Brethren bits

• A note from the Finance Office: Donations to support Church of the Brethren denominational ministries must be postmarked no later than Dec. 31, 2013, and received by Jan. 13, 2014, to be credited to the 2013 tax year. Mail to Church of the Brethren, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120. Donations also can be made online at www.brethren.org/give before year end. The Church of the Brethren staff extend thanks for the financial support from congregations and individual members across the denomination that make these ministries possible.

• Correction: The “save the date” note in the last Newsline gave an incorrect date for the Goodbye Still Night concert in North Manchester, Ind. The correct date is April 26, 2014, for the concert featuring Brethren musicians including Andy and Terry Murray, Mutual Kumquat, Shawn Kirchner and Ryan Harrison, and Kim Shahbazian.

Photo courtesy of Nancy Ulrich

Larry Ulrich

• Remembrance: Larry K. Ulrich, 72, a Brethren leader in ecumenical circles and the denomination’s representative on the Interfaith Relations Commission of the National Council of Churches, passed away Dec. 7. In January he was named to the Church of the Brethren study committee on “The Church of the Brethren and Ecumenism in the 21st Century.” Ulrich was an ordained minister, clinical pastoral educator, and director of chaplaincy services and medical ethicist in Rush Presbyterian St. Luke's Medical Center in Chicago, Cook County Hospital, and University of Chicago Hospitals. From 1979-84 he was dean of Supervised Ministry and Professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling at the Vincentian seminary, DeAndreis Institute of Theology, in Lemont, Ill., perhaps the first Protestant dean in a Roman Catholic seminary. He was a leader in the Chicago area in promoting hospice care for the dying. At the 1969 Annual Conference he was instrumental in a resolution that created the Fund for the Americas for racism education and direct assistance to minorities, after having participated in civil rights activities in Louisiana and Chicago while at seminary. From 1972-76 he chaired the Annual Conference Committee on Health and Welfare relating to the 22 hospitals and retirement communities of the Church of the Brethren at the time. On behalf of the denomination, he testified to the US House Ways and Means Committee in support of a “comprehensive and accessible” national health insurance (reported by “Messenger” in Oct. 1974). From 1975-83 he was vice-president and a director of the Brethren Health Education Foundation, and in 1977-79 chaired the Board of Trustees of Bethany Hospital in Chicago after being on the board since 1974. Most recently, he represented the church’s Illinois and Wisconsin District on the Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago, which was awarded the Chicago Theological Union’s prestigious “Blessed Are the Peacemakers” award in 2004. In his role with the National Council of Churches, he promoted the World Interfaith Harmony Week to Brethren as “an opportunity to remember that we are called to be the best believers we can be within our Christian faith tradition, and encourage followers in other religions to be the best believers they can be.... Loving believers in other faith heritages isn’t easy, but it’s what God’s Living Spirit calls us to.” In 2012 he was designated a Friend of the Muslim Educational Cultural Center of America for helping facilitate the building of mosques in western suburbs of Chicago against opposition. He was a member at York Center Church of the Brethren in Lombard, Ill., and a 35-year resident of the interracial York Center Community Cooperative. He was born in 1941 in Greencastle, Ind., the only child of Kenneth and Ruth Ulrich. He held degrees from Manchester College, Bethany Theological Seminary, University of Dubuque Theological Seminary, and Chicago Theological Seminary. He spent some years as a pastor in Maryland, Indiana, and Illinois, and also was a family therapist and pastoral counselor. He is survived by his wife Nancy Studebaker Ulrich; children Michael (Emily), Andrew Ulrich, and Joel Krogstad (Faith); and grandchildren. A memorial service will be held Jan. 11, 2014, at 3 p.m. at the York Center Church. Memorials are received to York Center Church and the Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago.

Christian Peacemaker Teams

Sarah Thompson

• Sarah Thompson has been appointed executive director of Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT), an organization that was begun with help from the peace churches including the Church of the Brethren. Thompson starts in the position in January 2014. She served on CPT’s Steering Committee 2010-12 and has worked for the past year as CPT’s outreach coordinator. Her church involvements include six years of volunteer work as the North American representative to Mennonite World Conference's Youth and Young Adult Executive Committee and Global Youth Summit planning group, as well as service with Mennonite Central Committee in Jerusalem, Washington, D.C., and her hometown of Elkhart, Ind. She holds a degree from Spelman College in Comparative Women's Studies and International Studies with a minor in Spanish, and a master of divinity degree from Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary. For more go to www.cpt.org.

• The Church of the Brethren seeks an office assistant for Material Resources, a full-time position located at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md. Responsibilities include facilitating Church World Service kit pickups; preparation of domestic and overseas shipments and maintaining documentation and reports; knowledge of transportation related regulations and compliance; working with outside trucking firms; maintaining driver logs and other driver files; auditing monthly reports, bills, and invoices related to trucks, transportation, and drivers; customer service; and daily collaboration with office manager and warehouse staff. The preferred candidate will be well organized, skilled at creating and maintaining spreadsheets and recordkeeping, able to effectively manage multiple simultaneous tasks, able to work collaboratively in a team environment, comfortable making suggestions and process improvements, with a flexible and positive attitude. A high school diploma or the equivalent, and competency in Microsoft Office Outlook, Word, and Excel are required. Applications will be received and reviewed until the position is filled. Request an application packet and job description from the Office of Human Resources, Church of the Brethren, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120; 800-323-8039 ext. 367; humanresources@brethren.org.

• Bethany Theological Seminary, a graduate school of the Church of the Brethren located in Richmond, Ind., seeks a part-time project director with education and experience in financial planning and program implementation to fulfill the aims of a grant received from Lilly Endowment Inc. This appointment will be renewed annually for up to three years. The grant will fund research to identify the unique financial challenges for Bethany students in the local and distance programs and to design and implement ways Bethany can better prepare and support students and alumni/ae to face the economic challenges of pastoral ministry. Duties will include overseeing the collection of new data outlined in the grant narrative; presenting research findings to Bethany staff and faculty (and others, as needed); introducing students to new ideas about “simple living”; connecting students with career counseling resources; increasing student awareness of available outside financial aid and sources of funding for seminary; exploring bivocational ministry preparation at Bethany and throughout the denomination; facilitating financial education for Bethany staff and faculty; establishing new programs to strengthen the financial literacy of students; informing alumni/ae of financial stewardship resources available to them; compiling grant reports; assessing grant initiatives. Candidates should have strong organizational abilities, good interpersonal skills, and excellent financial expertise. A bachelor’s degree is required. Additional education and familiarity with the values of the Church of the Brethren is preferred. Copies of the grant can be requested from Brenda Reish at reishbr@bethanyseminary.edu. Mail a letter of interest and resume to Project Director Search, Bethany Theological Seminary, 615 National Road West, Richmond, IN 47374 or projectdirectorsearch@bethanyseminary.edu. The application deadline is Jan. 31, 2014, or until the position is filled. Bethany Seminary does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. Find this full announcement online at www.bethanyseminary.edu/news/lillysearch.

• “We’re watching the situation” in South Sudan following an outbreak of violence there, said Global Mission and Service executive Jay Wittmeyer. Church of the Brethren staff in South Sudan are not working in the affected areas and are not in immediate danger, he said. Athanasus Ungang and Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) worker Jocelyn Snyder are working in Torit, in the eastern part of the country, and BVS volunteer Jillian Foerster has completed her work in Yei in the southwest of the country and has returned home to the United States. Violence has erupted in South Sudan’s capital city Juba this week, with varying statements by political leaders and others blaming an alleged coup linked to the recent deposing of the country’s vice president, and to ethnic tensions between the Dinka and Nuer. Thousands have fled the Juba area, according to news reports, although a United Nations statement yesterday said peace seemed to be returning to the capital city. In the meantime, fighting also broke out in the city of Bor in Jonglei State. “We ask for special prayer for South Sudan,” Wittmeyer said. “We’re watching the situation and continue to stay in contact with staff.”

• Registration for the 2014 Clergy Women’s Retreat closes at 4:30 p.m. (central time) today, Dec. 20. “We have 42 participants registered so there is still room for several more,” reports Mary Jo Flory-Steury in a Facebook post encouraging clergy women to participate. “If you haven't registered yet and have been pondering the possibility of joining us please come. We will be blessed by your presence and we trust you will be blessed by your participation.” The retreat takes place Monday, Jan. 13, through Thursday, Jan. 16, at Serra Retreat Center in Malibu, Calif. To register and for more information go to www.brethren.org/ministry.

• “Plan your registration party now!” say the NYC coordinators. Jan. 3, 2014, 7 p.m. (central) is opening time for online registration for the 2014 National Youth Conference, to be held in Fort Collins, Colo., on July 19-24. Go to www.brethren.org/yya/nyc.

• “As you look for last-minute gifts for Christmas, consider GFCF alternative giving options,” invites manager Jeff Boshart. Global Food Crisis Fund gifts are listed at https://secure2.convio.net/cob/site/Ecommerce;jsessionid=EF8E80E63481265AC69F31F979827C0C.app263b?store_id=2141. The latest newsletter from the Global Food Crisis Fund offers stories from community gardening, animal raising in Honduras, crop success in North Korea, and ministry with the Twa (pygmies) in Rwanda: www.brethren.org/gfcf/stories/gfcf-e-news-2014-winter.pdf. Information about this Church of the Brethren fund that invests in small-scale economic development and supports efforts to improve diet and health practices, soil conservation, and awareness-raising and advocacy on hunger issues, is at www.brethren.org/gfcf.

• A “3rd Thursday Middle East Action Alert” from the denomination’s Office of Public Witness highlights the problem of restrictions on movement for Palestinians in Israel. Referencing Psalm 122:6-9, "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: 'May they prosper who love you. Peace be within your walls, and security within your towers.' For the sake of my relatives and friends I will say, 'Peace be within you” (NIV), the alert was a part of the ecumenical advocacy community's Third Thursdays for Israel-Palestine initiative. “Over the next few days,” it noted, “thousands of visitors from around the world will begin arriving in Bethlehem for the celebration of Christmas.... However, in the Bethlehem District after the visitors have left and the Christmas decorations have been taken down, a stark reality will surface. The buses used to ferry foreign guests to and from the city will have passed easily through the steel gates in the wall that separates Jerusalem from Bethlehem, and Christmas visitors will have felt little impact from the closure imposed over the city. For the Palestinians that remain, however, movement into and out of the city remains restricted and those Palestinians given permission to move between Jerusalem and Bethlehem are forced to wait in line for hours as they wait to pass through crowded tunnels and turnstiles that are contained in the terminal hidden just out of sight of the tourists.” The Office of Public Witness asked for help from church members to contact representatives in Congress urging US policy toward Israel and Palestine to “support freedom, not restriction.” The alert also asked for prayer: “As we celebrate the arrival of our Lord to the town of Bethlehem, take time to pray and reflect for the current situation in his birthplace.” Find the full Action Alert online at www.brethren.org/bethlehem. Contact the public witness ministries of the Church of the Brethren at nhosler@brethren.org or 717-333-1649.

Photo by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford

A task team has begun the process of creating a new ministers manual for the Church of the Brethren. The group met at the General Offices this week, and plans to offer an insight session at the 2014 Annual Conference to share more information and gain input for the new book.

• A task team has begun the process of creating a new ministers manual for the Church of the Brethren. The group is led by the Ministry Office and associate general secretary Mary Jo Flory-Steury, and includes Dana Cassell, Laura Stone, Paul Roth, Dawn Ottoni Wilhelm, Becky Rhodes, Josh Brockway, and Wendy McFadden. The task team had its first meeting in August and a conference call in October. At a meeting this week at the Church of the Brethren General Offices, the group began to shape the purpose and draft an outline for the book. The book will be several years in the making, and is anticipated to serve the denomination as ministry changes in the 21st century. The process of creating it will include a future call for submissions of worship and other resources. The task team will provide more information and seek input at an insight session at the 2014 Annual Conference.

• A short video invitation to the 2014 Annual Conference in Columbus, Ohio, on July 2-6 is posted at www.brethren.org/ac. Created by Brethren videographer David Sollenberger, it includes interviews with Conference-goers who have enjoyed the experience of the denomination’s annual meeting and with moderator Nancy Heishman on the theme “Live as Courageous Disciples” taken from Philippians, and highlights the range of activities planned for families and children as well as the culminating Sunday morning worship on the theme “Rejoice in the Lord.”

• Danville Church of the Brethren near Rawlings, Md., presents its annual Living Christmas today, Dec. 20, and Saturday, Dec. 21, from 6-9 p.m. at the Narrow Gate Farm on Route 220. Visitors will walk along a lighted path from station to station to witness and hear the miracle of the Christmas story. “Everyone welcome,” said an announcement in the “Mineral Daily News.”

• Frederick (Md.) Church of the Brethren received praise from the “Frederick News Post” for an innovative interactive “pageant” that “captured the essence of the Christmas story Saturday in a more significant way than sitting in a pew and watching a play,” the newspaper said. The event titled "Search for the Christ Child" transformed the church building into ancient Bethlehem, and visitors were led on a half-hour guided tour through the story of the first Christmas. The newspaper quoted one visitor as saying: “I’ve been to many Christmas pageants, but nothing like this. It was intellectual--a tool you walked through, not sitting in a church watching.” The event was a success despite being held on a day when several inches of snow fell in the area. Read more at www.fredericknewspost.com/your_life/life_news_collection/religion/interactive-pageant-brings-new-life-to-nativity-play/article_46c7d81b-e92a-534e-a268-5a8b1681e33d.html?TNNoMobile

• Western Pennsylvania District is extending “a special thanks to all who supported the District Auction that was held at Camp Harmony on Nov. 2, with their prayers, donations and purchases.” To date, without expenses, $7,892 has been received for district ministry, reported the district newsletter. Camp scholarships will be given to first place and second place churches that raised the most funds. Maple Spring Church of the Brethren took first place raising $1,950. Scalp Level Church of the Brethren took second place raising $697.50.

• Also in the Western Pennsylvania District newsletter: A call for support for relief efforts following Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. The district will be contributing $5,000 from its Disaster Fund to the Brethren Disaster Ministries effort, and is calling on congregations and members to contribute as well.

Logo by Debbie Noffsinger

• Illinois and Wisconsin District has announced a theme for the year 2014: “Abide in the Vine, Abide in My Love” (John 15:1-17). This will be the theme also for the district conference next year, led by moderator Stan Rodabaugh. The theme logo was designed by Debbie Noffsinger.

• The Christmas Tree of Stars program at the Church of the Brethren Home in Windber, Pa., is in its 30th year. Donations to help decorate the tree honor or memorialize a loved one or friend, and help provide benevolent care for residents.

• The board of Pinecrest Manor, a Church of the Brethren retirement community in Mount Morris, Ill., has established a $1,000 scholarship in honor of Jim Renz, a 49-year board member who died in May. The scholarship is to be awarded in the spring to a graduating high school senior from Oregon High School or a student who is a member of any Church of the Brethren congregation in the northern district of Illinois-Wisconsin District, said the district newsletter. The scholarship is to focus on a future interest in health care, social work, or pastoral care. Contact Ferol Labash of Pinecrest Manor, 815-734-4103.

• The Camp Harmony Reunion Dinner has been announced for Dec. 30, at 6 p.m. The camp in Hooversville, Pa., is holding a reunion dinner in place of an appreciation dinner at the end of the year said an announcement that invited: “Come join camp staff, volunteers, and friends from Camp Harmony over the years.” Cost is $10 per person and the deadline to register is Dec. 23. Contact harmony@campharmony.org or 814-798-5885.

• Elizabethtown (Pa.) College was awarded a $531,885 grant by the National Science Foundation to support the Engineering Practices with Impact Cohort (EPIC) Scholarship for High Achieving Women in Engineering program. A release from the school reported that this selective scholarship specifically is offered to academically talented women who have interest in the college's engineering program. “The college's EPIC scholarship program falls in line with the STEM Educate to Innovate initiative promoted by the Barack Obama administration this spring. The initiative intends to provide students at all levels of education in fields of study in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) as a means to improve the nation's competitiveness in these areas,” said the release. Elizabethtown’s EPIC scholarship program is under the direction of Sara A. Atwood, assistant professor of engineering and physics, and Kurt M. DeGoede, professor of engineering and physics, and serves up to four scholars per year. Each receive up to $10,000 per year for all four years at Elizabethtown, with the total amount based on financial need. Each EPIC scholar will have expanded opportunities for Signature Learning Experiences and professional mentoring from STEM employers and graduate programs, will reside on campus in the Partners In Engineering Living/Learning Community, and will have fully funded summer research opportunities and access to Elizabethtown's Engineering Co-op program. To qualify for the scholarship, a student must maintain a 2.75 grade point average. Application deadline for the EPIC scholarship is Feb. 1. Go to www.etown.edu/depts/physics-engineering/epic-scholarship.aspx.

• Manchester University president Jo Young Switzer has received the 2013 Chief Executive Leadership Award from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, reports a release from the university in North Manchester, Ind. She received the honor for “outstanding efforts in promoting and supporting education and institutional advancement. As the first female president of the 125-year-old school, Switzer has boldly led Manchester through transformational change, praised CASE,” according to the release. CASE recognized Switzer’s ability and conviction in actively supporting advancement and fundraising for the university, inspiring others to Manchester’s vision, establishing a positive image for Manchester while leading it to higher levels of success, increasing Manchester’s stature, and encouraging innovation and risk-taking among employees. Learn more about Manchester University at www.manchester.edu.

• Manchester University has been in the news for a statement from the President’s Cabinet that the university will remain neutral on a proposed amendment to the Indiana state constitution that would ban gay marriage and civil unions. Today “The Journal Gazette” of Fort Wayne reported on a petition opposing that decision by Manchester students, staff, faculty, and alumni, and an upcoming protest fast by some students. The cabinet’s statement in November explained that the university has not historically taken positions on political issues. Today’s newspaper article is at http://journalgazette.net/article/20131220/LOCAL04/312209960/1002/LOCAL .

• A Facebook post from Mutual Kumquat announces that “Was It You” co-written by Church of the Brethren musicians Seth Hendricks and Chris Good of Mutual Kumquat, and performed by Jacob Jolliff with “his other band” Joy Kills Sorrow, has been honored on the National Public Radio (NPR) Music and Folk Alley listing of best music of 2013. Find NPR's "Best Music of 2013" at www.npr.org/blogs/bestmusic2013/2013/12/12/248799480/heavy-rotation-public-radios-songs-of-2013 . Joy Kills Sorrow made its NPR Mountain Stage debut this year, listen to the recording online at www.npr.org/2011/04/04/135129500/joy-kills-sorrow-on-mountain-stage.

Source: 12/20/2013 Newsline

Credits

Newsline is produced by the news services of the Church of the Brethren. Contact the editor at cobnews@brethren.org. Contributors to this issue of Newsline include Jan Fischer Bachman, Chris Douglas, Jim Chinworth, Elizabeth Harvey, Jeri S. Kornegay, Marie Willoughby, Ed Woolf, and editor Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of News Services for the Church of the Brethren.

Newsline: December 16, 2013

NEWS

• Shine On storybook Bible will offer new way to teach children the faith
• Zach Wolgemuth resigns as associate director of Brethren Disaster Ministries
• Kathy Fry-Miller to lead Children’s Disaster Services
• Lent devotional ‘Real Rest’ to focus on themes of grace, light living
• Bethany Seminary invites junior high youth to ‘Immerse!’
• Covenant Bible Study will take a look 'Behind the Drama'
• Manchester $1 million grant brings new degree in sales, internships, collaborations to bolster employment opportunities for graduates
• Juniata College faith-based service program among those honored by White House
• Virlina District produces new stewardship curriculum
• ‘Summertime Children’ re-released to mark 40th anniversary of first NYC theme song

BRETHREN BITS

• CPT director announces retirement, Georgia Markey’s 25 years in ministry, Brethren Service Center seeks maintenance mechanic, Shine seeks writers, spread word about New Inglenook Cookbook, Lititz 100th anniversary, dates to save in April, and more.

Shine On storybook Bible will offer new way to teach children the faith

By Jeff Lennard 

Coming in March from the creators of the Shine curriculum for Christian education: “Shine On: A Story Bible.” This new children’s storybook Bible will feature over 150 engaging Bible stories for use by families and congregations.

Published by Brethren Press and MennoMedia, the 320-page, hardback book will retail for $24.99, plus shipping and handling. Pre-order from Brethren Press by calling 800-441-3712.

“Shine On” will be a valuable new resource for families and Sunday school leaders, providing an exciting way to nurture faith in children. “Shine On” has colorful illustrations designed by a variety of artists, that will capture children’s imaginations. Its clear and engaging language stays true to the biblical text.

Each full-page spread includes sidebars that offer questions and activities to reach children’s hearts and minds.

About the curriculum: Shine: Living in God’s Light is a dynamic Sunday school curriculum for age 3 to grade 8 that engages Christian communities in their life together. It is a joint project of Brethren Press and MennoMedia and will be available beginning in the fall of 2014. For more about Shine see www.shinecurriculum.com.

-- Jeff Lennard is director of marketing and sales for Brethren Press.

Source: 12/16/2013 Newsline

Zach Wolgemuth resigns as associate director of Brethren Disaster Ministries

Zach Wolgemuth has resigned as associate director of Brethren Disaster Ministries. He has served in this position, working out of the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md., for almost eight years.

His resignation is effective Jan. 18, 2014, after which he begins employment with the United Church of Christ as executive for the UCC National Disaster Ministries.

He started at Brethren Disaster Ministries on April 24, 2006. His work has focused in the disaster rebuilding program within the US, working closely with Roy Winter, associate executive director of Global Mission and Service and Brethren Disaster Ministries.

Wolgemuth has helped spur growth of the denomination’s disaster rebuilding program and provided leadership for Brethren Disaster Ministries to become active in new places across the country. Respect for his leadership among Brethren volunteers and other disaster response organizations resulted in his election to the board of National VOAD (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster). Additionally, he has facilitated several grant awards over the last four years, the largest being a $280,100 Red Cross grant for Hurricane Sandy recovery.

Among other responsibilities his work has included assessment of needs following disasters, building relationships with coordinating groups in affected areas, training volunteer project site directors, connecting with supporters at the individual and district levels, and helping represent the Church of the Brethren at the national level through participation with organizations such as FEMA and NVOAD. As a part of his job, he has worked personally at most--if not all--of the Brethren Disaster Ministries project sites that were active during his years on staff.

Source: 12/16/2013 Newsline

Kathy Fry-Miller to lead Children’s Disaster Services

Kathy Fry-Miller has been named associate director of Children’s Disaster Services, a Church of the Brethren program that is part of Brethren Disaster Ministries. Since 1980, Children’s Disaster Services (CDS) has been meeting the needs of children by setting up child care centers in shelters and disaster assistance centers across the nation. CDS volunteers, who are specially trained and certified to respond to traumatized children, provide a calm, safe, and reassuring presence in the midst of the chaos created by natural or human caused disaster.

Fry-Miller of North Manchester, Ind., has worked with CDS as a volunteer for a number of years, has been a trainer and project manager for CDS, and has received Critical Response and FEMA training. She has served on the advisory committee of Brethren Disaster Ministries 2012-13.

She founded and spent 12 years administering a nationally accredited preschool program at Beacon Heights Church of the Brethren in Fort Wayne, Ind. From 1988 to the present she has worked as an education specialist for Early Childhood Alliance, a 10-county Child Care Resource and Referral agency in Indiana. It is also a United Way agency. She has worked with local and state partners including nonprofit, government, and business partners, and has supported development of state-wide early childhood systems including the Indiana Quality Rating and Improvement System and state-wide early childhood administrator training. For the past 15 years she has planned and hosted an annual early childhood director’s conference.

Her previous work for the Church of the Brethren has included writing and consulting for the Gather ’Round curriculum and the new Shine curriculum that are joint projects of Brethren Press and MennoMedia. She is author of the Brethren Press books “Young Peacemakers Project Book,” “Peace Works” written with Judith A. Myers-Walls and Janet R. Domer-Shank, and “Story Gifts for Children.”

Fry-Miller holds a master’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Towson State University in Maryland, and a bachelor’s degree in Education and German from Manchester University. She has taught early childhood courses at Indiana Purdue University and Ivy Tech Community College in Fort Wayne. Currently she is doing coursework in the Training in Ministry (TRIM) program and is carrying out an internship with a focus on children and family ministry.

For more about Children’s Disaster Services go to www.brethren.org/cds.

Source: 12/16/2013 Newsline

Lent devotional ‘Real Rest’ to focus on themes of grace, light living

The Brethren Press 2014 devotional booklet for Lent, offering devotions for Ash Wednesday through Easter, is written by Duane Grady. Each day will feature a scripture, meditation, and prayer in a pocket-sized booklet suitable for individual use or for congregations to offer to members. Pre-order now for $2.25 per copy, plus shipping and handling.

The devotional is regularly priced at $2.75 per copy, or $5.95 large print, plus shipping and handling. Become a seasonal subscriber and receive both annual devotionals from Brethren Press--Advent and Lent--at the discounted price of $2.25 or $5 for large print. Contact Brethren Press at 800-441-3712 or purchase online at www.brethrenpress.com.

Sample devotion: ‘Calmly present’

“The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter; [God] utters his voice, the earth melts. The LORD of hosts is with us” (Psalm 46:6-7a).

We live in a time when there is no shortage of troubling news, both at the international and local levels. Many of these crises are real, and real persons are harmed. Anxiety is stirred up by the media, especially cable news networks that crave the hoopla of a world tottering on a narrow edge as long as their income stream remains fixed.

The world in crisis is not new. The writer of Psalm 46 spoke to the harrowing experiences of many in describing mountains shaking and waters roaring (vv. 2-3). Like many of the psalms, this one concludes on a more positive note by reminding us that in the midst of chaos, God is calmly present. God puts an end to war and terror, and provides refuge in God’s holy habitation (vv. 4, 9). And yet, we worry.

When I read this passage, my memory turned to a recent hospital visit. A three-year-old child was having a risky procedure, and anxiety was high in the family. It was necessary, but many things could go wrong. Under the best of circumstances, the recovery would be slow and painful—nothing you’d wish on anyone, especially such a small child.

I prayed with the family the night before and anointed the parents as they braced themselves for the long journey ahead. Following the surgery, I visited their hospital recovery room. Upon entering the darkened room, I saw the child’s mother in bed with him, embracing him completely in her arms with only his tightly bandaged head visible. Both were sleeping in a scene as comforting and calm as any I’d ever seen. It was the perfect image for the psalmist’s reminder: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (v. 1).

Prayer: God of peace, be with us in all circumstances. But make your presence most vividly known when we stress and stew about things that trouble us. Calm our hearts and teach us to rest in you.

Source: 12/16/2013 Newsline

Bethany Seminary invites junior high youth to ‘Immerse!’

By Jenny Williams 

Next summer has a special event in store for junior high students: Immerse! will bring youth who have completed seventh, eighth, and ninth grades together to share questions, experiences, and ideas about faith, all within a community of friendship and support. Sponsored by the Institute for Ministry with Youth and Young Adults at Bethany Seminary, Immerse! will take place at Elizabethtown (Pa.) College June 12-17, 2014, and is free. Participants are only responsible for the cost of transportation to and from the event.

Russell Haitch, professor of practical theology at Bethany, is overseeing the event as director of the institute. “As its name implies, the purpose of Immerse! is to go beneath the surface and dive more deeply into learning about the Bible and questions of faith. For young people who may be thinking about baptism or just what it means to be a Christian, we want to create an engaging, friendship-forming, potentially life-changing experience."

Youth participants will take part in worship, classroom time, group activities, and recreation, enjoying the amenities of Elizabethtown College and surrounding area. The central Pennsylvania location is ideal for incorporating Brethren history into the week’s schedule, such as visits to historic sites. Leadership will be provided in part by Bethany faculty and staff, including Bekah Houff, coordinator of outreach programs; Steve Schweitzer, academic dean; and Haitch.

Bethany faculty and staff are enthusiastic about engaging with this age group, their energy and personalities, and the life questions they are beginning to ask. Dana Cassell, minister of youth formation at Manassas (Va.) Church of the Brethren, says that her church’s junior high group also was enthused to hear about Immerse! “I think that their excitement centered around the opportunity to travel together, being with their peers from around the denomination, and the exposure to the reality that this ‘church thing’ is bigger than our congregation--an exciting prospect for middle schoolers.”

Registration is open on the Bethany Seminary website at www.bethanyseminary.edu/immerse/register . In compliance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, parents of children under 13 are required to complete the Parent Consent Form as part of the application process. For more information, contact Bekah Houff at houffre@bethanyseminary.edu.

A note for clarification

Immerse! is for junior high students interested in experiencing the Bible and Church of the Brethren history more deeply. Participation is available to roughly 30 participants. Although Immerse! happens to have the same location and similar date range to the Church of the Brethren National Junior High Conferences, it is a separate, grant-funded program of Bethany Theological Seminary.

The next National Junior High Conference is being planned for June of 2015. Contact Becky Ullom Naugle in the Youth and Young Adult Ministry Office for more information about National Junior High Conference. Call 847-429-4385.

-- Jenny Williams is director of Communications and Alumni/ae Relations for Bethany Theological Seminary in Richmond, Ind.

Source: 12/16/2013 Newsline

Covenant Bible Study will take a look 'Behind the Drama'

"Behind the Drama: The Old Testament You Missed" is an upcoming Covenant Bible Study by Eugene F. Roop, Old Testament scholar and former Bethany Seminary president, available from Brethren Press this spring for $7.95 plus shipping and handling. Call 800-441-3712 or order online at www.brethrenpress.com.

“Our reading of the Old Testament is colored by dramatic texts in which God acts in extraordinary ways, calling and saving God’s people through fire and flood,” explains a flier for the resource.

“But too often we focus on these familiar stories alone and ignore the seemingly unimportant parts, or avoid altogether the hard parts we don’t understand. This study explores a few of these scriptures--some overlooked, some troubling--and shows how God works in and through everyday situations and conflicts to bring hope and faith to ordinary lives.”

Covenant Bible Studies are relational Bible studies for small groups. Each contains 10 sessions that promote group interaction and open discussion about practical aspects of the Christian faith.

Source: 12/16/2013 Newsline

Manchester $1 million grant brings new degree in sales, internships, collaborations to bolster employment opportunities for graduates

By Jeri S. Kornegay

A $1 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. will ignite several exciting new Manchester University programs and collaborations, including an undergraduate sales degree that is unprecedented in Indiana.

The Manchester University initiative, “Liberal Arts Plus,” will enable the university to expand its leadership and engagement in northeast Indiana economic development to improve employment opportunities for Indiana college graduates.

In addition to a new bachelor’s degree (and minor) in sales, Manchester University will:

• Develop at least five new certificate programs that align with the workforce needs of Indiana employers over the next five years.

• Engage 60 Manchester students in internships to provide them with professional experience and contribute to economic development initiatives in northeast Indiana through strategic use of their talents.

• Collaborate with work force agencies, other northeast Indiana universities and the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership to strengthen the school’s relationship with employers and leverage the Lilly Endowment grants for more support.

• Develop a smartphone software application that will help guide students in their career readiness through college.

“Liberal Arts Plus will embed the university more deeply in the state’s economic future,” said president Jo Young Switzer. “In turn, our students will become catalysts for change and realize their personal stake in Indiana’s vitality.”

Liberal Arts Plus will help close the skills gap between the needs of Indiana employers and the liberal arts preparation of Manchester students. Manchester University also will create new opportunities for internships focused specifically on regional economic development. Those efforts will help business and industry expand their capacities and markets which, in turn, will create a climate for additional high-skill jobs.

Manchester is among 39 accredited colleges and universities to receive a total of $62.7 million from the endowment to enhance and expand opportunities for their college graduates to find meaningful employment in Indiana. The grants support the endowment’s Initiative to Promote Opportunities Through Educational Collaborations.

“The endowment has seen firsthand that colleges and universities have the ability and desire to help improve the job prospects of college graduates in Indiana, and we wanted to give them the resources to be even more strategic and ambitious,” said Sara B. Cobb, vice president for education for the endowment.

In 2003 and 2008, endowment support helped cement the foundation for Manchester’s shared-funding internship program that has fostered professional connections in Indiana for 195 students through 2012.

“Through those programs, we enhanced our career services for students, including online job and internship posting and alumni networking,” said Liz Bushnell, associate dean and director of Career Services.

Manchester’s graduate placement rates are high--an average of 94 percent over the past five years. About 71 percent of Manchester’s 2012 graduates remained in Indiana.

“Now, the endowment has raised the bar on Manchester University’s efforts to help graduates find meaningful employment in Indiana,” said Switzer.

Manchester already offers three certificate programs--Innovation, Conflict Resolution, and Libraries and Literacies. The sales degree is a natural for Manchester, whose largest academic department is Accounting and Business. About a fifth of undergraduate degrees earned are granted through that department.

Researchers indicate that most Indiana businesses--from orthopedics to rubber, pharmaceuticals to plastics, and forestry to steel--depend on an effective sales force to prosper. Without sales that generate revenue, companies can’t create jobs. Despite the obvious role sales plays in economic development, relatively few universities nationwide or in Indiana offer any coursework that examines the research behind effective sales strategies.

The sales degree will incorporate Manchester’s acumen in helping its students develop skills in listening, empathy, effective oral and written communication, and critical thinking.

Included among the 60 paid internships the grant will fund is a continuation of the Wabash County Economic Report, which enhances efforts to attract potential employers to the county. “The grant will allow us to hire additional student interns to expand our research on the economic conditions in Wabash County,” said John Deal, associate professor of economics. “And, it will give more students an opportunity to gain practical experience with the collection and analysis of data and technical writing, skills that are in high demand in the job market.”

Learn more about the Lilly Endowment Inc. at www.lillyendowment.org. Learn more about Manchester University at www.manchester.edu.

-- Jeri S. Kornegay works in University Media Relations for Manchester University.

Source: 12/16/2013 Newsline

Juniata College faith-based service program among those honored by White House

By John Wall

The Juniata College Office of Campus Ministry was recognized by the Corporation for National and Community Service for the Huntingdon (Pa.) school’s year-long participation in the President's Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge during 2012-13. The campus challenge, which is a US Department of Education program, was focused around the 2012 inaugural year.

"I commend the students and staff who are promoting interfaith community service on college campuses across our country,” wrote President Barack Obama in a letter congratulating participants. "Thank you for your commitment to service, and I wish you all the best as you continue to make a lasting difference in the lives of others."

Juniata was recognized for its innovative Planting Seeds program, which centered on three service topics: food, hunger, and farming. One of the year's initial events featured a service day on local Amish and Mennonite farms near Belleville, Pa. A contingent of Juniata students, led by Lauren Seganos, an Americorps volunteer who worked as the interfaith service coordinator for the 2012-13 academic year, and Grace Fala, professor of communication, performed odd jobs on various farms, including fruit picking, yard work, and gathering firewood.

Throughout the course of the year, Seganos also organized a series of bread-baking events centered on baking bread recipes from various international traditions and cultures. The group made breads from the Middle East, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, and also created pastries from the Pennsylvania Dutch culinary tradition.

After the baking, Seganos would lead a discussion. Finished bread would be donated to the soup kitchen at Huntingdon Presbyterian Church. "We talked to them about what we made and why we made it together and then we shared a meal with the people at the soup kitchen," said Seganos in a Campus Opinions interview last year.

The Planting Seeds program also organized film showing throughout the year and collaborated with Hillel, the Juniata student club for Jewish students, to plan the college's Freedom Seder.

Juniata was one of more than 250 colleges to participate in the campus challenge.

--John Wall of the Juniata College communication staff contributed this release.

Source: 12/16/2013 Newsline

Virlina District produces new stewardship curriculum

By Fred Swartz 

“Give of the First Fruits: A Study of Stewardship for the 21st Century” has just been published by the Church of the Brethren’s Virlina District. This fresh, practical approach to the Christian concept of “stewardship” is a 13-lesson quarterly with each lesson written by a different church leader or couple from the Virlina and Shenandoah Districts.

Included among the writers are two former Annual Conference moderators, a district executive, nine pastors, and three pastoral couples. The late Judy Mills Reimer, a former Church of the Brethren general secretary and a former moderator of Annual Conference, is author of the chapter entitled “Total Commitment.” She illustrates the meaning of total commitment in a dramatic story from her visit as moderator to the Church of the Brethren mission in Sudan.

The study defines stewardship as holistic faithful discipleship. The 13 chapters cover the care of creation, personal health and time, as well as our responsibility with material resources. Among questions it addresses: What did you and God promise each other in the covenant of baptism? How do good stewards balance faith and reason? Do you shop for what you need or for what you want? How does the church use people’s talents? Have you ever passed by someone in need because you were too busy? How do you share the gift of Jesus Christ with others? In our giving, where can we get the most bang for our buck?

The resource is designed to be used in both youth and adult settings, church school classes, youth groups, midweek services, men’s and women’s fellowships, and personal and family devotions. It is available in booklet form at the cost of $3 per book plus shipping. Orders can be sent by mail to Virlina District Resource Center, 3402 Plantation Road NE, Roanoke, VA 24012 or nuchurch@aol.com.

-- Fred Swartz is past secretary of the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference, and an ordained minister.

Source: 12/16/2013 Newsline

‘Summertime Children’ re-released to mark 40th anniversary of first NYC theme song

Church of the Brethren musicians Andy and Terry Murray have announced the release of a CD version of their first recording featuring the first theme song for a National Youth Conference, “Summertime Children.” The song was introduced at NYC in Glorieta, N.M., in 1974. The 40th anniversary of that conference, along with continuing requests for some of the songs, prompted the Murrays to undertake the project, said a release.

The CD was duplicated from a digital master made by Geoff Brumbaugh at Common Ground Audio from the original Nashville Studio mix tapes. It uses the photography from the original vinyl album and contains a six-page foldout with the lyrics to all of the songs.

In addition to the title song, “Summertime Children,” the album includes “The Ballad of John Kline,” “Cowboy Dan,” “The Great Botetourt Bus-Truck Race,” and Earle Fike’s descant for “Amazing Grace.” Other songs include “To Be Free,” “A Christmas Carol,” “Growing Old,” and a sung version of the 23rd Psalm. Joel Yoder, Nancy Yoder, Alice Brown, Bill Zimmerer, Kim Hershberger, Karl Honsaker, and Miriam Smith provided background vocals and a live studio audience for the recording.

“We did the whole thing from first rehearsal to final mix in six hours,” Andy says of the recording, “so it is pretty raw in places. But it has a freshness and spirit that bring back sweet memories and it is enduring evidence of my hillbilly accent. The physical CD is a little replica of the original vinyl, so that adds to the retro feel.”

Contact Andy and Terry Murray at andyandterrymusic@icloud.com.

Source: 12/16/2013 Newsline

Brethren bits

• Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) director Carol Rose has announced her retirement after 10 years in leadership of the peacemaking organization that was begun with support from the three Historic Peace Churches. Rose is a member at First Church of the Brethren in Chicago. Her retirement was announced in a recent e-mail release from CPT, which included a short statement from her: “During 2014, I will finish 10 years cultivating peace as a director of CPT. My season in this leadership role is ending. I am delighted with the growth in CPT. Though next year I will be moving to other work, I will continue, with you, as part of CPT’s support and action. I am waiting in eager expectation to see where the next generation of leadership will guide us.” For more about CPT go to www.cpt.org.

• A celebration for Georgia Markey’s 25 years in ministry, given by the Southern Pennsylvania District board, has been rescheduled for Dec. 29 from 3-5 p.m., with a snow date of Jan. 5. The celebration will take place at Nicarry Meeting House at Cross Keys Village, the Brethren Home Community, in New Oxford, Pa. Those who plan to attend are requested to contact Jay Finkenbinder, 717-776-5703.

• The Church of the Brethren is seeking an individual to fill the position of maintenance mechanic. This full-time position works directly with the director of Buildings and Grounds and is located at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md. The maintenance mechanic performs maintenance, repairs and installation of HVACR, electrical, plumbing, and other infrastructure components at the Brethren Service Center. The preferred candidate will have a State of Maryland DLLR HVACR license, extensive knowledge of commercial infrastructure systems, and the ability to maintain, repair, and troubleshoot HVACR, electrical systems, and plumbing systems. A high school diploma or equivalent is required with five years of experience with HVACR preferred. Applications will be received and reviewed until the position is filled. Qualified candidates are invited to request the application packet and complete job description by contacting Office of Human Resources, Church of the Brethren, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120; 800-323-8039 ext. 367; humanresources@brethren.org. The Church of the Brethren is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

• The Shine curriculum under development by Brethren Press and MennoMedia is seeking writers. Shine is looking for writers for Year Two (2015-16) for the following age groups: early childhood (ages 3-5), primary (grades K-3), middler (grades 3-6), multiage (grades K-6) (note: apply for either primary or middler but indicate openness to writing multiage), and junior youth (grades 6-8). Most age groups have a teacher’s guide, a student piece, and posters, all of which are written and planned by the writer. Early childhood also has a resource pack. New writers are hired to write one quarter. Accepted writers must attend a writers’ conference on Feb. 28-March 3, 2014, at Camp Mack in Milford, Ind. Shine pays for meals and lodging at the conference and covers reasonable travel expenses. Payment for writers varies according to the age group. Contact the managing editor for the current rates. For experience and skills needed and additional detailed information go to http://shinecurriculum.com/curriculum/writers. Completed applications including a sample session are due by Dec. 31. For questions contact Rose Stutzman, project director, at 574-523-3076 or RoseS@MennoMedia.org; or Rachel Nussbaum Eby, managing editor, at 574-523-3071 or RachelNE@MennoMedia.org.

• Brethren Press is asking for help to continue to spread the word about the New Inglenook Cookbook. “Although it's a reflection of our Brethren heritage and values, we also know it has wider appeal. There's an inherent cookbook philosophy that many identify with, especially at a time when folks are trying to get back to the basics of cooking with simple, wholesome ingredients,” said a recent announcement. Here are some suggestions to help Brethren Press tell others about the New Inglenook Cookbook: Ask a local bookstore or gift shop to carry the cookbook--have them call Jeff Lennard, director of marketing and sales, at 800-323-8039 ext. 321, to learn how to arrange to sell Inglenook merchandise; like the New Inglenook Cookbook on Facebook and pin it on Pinterest as a quick and easy way to show support, and to get updates and news related to the cookbook; share something on the Kitchen Scrapbook blog created specifically for sharing recipes, stories, memories, and conversation; continue the Inglenook tradition by giving copies to friends and family for Christmas, or as a gift for birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, or weddings. Order 12 or more copies and get 25 percent off the retail price. Other Inglenook merchandise includes mugs and aprons, as well as copies of all the previous Inglenook cookbooks. Also on the Inglenook site, corrections to a few errors that were found in the first printing of the cookbook. Go to http://inglenookcookbook.org.

• Lititz (Pa.) Church of the Brethren will be celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2014, with year of celebration events on the theme “Following in the Steps of Jesus...A Century of Ministry.” The congregation was chartered on Jan. 10, 1914, with 119 members, said an announcement of events during the celebration. A worship service on Sunday afternoon, Jan. 12, at 3 p.m. will include members of the parent congregation, Middle Creek Church of the Brethren, and the choirs of both churches will provide music plus there will be congregational singing from the 1901 Brethren Hymnal. On Feb. 2, a Sunday morning heritage worship service will be held at 9 a.m. in the style of worship from 1914, with Ralph Moyer preaching. Throughout the year, former pastors will be preaching including Arlin Claassen on April 6, Jimmy Ross on Aug. 3, and Pam Reist on Nov. 2. A celebration weekend including an anniversary video, a fellowship meal, and a worship service with preacher Earl Ziegler, will be held on May 3-4. Bethany Seminary president Jeff Carter will preach on Oct. 19. Sunday worship services are held at 9 a.m. (traditional) and 9:15 a.m. (contemporary). For additional information go to www.lititzcob.org.

• Mill Creek Church of the Brethren in Shenandoah District, along with Vern and Mary Jane Michael, will host a live nativity at the Michaels' barn at 8218 Port Republic Road, Port Republic, Va., 7-9 p.m. on Dec. 21-23. “Enjoy scripture, music and scenery along with Mary, Joseph and the Baby Jesus as well as the wise men, shepherds and the animals, including camels,” said an invitation. Music on Dec. 21 will be provided by VOICE (Vocalists Offering Inspirational Community Enrichment). The upper part of the barn will be open as an observation area, especially for older adults and those in wheelchairs.

• Save the date of April 4-5, 2014, for Bethany’s 6th Annual Presidential Forum “Living Love Feast,” said an announcement. The event will explore the biblical, practical, and experiential nature and meaning of the Love Feast. For more information, visit bethanyseminary.edu/forum2014.

• Another date to save this spring: Manchester Church of the Brethren in North Manchester, Ind., is hosting “Goodbye Still Night,” an evening with Brethren singers and songwriters, on April 16, 2014. Featured performers are Andy and Terry Murray, Mutual Kumquat, Shawn Kirchner and Ryan Harrison, and Kim Shahbazian. No tickets required, donations will be received.

• More dates to save: The 2014 Meat Canning dates in Southern Pennsylvania District are April 21-25.

• The Shenandoah District Office in Weyers Cave, Va., will be accepting Church World Service kits until Dec. 20, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. “Needs are great following the devastating typhoon in the Philippines and the tornadoes that swept across the midwest,” explained the district newsletter. Directions and kit contents are at www.churchworldservice.org. The kits will be trucked to the Material Resources warehouse at the Brethren Service Center in  New Windsor, Md., just after Christmas.

• West Marva District has announced a theme from Philippians--following the Annual Conference challenge to read and memorize that New Testament letter this year--for its 2014 District Conference: “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name” from Philippians 2:9-11.

• A winter/spring Foundations of Church Renewal course for pastors has been announced by the Springs church renewal initiative. Classes take place by telephone conference call, with 5 calls spread over 12 weeks Feb. 4-April 29. The course will cover topics of a spiritually grounded, servant-led process of church renewal, with teacher David S. Young. Along with the course, participants will use a spiritual disciplines folder like that used by congregations that are part of Springs, and will read Richard Foster’s “Celebration of Discipline.” A group from the congregation walks along with their pastor and also learns about church renewal. Continuing education units are available. Also starting in February: A Level 2 course on Servant Leadership for Church Renewal offered via Wednesday morning conference calls, with 5 sessions spread over 12 weeks beginning Feb. 19. “Life Together” by Dietrich Bonhoeffer is one of the texts. Contact davidyoung@churchrenewalservant.org.

• The Brethren Missions Fund of the Brethren Revival Fellowship (BRF) announces a missions, work, and worship week in Haiti for adults and youth on March 12-19, 2014. The experience with Eglise des Freres Haitiens (Haitian Church of the Brethren) congregations in several communities outside the capital city of Port-au-Prince will include serving, working, and worshiping alongside Haitian Brethren, with some construction projects, interactional time with children's groups, and worship experiences. The size of group is approximately 15 people with on-site coordination of activities administered by local Haitian church leaders and trip coordinators Ilexene and Michaela Alphonse. Lodging will be in the recently completed Brethren Service Center facility. Educational pre-trip preparation events and material will be provided to enhance the cross-cultural experience. Cost of $700 includes on-site meals, lodging, transportation, and international travel insurance. Airfare to Port-au-Prince is an additional cost. “Emphasis will be placed upon relationship building and discipleship encouragement,” said a release. “Come join us in the exchange of sharing and receiving knowledge, love, and joy as we work and worship Christ together in a different culture, language, and climate.” Contact trip coordinators Doug and Holly Miller 717-624-4822, Jim Myer 717-626-5555, or Earl Eby 717-263-7590.

• The nonviolence training workshop featuring Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) coordinator Palestine Tarek Abuata, originally planned for Nov. 16-17 in Akron, Pa., has been rescheduled for Jan. 18-19, 2014, the weekend commemorating Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. An announcement from registrar H.A. Penner notes that participants will have the opportunity to “learn Martin Luther King Jr.’s principles of nonviolence from a Palestinian Christian.” The experiential workshop will give participants a comprehensive introduction to King’s philosophy and strategy of nonviolence. It will be held at Akron (Pa.) Mennonite Church, sponsored by www.1040forPeace.org. Participation is limited. Partial scholarships to offset the $100 workshop fee are available. Contact penner@dejazzd.com or 717-859-3529 prior to Jan. 6.

• In more news from Christian Peacemaker Teams, CPT has launched a new Plowing and Planting Campaign, the organization’s “first major gift campaign,” said a release. “Drawing on the image of swords into plowshares, we are preparing our field. Can you join us?” the release said. Goals are to raise $110,000 by Aug. 24, 2014, for “plowing under” debt related to development of the CPT Chicago training center and office, and “planting new seeds of psycho-social care for CPTers” through a weeklong retreat and in-person care for peacemakers in the field. For more information contact outreach@cpt.org.

• A new book from a Brethren author features editorials written by Gordon Bucher over the span of 33 years for “The Herald,” a quarterly magazine published by Northern Ohio District during his service as district executive minister. “Tidbits of Wisdom (Or Not),” is 113 pages, spiral bound on 8 1/2 by 11 inch sized paper. “The editorials were concerns of the day in which they were written such as women in the pastorate, church growth, tithing, being loyal to the Church of the Brethren, right-wing extremism, ending the draft, etc.,” Bucher writes in an announcement. Purchase price of $15 includes shipping. Orders may go to Gordon W. Bucher, 299 Hickory Lane, N. Manchester, IN 46962 or gdbucher@resident.timbercrest.org.

Source: 12/16/2013 Newsline

Credits

Newsline is produced by the news services of the Church of the Brethren. Contact the editor at cobnews@brethren.org. Contributors to this issue of Newsline include Deborah Brehm, Gordon Bucher, James Deaton, Andy Murray, Roy Winter, David S. Young, and editor Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of News Services for the Church of the Brethren.

Newsline: December 7, 2013

NEWS

• Royer Family Charitable Foundation offers major support to Haiti Medical Project
• Brethren Disaster Ministries opens rebuilding site in New Jersey, Illinois tornado clean up
• Ministry Office offers information on clergy housing ruling, BBT involved in appeal through the Church Alliance
• Seminary receives Lilly Endowment grant to improve economic well-being of future ministers
• Crop breeding success in North Korea
• Powerhouse 2013 gathers youth from the midwest region

UPCOMING EVENT

• ‘Pioneering in a Global Context’ webinar set for Dec. 11

PERSONNEL

• Gather ’Round staff complete employment with Brethren Press and MennoMedia
• Michigan, Atlantic Southeast Districts announce staffing changes

FEATURE

• Reflecting on the anniversary of Newtown

BRETHREN BITS

• Remembering missionary Rolland Smith, NCC general secretary, Camp Mack retirement, Workcamp Ministry seeks assistant, Ministry Summer Service applications, live nativities, dinners at John Kline Homestead, and more.

Royer Family Charitable Foundation offers major support to Haiti Medical Project

The Haiti Medical Project is receiving a major multi-year grant from the Royer Family Charitable Foundation that will enable a doubling of the number of communities in Haiti that are served by mobile clinics. The grant in addition will help the project purchase a truck and will contribute to an endowment fund.

A $104,300 grant this year contributes $20,000 toward the Haiti Medical Project endowment fund, $34,300 toward the purchase of a truck, and $50,000 to double the number of clinics in the coming year. The additional money means the Haiti Medical Project will be able to provide another 20 one-day clinics serving 5 more communities quarterly in 2014.

The foundation’s intention is to continue to support this additional number of clinics each year for five years.

Photo by Kendra Johnson

A mother and child at one of the mobile clinics offered by the Haiti Medical Project

Haiti Medical Project

The Haiti Medical Project is a partnership of US Brethren with Eglise des Freres Haitiens (the Church of the Brethren in Haiti) to provide mobile clinics in under-served communities where Haitian Brethren have congregations. A team of Haitian physicians, nurses, and other workers provide the medical care.

The project grew out of the experience of a Brethren Disaster Ministries medical delegation to Haiti shortly after the earthquake that devastated Port-au-Prince and other areas in 2010. American Brethren physicians were part of the delegation, and witnessed the need for ongoing medical services in Haitian communities.

The effort has been funded by gifts from congregations and individuals, and has the support of the denomination’s Global Mission and Service program. Leading the project is Paul Ullom-Minnich, a physician from central Kansas who convenes the coordinating committee. Former Mission and Ministry Board chair Dale Minnich is a volunteer consultant for interpretation for the project.

Royer Family Charitable Foundation

“The Royer Family Charitable Foundation seeks to improve the quality of people's lives internationally and domestically through sustainable programs that have a long-term impact on individuals and communities,” says the foundation’s mission statement. “The foundation's aim is to support basic needs for life and health while encouraging long-term self sufficiency. The foundation prefers to support efforts that have a tangible impact, defined measureable goals, and permit a relationship between the grant recipients and the foundation.”

The foundation was started in 2008 by the family of Kenneth Royer and his wife Jean, who is now deceased. They were former owners of a flourishing florist business, “Royer’s Flowers and Gifts,” started in 1937 by Kenneth’s mother Hannah, and now passed on to the next generations of the family. Kenneth’s father, Lester Royer, was a licensed minister in the Church of the Brethren.

Now Kenneth and several of his children and grandchildren are focusing their sights on doing good through the work of a family foundation.

Becky Fuchs, pastor of Mountville (Pa.) Church of the Brethren, is one of the Royer family who sits on the board of the foundation. “I was the one who brought the idea to my dad,” she said in a telephone interview, explaining how the foundation became interested in the Haiti Medical Project.

She had become aware of the Church of the Brethren work in Haiti following the earthquake, and was impressed by the Brethren Disaster Ministries project to build 100 homes in Haiti. After seeing a presentation and meeting with Dale Minnich, she and the family gained a more in-depth understanding of the nature of the project.

Speaking for the foundation, Fuchs expressed excitement at the prospect of supporting the church’s medical work in Haiti. “One of our desires is that our grants make a noticeable difference in people’s lives,” she said. The opportunity to help the Haiti Medical Project serve twice as many people is important to the foundation.

Fuchs added that she is thrilled “that my parents’ hard work all their lives can make this kind of difference.” She hopes her family’s contribution will inspire others to see that making a difference is possible.

More information about the Haiti Medical Project is at www.brethren.org/haiti-medical-project.

Source: 12/7/2013 Newsline

Brethren Disaster Ministries opens rebuilding site in New Jersey, Illinois tornado clean up

At the same time that Brethren Disaster Ministries is closing out project sites following Hurricane Irene in Schoharie and Binghamton, N.Y., the program is opening a new project site in Spotswood, N.J.
In other disaster relief news, Illinois and Wisconsin District disaster coordinator Rick Koch has called for volunteers to help in the clean up of tornado destruction in Illinois.

New rebuilding project site

“Thank you all for your support of the recovery in Schoharie, Prattsville, and Binghamton this past year,” said a note from Brethren Disaster Ministries coordinator Jane Yount. “You have helped change the lives of many, many people for the better.”

The new Hurricane Sandy recovery site in Spotswood, in northern Monmouth County, N.J., starts Jan. 5, 2014. Brethren Disaster Ministries web pages soon will feature updated project information at www.brethren.org/bdm.

The program will continue to work with current partners from Future With Hope (UMCOR, N.J. conference), Monmouth LTRG, and Ocean LTRG to receive cases. Also, two repair jobs have been confirmed through Habitat for Humanity. Volunteer housing for the new project site will be located at Trinity United Methodist Church in Spotswood, with the program’s shower trailer to be made available at the new site.

Read a story about how disaster volunteers have helped one survivor of Superstorm Sandy return home for the holidays is at www.brethren.org/bdm/updates/home-for-the-holidays.html.

Multiple disasters

Brethren Disaster Ministries reminds Brethren that the church has “witnessed two devastating disasters within days of each other. First, Typhoon Haiyan hammered the Philippine islands.... Days later, an outbreak of severe storms and powerful tornadoes struck the Midwest.... As always, please keep these and all disaster survivors lifted up in prayer,” requested Yount in an e-mail note.

Brethren Disaster Ministries is active in both responses and is receiving donations for both. Online donations for Typhoon Haiyan can be made at www.brethren.org/typhoonaid. Online donations for tornado response in the Midwest can be made at www.brethren.org/edf. Donations are received by check to the Emergency Disaster Fund, earmarked on the memo line for the Philippine Typhoon or the US Tornadoes. Mail to Emergency Disaster Fund, Church of the Brethren, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120.

Photo courtesy of FEMA

An aerial view of tornado destruction in Washington, Ill.

Tornado clean up in Illinois

Illinois and Wisconsin District disaster coordinator Rick Koch is thanking all who have begun to help with the tornado clean up in Illinois, and the congregations and individuals who have donated to the relief effort

He has called for volunteers to help in the clean up. Volunteer groups must be approved, however. “If you are interested in putting together a team of workers from your church or area you can contact me and I will send you the info you need to get to work,” Koch said.

One urgent need is “folks who have and can operate skid loaders and other heavy machinery,” Koch said in an update sent out by e-mail today. “Earlier this week it rained in the area and now as you know we have had severe cold weather. On those sites not yet cleaned up, the debris is frozen to the ground. So we need this machinery to help move the frozen debris.” Volunteers who can help out in this way should contact Peoria Church of the Brethren directly, Koch requested.

He notes the need for relief goods varies around the state, and encourages congregations to contact area Red Cross chapters to find out current needs. For example, in the areas of Washington, Pekin, and East Peoria, Ill., there is a need for toys and brand name gift cards as Christmas approaches.

Koch will be in the tornado affected areas next week to deliver donated items and to attend a Long Term Recovery Team meeting. He would like to know how the Church of the Brethren has been helping in the effort. “If you or your church has been working in a specific way to help out, please send me notes of what you did, how many helped, and how long you worked. If you have made donations of goods or of money, please let me know of that as well.”

To volunteer for tornado clean up or to contact Rick Koch with information about your relief efforts, call 815- 499-3012.

Source: 12/7/2013 Newsline

Ministry Office offers information on clergy housing ruling, BBT involved in appeal through the Church Alliance

On Nov. 22, a judge of the US District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin ruled that the housing allowance that is made available to clergy by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is unconstitutional. The decision has no immediate impact because it is not yet effective, and the ruling is on hold until all appeals are exhausted.

The Ministry Office provides a link to information on the ruling at www.brethren.org/ministryoffice. This update from Church Law and Tax and “Christianity Today,” notes this section of the federal tax code “exempts from federal income taxation that portion of a minister's compensation that is designated in advance by an employing church as a housing allowance to the extent that it is used for housing expenses and does not exceed the home's fair rental value.... The parsonage exclusion remains intact, at least for now.”

Brethren Benefit Trust (BBT) president Nevin Dulabaum attended the Church Alliance meeting this week in Baltimore, Md., where a subcommittee drafted a plan to file an amicus brief appealing the ruling. The Church Alliance is an advocacy group of 38 church benefit programs representing more than 1 million clergy, lay workers, and their family members. Through BBT’s membership, the Church of the Brethren will be a part of the amicus brief, Dulabaum said.

BBT staff are feeling urgency to be proactive in this matter, in order to aid Church of the Brethren ministers who have heard the news and are wondering what is next and whether it impacts them, Dulabaum said. This is important to BBT as it designates several payments as housing allowance, giving recipients a tax advantage. Those payments include annuity payments for retirees, Church Workers' Assistance Plan grants for retirees, and long-term disability payments for active pension plan members.

The court ruling is expected to be appealed to the 7th US Circuit Court in Chicago. If it is upheld by that court, the case is then expected to be appealed to the Supreme Court. It could be several years before a final decision is rendered. Until that time, the housing allowance tax benefit will continue to be available to clergy.

For questions about the amicus brief contact BBT president Nevin Dulabaum at ndulabaum@cobbt.org or 800-746-1505 ext. 388. For general questions about the clergy housing allowance contact Mary Jo Flory-Steury, executive director of the Ministry Office and associate general secretary, officeofministry@brethren.org or 800-323-8039.

-- BBT communications staff Brian Solem contributed to this report.

Source: 12/7/2013 Newsline

Seminary receives Lilly Endowment grant to improve economic well-being of future ministers

By Jenny Williams 

Bethany Theological Seminary has received a grant of $259,954 as part of Indianapolis-based Lilly Endowment Inc.’s Theological School Initiative to Address Economic Issues Facing Future Ministers. Bethany is one of 67 theological schools across the country to receive this funding.

Personal financial pressures are severely limiting the ability of seminary graduates to accept calls to Christian ministry and undermining the effectiveness of too many pastoral leaders. To help address this issue, Lilly Endowment created the Theological School Initiative to Address Economic Issues Facing Future Ministers. The initiative’s aim is to encourage theological schools to examine and strengthen their financial and educational practices to improve the economic well-being of future pastors. All theological schools fully accredited by the Association of Theological Schools in the US and Canada were invited to submit grant proposals.

Bethany outlined three goals in its proposal to help future pastors incorporate sound stewardship principles into their own lives and to lead individuals, families, and congregations toward building lives of stewardship: 1) identify the financial concerns of its current students and graduates, 2) respond to these concerns with intentional programming that will increase financial literacy as well as stewardship in all areas of life, and 3) facilitate conversation, both within the seminary and throughout the denomination, about financial stewardship.

Of the three, implementing programming for financial literacy and stewardship has the most complexity and is the core of the proposal. To help students minimize debt while in seminary, ideas and resources for simple living, seeking outside employment, and securing outside funding will be made available. The reality and viability of bivocational ministry also will be intentionally addressed with students.

Building financial literacy for the long term will involve educating faculty and staff about the nature of debt and financial management in the lives of today’s young adults. Next practical steps will include increased emphasis on stewardship in the curriculum and new venues--both media and interpersonal--for incorporating best practices into student life. The results of all these initiatives will be of value to alumni/ae and others outside Bethany, and the seminary plans to collaborate and communicate in ways that benefit the denomination as a whole.

Jeff Carter, president of Bethany, expressed concern for the well-being of students who are carrying unprecedented financial debt. “Bethany is poised to engage the financial concerns of students and graduates, examine and promote practices leading to healthy and life-giving financial stewardship, and reach beyond the seminary classroom to engage a church and culture challenged by financial pressures. We are blessed with faithful and conscientious students whom we seek to equip and empower as they go forth to serve this present age.”

About Lilly Endowment Inc.

Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by three members of the Lilly family--J.K. Lilly Sr. and sons J. K. Jr. and Eli--through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. The endowment exists to support the causes of religion, education, and community development. Lilly Endowment’s religion grantmaking is designed to deepen and enrich the religious lives of American Christians. It does this largely through initiatives to enhance and sustain the quality of ministry in American congregations and parishes. More information can be found at www.lillyendowment.org.

-- Jenny Williams is director of Communications and Alumni/ae Relations at Bethany Seminary.

Source: 12/7/2013 Newsline

Crop breeding success in North Korea

Photo by Linda Shank

Robert Shank with some of the students he teaches at PUST, the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology in North Korea. He has been promoted to dean of the School of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and has taught three courses in biotechnology, plant breeding, and botany.

Global Mission and Service staff in North Korea, Robert Shank, reports important strides in the rice, soybean, and corn breeding research at Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (PUST), where he and his wife Linda are teaching. A new crop, barley, has been added to this work in 2014, and a Global Food Crisis Fund grant is helping expand the work to include small fruits.

The work of three out of the eight of Shank’s graduate students focuses on identifying and breeding rice for the flood-prone delta areas, soybeans for the salty irrigated soils, and incorporating US corn inbreds into Korean hybrids.

Shank reports that two students have gone to Harbin, China, for graduate work, and two more have scholarships to the International Rice Research Institute in the Phillipines.

The Shanks recently were approved by the Global Food Crisis Fund (GFCF) review panel to receive a second $5,000 grant to expand the work to include tissue culture of small fruits such as blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries. Following a trip of 20 senior students to China, one chose berries for a project.

Robert Shank writes, “There is strict communal control of the classes of tillable farmland, but little control of individual use of the land on mountainsides.” He explains that this has led to row cultivation, deforestation, erosion, and ultimately flooding in the riverbottoms. The farming of annual crops on these highly erodible uplands has been detrimental to soil conservation, whereas perennial crops like berry bushes and fruit trees can be highly productive and would be better at preventing erosion.

For more about the Shanks’ work, go to www.brethren.org/partners/northkorea.

Source: 12/7/2013 Newsline

Powerhouse 2013 gathers youth from the midwest region

By Walt Wiltschek 

Photo courtesy of Walt Wiltschek

More than 70 people took part in Powerhouse 2013, the Church of the Brethren Midwest regional youth conference, held at Camp Mack (Milford, Ind.) for the first time this year. It marked the fourth year for the event since it was restarted in a new fall format.

Audrey and Tim Hollenberg-Duffey, third-year students at Bethany Theological Seminary, served as the main speakers on the theme, “Stories from the Garden: On Earth as It Is in Heaven.” Through three worship services they examined stories from the Garden of Eden, the Garden of Gethsemane, and the garden of life in Revelation 22. Using images from Renaissance paintings to olive presses to leaves, they looked at the goodness of God’s creation, our need for refinement and “harvesting,” and the opportunity to do a new thing as part of the “divine potluck” of God’s kingdom.

The conference, held Nov. 16-17, also included workshops covering topics such as calling and vocation, Brethren heritage, National Youth Conference, outdoor ministry, organic gardening, “Seagoing Cowboys,” and more, as well as an indoor campfire, a presentation of the musical “The Cotton Patch Gospel,” good food, and time for recreation.

The conference for senior high youth and advisors is planned by Manchester University in cooperation with surrounding districts. The next Powerhouse will take place in November 2014, with details to be determined. Updates will be posted at www.manchester.edu/powerhouse.

-- Walt Wiltschek, Manchester University Campus Ministry, provided this release.

Source: 12/7/2013 Newsline

‘Pioneering in a Global Context’ webinar set for Dec. 11

“Pioneering in a Global Context,” a webinar co-sponsored by the Congregational Life Ministries of the Church of the Brethren, BMS World Mission, Bristol Baptist College, and Urban Expression U.K., takes place Dec. 11 at 2:3-4 p.m. (Eastern). Register at www.brethren.org/webcasts.

The webinar theme explores what we can learn from “pioneers (who) have taken the gospel of Jesus Christ into new places and different cultures. Some of these are well-known and their stories have inspired others,” said an announcement. “Many are unknown and the stories have been forgotten. What can we learn from these pioneers and from those who are pioneering in different global contexts today?”

Leading the webinar is David Kerrigan, general director of BMS World Mission. He and his wife Janet have served at Chandraghona General and Leprosy Hospital in Bangladesh, and he also has been a regional team leader for Asia based in Sri Lanka, and director for mission based in Didcot for BMS.

The webinar is free, but donations are appreciated. Ministers may earn 0.15 continuing education units for attending the live event. Register at www.brethren.org/webcasts. For more information contact Stan Dueck at sdueck@brethren.org.

Source: 12/7/2013 Newsline

Gather ’Round staff complete employment with Brethren Press and MennoMedia

Anna Speicher and Cyndi Fecher are completing their employment with Gather ’Round, the Christian education curriculum produced jointly by Brethren Press and MennoMedia. Gather ’Round is in its final year of production and will be available through the summer of 2014. The successor curriculum, Shine, will be available beginning next fall.

Both Speicher and Fecher will continue some responsibilities on a contract basis through next summer, to help finish out Gather ’Round’s final quarter.

Photo by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford

Anna Speicher (at right) and Cyndi Fecher (at left) with a last group of Gather 'Round staff, as the curriculum entered its final year of production. Second from right is Roseanne Segovia, who completed her employment with Gather 'Round earlier this fall. Second from left is Rose Stutzman, who was an editor for Gather 'Round and now has been hired as project director for the successor curriculum Shine.

Anna Speicher

Anna Speicher has been project director and senior editor of Gather ’Round for 10 years, since fall 2003. She began her work as the curriculum project was initially being created by Brethren Press and MennoMedia (then Mennonite Publishing Network). Her last day at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill., will be Dec. 13.

Speicher has played a lead role in the creation and production of Gather ’Round and its materials for teachers and students, from young pre-schoolers through junior and senior youth to adult caregivers for children, for whom Gather ’Round offered a study resource for some years.

With its conceptual roots in the Shema, the “Hear O Israel” passage from Deuteronomy that is the foundation scripture, Speicher helped shape Gather ’Round as biblically based Christian education. She has led the curriculum’s intentional foundation in sound educational principles and academic research, alongside an emphasis on meeting the needs of students with a variety of learning styles. Gather ’Round has featured the Anabaptist emphasis on Christian education set within an active faith community, with strong ties between congregation and home.

This innovative approach, which helped create unique resources such as the signature Talkabout, garnered high praise for Gather ’Round in ecumenical circles, and gained many curriculum partnerships with others beyond the Brethren and Mennonites.

Cyndi Fecher

Fecher has been managing editor of the Gather ’Round curriculum for more than four years, since August 2009. Her last day at the General Offices will be Jan. 21, 2014.

In her role as managing editor, she has held responsibility for making sure all the pieces of the curriculum come together, shepherding the quarterly production of teacher’s guides, student books, resource packs, and Music CDs. She has negotiated contracts with writers, editors, designers, illustrators, and musicians, and helped oversee the editorial schedule as well as doing copyediting, proofreading, and troubleshooting for the curriculum.

Earlier, Fecher also served for a year as the Gather ’Round project assistant. Next summer she will be pianist for the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference in Columbus, Ohio.

Source: 12/7/2013 Newsline

Michigan, Atlantic Southeast Districts announce staffing changes

Nathan (Nate) Polzin has been called to serve as district executive minister for Michigan District, and Héctor Pérez-Borges has announced his plans to retire as associate executive for Atlantic Southeast District, in staffing changes for Church of the Brethren districts.

Héctor Pérez-Borges

Pérez-Borges has announced his plans to retire as associate executive for Atlantic Southeast District working with the Puerto Rico churches on July 1, 2014. He began his service as associate district executive on Oct. 1, 2011. His ministry career began in September 1994 upon early retirement as a chemist from a pharmaceutical firm where he held a position of quality assurance manager. He was led to serve as administrative dean and teacher in Colegio Pentecostal Mizpa, a post-secondary Bible college. He and his wife Annie joined Iglesia de Los Hermanos (Church of the Brethren) in Vega Baja, P.R., in January 2002. The congregation called him as pastor in February 2004. He was licensed and ordained at Cristo El Señor Iglesia de los Hermanos in Vega Baja, where he served as pastor from Feb. 1, 2004 until February 2012. He and his wife look forward to enjoying more time with the family, reading, writing, traveling, and volunteering service.

Nate Polzin

Nate Polzin has been called to serve as district executive minister for Michigan District, to fill a half-time position beginning immediately. This is a change from the interim position he has held since March 7, 2009. Polzin is also a church planter, start-up and continuing half-time pastor of the Church in Drive in Saginaw, Mich. He serves on the board of trustees of Bethany Theological Seminary representing clergy.

Source: 12/7/2013 Newsline

Reflecting on the anniversary of Newtown

By Bryan Hanger

Dec. 14 marks the one-year anniversary of the deadly mass shooting that occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Conn. As we take time to reflect on the anniversary of this terrible loss of life, Faiths United to Prevent Gun Violence has organized a letter signed by over 50 national religious leaders, including Church of the Brethren general secretary Stan Noffsinger. Below is an excerpt from the letter that will be released to the public and sent to every member of Congress on Monday, Dec. 9.

“With heavy hearts, we now approach the one-year anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting on Dec. 14, 2012. On that tragic day, our nation saw the loss of 20 defenseless young children and of six of the teachers and administrators that cared for them. We continue to mourn that unnecessary loss of life, and the dozens of lives lost to gun violence each and every day since then. Faith leaders in Newtown have been on the front line of responding to the unimaginable grief and pain of the families, and of the entire community there. Across the country, we grieve with our own congregants and communities, and we share the determination of them all to do all within our power to ensure that we stop this constant onslaught of violence.”

The full letter will be available online at faithsagainstgunviolence.org on Dec. 9, along with more information about the call-in event.

Advocacy: Faiths Calling to Prevent Gun Violence

The Church of the Brethren’s Office of Public Witness will be participating with Faiths United to Prevent Gun Violence and its member organizations in a call-in day to Congress on Dec. 13 in support of gun violence prevention policies. We invite you to raise your voice on this issue as you feel led and to contact your Senators on Dec. 13. For more information about this issue and how to participate, check out the Office of Public Witness’ Action Alert at http://cob.convio.net/site/MessageViewer?em_id=25381.0&dlv_id=0.

Take time in this season of hope to pray and reflect on this sorrowful anniversary, and begin to think about how you can work to prevent gun violence in your own community.

-- Bryan Hanger is advocacy assistant at the Church of the Brethren Office of Public Witness in Washington, D.C. For more about the Public Witness ministry contact coordinator Nathan Hosler at nhosler@brethren.org or 717-333-1649.

Source: 12/7/2013 Newsline