Brethren bits: Correction, personnel, job openings, more.

• Correction: The name of Nelda Rhoades Clarke, a Church of the Brethren representative to the National Council of Churches, was given incorrectly in the Newsline of Dec. 6, 2006. The editor regrets this mistake.
  
  
• Two Global Mission Partnerships/Brethren Volunteer Service workers departed Jan. 21 to begin two-year assignments in Brazil: Athena Gibble and Katie O’Donnell. They fill newly-created positions on the Brazil mission team of the Church of the Brethren General Board. The team will help congregations reach out in service to surrounding communities, and increase the visibility and identity of the church in the process. Gibble is from York, Pa., a graduate of Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pa., with a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and social work. Her home congregation is Codorus Church of the Brethren in Loganville, Pa. O’Donnell is from Marmora, N.J., and has a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and elementary/secondary education, also from Juniata College. Her home congregation is Green Tree Church of the Brethren in Oaks, Pa.
  
  
• The General Board has welcomed two new interns. Jordan Blevins of Westminster, Md., began a legislative internship at the Brethren Witness/Washington Office of the General Board on Jan. 1. Jesse Reid, a senior at Manchester College, began an internship on Jan. 31 with the News Services office in Elgin, Ill.
  
  
• Brethren Benefit Trust (BBT) seeks a marketing and promotions assistant to fill an interim fulltime hourly position based in Elgin, Ill. Responsibilities include establishing and maintaining a congregational representative network and assisting with creation and implementation of other promotional and marketing initiatives, possibly including development of a denominational database; working to secure BBT representatives in congregations; producing a monthly communication to the representatives; producing materials for BBT-related promotional and department-based assignments in conjunction with the communications department and colleagues; coordinating regional meetings with the representatives; occasional travel to conduct network functions; working to establish and maintain a denominational contact list; providing logistics assistance with other BBT marketing and promotions initiatives. Qualifications include at least an undergraduate degree preferably in communications, English, marketing, or a related field; experience/expertise in customer service, database management, and/or writing; membership in the Church of the Brethren and active participation in a Church of the Brethren congregation. Salary is competitive with Church Benefits Association agencies of comparable size and scope of services. Send a letter of interest, a resume with salary range expectations, and contact information for three references to Susan Brandenbusch, 1505 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120; or to sbrandenbusch_bbt@brethren.org.
  
  
• Bridgewater (Va.) Retirement Community seeks a fulltime director of Pastoral Care. The principle responsibility for this position is to provide pastoral care for residents of the Bridgewater Retirement Community, and to supplement, not replace, the residents' own pastors and church homes. A master of divinity or theologically-related degree, Clinical Pastoral Education training and five years or more in a pastoral ministry or equivalent experience, ordination (or licensing) to ministry, and good standing with the Church of the Brethren is required. The position is available May 1. Applications will be accepted through March 7. Send a resume to Paul Hoyt, President, Bridgewater Retirement Community, 302 N. Second St., Bridgewater, VA 22812; 540-828-2666.
  
  
• A position is open in Brethren Press for a customer service resourcing specialist. The position is located in Elgin, Ill., and requires a high school diploma, previous customer service experience, basic understanding of church environment and/or needs, intermediate understanding of accounting, and computer experience. The successful candidate should possess excellent verbal and written communication skills. If you are interested in applying for this position please notify Karin Krog at 847-742-5100 ext. 258 by the close of the business day Feb. 2.
  
  
• “A couple of things are different about the 2007 Nigeria workcamp,” according to David Whitten, Nigeria mission coordinator for the Global Mission Partnerships office of the Church of the Brethren General Board. Whitten is leading the workcamp that began Jan. 12, and runs through Feb. 11. “There’s added meaning to the act itself of helping with building projects for the Nigerian church after several EYN churches were burned down a year ago in religious tensions,” he said. The workcamp is based at the headquarters of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN-the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) near Mubi. “This year’s contingent is smaller, because Swiss and German participants were not able to take part,” Whitten added. The group is doing construction projects at the EYN Comprehensive Secondary School, and cleaning and painting projects for the staff mission house located near Kulp Bible College. Joining about a dozen Nigerians are US participants Larry and Donna Elliott of Mt. Morris (Ill.) Church of the Brethren, Robert Elliott of Sumner, Iowa, and Alden and Susanne Chrysler of Estes Park, Colo. Also participating are Whitten’s daughter Darcy of Bar Harbor, Maine; his son Samuel of Mt. Solon, Va., and their friend Brittany Loflin of Grottoes, Va. Amy Waldron, a Brethren Volunteer Service and Global Mission Partnerships worker from Lima, Ohio, is participating as part of her orientation to Nigeria before teaching at the Comprehensive Secondary School.
  
  
• Online registration begins Feb. 1 for the Church of the Brethren’s first-ever National Junior High Conference. Participation is limited to the first 800 registrants because of limited seating available. Cost is $99 per person for each junior high youth and for their advisors, before April 14. After April 15 cost will be $125. Presenters include Tony Campolo, Mennonite comedians Ted and Lee, and Christian musician Ken Medema. The conference will be held at Elizabethtown (Pa.) College from June 15-17. For more information or to register go to www.brethren.org/genbd/yya/NatJrHighConf.htm.
  
  
• The application deadline is approaching for the Summer 2007 Youth Peace Travel Team. Feb. 4 is the deadline to apply. The first Youth Peace Travel Team was formed for the summer of 1991 as a cooperative effort of a number of General Board programs, according to an announcement from the Brethren Witness/Washington Office. This year's team will be sponsored by the Brethren Witness/Washington Office along with Brethren Volunteer Service, the Outdoor Ministries Association, the Youth and Young Adult Ministries, and On Earth Peace. Four youth or young adults between the ages of 18-22 will be selected. A stipend is available to team members. Go to www.brethren.org/genbd/WitnessWashOffice.html and click on “Youth Peace Travel Team” to download the application.
  
  
• The Brethren Witness/Washington Office of the General Board is working on a Church of the Brethren Civil Rights Project. The goal of this new project is to collect interviews and stories from Church of the Brethren members who participated in the Civil Rights Movement, to put into publication for the 300th anniversary of the Church of the Brethren in 2008. The Brethren Witness/Washington Office already has sent 40 questionnaires to various participants. If you have a story to share about your participation in the Civil Rights Movement and have not yet received a questionnaire, please contact the Brethren Witness/Washington Office at 800-785-3246 or washington_office_gb@brethren.org.
  
  
• The Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership is offering several courses this winter and early spring. Among them are “Now the Silence, Now the Songs: The Body of Christ at Worship,” an online course March 11-May 6, taught by Lee-Lani Wright (registration deadline Feb. 16, go to www.bethanyseminary.edu/pdf%20files/WorshipCourse2007.pdf); and “Church of the Brethren Polity and Practice,” on March 16-19 at Bakersfield (Calif.) Church of the Brethren, taught by Warren Eshbach, Spanish translation provided (registration deadline Feb. 16, go to www.bethanyseminary.edu/pdf%20files/CoBPolity.pdf). Courses offered through the academy are open to Training in Ministry and Education for Shared Ministry students, pastors, and lay people. For more information contact the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership, 765-983-1824, academy@bethanyseminary.edu.
  
  
• The 96th anniversary of Live Oak Church of the Brethren was noted in a feature article in the “Appeal-Democrat” newspaper of Marysville-Yuba City, Calif. The article titled, “Brethren a Blessing for Live Oak” added that the church has been “a cornerstone in the community.” To find the article online go to www.appeal-democrat.com/articles/2007/01/23/features/focus/focus1.txt.
  
  
• Elizabethtown (Pa.) Church of the Brethren brought more than 75 people to the march and rally against the Iraq war in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 27. The “Patriot-News” of Harrisburg, Pa., covered the trip by the Elizabethtown group (“Midstaters at rally straddle 'a fine line'” at www.pennlive.com/news/patriotnews/index.ssf?/base/news/116995201396040.xml&coll=1). John Weigel and his two daughters were among those from the congregation to participate in the rally, and were among several Brethren were interviewed by the paper.
  
  
• On Jan. 20, members and friends of Dranesville Church of the Brethren in Herndon, Va., rode with the “Grate Patrol” to distribute food and water to the homeless in Washington D.C., according to the “Great Falls Connection” newspaper. The church group has been participating in this activity on the third Saturday of every other month for many years, the paper said. Volunteers make soup, assemble bag lunches, donate warm clothing, and distribute the items. For more information, contact the church at 703-430-7872 or dcoboffice@aol.com.
  
  
• The National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC) is calling for submissions for its first ever eco-justice sermon writing award. The award is a celebration of God's creation in the proclaimed gospel, and is open to clergy, lay leaders, and other religious leaders. Entries can focus on a variety of environmental issues such as sustainability, global warming, wilderness, and water. "Christians have the moral responsibility to protect all of God's creation for current and future generations," said Cassandra Carmichael, eco-justice program director for the NCC. "This sermon award will help highlight the good work going on in churches across the nation as well as provide sermon starters for worship leaders." Sermon submissions should be no longer than 1,500 words. Deadline is March 1. Send submissions to info@nccecojustice.org. More information is at www.nccecojustice.org/sermoncontest.htm and www.councilofchurches.org.
  
  
• Southern Sudan was the destination for a Jan. 7-25 delegation sponsored by the New Community Project, a Brethren-related organization, and hosted by the New Sudan Council of Churches (NSCC). Led by Florence Bayoa of the NSCC and by David Radcliff of the New Community Project, the delegation of eight people visited communities and environmental projects, met with United Nations personnel and church leaders, toured nature preserves, and delivered school kits put together by the older elementary children at Annual Conference. “The delegation found that although some progress has been made in the two years since the Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed by the northern government and southern rebels, many challenges remain,” Radcliff said. “Among these are conflict between returning refugees and those who remained behind during the war, lack of basics such as clean water, serviceable roads, malaria protection, health services, education, adult literacy programs, and vocational training.” The New Community Project is committing grants totaling $16,000 for girls' education, adult literacy, reforestation, bicycles, and women's development in Sudan, Radcliff reported. It also will facilitate placement of several volunteers to help launch a preschool in the community of Maridi. For more go to www.newcommunityproject.org.

Source: 1/31/2007 Newsline