Brethren bits: Personnel, NYAC, CCS photo album, Brethren Press consignment sale, much more.
- Shawn Flory Replogle has accepted the position of district youth
coordinator for Western Plains District. The announcement in the
district newsletter was made by the Congregational Resourcing
Fulfillment Vision Team. He began his work in March participating with
the planning team for Regional Youth Conference. Replogle served as
moderator of the 2010 Annual Conference of the Church of the Brethren.
- The Brethren Service Center, located in New Windsor, Md., is
looking for a CDL driver for occasional runs to support worldwide
development, relief, and disaster response programs. The driver will be
supporting people experiencing poverty, hunger, starvation, famine,
violence, or a natural disaster through this ministry. A volunteer is
preferred, but a stipend is available for the right driver. Must be at
least 25 years of age with class A CDL and a good driving record.
Contact Loretta Wolf at lwolf@brethren.org or 410-635-8795 for more information.
- June 1 is the deadline to register for National Young Adult
Conference (NYAC). This once-every-four-years Church of the Brethren
event is June 18-22 at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, on the
theme, “Humble, Yet Bold: Being the Church.” Young adults ages 18-35 are
invited to register or find more information at www.brethren.org/yac.
- The New Church Planting Conference on the theme, “Plant
Generously, Reap Bountifully,” begins the evening of May 16, hosted at
Bethany Theological Seminary in Richmond, Ind. “For those of you not
able to attend, please continue to uphold this gathering in your
prayers,” said a Facebook note from Congregational Life Ministries
executive Jonathan Shively.
- A new online photo album displays pictures from the recent
Christian Citizenship Seminar for Church of the Brethren youth in New
York and Washington, D.C. Go to www.brethren.org/album/ccs2012.
- Also new online: statistics from the training workshops held by
Children’s Disaster Services last year. In 2011, this innovative Church
of the Brethren program trained 156 people to care for children
following disasters. This Spring, yet more people have been trained in a
2012 workshop series. Go to www.brethren.org/cds/stats.html.
- Brethren Press is advertising consignment sales at Annual
Conference. Brethren Press makes space available at Annual Conference
for individuals and groups to sell items to Conference attendees on a
consignment basis. Consignment space must be reserved by June 1. Contact
Brethren Press Consignments, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120-1694; kstocking@brethren.org.
- The Church of the Brethren Ministry Advisory Council met May 7-8
at Bethany Theological Seminary in Richmond, Ind. A group created by and
responsible to Annual Conference, the council brings together
representatives from the Church of the Brethren denominational staff,
Bethany Seminary, Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership, Council
of District Executives, and Brethren Higher Education Association. For
the last several years, this group has been working diligently to draft
new polity for ministerial leadership in the denomination. The paper
nears completion as it comes before Annual Conference this summer for a
first read. In addition to its work on the Ministerial Leadership Paper,
the council heard reports from each represented body and discussed
current trends and questions in ministry, education, and placement of
ministers.
- June 10 is the 100th anniversary celebration for Ivester Church of
the Brethren in Grundy Center, Iowa. On June 24, Panora (Iowa) Church
of the Brethren celebrates its 150th anniversary.
- Trotwood (Ohio) Church of the Brethren is hosting the Manchester
College A Cappella Choir on May 21 at 7 p.m. The choir, an auditioned
ensemble of 40-50 singers directed by Debra Lynn, tours each spring
after May commencement ceremonies. Tours have included performances at
Carnegie Hall in New York, the Vatican in Rome, and other prestigious
venues. Trotwood is a stop on this year's tour to other churches in
Pennsylvania.
- Mill Creek Church of the Brethren in Port Republic, Va., hosts the
CrossRoads’ spring Civil War bus tour on May 26 from 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
CrossRoads is a Brethren and Mennonite heritage center. The tour stops
at the Widow Pence Farm, Port Republic museum, and other landmarks.
- At a March 27 meeting, Roann (Ind.) Church of the Brethren voted
to leave the denomination, according to a note in the South/Central
Indiana District newsletter. Those who voted to remain Church of the
Brethren continue to meet weekly at the district office to worship and
share. “They would appreciate your prayers as they work through this
difficult time,” the newsletter reported.
- Middle Pennsylvania District Brethren Disaster Ministries is
sponsoring a Benefit Dinner/Auction on June 2 at Albright Church of the
Brethren in Roaring Spring, Pa. Doors open at 6 p.m. and dinner is
served at 7. Tickets are $20. Call 814-932-4040 for tickets.
- “How Can I Afford to Retire?” is the title of a workshop
co-sponsored by the South/Central Indiana District Ministry Excellence
Project and Timbercrest Senior Living Community. The workshop takes
place June 2, 9- 11:30 a.m., in the Assembly Room at Timbercrest in
North Manchester, Ind. The workshop is primarily designed for clergy and
others who serve the church. More details and registration information
can be found at www.ministryexcellenceproject.com/2.html.
- Virlina District Developmental Disabilities Ministries Committee
holds a Potluck Lunch for families of special needs children and adults
on June 2, from 12 noon to 2:30 p.m. at Summerdean Church of the
Brethren in Roanoke, Va. “Anyone interested in ministry to persons with
developmental disabilities are also invited to attend,” said the
district newsletter. For additional information, contact Emma Jean
Woodard at 540-362-1816 or 800-847-5462 or virlina2@aol.com.
- Shenandoah District has reported a successful Kit Depot project to
collect Church World Service kits for relief. The district newsletter
reported that when the truck arrived to load up the several weeks-long
collection, “we had at least 1,463 health kits, 315 school kits, 240
emergency clean-up buckets, and six baby kits. In addition, 133 quilts
plus other boxes full of quilts and blankets were contributed through
Lutheran World Relief. What a blessing that area congregations (not all
of them from the Shenandoah District and not all of them Brethren
either!) responded with such generosity to those in need both in this
country and around the world.”
- Camp Mt. Hermon’s “Come Along With Me Weekend Camp” has become a
tradition and will be offered again this year on June 1-3. “Mark your
calendars now, as this is a weekend not to be missed!” said an
announcement from the camp in Tonganoxie, Kan. The weekend camp is for
children who have finished kindergarten through 2nd grade and an adult
over 21 who would like to accompany them. It is a time that the child
and adult can worship, learn, play, and work together. For more
information contact camp director Dalene Ward at daleneward5555@gmail.com or 402-476-8350.
- Bridgewater (Va.) College students recognized by the Department of
Philosophy and Religion for academic excellence at the annual awards
convocation on May 1 included two Church of the Brethren members:
Rebekah L. Miller of Bridgewater Church of the Brethren and Jesse Winter
of Westminster (Md.) Church of the Brethren. Miller was presented the
Outstanding Senior Award in Philosophy. Winter, a junior, was selected
for the Ruth and Steve Watson Philosophy Scholarship Award, receiving a
scholarship for the 2012-2013 academic year. Also receiving an award
from the department was Blake Strother, who received the Outstanding
Senior Award in Religion.
- In more news from Bridgewater, five students including Church of
the Brethren member Tyler Goss, are recipients of a 2012 Summer
Christian Experience Scholarship and will spend 10 weeks in the summer
working at church camps. Each student was awarded $2,500 from the
scholarship program, which is funded by the Bridgewater College
endowment fund. Goss will serve at Camp Bethel near Fincastle, Va. Also
receiving the scholarship are Morgan Elkins and Whitney Fitzgerald, who
will serve at Shepherd’s Spring in Sharpsburg, Md.; Stina Kang, who will
serve at Camp Swatara in Bethel, Pa.; and Emily Ridenour, who will
serve at Camp Eder in Fairfield, Pa.
- “Jordan’s Stormy Banks,” a theatrical production presented by the
Valley Brethren-Mennonite Heritage Center in Harrisonburg, Va., will be
staged at Eastern Mennonite University’s MainStage Theater in June. A
drama in two acts, “Jordan’s Stormy Banks” tells of one Shenandoah
Valley family’s struggles during the Civil War and how they reconciled
loyalty to family, to country, and to their Lord. “Jordan’s Stormy
Banks” is an original production commissioned by the heritage center and
written by Elizabeth Beachy Hansen, wrestling with the deep questions
of what it means to be true to one’s faith in the midst of extreme
trials and challenges. Last performed in 2003, it is being presented as a
part of Civil War Sesquicentennial commemoration events. Matinee
performances are 3 p.m. on June 3, 10, and 17; evening performances are
7:30 p.m. on June 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, and 16. Tickets are $15 for adults,
$12 for seniors and students, and $6 for children ages 7-12. Ticket
sales and more information can be found at www.vbmhc.org or by calling 540-438-1275.
- Michael G. Long, associate professor of religious studies and
peace and conflict studies at Elizabethtown (Pa.) College, has edited
the book "I Must Resist: Bayard Rustin's Life in Letters," a collection
of writings by the civil rights activist. According to a college
release, the book published on the centennial of Rustin’s birth in
anticipation of the 50th anniversary of the historic civil rights March
on Washington, held in 1963, is Rustin's life story told in his own
words. It includes over 150 of his letters, with correspondents
including the major progressives of his day, for example, Eleanor Holmes
Norton, A. Philip Randolph, Roy Wilkins, Ella Baker, and Martin Luther
King, Jr. The book is published by City Lights Publishers, San
Francisco. Visit www.citylights.com/book/?GCOI=87286100330920 for information about the multiple stop book tour Long is undertaking to promote the book's release.
- Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pa., is hosting "Sequential SmArt"
on May 18-19, a conference designed for college faculty and secondary
school teachers interested in using comics as teaching tools. The
conference is the brainchild of several Juniata faculty, said a release:
Jay Hosler, associate professor of biology, David Hsuing, professor of
history, and Jim Tuten, associate professor of history. Workshop leader
is Matt Madden, a comic book author who teaches at Yale University's
School for the Visual Arts, with the keynote address by Eric Shanower,
author-illustrator of the graphic novel "Age of Bronze," a retelling of
Homer's "Illiad." Cost is $75 for the full event or $45 for just the
Saturday conference. To register and for more information, go to www.sequentialsmart.com.
- McPherson (Kan.) College has announced its first graduate-level
courses in education starting this Fall. Mark Malaby, director of the
graduate courses in education and associate professor of education at
McPherson, has spent the last academic year developing the unique
curriculum, a release said. McPherson is seeking initial accreditation
in fall of 2012 from the regional accrediting body, the Higher Learning
Commission (HLC), with the hopes of gaining HLC approval to offer a
Master’s in Education degree based on the course offerings. The courses
have received the endorsement of the McPherson, Little River, and Smoky
Valley school districts, which are encouraging their teachers to enroll
in the classes. About half of the classes will be taught by working
school administrators and superintendents in the area. The initial
graduate level courses are “Issues in Education” and “Foundations of
Education.” To apply for the graduate level courses contact Teresa
Graham, graduate admissions officer, at graham@mcpherson.edu or 620-242-0485. More information about the program is at www.mcpherson.edu/mastersed.
- The 39th Annual Brethren Bible Institute, sponsored by the
Brethren Revival Fellowship, will be July 23-27 at Elizabethtown (Pa.)
College. Participants may take one, two or three of nine courses offered
during the week. Cost, which includes dormitory housing, meals, and
tuition, is $200. The fee for commuting students is $70. Application
forms are available from Brethren Bible Institute, 155 Denver Road,
Denver, Pa., 17517. Applications must be completed by June 29.
- The Brethren Heritage Center in Brookville, Ohio, is making a
newly updated book available for purchase: "Roots by the River: The
History and Doctrine of the Old German Baptist Brethren Church in Miami
County, Ohio,” revised and updated in 2011. The book first published by
author Marcus Miller in 1973 covers the history of the very early
Brethren moving from the east to the then-wilderness called Ohio, said a
release. The book also explains the doctrines and traditions of the
early Brethren and their place in local society, with several maps and
photographs of early Old German Baptist Brethren leaders. It has
expanded and updated to include the story of the latest division in
2009. An index has a large collection of personal and family names, with
photographs listed in bold. This first printing was limited to 400
copies. Price is $40 or $36 plus tax for Heritage Friends. Go to http://brethrenheritagecenter.org for more information or to contact the center.
- Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) is holding its 2012 Advocacy
Conference in Washington, D.C., on June 18-19. Participants will enrich
their knowledge about the conflict and the work for peace in the Holy
Land, said a release. Morning and afternoon workshops will include a
variety of topics such as “Jerusalem Update,” “Water in a Dry Land,” and
“Middle East Peace and US Federal Elections,” among others. The morning
plenary session is on Iran and Middle East peace with Trita Parsi, an
expert on US-Iranian relations, Iranian foreign policy, and the
geopolitics of the Middle East. An afternoon roundtable discussion on
perspectives for peace will feature, among others, Daniel Kurtzer,
former US Ambassador to Israel (2001-2005) and Ambassador to Egypt
(1997-2001). The Church of the Brethren is a member denomination of
CMEP. For conference details go to www.cmep.org/content/advocacy-conference-2012.
Source:5/16/2012 Newsline
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