke played on death.

At Goshen City, Holy Humor Sunday is "a day when you're just not sure what to expect," Riege said. The first year the church observed the day, the worship leader was "a local comedian," said Riege, and the service "was hilarious." Another year, a hymn was accompanied by boomwhackers, brightly colored plastic tubes that make different musical tones when "whacked." Riege began one service by placing a sleeping bag on the front pew. "If you must sleep in on Sunday, sleep in here," she said, and was delighted when someone from the congregation stepped forward to take her up on the invitation.

The church will celebrate its fourth annual Holy Humor Sunday April 18. The congregation was hesitant when Riege started the observance, but now "they kind of look forward to it," she said. Although she has no statistics to back up her feeling, she senses that attendance on what is usually a low Sunday has not dipped as low in the past few years, and "the mood is a whole lot better." This year, the many humorous touches will include jokes, ushers' "hushers" badges, an invitation for the congregation to wear brightly colored clothing, and playful music by the Praise Team.

Riege contributed Holy Humor Sunday resources to the October 2000 "In Our Midst" packet of worship resources for Church of the Brethren congregations. For information about the Fellowship of Merry Christians, see the website www.joyfulnoiseletter.com.

Source: Newsline 4/02/2004 top

CREDITS

Newsline is produced by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of news services for the Church of the Brethren General Board, on the first, third, and fifth Friday of each month, with other editions as needed. Newsline stories may be reprinted provided that Newsline is cited as the source. Mary Dulabaum, Ralph McFadden, Janis Pyle, Jonathan Shively, Kim Stuckey, and Walt Wiltschek contributed to this report.

Newsline is a free service sent only to those requesting a subscription. To receive it by e-mail, or to unsubscribe, write cobnews@aol.com or call 800-323-8039, ext. 260. Newsline is available at www.brethren.org and is archived with an index at www.wfn.org. Also see Photo Journal at www.brethren.org/pjournal/index.htm for photo coverage of events.

Source: Newsline 4/02/2004 top