- Presidential inauguration highlights Bethany Seminary trustee meeting
- Church of the Brethren Benefit Trust supports Church Alliance filing of Amicus Brief in clergy housing exclusion case
- Global Food Crisis Fund to assist Fisherfolk’s Association in Philippines
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Newsline: April 22, 2014
NEWS
Presidential inauguration highlights Bethany Seminary trustee meeting
By Jenny Williams
The inauguration of Jeff Carter as Bethany Theological Seminary’s tenth president was the central event of the seminary’s spring 2014 board of trustees meeting, held March 27-30 at the seminary campus in Richmond, Ind. (The link to view the inauguration online is at www.bethanyseminary.edu/webcasts.)
In addition to several action items and reports from departmental committees, the board also devoted time to discussing issues presented by each committee pertaining to the operation of a seminary like Bethany in today’s social and cultural climate.
Presidential inauguration
On the morning of Saturday, March 29, nearly 170 people attended the presidential inauguration service in Nicarry Chapel. The theme chosen by Carter was “Can I Get a Witness?” a reference to 1 John 1:1-2: “The Word that gives life was from the beginning, and this is the one our message is about.... The one who gives life appeared! We saw it happen, and we are witnesses to what we have seen.” Guest speaker Thomas G. Long, Bandy Professor of Preaching at Candler School of Theology at Emory University, spoke to this theme with an address entitled “Faithful Witness: Engaging the Senses.”
Long is widely known and respected in the field of homiletics, having also taught preaching at Princeton, Columbia, and Erskine Seminaries. The author of numerous books and articles on preaching and worship as well as biblical commentaries, he has served as senior homiletics editor of “The New Interpreter’s Bible” and is an editor-at-large for “Christian Century.”
A number within the Bethany community took part in the service, offering prayers, instrumental and vocal music, scripture reading, and introductions. Dan Ulrich, Wieand Professor of New Testament Studies, presented a “Witness of Bethany Theological Seminary” incorporating both historical and philosophical perspectives. Board chair Lynn Myers led the commissioning of the president and was joined by trustee, student, and faculty representatives in the laying on of hands. The gathering also heard statements from representatives of the Church of the Brethren, Manchester University, and the neighboring Earlham School of Religion.
Those gathered for the event attended a celebratory lunch following the service, and members of the Bethany community joined the board for an inaugural dinner that evening.
Board activity and actions
Carter opened the board’s general session with an overview of objectives to help Bethany meet current challenges. Emphasizing the value of what Bethany has to offer, he focused on continued strengthening of recruitment and retention strategies, balancing the needs of residential and Connections students, and increasing the accessibility of the seminary’s programs. The board also viewed comparative data from peer schools of similar size and programming, including enrollment and acceptance rates, student body demographics, faculty, cost of education, giving, and investments.
To help the board engage in current issues specific to each area of the seminary, questions for discussion were brought by the committees for Academic Affairs, Institutional Advancement, and Student and Business Affairs: What can Bethany do to prepare people for bivocational ministry? How do we communicate the concept of stewardship and habitual giving to younger generations? How can we use current resources to further our mission without hurting long-term strategy? Common discussion themes were the importance of building relationships, whether with new educational partners or millennial donors, and of creative and thoughtful planning.
Two faculty appointed to endowed chairs
Among the board’s action items was the opportunity to recognize the contributions and achievements of longtime faculty members with new appointments to endowed chairs.
Dawn Ottoni-Wilhelm, in her 16th year at Bethany, was named the Brightbill Professor of Preaching and Worship. The Alvin V. Brightbill Endowed Chair of Ministry Studies was established by Bill and Miriam Cable in 1982 to honor the 45-year tenure of Alvin Brightbill in teaching church music and speech.
Scott Holland, in his 15th year at Bethany, was named the Slabaugh Professor of Theology and Culture. Established in 1985 by Bethany alumnus and longtime Brethren pastor Foster Myers, the Warren W. Slabaugh Endowed Chair of Theological Studies honors a “master teacher” who taught at Bethany for 40 years before serving as interim president in 1952-53.
Budget, graduates, officers, committee chairs approved
In addressing items that appear on each spring’s agenda, the board approved the list of potential graduates for the current year, providing all academic requirements are met.
The board approved officers and committee chairs for the 2014-15 academic year: Lynn Myers, chair; David Witkovsky, vice chair; Marty Farahat, secretary; Jonathan Frye, chair of the Academic Affairs Committee; Miller Davis, chair of the Institutional Advancement Committee; Greg Geisert, chair of the Student and Business Affairs Committee and the Audit Committee; and Paul Brubaker, chair of the Investment Committee.
The board approved the seminary’s budget for the coming academic year. The 2014-15 budget is $2,649,240, a negligible increase from the previous year. Following discussion of current endowment policy and the seminary’s financial position, the board suspended the stabilization fund policy for the coming academic year, requesting Bethany’s administration to recommend revisions. The policy was established to help ensure financial security in the leaner years during relocation to Richmond.
A revision of the articles of organization of the Brethren Journal Association also was approved.
Departmental reports and activities
The Academic Affairs Committee reported that with the resignation of Malinda Berry, assistant professor of theological studies and director of the MA program, these roles within the faculty will be reviewed before a new search is begun by the end of 2014. Berry noted that current MA students are pursuing a variety of topics for study, with equal numbers choosing the traditional thesis option and the new portfolio option. The Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership introduced Carrie Eikler as the new coordinator of TRIM and EFSM and continued to highlight the success of SeBAH-COB, the Spanish-language ministry training program in cooperation with the Mennonite Church. The board also heard from visiting staff member Donna Rhodes, director of the Susquehanna Valley Ministry Center, regarding changes in personnel and class formats and Bethany faculty involvement in teaching. The center has a goal of making its partnership with Bethany and Elizabethtown (Pa.) College more explicit to constituents.
The Institutional Advancement Committee noted that with the four-year Reimagining Ministries campaign drawing to close this June, while the initial dollar goal has been reached more work is needed in building relationships with new donors. Conversations with individuals and groups around the denomination will continue for the next few months. Current giving numbers are positive, with the total of $2.25 million for calendar 2103 as the highest in the past eight years. Giving to date for fiscal 2013-14 is comparative with recent years and higher than a year ago due to a large grant from the Lilly Endowment Inc. Month-to-month annual fund giving has kept pace with or exceeded amounts in recent years; however, the 2013-14 goal of $900,000 is higher as part of the Reimagining Ministries campaign. A new website design, coordinating with Bethany’s new admissions materials, has been in process during the current academic year. The board saw sample pages of the new look, which was expected to go live within the next month.
The Student and Business Affairs Committee focused on issues of balancing resources for current mission priorities--such as enrollment--with long-term financial viability. Brenda Reish, executive director of Student and Business Services and treasurer, gave an orientation to the seminary’s financial practices and goals and the breakdown of its assets. This included a historical overview of investment return and endowment draw and their relationship to the operating budget. Tracy Primozich, director of Admissions, and Amy Ritchie, director of Student Development, spoke to the importance of engaging with both prospective students and those in the Connections program. Calling out persons with gifts for ministry who can connect with the distinctives of a Bethany education falls to mentors and leaders in the church as well as to Bethany staff. Those who commit to follow this call as distance learners are at a higher risk for withdrawal without the benefit of community support and involvement.
The Institute for Ministry with Youth and Young Adults task team reported on progress since its formation last year. Charged with developing the potential of the institute, it has reviewed programs, the plan for sustainability, staffing, and the advisory board structure. A three-year plan has been established to manage finances, maintain staffing, and develop additional activities or events. Advisory board terms and membership and a procedure for communication with the board of trustees have been formalized. The mission of the institute was clarified as helping church leaders minister to young people through educational programs that relate to Bethany’s mission--a purpose that differentiates it from other programs within the Church of the Brethren.
-- Jenny Williams is director of Communications and Alumni/ae Relations for Bethany Theological Seminary.
Source: 4/22/2014 Newsline
The inauguration of Jeff Carter as Bethany Theological Seminary’s tenth president was the central event of the seminary’s spring 2014 board of trustees meeting, held March 27-30 at the seminary campus in Richmond, Ind. (The link to view the inauguration online is at www.bethanyseminary.edu/webcasts.)
In addition to several action items and reports from departmental committees, the board also devoted time to discussing issues presented by each committee pertaining to the operation of a seminary like Bethany in today’s social and cultural climate.
 |
Photo courtesy of Bethany Seminary
Inauguration of Jeff Carter as president of Bethany Seminary
|
On the morning of Saturday, March 29, nearly 170 people attended the presidential inauguration service in Nicarry Chapel. The theme chosen by Carter was “Can I Get a Witness?” a reference to 1 John 1:1-2: “The Word that gives life was from the beginning, and this is the one our message is about.... The one who gives life appeared! We saw it happen, and we are witnesses to what we have seen.” Guest speaker Thomas G. Long, Bandy Professor of Preaching at Candler School of Theology at Emory University, spoke to this theme with an address entitled “Faithful Witness: Engaging the Senses.”
Long is widely known and respected in the field of homiletics, having also taught preaching at Princeton, Columbia, and Erskine Seminaries. The author of numerous books and articles on preaching and worship as well as biblical commentaries, he has served as senior homiletics editor of “The New Interpreter’s Bible” and is an editor-at-large for “Christian Century.”
A number within the Bethany community took part in the service, offering prayers, instrumental and vocal music, scripture reading, and introductions. Dan Ulrich, Wieand Professor of New Testament Studies, presented a “Witness of Bethany Theological Seminary” incorporating both historical and philosophical perspectives. Board chair Lynn Myers led the commissioning of the president and was joined by trustee, student, and faculty representatives in the laying on of hands. The gathering also heard statements from representatives of the Church of the Brethren, Manchester University, and the neighboring Earlham School of Religion.
Those gathered for the event attended a celebratory lunch following the service, and members of the Bethany community joined the board for an inaugural dinner that evening.
Board activity and actions
Carter opened the board’s general session with an overview of objectives to help Bethany meet current challenges. Emphasizing the value of what Bethany has to offer, he focused on continued strengthening of recruitment and retention strategies, balancing the needs of residential and Connections students, and increasing the accessibility of the seminary’s programs. The board also viewed comparative data from peer schools of similar size and programming, including enrollment and acceptance rates, student body demographics, faculty, cost of education, giving, and investments.
To help the board engage in current issues specific to each area of the seminary, questions for discussion were brought by the committees for Academic Affairs, Institutional Advancement, and Student and Business Affairs: What can Bethany do to prepare people for bivocational ministry? How do we communicate the concept of stewardship and habitual giving to younger generations? How can we use current resources to further our mission without hurting long-term strategy? Common discussion themes were the importance of building relationships, whether with new educational partners or millennial donors, and of creative and thoughtful planning.
Two faculty appointed to endowed chairs
Among the board’s action items was the opportunity to recognize the contributions and achievements of longtime faculty members with new appointments to endowed chairs.
Dawn Ottoni-Wilhelm, in her 16th year at Bethany, was named the Brightbill Professor of Preaching and Worship. The Alvin V. Brightbill Endowed Chair of Ministry Studies was established by Bill and Miriam Cable in 1982 to honor the 45-year tenure of Alvin Brightbill in teaching church music and speech.
Scott Holland, in his 15th year at Bethany, was named the Slabaugh Professor of Theology and Culture. Established in 1985 by Bethany alumnus and longtime Brethren pastor Foster Myers, the Warren W. Slabaugh Endowed Chair of Theological Studies honors a “master teacher” who taught at Bethany for 40 years before serving as interim president in 1952-53.
Budget, graduates, officers, committee chairs approved
In addressing items that appear on each spring’s agenda, the board approved the list of potential graduates for the current year, providing all academic requirements are met.
The board approved officers and committee chairs for the 2014-15 academic year: Lynn Myers, chair; David Witkovsky, vice chair; Marty Farahat, secretary; Jonathan Frye, chair of the Academic Affairs Committee; Miller Davis, chair of the Institutional Advancement Committee; Greg Geisert, chair of the Student and Business Affairs Committee and the Audit Committee; and Paul Brubaker, chair of the Investment Committee.
The board approved the seminary’s budget for the coming academic year. The 2014-15 budget is $2,649,240, a negligible increase from the previous year. Following discussion of current endowment policy and the seminary’s financial position, the board suspended the stabilization fund policy for the coming academic year, requesting Bethany’s administration to recommend revisions. The policy was established to help ensure financial security in the leaner years during relocation to Richmond.
A revision of the articles of organization of the Brethren Journal Association also was approved.
Departmental reports and activities
The Academic Affairs Committee reported that with the resignation of Malinda Berry, assistant professor of theological studies and director of the MA program, these roles within the faculty will be reviewed before a new search is begun by the end of 2014. Berry noted that current MA students are pursuing a variety of topics for study, with equal numbers choosing the traditional thesis option and the new portfolio option. The Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership introduced Carrie Eikler as the new coordinator of TRIM and EFSM and continued to highlight the success of SeBAH-COB, the Spanish-language ministry training program in cooperation with the Mennonite Church. The board also heard from visiting staff member Donna Rhodes, director of the Susquehanna Valley Ministry Center, regarding changes in personnel and class formats and Bethany faculty involvement in teaching. The center has a goal of making its partnership with Bethany and Elizabethtown (Pa.) College more explicit to constituents.
The Institutional Advancement Committee noted that with the four-year Reimagining Ministries campaign drawing to close this June, while the initial dollar goal has been reached more work is needed in building relationships with new donors. Conversations with individuals and groups around the denomination will continue for the next few months. Current giving numbers are positive, with the total of $2.25 million for calendar 2103 as the highest in the past eight years. Giving to date for fiscal 2013-14 is comparative with recent years and higher than a year ago due to a large grant from the Lilly Endowment Inc. Month-to-month annual fund giving has kept pace with or exceeded amounts in recent years; however, the 2013-14 goal of $900,000 is higher as part of the Reimagining Ministries campaign. A new website design, coordinating with Bethany’s new admissions materials, has been in process during the current academic year. The board saw sample pages of the new look, which was expected to go live within the next month.
The Student and Business Affairs Committee focused on issues of balancing resources for current mission priorities--such as enrollment--with long-term financial viability. Brenda Reish, executive director of Student and Business Services and treasurer, gave an orientation to the seminary’s financial practices and goals and the breakdown of its assets. This included a historical overview of investment return and endowment draw and their relationship to the operating budget. Tracy Primozich, director of Admissions, and Amy Ritchie, director of Student Development, spoke to the importance of engaging with both prospective students and those in the Connections program. Calling out persons with gifts for ministry who can connect with the distinctives of a Bethany education falls to mentors and leaders in the church as well as to Bethany staff. Those who commit to follow this call as distance learners are at a higher risk for withdrawal without the benefit of community support and involvement.
The Institute for Ministry with Youth and Young Adults task team reported on progress since its formation last year. Charged with developing the potential of the institute, it has reviewed programs, the plan for sustainability, staffing, and the advisory board structure. A three-year plan has been established to manage finances, maintain staffing, and develop additional activities or events. Advisory board terms and membership and a procedure for communication with the board of trustees have been formalized. The mission of the institute was clarified as helping church leaders minister to young people through educational programs that relate to Bethany’s mission--a purpose that differentiates it from other programs within the Church of the Brethren.
-- Jenny Williams is director of Communications and Alumni/ae Relations for Bethany Theological Seminary.
Source: 4/22/2014 Newsline
Church of the Brethren Benefit Trust supports Church Alliance filing of Amicus Brief in clergy housing exclusion case
The Church Alliance--a coalition of the chief executive officers of
38 denominational benefit programs including Church of the Brethren
Benefit Trust (BBT)--has filed an amicus curiae brief in the Seventh
Circuit US Court of Appeals (Chicago) in the case challenging the
constitutionality of the clergy housing exclusion under Section 107(2)
of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (Code).
BBT participates as a member organization of the Church Alliance,
where BBT president Nevin Dulabaum serves as the Church of the Brethren
representative. Church of the Brethren general secretary Stan Noffsinger
and associate general secretary Mary Jo Flory-Steury have signed on in
support of the brief on behalf of the denomination.
The case is Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc., et al. v. Jacob Lew, et al. (FFRF v. Lew). The US government is appealing a decision by Judge Barbara Crabb, US District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin (November 2013), that Code §107(2) is unconstitutional.
Clergy housing exclusion
Code §107(2), commonly called “clergy housing exclusion” or “clergy housing allowance,” excludes from income taxation the cash compensation provided to “ministers of the gospel” (clergy) toward the cost of their housing. This section of the IRS code essentially excludes the value of clergy-owned housing from income taxation. It is related to Code §107(1), which excludes from a minister’s taxable income the value of church-provided housing (commonly called a parsonage, vicarage, or manse). The FFRF v. Lew appeal does not involve a challenge to Code §107(1).
Judge Crabb ruled that Code §107(2) is unconstitutional because it violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the US Constitution. Under the Establishment Clause, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion....” Judge Crabb stayed the effect of her ruling until all appeals are exhausted. The government’s opening brief was filed on April 2.
The Church Alliance brief adds a perspective not duplicated in the government’s brief, focusing on the jurisprudential history of permitted legislative accommodations of religion. The brief argues that Code §107(2) is a constitutionally permitted accommodation of religion when viewed in the context of Code §107(1), the parsonage exclusion, and Code §119, which excludes employer-provided housing from employees’ incomes in numerous secular circumstances.
“The Church Alliance has a substantial interest in the validity of Code §107(2) because of the immediate impact on compensation and housing of active clergy in the benefit plans of its member denominations, and also because of the indirect impact on retirement benefits,” said Barbara Boigegrain, chair of the Church Alliance and chief executive of the General Board of Pension and Health Benefits of the United Methodist Church.
Religious organizations represented
The members of the Church Alliance stand with other religious organizations in their vested interest in the outcome of this litigation. The clergy housing exclusion is important to millions of active and retired clergy from the 38 Church Alliance-represented denominations including, in addition to the Church of the Brethren, the American Baptist Churches in the USA, Church of the Nazarene, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Brothers Services, Episcopal Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Joint Retirement Board for Conservative Judaism, Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, Presbyterian Church (USA), Reform Pension Board, Southern Baptist Convention, United Church of Christ, and the United Methodist Church, among others.
Numerous other churches, associations or conventions of churches, and other religious organizations with religious leaders eligible for the clergy housing exclusion under Code §107(2) are additional signers of the brief, supporting the filing of the Church Alliance’s brief and the positions advocated in it. They include the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, Central Conference of American Rabbis, Moravian Church, Rabbinical Assembly, Salvation Army, Union for Reform Judaism, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, and Wisconsin Council of Churches, among others.
The Church Alliance first formed in 1975 as the “Church Alliance for Clarification of ERISA” to address the problems presented for established church plans by the Employment Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). The Church Alliance advocated for changes to the church plan definitions in ERISA and the Code. As a result of these efforts, Congress revised the definition of “church plan” in both ERISA and the Code when it passed the Multiemployer Pension Plan Amendments Act of 1980 (MPPAA) to make clear that a church plan can provide retirement and welfare benefits to employees of all church agencies. The Church Alliance continues to ensure that benefit-related legislative and regulatory initiatives fully address the unique nature of church plans.
For more information about Brethren Benefit Trust go to www.brethrenbenefittrust.org . For more information about the Church Alliance go to www.church-alliance.org.
-- Much of this report was provided by M. Colette Nies, managing director of Communications for the United Methodist Church General Board of Pension and Health Benefits.
Source: 4/22/2014 Newsline
The case is Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc., et al. v. Jacob Lew, et al. (FFRF v. Lew). The US government is appealing a decision by Judge Barbara Crabb, US District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin (November 2013), that Code §107(2) is unconstitutional.
Clergy housing exclusion
Code §107(2), commonly called “clergy housing exclusion” or “clergy housing allowance,” excludes from income taxation the cash compensation provided to “ministers of the gospel” (clergy) toward the cost of their housing. This section of the IRS code essentially excludes the value of clergy-owned housing from income taxation. It is related to Code §107(1), which excludes from a minister’s taxable income the value of church-provided housing (commonly called a parsonage, vicarage, or manse). The FFRF v. Lew appeal does not involve a challenge to Code §107(1).
Judge Crabb ruled that Code §107(2) is unconstitutional because it violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the US Constitution. Under the Establishment Clause, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion....” Judge Crabb stayed the effect of her ruling until all appeals are exhausted. The government’s opening brief was filed on April 2.
The Church Alliance brief adds a perspective not duplicated in the government’s brief, focusing on the jurisprudential history of permitted legislative accommodations of religion. The brief argues that Code §107(2) is a constitutionally permitted accommodation of religion when viewed in the context of Code §107(1), the parsonage exclusion, and Code §119, which excludes employer-provided housing from employees’ incomes in numerous secular circumstances.
“The Church Alliance has a substantial interest in the validity of Code §107(2) because of the immediate impact on compensation and housing of active clergy in the benefit plans of its member denominations, and also because of the indirect impact on retirement benefits,” said Barbara Boigegrain, chair of the Church Alliance and chief executive of the General Board of Pension and Health Benefits of the United Methodist Church.
Religious organizations represented
The members of the Church Alliance stand with other religious organizations in their vested interest in the outcome of this litigation. The clergy housing exclusion is important to millions of active and retired clergy from the 38 Church Alliance-represented denominations including, in addition to the Church of the Brethren, the American Baptist Churches in the USA, Church of the Nazarene, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Brothers Services, Episcopal Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Joint Retirement Board for Conservative Judaism, Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, Presbyterian Church (USA), Reform Pension Board, Southern Baptist Convention, United Church of Christ, and the United Methodist Church, among others.
Numerous other churches, associations or conventions of churches, and other religious organizations with religious leaders eligible for the clergy housing exclusion under Code §107(2) are additional signers of the brief, supporting the filing of the Church Alliance’s brief and the positions advocated in it. They include the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, Central Conference of American Rabbis, Moravian Church, Rabbinical Assembly, Salvation Army, Union for Reform Judaism, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, and Wisconsin Council of Churches, among others.
The Church Alliance first formed in 1975 as the “Church Alliance for Clarification of ERISA” to address the problems presented for established church plans by the Employment Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). The Church Alliance advocated for changes to the church plan definitions in ERISA and the Code. As a result of these efforts, Congress revised the definition of “church plan” in both ERISA and the Code when it passed the Multiemployer Pension Plan Amendments Act of 1980 (MPPAA) to make clear that a church plan can provide retirement and welfare benefits to employees of all church agencies. The Church Alliance continues to ensure that benefit-related legislative and regulatory initiatives fully address the unique nature of church plans.
For more information about Brethren Benefit Trust go to www.brethrenbenefittrust.org . For more information about the Church Alliance go to www.church-alliance.org.
-- Much of this report was provided by M. Colette Nies, managing director of Communications for the United Methodist Church General Board of Pension and Health Benefits.
Source: 4/22/2014 Newsline
Global Food Crisis Fund to assist Fisherfolk’s Association in Philippines
A grant of $10,000 from the Church of the Brethren’s Global Food
Crisis Fund (GFCF) has been allocated for replacement of fishing
equipment in the Philippines following Typhoon Haiyan. The recipient of
the grant is Barangay District 1 Fisherfolk's Association of Babatngon,
Leyte, the Philippines.
The grant is going to a community which was visited by Brethren Disaster Ministries and Global Mission and Service associate executive Roy Winter and Peter Barlow of Montezuma Church of the Brethren in Dayton, Va., during a recent assessment trip to the Philippines. Barlow worked with this community during his service with the Peace Corps.
The money will be used to acquire a new community fishing boat, for nets and materials to build cages destroyed during Typhoon Haiyan, and to purchase Milk Fish fingerlings that will be reared in the cages.
For more about the work of the fund go to www.brethren.org/gfcf.
Source: 4/22/2014 Newsline
The grant is going to a community which was visited by Brethren Disaster Ministries and Global Mission and Service associate executive Roy Winter and Peter Barlow of Montezuma Church of the Brethren in Dayton, Va., during a recent assessment trip to the Philippines. Barlow worked with this community during his service with the Peace Corps.
The money will be used to acquire a new community fishing boat, for nets and materials to build cages destroyed during Typhoon Haiyan, and to purchase Milk Fish fingerlings that will be reared in the cages.
For more about the work of the fund go to www.brethren.org/gfcf.
Source: 4/22/2014 Newsline
Brethren Press offers summer curriculum
Brethren Press is offering a variety of curriculum for this summer,
including the final quarter of Gather ’Round, the predecessor to the new
Shine curriculum; A Guide for Biblical Studies on the topic “The People
of God Set Priorities” written by Al Hansell; and a Vacation Bible
School curriculum from MennoMedia focused on biblical hospitality,
titled “Give and Receive God’s Great Love.”
Also new from Brethren Press: “Behind the Drama: The Old Testament You Missed,” a Covenant Bible Study by Eugene F. Roop.
To purchase any of these products from Brethren Press call 800-441-3712 or go to www.brethrenpress.com . A shipping and handling fee will be added to the listed price.
Source: 4/22/2014 Newsline
Also new from Brethren Press: “Behind the Drama: The Old Testament You Missed,” a Covenant Bible Study by Eugene F. Roop.
To purchase any of these products from Brethren Press call 800-441-3712 or go to www.brethrenpress.com . A shipping and handling fee will be added to the listed price.
- “Behind the Drama: The Old Testament You Missed” is a Covenant Bible Study by Old Testament scholar and former Bethany Seminary president Eugene F. Roop. “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 description of this new Bible study. “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. “Behind the Drama” is available for $7.95 per copy, plus shipping and handling.
- Summer Gather ’Round: The final four-year cycle of Gather ’Round comes to a close this summer. “Stories of God’s People” is the summer theme for multiage (grades K-5), preschool (ages 3-4, with tips for 2s), and youth (grades 6-12). Lessons cover the weeks of June 1-Aug. 24. Stories focus on people around Jesus--Matthew, Mary, Martha, Zacchaeus, Nicodemus, Peter, John--and leaders in the early church--Paul and Ananias, Barnabus, Philip and the Ethiopian, Lydia, Aquila, Priscilla. Call Brethren Press at 800-441-3712 for pricing details.
- A Guide for Biblical Studies: “The People of God Set Priorities” is the summer theme of this Bible study for adults, written by Al Hansell. The quarter uses texts from Haggai and 1 and 2 Corinthians to study the people of God in community. The first unit focuses on the call to community through the rebuilding of the temple. The second and third units turn to the New Testament and look at the church at Corinth in order to learn how to build and maintain community among believers. The lessons give emphasis to prayer, forgiveness, love, cooperation, and sharing. Order for $4.25 per copy or $7.35 for large print.
- Vacation Bible School: “Give and Receive God's Great Love” (MennoMedia) is the Vacation Bible School curriculum available from Brethren Press for this summer. It highlights Bible stories about God's people who showed hospitality, inviting children to learn about God who welcomes each one of us. The curriculum is organized around five stories adaptable to a daily program, or a midweek or club plan. Stories are drawn from Genesis, 1 Samuel, Luke, and Acts. The curriculum offers worship resources, games, crafts, and a drama of each story. A starter kit may be purchased for $159.99.
Source: 4/22/2014 Newsline
Water, Holy Water: Praising God on Earth Day
April 22 is the day when the whole world pauses to celebrate the planet we call home. But for Christians there is a unique dimension to Earth Day, for creation cannot be spoken of without first remembering and praising the God who gave us this wonderful home.
It can be easy to forget the true miracle of creation, but before there was anything, God already had in mind the details of our world and how we humans would be the ones to inhabit and steward over it. What a wonderful vocation to be given! But the responsibilities of stewardship can sometimes get beyond us, and occasions like Earth Day give us time to pause and reflect upon the successes and failures of our attempted stewardship.
One of these failures has been our protection of the world's water. As we continue to see the effects of environmental degradation, climate change, and pollution on our water we are reminded that we have not fully heeded God's calling in scripture to be stewards of our water. Ezekiel reminds us of God's admonition to care for our water so that all may enjoy it and be nourished: “Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture, but you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pasture? When you drink of clear water, must you foul the rest with your feet?” (Ezekiel 34:18).
Water is sacred and vital to humanity's existence, but how we consume and use water has an effect on how others access and enjoy it. Our actions and inaction connect us to one another. When we abuse or take for granted this gift of water we can inadvertently affect others’ ability to live and thrive.
Jesus understands how important water is, and that's why he chooses it as a metaphor to explain how vital he is to our lives. When Jesus offers us living water, he very bluntly is telling us that we can't survive and thrive without him.
But God not only offers us living water that will quench our spiritual thirst, God also blesses us with physical water to give us relief, help us grow, and nourish creation. The Psalmist reminds us of how God’s great gift of water sustains and nurtures creation's development: “You make springs gush forth in the valleys; they flow between the hills, giving drink to every wild animal; the wild asses quench their thirst. By the streams the birds of the air have their habitation; they sing among the branches. From your lofty abode you water the mountains; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work” (Psalm 104:10-13).
We know that the Lord's work is good, but what has been the fruit of our own work and stewardship? As we examine the effects of pollution, climate change, and other factors we see that more and more we have disrupted this beautiful cycle of life. We have been given the gift of water and have taken it for granted, used more than we needed, and distorted our relationship with creation. It is time for us to collectively realize this, repent, and begin anew as faithful stewards of God’s creation. The health and vitality of God’s creation depends on it.
This is the message that our friends at Creation Justice Ministries are raising up in their new publication “Water, Holy Water.” This publication has revealing stories from around the world, information about the state of our world's water, prayers to use during worship, and other resources for your congregation to use. We join them in lifting up this important issue, and encourage you and your congregation to reflect on these issues. Download “Water, Holy Water” from www.creationjustice.org.
Also, don’t forget to check out the Climate Change Study Resource our office helped put together. We encourage you to study and reflect on it before this year's Annual Conference when the official statement in response to the Climate Change query will be presented and voted on. The study resource is at www.brethren.org/peace/documents/climate-change-study-resource.pdf.
-- Bryan Hanger is advocacy assistant at the Church of the Brethren Office of Public Witness.
Source: 4/22/2014 Newsline
The history of International Cane Awareness Day in Vietnam
By Tran Thi Thanh Huong
The first event of International Cane Awareness Day in Vietnam occurred in October 2011, at Nguyen Dinh Chieu Blind School, Ho Chi Minh City. An overall theme was chosen for this event: “The white-tipped cane is an adaptive, functional cane used by blind persons, which alerts people to give priority to the person using the cane.”
This message was the dream of a blind teacher and trainer in Mobility
and Orientation. His name was Le Dan Bach Viet, a well-known leader of
the disability rights grassroots movement in Ho Chi Minh City. Bach Viet
was the first in Vietnam to receive a master’s degree in Mobility and
Training. He got his degree from Philadelphia’s School of Optometry in
2006. The Ford Foundation provided for the necessary scholarship funding
to achieve this goal.
Sadly, Bach Viet died of cancer in February 2011. Due to the voice of Bach Viet’s spirit of advocacy, a group of resource experts and advocates work tirelessly in being focused on the needs of blind students, mobility, and orientation training.
At the moment, there is a scarcity of trained individual instructors throughout Vietnam. Bach Viet trained the students on orientation and mobility. Grace Mishler, Global Mission volunteer was one of the benefactors upon her arrival in Vietnam. This group of experts is helping to shape a future field of studies in Mobility and Orientation Training. The primary advocate is headmaster of a well-known blind school, Nguyen Quoc Phong. Tran Thi Thanh Huong, Saigon Times journalist, is in charge of media activities in promoting the need of cane awareness in Vietnam. Within eight months after the death of Bach Viet, they were able to organize a first-time event in Vietnam from an idea suggested by Bach Viet before he died: our own International Cane Awareness Day.
2011 International Cane Awareness Day
Over 200 participants gathered in October at Nguyen Dinh Chieu Blind School, Ho Chi Minh City, where Bach Viet was a teacher, instructor, and trainer in Mobility and Orientation. Participants included blind students of special high schools like Nguyen Dinh Chieu School, Thien An School, Nhat Hong Center, Huynh De Nhu Nghia Shelter, and National College of Education 3, along with many individuals, teachers, people with disabilities, NGOs, and volunteers.
This event held a press conference in which journalists asked questions to experts and blind people about the conditions and difficulties in mobility of blind people. Participants and blind students then marched with their white-tipped canes on the streets around Nguyen Dinh Chieu School. That image attracted special attention of the press, and was reported and broadcast on many prestigious national newspapers and television channels. The slogan of the event was, “Please give priority to the persons with white canes.”
2012 International Cane Awareness Day
In 2012, the location changed to National Vietnam University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Ho Chi Minh City. It was initiated by social work students in relationship to the Faculty of Social Work. The message conveyed by the planning committee was, “Blindness is not from the eyes, but from the look.” This slogan was inspired by a saying of a blind student: “I don’t wish that I can see because it is impossible. I only wish that I am seen in people’s eyes.”
This message was to remind the community and society to recognize the existence and needs of blind people, including the needs for education, mobility, communication, assistance, and simply an effort to live a normal life. Through the talk and sharing between the students and blind persons, the students had a chance to understand more about blind people’s needs for communication and education. The event ended with marching collectively together with white canes.
2013 International Cane Awareness Day
The location of the event remained at National Vietnam University of Social Sciences and Humanities. The message or theme of this year was to “Walk happily and independently.” This message was chosen so that with mobility and orientation training, blind students can have more confidence in their navigation with helpful assistance like the cane and peer helpers. A banner of the event read, “Walk happily with the white cane.”
This year there was a shift that occurred prior to the event. Social Work students, volunteers, and blind students practiced for hours over a course of one month in presenting a “flash mob” dance with the cane in which, the blind students were able to perform a complex motion of hands, canes, and feet from a traditional Vietnamese country song. Additionally, blind students engaged in a talk show, a Braille game show, and a contest in naming a piece of music.
The sighted and blind students danced together with the canes in a Vietnamese traditional song. What came out of this momentous event was mutually benefitting. Blind students were empowered and felt like equal participants and took leadership, while social work students learned better understanding of the life of a blind student. It gave everyone confidence to mobilize community events through a team work approach. The primary benefactors of this event were Nhat Hong and Thien An Blind Schools who together have 17 blind students attending university.
The students said that they were very impressed and touched by the inner strength to overcome difficulties and the optimistic spirit of the blind students. Since the blind students this year had time to prepare and practice in advance before the Cane Awareness Day, they were not just passive participants, but rather active, excited, and equally contributing. In other words, they were not just guests but they were given empowerment, as being the hosts to present their life experience with a voice of confidence and ability.
The media was also pretty successful in delivering the message. Many images about the life of blind people, their independence, and confidence in life, were uploaded into websites and recognized, well-known newspapers.
Blind people in Vietnam still have many messages needing to be delivered to the society, so that they can have a better and more independent life.
These past three years can be summarized:
-- Tran Thi Thanh Huong is a Saigon Times News journalist. Grace Mishler, whose work in Vietnam is supported by the Church of the Brethren Global Mission and Service office, helped review this report for Newsline. It was translated by Nguyen Vu Cat Tien. Photos were taken by Tran Thi Thanh Huong, Grace Mishler, Pham Do Nam, Pham Dung (Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper).
Source: 4/22/2014 Newsline
The first event of International Cane Awareness Day in Vietnam occurred in October 2011, at Nguyen Dinh Chieu Blind School, Ho Chi Minh City. An overall theme was chosen for this event: “The white-tipped cane is an adaptive, functional cane used by blind persons, which alerts people to give priority to the person using the cane.”
 |
| Grace Mishler with marchers on Cane Awareness Day |
Sadly, Bach Viet died of cancer in February 2011. Due to the voice of Bach Viet’s spirit of advocacy, a group of resource experts and advocates work tirelessly in being focused on the needs of blind students, mobility, and orientation training.
At the moment, there is a scarcity of trained individual instructors throughout Vietnam. Bach Viet trained the students on orientation and mobility. Grace Mishler, Global Mission volunteer was one of the benefactors upon her arrival in Vietnam. This group of experts is helping to shape a future field of studies in Mobility and Orientation Training. The primary advocate is headmaster of a well-known blind school, Nguyen Quoc Phong. Tran Thi Thanh Huong, Saigon Times journalist, is in charge of media activities in promoting the need of cane awareness in Vietnam. Within eight months after the death of Bach Viet, they were able to organize a first-time event in Vietnam from an idea suggested by Bach Viet before he died: our own International Cane Awareness Day.
2011 International Cane Awareness Day
Over 200 participants gathered in October at Nguyen Dinh Chieu Blind School, Ho Chi Minh City, where Bach Viet was a teacher, instructor, and trainer in Mobility and Orientation. Participants included blind students of special high schools like Nguyen Dinh Chieu School, Thien An School, Nhat Hong Center, Huynh De Nhu Nghia Shelter, and National College of Education 3, along with many individuals, teachers, people with disabilities, NGOs, and volunteers.
This event held a press conference in which journalists asked questions to experts and blind people about the conditions and difficulties in mobility of blind people. Participants and blind students then marched with their white-tipped canes on the streets around Nguyen Dinh Chieu School. That image attracted special attention of the press, and was reported and broadcast on many prestigious national newspapers and television channels. The slogan of the event was, “Please give priority to the persons with white canes.”
2012 International Cane Awareness Day
In 2012, the location changed to National Vietnam University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Ho Chi Minh City. It was initiated by social work students in relationship to the Faculty of Social Work. The message conveyed by the planning committee was, “Blindness is not from the eyes, but from the look.” This slogan was inspired by a saying of a blind student: “I don’t wish that I can see because it is impossible. I only wish that I am seen in people’s eyes.”
This message was to remind the community and society to recognize the existence and needs of blind people, including the needs for education, mobility, communication, assistance, and simply an effort to live a normal life. Through the talk and sharing between the students and blind persons, the students had a chance to understand more about blind people’s needs for communication and education. The event ended with marching collectively together with white canes.
 |
| A poster theme for Cane Awareness Day reads: "Walk happily with the white cane." |
The location of the event remained at National Vietnam University of Social Sciences and Humanities. The message or theme of this year was to “Walk happily and independently.” This message was chosen so that with mobility and orientation training, blind students can have more confidence in their navigation with helpful assistance like the cane and peer helpers. A banner of the event read, “Walk happily with the white cane.”
This year there was a shift that occurred prior to the event. Social Work students, volunteers, and blind students practiced for hours over a course of one month in presenting a “flash mob” dance with the cane in which, the blind students were able to perform a complex motion of hands, canes, and feet from a traditional Vietnamese country song. Additionally, blind students engaged in a talk show, a Braille game show, and a contest in naming a piece of music.
The sighted and blind students danced together with the canes in a Vietnamese traditional song. What came out of this momentous event was mutually benefitting. Blind students were empowered and felt like equal participants and took leadership, while social work students learned better understanding of the life of a blind student. It gave everyone confidence to mobilize community events through a team work approach. The primary benefactors of this event were Nhat Hong and Thien An Blind Schools who together have 17 blind students attending university.
The students said that they were very impressed and touched by the inner strength to overcome difficulties and the optimistic spirit of the blind students. Since the blind students this year had time to prepare and practice in advance before the Cane Awareness Day, they were not just passive participants, but rather active, excited, and equally contributing. In other words, they were not just guests but they were given empowerment, as being the hosts to present their life experience with a voice of confidence and ability.
The media was also pretty successful in delivering the message. Many images about the life of blind people, their independence, and confidence in life, were uploaded into websites and recognized, well-known newspapers.
Blind people in Vietnam still have many messages needing to be delivered to the society, so that they can have a better and more independent life.
These past three years can be summarized:
- It takes a collective teamwork effort in the spirit of volunteerism to keep this yearly public service educational event happening.
- The hope of being based at the university follows the dream of Bach Viet and ongoing advocates that the university will be an anchor in training much needed degrees in Mobility and Orientation and Low Vision Rehabilitation.
-- Tran Thi Thanh Huong is a Saigon Times News journalist. Grace Mishler, whose work in Vietnam is supported by the Church of the Brethren Global Mission and Service office, helped review this report for Newsline. It was translated by Nguyen Vu Cat Tien. Photos were taken by Tran Thi Thanh Huong, Grace Mishler, Pham Do Nam, Pham Dung (Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper).
Source: 4/22/2014 Newsline
Brethren bits
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Courtesy of NYC Office
“Oak Grove's youth group has started on their NYC pillows! Has anyone else?” said a recent Facebook post from the National Youth Conference (NYC) office. Youth and advisors have just a few days left to register for NYC before the price goes up to $500 on May 1. All participants are encouraged to register as soon as possible to avoid a late fee. NYC is held every four years for youth who have finished ninth grade through one year of college, and their adult advisors. The week of NYC includes worship services twice a day, Bible studies, workshops, small groups, hiking, service projects, and outdoor recreation. NYC is held on the campus of Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colo. The NYC 2014 theme is “Called by Christ, Blessed for the Journey Together” (Ephesians 4:1-7). Go to www.brethren.org/NYC . |
- The Annual Conference First Aid Room is looking for trained medical personnel who are planning to attend the Conference this July in Columbus, Ohio, who are willing to volunteer for a few hours. If you are an RN, LPN, MD, DO, or EMT and could serve at least a few hours, would you please contact Dr. Judy Royer at: royerfarm@woh.rr.com .
- Brethren Disaster Ministries is seeking new project leaders. A two-week training in August will give new leaders the tools needed to help manage the volunteer household, manage weekly volunteers, and support the construction projects. No specific skills are required, but some construction experience is very helpful. Project leaders stay on the work site for a month or more each year. Contact Jane Yount at jyount@brethren.org or call 800-451-4407.
- “Please pray for EYN,” said an e-mail from a leading member of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN--the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria), after more than 200 girls attending a government secondary school in Chibok in northeastern Nigeria were kidnapped last Tuesday, April 15, by the terrorist group Boko Haram. The school was in Chibok, which is in the former Church of the Brethren Mission area in Nigeria, and the e-mail reported that most of the kidnapped girls are EYN members. “The media is not presenting true picture,” the e-mail added. Media reported incorrectly over the weekend that most of the girls had been rescued by the Nigerian military, a statement that was revealed to be incorrect in a Voice of America interview with the headmistress of the school. “Since the government decided to close down some schools in Bama, Maiduguri, and northern part of Adamawa State due to continued attacks on schools, southern Borno State became a save heaven for final year students,” reported another EYN staff member. “Chibok Government Girls Secondary School is an old school and has produced notable EYN members.”
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Photo courtesy of Phil King
The Susquehanna Valley Ministry Center Governing Board held its spring meeting at Elizabethtown (Pa.) College on April 9. The meeting also included district executive ministers from Atlantic Northeast, Southern Pennsylvania, Middle Pennsylvania, Western Pennsylvania, and Mid-Atlantic Districts. Donna Rhodes, executive director of SVMC, noted an “exciting collaborative spirit was present at the meeting” which included Bethany Seminary president Jeff Carter, Bethany Seminary academic dean Steven Schweitzer, and executive director of the Office of Ministry and associate general secretary Mary Jo Flory-Steury. Carter spoke of his early ministerial training that included involvement with SVMC and reaffirmed the cooperative relationship between Bethany Seminary and the district-based ministerial training provided by SVMC. |
- Jordan Run (W.Va.) Church of the Brethren in West
Marva District will host an “Evening to Share About Bethany Seminary”
on
April 27May 27 at 7 p.m. Ted Flory of Bridgewater, Va., will be the guest facilitator, and any interested persons are encouraged to attend, said the district newsletter. For additional information contact 304-749-8172.
- Two Praise Gatherings are planned this Spring in West Marva District. Each gathering will include a statement on the District Conference theme from moderator Steve Sauder, said the district newsletter. Adam and Katie Brenneman, Praise and Worship Leaders at Oak Park Church of the Brethren in Oakland, Md., will be among those leading worship at Living Stone Church of the Brethren in Cumberland, Md., on April 27 at 3 p.m. Music will be shared by the Bear Creek Church of the Brethren Choir as well as the Living Stone church’s Bluegrass Praise Band. The second gathering is to be at Shiloh Church of the Brethren near Kasson, W.Va., on May 25 at 3 p.m. An offering to support district ministries will be received at each event.
- Ephrata (Pa.) Church of the Brethren is hosting a “Creative Church Workshop” on May 3, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m., led by Dave Weiss of AMOK Arts. “How do you take the unchanging message of the Gospel to an ever-changing world? Very creatively!” said an announcement in the Atlantic Northeast District newsletter. The event is for pastors, church leaders, “and creatives of all disciplines.” Cost is $30 per person. For more information contact amokarts@aol.com .
- Gettysburg (Pa.) Church of the Brethren is planning ahead for the fall with a Peace Witness Event titled “Peace, Pies, and Prophets” on Sept. 21, presented by Ted and Company. “You will be entertained by a hilarious and poignant satire that explores peace, justice, and the American way--starring Ted Swartz and Tim Ruebke,” said an announcement. “This thought-provoking show allows us to laugh at ourselves, while engaging us to think about how to work for peace and justice worldwide.” The show “I’d Like to Buy an Enemy” will be interspersed with a pie auction fundraiser. Homemade pies will be auctioned for the cause of peace. Admission is free, but opportunities will be given for freewill offerings.
- Western Pennsylvania District has designated April 27 as “Tithing Sunday” focusing on a text from Deuteronomy 16:16-17, “...Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the Lord God has blessed you.” The district is providing a special bulletin insert that also includes other biblical references to giving and tithing, as well as quotes from famous people about giving and why we give. “Our tithe is our way of thanking God who gives so much to us,” said the document from the district Stewards and Finance Team.
- Atlantic Northeast District will hold its district conference on Oct. 4, with the theme “Building up the Body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-16). The district newsletter has announced sectional meetings in September that will commit the district conference to prayer: Sept. 9 at Lancaster (Pa.) Church of the Brethren, Sept. 17 at Parker Ford Church of the Brethren in Pottstown, Pa., and Sept. 18 at Hershey (Pa.) Spring Creek Church of the Brethren. The district conference will be voting on a sectional reorganization of the district, among other items of business, the newsletter said. Sherry Eshleman is moderator of the conference.
- Also in Atlantic Northeast District, several opportunities for senior adults are planned. The district is holding two Senior Adult Spring Banquets: April 24 a lunch and program at Hanoverdale (Pa.) Church of the Brethren features the Bollinger Family Music group (cost is $12.50); and May 7 a lunch and program at Indian Creek Church of the Brethren in Harleysville, Pa., features the Miracles Quintet (cost is $14). Three senior adult trips are planned for June and July: a bus coach trip to Cape Cod and area attractions June 16-19, $649; a bus coach trip to Annual Conference in Columbus, Ohio, July 2-6, $549; and a Pacific Northwest tour from Seattle to San Francisco including several national parks July 14-25, $4,598. Brochures with more information are available, contact 717-560-6488 or eziegler29@gmail.com .
- The 20th annual Family Fun Walk will be hosted by COBYS Family Services at Peter Becker Community in Harleysville, Pa., on May 4. Registration begins at 3:15 p.m., the walk at 4 p.m. The three-mile walk will be followed by ice cream and refreshments, and door prizes. Walkers donate or enlist sponsors to benefit COBYS ministries to children and families. For more information contact 800-452-6517 or don@cobys.org .
- Good Shepherd Workshops at Good Shepherd Home in Fostoria, Ohio, in April focus on the topics "Loving Well Through Difficult Times" on April 23, with refreshments at 6:30 p.m. and the workshop at 7-8 p.m. (this workshop is free and open to the public); and "Caring for the Caregivers" on April 24, starting with lunch at 12:30 p.m. and the workshop at 1-4:30 p.m.; and a second time on April 25, with continental breakfast at 8:30 a.m. and workshop at 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (cost is $20 to cover workshop, meal, and CEU credits). The presenter is Susan Parrish-Sprowl, Ph.D., LCSW, president of Parrish-Sprowl and Associates Inc. in Indianapolis. These workshops are sponsored in part by Northern Ohio District. Continuing education credit for either workshop is .325 for clergy through the Brethren Academy, 3.25 for nurses through the Ohio Nurses Association. Call the chaplain's office at 419-937-1801 ext 207 with questions.
- Camp Swatara dedicates a Memorial Garden on May 18 at 3 p.m. Funds to establish the garden were given in memory of Grace Heisey, who with her husband Adam served as Family Camp managers, and in memory of Ron Mellinger, said the Atlantic Northeast District newsletter. People connected to the camp can request permission to use the garden for depositing ashes following cremation.
- Camp Galilee in West Marva District will host a Senior Citizen’s Camp on June 3. The morning events are led by David and Ann Fouts of Jordan Run Church of the Brethren, who will lead a discussion on opportunities to serve as volunteers and the choice to “wear out” and not “rust out.” A musical finale led by Jeannie Whitehair will follow lunch. A freewill offering will go toward repairs of a dam, as a local ministry. Register by May 27. Call the West Marva District Office at 301-334-9270.
- The John Kline Homestead is remembering John Kline’s life, 150 years later, with a special event on June 14-15. The homestead in Broadway, Va., will remember the Civil War-era Brethren leader and martyr for peace with a two-day event for all ages on the 150th anniversary of his death. The commemoration will include activities for children and youth, tours of the homestead and other historic sites, lectures by noted historians, worship, a closing memorial service, and a play written by Paul Roth, “Under the Shadow of the Almighty.” For more information contact 540-896-5001 or proth@eagles.bridgewater.edu .
- Jeffrey W. Carter, president of Bethany Theological Seminary in Richmond, Ind., will provide the 2014 commencement address at Bridgewater (Va.) College on May 17, at 10 a.m. The topic of his address is “A Lasting Impression,” said a release from the college. As many as 385 seniors are expected to receive degrees at the commencement exercises, which will take place on the campus mall. W. Steve Watson Jr., associate professor of philosophy and religion, emeritus, will deliver the message at the baccalaureate service on May 16, at 6 p.m., on the campus mall. He will speak on “Why a Liberal Arts Education in a Christian Context?” Watson was a member of the Bridgewater faculty and community for 43 years, retiring at the end of the 2013 academic year. His students also included Dr. Carter. For more information go to www.bridgewater.edu .
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Photo courtesy of Manchester University
Manchester University's Jo Young Switzer Center
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- Manchester University’s union has a new name: Jo Young Switzer Center. D. Randall Brown, chair of the Board of Trustees, announced the naming at an April 10 donor appreciation dinner that quickly turned to a celebration of the leadership of President Switzer, said a release from the college. President Switzer retires June 30. “At the dinner, Brown praised the president for contributing a legacy of strategic and mission-focused leadership that has transformed the university’s academic breadth, financial strength, enrollment, and visibility,” the release said. “During the Switzer tenure, Brown noted, the university has increased enrollment 25 percent, added a four-year Doctor of Pharmacy program on a new Fort Wayne campus, raised more than 95 percent toward a Students First! $100 million campaign, and dedicated several new learning facilities, including the union. Manchester also embraced a new name: University.” Switzer and her husband, professor Dave Switzer, also were recognized at the dinner as members of the Otho Winger Society--donors who have included the university in their estate plans. The $8 million Jo Young Switzer Center opened as the Union in 2007.
- Composer Shawn Kirchner, of La Verne (Calif.) Church of the Brethren, will share his Middle Earth guide to daily creativity with his alma mater when he will be on the Manchester University campus in North Manchester, Ind., to give a lecture. Kirchner will talk about his unconventional process and perform his music on April 28 in the Jo Young Switzer Center. The free lecture begins at 7 p.m.; reservations are not necessary. “It’s about the ability to see big possibilities in small things,” he said in a release. “I call it a ‘Middle Earth’ schedule, because my day is divided into hobbit time, elf time, dwarf time, and human time,” he explained, referring to characters in the Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien. Kirchner is the Swan Family Composer in Residence for the Los Angeles Master Chorale. He provided vocals for box office hits “Avatar,” “The Lorax,” “Frozen,” and “X-Men First Class.” His choral compositions are performed throughout the United States and abroad in concert halls, churches, schools, and on radio, television, and YouTube. The release noted that he is best known for his arrangement of the Kenyan song “Wana Baraka.” More information is at shawnkirchner.com .
- Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pa., will dedicate its first single-room residence hall and the first new dormitory on campus since the 1970s, on April 25. A dedication ceremony will start with tours and refreshments at 4:15 p.m. at the building located off Cold Springs Road, said a release. The building is named Hilda Nathan Residence Hall in honor of Hilda Nathan, a longtime Juniata employee who worked in the treasurer's office 1946-76. “Hilda throughout her time at the college became well known to students for her efforts to do all she could to help them pay for a Juniata education,” said Gabriel Welsch, vice president for advancement and marketing, in the release. “Hilda's compassion for students is legendary among our alumni from the ’50s to the ’70s. She loaned students money, found scholarships, and helped them stay at Juniata when finances may otherwise have stood in the way of their earning their degrees.” The dedication ceremony itself will begin at 4:45 p.m. with several people bringing remarks including Juniata president James A. Troha, board of trustees chair Robert McDowell, chaplain David Witkovsky, president of student government Anshu Chawla and president-elect Kunal Atit, and Carly Wansing, project manager for Street Dixon Rick Architecture.
- In more news from Juniata, the college gained third place in an AVCA Top 15 Coaches Poll. In a release, Jennifer Jones, director of Sports Information, reported that “a couple days after earning their second consecutive Continental Volleyball Conference (CVC) championship, Juniata College men's volleyball held onto its No. 3 national ranking, the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) poll announced.” To see the full coaches poll go to www.avca.org/divisions/men/3-poll-4-15-14 . Stay up-to-date on the Juniata College Eagles by logging onto www.juniatasports.net or following on Twitter @JuniataEagles .
- In his Easter reflections, World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Olav Fykse Tveit called this year an “opportunity for shared testimony to the Resurrection” since churches from both eastern and western traditions of Christianity celebrated Easter on the same day, April 20. “It is something that ought to happen every year, for the sake of Christian unity and common witness in the world,” said Tveit, who invited the churches to “press on with greater determination in seeking a way forward to the recognition of a common date for this festival.” He also offered prayers for people everywhere, particularly mentioning Syria and the Middle East, Ukraine, South Sudan, Nigeria, and the Central African Republic. Read the Easter letter at www.oikoumene.org/en/resources/documents/general-secretary/messages-and-letters/easter-letter-2014 . The WCC has posted a FAQ document about the date of Easter at www.oikoumene.org/en/resources/documents/wcc-commissions/faith-and-order-commission/i-unity-the-church-and-its-mission/frequently-asked-questions-about-the-date-of-easter .
- In more news from the World Council of Churches, an international consultation on peace, reconciliation, and reunification of the Korean peninsula will be held in Geneva, Switzerland, in June. The announcement was made April 9 by WCC general secretary Olav Fykse Tveit at a press conference in Seoul, Republic of Korea. This follows on a statement on peace and reunification of the Korean Peninsula adopted by the WCC Assembly in Busan last year, said a release. Those invited to the consultation will include representatives from the Korean Christian Federation in North Korea, South Korean churches, and other ecumenical partners committed to work for peace and reconciliation on the Korean peninsula. Find the WCC statement on Peace and Reunification of the Korean Peninsula at www.oikoumene.org/en/resources/documents/assembly/2013-busan/adopted-documents-statements/peace-and-reunification-of-the-korean-peninsula .
- Kristen Bair, former administrative secretary for Northern Ohio District, appeared in Ashland (Ohio) County Common Pleas Court yesterday for a sentencing hearing. She was convicted in February of embezzling $400,000 from the district. She received a six-month sentence in the Ashland County Jail for the crime of aggravated theft. The judge suspended two months of the sentence, making the length of her incarceration four months, after which she will serve five years probation, reported the district office in an e-mail yesterday. In addition she must receive counseling for her problems with handling money, serve 400 hours of community service, and pay $395,000 in restitution to the Northern Ohio District.
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 John Ballinger, Jeff Boshart, Chris Douglas, Nevin Dulabaum, Bryan Hanger, Mary Kay Heatwole, Tim Heishman, Tran Thi Thanh Huong, Phil King, Jeri Kornegay, Nancy Miner, Grace Mishler, M. Colette Nies, John Wall, Jenny Williams, Jay Wittmeyer, and editor Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of News Services for the Church of the Brethren.
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
General secretary, mission and service executive visit with Brethren in Nigeria
Church of the Brethren general secretary Stanley J. Noffsinger
has visited Nigeria to attend the Majalisa or annual conference of
Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN--the Church of the Brethren in
Nigeria), accompanied by Global Mission and Service executive Jay
Wittmeyer. They met with EYN church leaders including president Samuel
Dante Dali, as well as Brethren mission staff working in Nigeria.
Noffsinger wrote this e-mail report yesterday, April 14, from the
capital city of Abuja on the last day of the trip:
Time has passed by so very quickly here and tonight Jay and I begin
our journey back to the United States. We have been richly blessed by
our visit with the sisters and brothers of EYN, although at times, the
context of the visit was in the midst of the deeply troubling realities
of daily living in northeastern Nigeria. We give thanks for the
extraordinary concern for travel and hospitality extended to us by EYN
church leaders.
The Majalisa was well attended by over 1,000 members and was convened in the well-designed conference center built at the EYN headquarters. Church members are pleased with the new center, and with the progress on the final work to complete it. They also are building an adjacent two-story administration building. Work continues on the basis of the giving from local congregations and members of EYN. At the Majalisa it was decided to ask every member to give 200 Naira for completion of the building, which began with receiving donations at that very moment! This special request for funds is in addition to the 25 percent assessment made on each congregation, from which 10 percent is used for the district and 15 percent goes to the national office.
While fear of attacks by Boko Haram are a daily occurrence, church leaders repeatedly professed their faith and hope that peace will come. The theme of the Majalisa was, “I Have Heard Their Cries of Distress…” from Exodus 3:7 and the messages were all focused on encouraging members to not lose hope, to not waver from the ways of Christ’s peace, to not respond to violence with violence. These are simple words, easy for us in the US to recite while we live in relative peace, but imagine their impact spoken by those who witness the threat of death, not just because they are Christian, but because they do not believe in violence or the cause perpetrated by the opposition. They are courageous words!
I hope you hear in these paragraphs, the great hope of EYN as they “Continue the Work of Jesus. Peacefully. Simply. Together.” The underlying reality can easily distract attention away from this people of great faith. But daily reality is also part of the narrative that gives context to the profound witness of EYN.
Samuel Dali, EYN president, reported that 17 of the 50-plus DCCs
(districts) have suffered from the violence. Within these DCCs 12
churches have been burnt down and over 11,050 residential houses
belonging to members have been burnt down, 383 EYN members have been
killed, and 15 kidnapped. More than 5,000 EYN members have fled to
Cameroon, Niger, and other neighboring countries to seek refuge.
Thousands also have moved into neighboring Nigerian states as internally
displaced citizens. These totals are a mere fraction of the total
Nigerian (Christian and Muslim) population so affected.
During the Majalisa itself, two additional kidnappings of EYN members, one a DCC leader, were announced. Likewise on the closing evening news came of 217 Nigerians killed in and around Dikwa, in Borno State. While not an imminent threat, the heightened anxiety and fear was palpable.
Rebecca Dali has been interviewing, recording stories, and collecting pictures from families of the lost. Her current data includes the stories of almost 2,000 people killed or kidnapped. She is working in some of the most dangerous places to “be with” families, and addressing the care and needs of a growing orphan population. Her’s is such courageous and important work--of which you will hear more of as we gather at Annual Conference.
As we prepared to leave EYN headquarters, President Dali expressed to us how grateful the leadership and members of the church were for our presence with them, in the midst of this crisis. He said, “We know the great risk you have taken to be here, and we give thanks to God for your courage and willingness to come. To walk with us.” Continuing on he said, “We have prayed for the Mission and Ministry Board and your families that they might have peace during your travel. We have prayed and done the very best we humanly could to provide for your safety and by the grace of God, we have been grated peace during your visit. We now are certain, that the Brethren family around the world walks with us. We are not alone.”
It is a transformational moment when one experiences the violence in the context of church family. Last night we met with board members of Lifeline Compassionate Global Ministries who shared about their interfaith peacemaking work in Jos.
Today we visit the Nigeria National Mosque in Abuja accompanied by Marcus Gamache, EYN liaison officer, and prepare for the journey home. Jay and I thank each of you for your support and for your prayers. We ask you to continue daily prayers for God’s shalom and Christ’s peace to prevail in this country. Hold the leadership and members of EYN in your prayers, and be challenged by their witness!
-- Stanley J. Noffsinger is general secretary of the Church of the Brethren. He wrote this report from the capital city of Abuja, Nigeria, at the close of a trip to attend the Majalisa or annual conference of EYN--the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria--accompanied by Global Mission and Service executive Jay Wittmeyer. On the final morning of the trip, a commuter bus station on the outskirts of Abuja was bombed killing more than 70 people. EYN staff reported by e-mail yesterday that Noffsinger and Wittmeyer and the Nigerian Brethren with them in Abuja are unharmed, but prayer is requested for Nigeria and for the members of EYN.
Source: 4/15/2014 Newsline
 |
Photo courtesy of Stan Noffsinger
General secretary Stan Noffsinger preaches for the Majalisa of EYN,
Ekklesiyar Yan'uwa a Nigeria (the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria)
during a visit this April.
|
The Majalisa was well attended by over 1,000 members and was convened in the well-designed conference center built at the EYN headquarters. Church members are pleased with the new center, and with the progress on the final work to complete it. They also are building an adjacent two-story administration building. Work continues on the basis of the giving from local congregations and members of EYN. At the Majalisa it was decided to ask every member to give 200 Naira for completion of the building, which began with receiving donations at that very moment! This special request for funds is in addition to the 25 percent assessment made on each congregation, from which 10 percent is used for the district and 15 percent goes to the national office.
While fear of attacks by Boko Haram are a daily occurrence, church leaders repeatedly professed their faith and hope that peace will come. The theme of the Majalisa was, “I Have Heard Their Cries of Distress…” from Exodus 3:7 and the messages were all focused on encouraging members to not lose hope, to not waver from the ways of Christ’s peace, to not respond to violence with violence. These are simple words, easy for us in the US to recite while we live in relative peace, but imagine their impact spoken by those who witness the threat of death, not just because they are Christian, but because they do not believe in violence or the cause perpetrated by the opposition. They are courageous words!
I hope you hear in these paragraphs, the great hope of EYN as they “Continue the Work of Jesus. Peacefully. Simply. Together.” The underlying reality can easily distract attention away from this people of great faith. But daily reality is also part of the narrative that gives context to the profound witness of EYN.
 |
Photo by Stan Noffsinger
EYN President Samuel Dali (standing at podium, at right) and the
auditor report to the 2014 Majalisa of Ekklesiyar Yan'uwa a Nigeria
|
During the Majalisa itself, two additional kidnappings of EYN members, one a DCC leader, were announced. Likewise on the closing evening news came of 217 Nigerians killed in and around Dikwa, in Borno State. While not an imminent threat, the heightened anxiety and fear was palpable.
Rebecca Dali has been interviewing, recording stories, and collecting pictures from families of the lost. Her current data includes the stories of almost 2,000 people killed or kidnapped. She is working in some of the most dangerous places to “be with” families, and addressing the care and needs of a growing orphan population. Her’s is such courageous and important work--of which you will hear more of as we gather at Annual Conference.
As we prepared to leave EYN headquarters, President Dali expressed to us how grateful the leadership and members of the church were for our presence with them, in the midst of this crisis. He said, “We know the great risk you have taken to be here, and we give thanks to God for your courage and willingness to come. To walk with us.” Continuing on he said, “We have prayed for the Mission and Ministry Board and your families that they might have peace during your travel. We have prayed and done the very best we humanly could to provide for your safety and by the grace of God, we have been grated peace during your visit. We now are certain, that the Brethren family around the world walks with us. We are not alone.”
It is a transformational moment when one experiences the violence in the context of church family. Last night we met with board members of Lifeline Compassionate Global Ministries who shared about their interfaith peacemaking work in Jos.
Today we visit the Nigeria National Mosque in Abuja accompanied by Marcus Gamache, EYN liaison officer, and prepare for the journey home. Jay and I thank each of you for your support and for your prayers. We ask you to continue daily prayers for God’s shalom and Christ’s peace to prevail in this country. Hold the leadership and members of EYN in your prayers, and be challenged by their witness!
-- Stanley J. Noffsinger is general secretary of the Church of the Brethren. He wrote this report from the capital city of Abuja, Nigeria, at the close of a trip to attend the Majalisa or annual conference of EYN--the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria--accompanied by Global Mission and Service executive Jay Wittmeyer. On the final morning of the trip, a commuter bus station on the outskirts of Abuja was bombed killing more than 70 people. EYN staff reported by e-mail yesterday that Noffsinger and Wittmeyer and the Nigerian Brethren with them in Abuja are unharmed, but prayer is requested for Nigeria and for the members of EYN.
Source: 4/15/2014 Newsline
Volunteers to set out on ‘BVS Coast to Coast’ bicycle tour
Two Brethren Volunteer Service workers are setting out on a bicycle
tour called “BVS Coast to Coast.” Chelsea Goss, originally from
Mechanicsville, Va., and Rebekah Maldonado-Nofziger, who grew up in
Pettisville, Ohio, are both BVS volunteers and plan to cross the country
on their bicycles in support of the Church of the Brethren program.
“BVS Coast to Coast” will start from Virginia’s Atlantic coast on May
1, and is projected to end by late August on Oregon’s Pacific coast.
The cyclists will visit congregations and communities along the way,
holding events to raise awareness of Brethren Volunteer Service and the
ministries it supports. They hope BVS supporters and church members will
want to help host them and ride along for parts of the journey as they
cross the country.
A Kick-Off Dinner will be hosted by the New Community Project, 715 N. Main St., Harrisonburg, Va., on Tuesday, May 6, starting at 5:30 p.m. The kick-off event will include music, games, and a potluck meal. All are welcomed.
Planned stops include several Church of the Brethren summer events: Young Adult Conference in late May, the Annual Conference in early July in Columbus, Ohio, and the National Youth Conference in late July in Fort Collins, Colo.
The Brethren Volunteer Service mission of “Sharing God’s love through acts of service” has four emphases: advocating justice, working for peace, serving human need, and caring for creation. BVS has been a ministry of the Church of the Brethren since 1948, placing volunteers in full-time assignments in the United States and some international locations, typically lasting one or two years ( www.brethren.org/BVS ).
About the cyclists
Rebekah Maldonado-Nofziger grew up in Pettisville, Ohio. She attended Eastern Mennonite University and graduated with a nursing credential. Since then, she has found herself working with diverse and often times marginalized people. She has worked at Catholic Charities-The Health Care Network in Washington, D.C.; Harrisonburg (Va.) Community Health Center; and currently at New Community Project, also in Harrisonburg. At all three workplaces, she has had the privilege of working with some of the Spanish-speaking community and has loved it. While in the Washington area she lived in an intentional community called Mitri House, and in Harrisonburg for a time lived at the New Community Project Spring Village House, and deems both of those experiences times of growth and challenge. She is excited and honored to partner with Brethren Volunteer Service to bike across the country. In her mind, bicycling is one of the best means of transportation. She has high hopes that after this trip, she will be able to bike to Bolivia when the right time comes.
Chelsea Goss is originally from Mechanicsville, Va., and is a member of West Richmond Church of the Brethren. She graduated from Bridgewater College with a degree in Liberal Studies. She has found numerous ways to serve the communities in which she has lived. She has spent time working for On Earth Peace as Peace Retreat Coordinator. At Camp Bethel near Fincastle, Va., she was the resident volunteer and Summer Program Coordinator. At New Community Project she served as an intern and volunteer. Currently she is volunteer staff for Brethren Volunteer Service in Elgin, Ill. She also has lived in three different intentional communities, and hopes that she can create that kind of living space in the future. Although she is newer to biking, she hopes that bicycling will be implemented more in her daily living after the “BVS Coast to Coast” experience.
For more about “BVS Coast to Coast” or to follow a blog see http://bvscoast2coast.brethren.org. On Twitter follow BVScoast2coast. Contact the cyclists by e-mail at cgoss@brethren.org or by leaving a telephone message with the BVS Office at 847-429-4383.
Source: 4/15/2014 Newsline
 |
Photo by Michael Snyder
Rebekah Maldonado-Nofziger is excited and honored to partner with
Brethren Volunteer Service to bike across the country. In her mind,
bicycling is one of the best means of transportation.
|
A Kick-Off Dinner will be hosted by the New Community Project, 715 N. Main St., Harrisonburg, Va., on Tuesday, May 6, starting at 5:30 p.m. The kick-off event will include music, games, and a potluck meal. All are welcomed.
Planned stops include several Church of the Brethren summer events: Young Adult Conference in late May, the Annual Conference in early July in Columbus, Ohio, and the National Youth Conference in late July in Fort Collins, Colo.
The Brethren Volunteer Service mission of “Sharing God’s love through acts of service” has four emphases: advocating justice, working for peace, serving human need, and caring for creation. BVS has been a ministry of the Church of the Brethren since 1948, placing volunteers in full-time assignments in the United States and some international locations, typically lasting one or two years ( www.brethren.org/BVS ).
 |
Photo courtesy of Chelsea Goss
Chelsea Goss is one of the cyclists setting out on a "BVS Coast to
Coast" bike tour, planned to start May 1 on Virginia's Atlantic coast,
and to end in late August on Oregon's Pacific coast.
|
Rebekah Maldonado-Nofziger grew up in Pettisville, Ohio. She attended Eastern Mennonite University and graduated with a nursing credential. Since then, she has found herself working with diverse and often times marginalized people. She has worked at Catholic Charities-The Health Care Network in Washington, D.C.; Harrisonburg (Va.) Community Health Center; and currently at New Community Project, also in Harrisonburg. At all three workplaces, she has had the privilege of working with some of the Spanish-speaking community and has loved it. While in the Washington area she lived in an intentional community called Mitri House, and in Harrisonburg for a time lived at the New Community Project Spring Village House, and deems both of those experiences times of growth and challenge. She is excited and honored to partner with Brethren Volunteer Service to bike across the country. In her mind, bicycling is one of the best means of transportation. She has high hopes that after this trip, she will be able to bike to Bolivia when the right time comes.
Chelsea Goss is originally from Mechanicsville, Va., and is a member of West Richmond Church of the Brethren. She graduated from Bridgewater College with a degree in Liberal Studies. She has found numerous ways to serve the communities in which she has lived. She has spent time working for On Earth Peace as Peace Retreat Coordinator. At Camp Bethel near Fincastle, Va., she was the resident volunteer and Summer Program Coordinator. At New Community Project she served as an intern and volunteer. Currently she is volunteer staff for Brethren Volunteer Service in Elgin, Ill. She also has lived in three different intentional communities, and hopes that she can create that kind of living space in the future. Although she is newer to biking, she hopes that bicycling will be implemented more in her daily living after the “BVS Coast to Coast” experience.
For more about “BVS Coast to Coast” or to follow a blog see http://bvscoast2coast.brethren.org. On Twitter follow BVScoast2coast. Contact the cyclists by e-mail at cgoss@brethren.org or by leaving a telephone message with the BVS Office at 847-429-4383.
Source: 4/15/2014 Newsline
Going to the Garden grants are available
By Nathan Hosler and Jeff Boshart
As this time of year rolls around, we begin witnessing the appearance of new life, both the new life Jesus Christ gives us all through the miracle of Easter resurrection, and the new life we see in our environment as we move into Spring. This second kind of growth starts in the south and gradually moves north until, even after all the snow and cold, we once again start seeing new blooms and fruits.
Last week’s Newsline included an article from our southern brothers
and sisters in Falfurrias, Texas, telling about how they had already
been working in the garden and the beautiful flowers they had just
picked. A little further north in Washington, D.C., at the Office of
Public Witness, we are beginning to see signs of new life emerging,
while even further north, a grandparent in Canada just had more snow!
While many folk are already deep into their planting, some of us are
just going to the garden, while others are still only making plans.
The Going to the Garden initiative seeks to build off this common desire to get into the garden to grow fresh produce for our families and neighbors. Through the Going to the Garden initiative, grants are given to congregations to start or expand community based gardens so that we can mutually support one another in seeking to follow Jesus as he goes into the world to minister. Some congregations are following Jesus by going to their garden to address needs of hunger, poverty, and caring for God’s Creation.
So far, more than 20 congregations have received grants of up to
$1,000 each through the Going to the Garden initiative of the Global
Food Crisis Fund and Office of Public Witness. Some churches such as
Annville (Pa.) Church of the Brethren were starting their gardens from
scratch, but had the idea before the creation of Going to the Garden. In
Annville, the garden emerged (not without sweat) on part of a lot that
was being used by a local farmer. While there were several people who
were the main contributors, many church members began to contribute and
donate supplies such as large plastic containers to help hold water for
use at the garden. In fact, so much was donated that the grant money
stretched much farther than they expected.
Grants are still available. So, whether you are already in the garden or just making plans, we would love to hear about and help support your ministry. Please contact Nathan Hosler at the Office of Public Witness, nhosler@brethren.org, if you would like to explore how we may be able to work together with your congregation.
Find out more and download an application form from www.brethren.org/peace/going-to-the-garden.html where there is video link and a map of all the gardening projects supported by the initiative. More stories from gardens and gardeners are at the Facebook page “Going to the Garden.”
-- Nathan Hosler is coordinator of the Office of Public Witness for the Church of the Brethren. Jeff Boshart is manager of the Global Food Crisis Fund.
Source: 4/15/2014 Newsline
As this time of year rolls around, we begin witnessing the appearance of new life, both the new life Jesus Christ gives us all through the miracle of Easter resurrection, and the new life we see in our environment as we move into Spring. This second kind of growth starts in the south and gradually moves north until, even after all the snow and cold, we once again start seeing new blooms and fruits.
 |
Photo courtesy of Going to the Garden
The garden at Annville (Pa.)
Church of the Brethren
|
The Going to the Garden initiative seeks to build off this common desire to get into the garden to grow fresh produce for our families and neighbors. Through the Going to the Garden initiative, grants are given to congregations to start or expand community based gardens so that we can mutually support one another in seeking to follow Jesus as he goes into the world to minister. Some congregations are following Jesus by going to their garden to address needs of hunger, poverty, and caring for God’s Creation.
 |
Photo courtesy of Going to the Garden
Bees are raised at Capstone Community Gardens
and Orchard in New Orleans, with help from a
Going to the Garden grant.
|
Grants are still available. So, whether you are already in the garden or just making plans, we would love to hear about and help support your ministry. Please contact Nathan Hosler at the Office of Public Witness, nhosler@brethren.org, if you would like to explore how we may be able to work together with your congregation.
Find out more and download an application form from www.brethren.org/peace/going-to-the-garden.html where there is video link and a map of all the gardening projects supported by the initiative. More stories from gardens and gardeners are at the Facebook page “Going to the Garden.”
-- Nathan Hosler is coordinator of the Office of Public Witness for the Church of the Brethren. Jeff Boshart is manager of the Global Food Crisis Fund.
Source: 4/15/2014 Newsline
‘Shine’ fall quarter and starter kits are now available for children’s Sunday school
“Shine,” the new Christian education curriculum from Brethren Press
and MennoMedia, is now available to congregations for the fall quarter.
Also available to purchase now are two starter kits: The Shine Starter
Kit containing a quarter’s worth of Shine materials and more; and the
Shine Multiage Starter Kit for congregations with a range of age groups,
from kindergarten through grade 6 in the same classroom.
“Shine” is for Early Childhood (ages 3-5), Primary
(kindergarten-grade 8), Middler (grades 3-6), Multiage
(kindergarten-grade 6), and Junior Youth (grades 6-8). Shine does not
include resources for senior highs, so Brethren Press is updating
Generation Why curriculum for use by church youth groups.
“Shine” is a Bible story-based curriculum designed to be easy to use, emphasizing thoughtful theology and grounded in the belief that children are partners in ministry. “Shine” will be new every year, allowing the publishers to continue to keep the material fresh and responsive to user feedback. The Shine scope and sequence covers much of the Bible in a three-year outline.
“Shine” lifts up these theological convictions:
Using “Shine,” children and adults will learn together what it means to follow Jesus. Through imagination, boldness, creativity, and a sense of mystery, children can help inspire Christ’s church. Drawing from current brain research, “Shine” sessions include a variety of activities to engage learners of all kinds. Each session includes options for children to explore the Bible story through active movement, creativity and the arts, and engaging student leaflets for Early Childhood and Primary and student books for Middler and Junior Youth.
The Shine session plan has a fresh look, including spiritual practices, age-appropriate ideas for nurturing the inner life of the spirit, peace notes with ideas for forming compassionate peacemakers, media connections that offer a variety of online and print ideas to make connections to the lesson.
“Shine” products include a teacher guide for all age groups; the new
“Shine On” story Bible for Primary, Middler, and Multiage teachers,
which also is a home connection product; student leaflets for Early
Childhood and Primary; student books for Middler and Junior Youth;
resource pack with story pictures for Early Childhood; poster pack for
Primary, Middler, Multiage, and Junior Youth; annual music CD and
songbook for Primary through Junior Youth; a Music CD for all three
years of Early Childhood (also a home connection product).
The new hard-back Bible storybook called “Shine On” includes all the Bible stories in the curriculum’s three-year outline plus a few more, and is an essential part of the curriculum. Each classroom should have at least one copy. Congregations also are encouraged to present copies of the Bible storybook to each child’s family in order to make a strong church-home connection. A quantity discount of 20 percent on purchases of 10 or more copies of “Shine On” is available from Brethren Press. A Spanish version of the story Bible, titled “Resplandece,” is also available to purchase from Brethren Press, made possible through a special grant from the Schowalter Foundation.
The Early Childhood class has a separate Bible outline planned with the needs of younger children, yet still echoing the main outline of the curriculum. Early Childhood also has its own music CD for younger children, that lasts throughout the three-year Bible outline.
For older children, Middler and Junior Youth have magazine-like
student books to accompany their sessions. Middler classes will use the
“Shine On” Bible. Both Middler and Junior Youth classes will want copies
of the songbook and music CD.
Multiage is for congregations with a range of age groups in the same classroom. Such classes will use the Multiage teacher’s guide and poster pack, “Shine On,” songbook, and music CD. An age-appropriate student leaflet or student book should be selected for each child who attends.
Starter kits are the best way to get to know ‘Shine’
The Shine Starter Kit is offered by Brethren Press for $175, plus shipping and handling. Worth more than $225, the kit contains a quarter’s worth of “Shine” materials and more: one each of the student pieces, teacher’s guides, and poster/resource packs for all age levels (Early Childhood, Primary, Middler, and Junior Youth) plus the Early Childhood Music CD (used for three years), Year One Songbook and Music CD for Primary and Middler classes, and a copy of “Shine On: A Story Bible.” The kit comes with a “Shine” messenger bag, while quantities last. The special price of $175 is available through Aug. 1.
The Shine Multiage Starter Kit is for congregations with a range of age groups, from kindergarten through grade 6 in the same classroom. It is offered by Brethren Press for $75 (a $95 value). It contains one Multiage teacher’s guide and poster pack, one set of Primary student leaflets, one Middler student magazine, a Year One Songbook and Music CD, and a copy of “Shine On: A Story Bible.” The kit comes with a “Shine” messenger bag, while quantities last. The Multiage kit price will be ongoing.
Find out more about Shine at www.shinecurriculum.com. To order, contact Brethren Press at 800-441-3712 or go to www.brethrenpress.com.
Source: 4/15/2014 Newsline
“Shine” is a Bible story-based curriculum designed to be easy to use, emphasizing thoughtful theology and grounded in the belief that children are partners in ministry. “Shine” will be new every year, allowing the publishers to continue to keep the material fresh and responsive to user feedback. The Shine scope and sequence covers much of the Bible in a three-year outline.
“Shine” lifts up these theological convictions:
- We are known and loved by God.
- Jesus said that becoming “as a child” is key to entering God’s kingdom.
- Together, young and old can shine the light of Christ in the world around us.
Using “Shine,” children and adults will learn together what it means to follow Jesus. Through imagination, boldness, creativity, and a sense of mystery, children can help inspire Christ’s church. Drawing from current brain research, “Shine” sessions include a variety of activities to engage learners of all kinds. Each session includes options for children to explore the Bible story through active movement, creativity and the arts, and engaging student leaflets for Early Childhood and Primary and student books for Middler and Junior Youth.
The Shine session plan has a fresh look, including spiritual practices, age-appropriate ideas for nurturing the inner life of the spirit, peace notes with ideas for forming compassionate peacemakers, media connections that offer a variety of online and print ideas to make connections to the lesson.
 |
Photo by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford
The Shine Starter Kit contains a
quarter’s worth of Shine materials
and more
|
The new hard-back Bible storybook called “Shine On” includes all the Bible stories in the curriculum’s three-year outline plus a few more, and is an essential part of the curriculum. Each classroom should have at least one copy. Congregations also are encouraged to present copies of the Bible storybook to each child’s family in order to make a strong church-home connection. A quantity discount of 20 percent on purchases of 10 or more copies of “Shine On” is available from Brethren Press. A Spanish version of the story Bible, titled “Resplandece,” is also available to purchase from Brethren Press, made possible through a special grant from the Schowalter Foundation.
The Early Childhood class has a separate Bible outline planned with the needs of younger children, yet still echoing the main outline of the curriculum. Early Childhood also has its own music CD for younger children, that lasts throughout the three-year Bible outline.
 |
Photo by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford
The Shine Multiage Starter
Kit is for congregations with
a range of
age groups in the
same classroom, from
kindergarten through grade 6.
|
Multiage is for congregations with a range of age groups in the same classroom. Such classes will use the Multiage teacher’s guide and poster pack, “Shine On,” songbook, and music CD. An age-appropriate student leaflet or student book should be selected for each child who attends.
Starter kits are the best way to get to know ‘Shine’
The Shine Starter Kit is offered by Brethren Press for $175, plus shipping and handling. Worth more than $225, the kit contains a quarter’s worth of “Shine” materials and more: one each of the student pieces, teacher’s guides, and poster/resource packs for all age levels (Early Childhood, Primary, Middler, and Junior Youth) plus the Early Childhood Music CD (used for three years), Year One Songbook and Music CD for Primary and Middler classes, and a copy of “Shine On: A Story Bible.” The kit comes with a “Shine” messenger bag, while quantities last. The special price of $175 is available through Aug. 1.
The Shine Multiage Starter Kit is for congregations with a range of age groups, from kindergarten through grade 6 in the same classroom. It is offered by Brethren Press for $75 (a $95 value). It contains one Multiage teacher’s guide and poster pack, one set of Primary student leaflets, one Middler student magazine, a Year One Songbook and Music CD, and a copy of “Shine On: A Story Bible.” The kit comes with a “Shine” messenger bag, while quantities last. The Multiage kit price will be ongoing.
Find out more about Shine at www.shinecurriculum.com. To order, contact Brethren Press at 800-441-3712 or go to www.brethrenpress.com.
Source: 4/15/2014 Newsline
Courtney Hess to direct Lilly Grant project at Bethany
By Jenny Williams
Bethany Seminary has named Courtney Hess as project director for the grant of $249,954 received as part of Lilly Endowment Inc.’s Theological School Initiative to Address Economic Issues Facing Future Ministers. Hess began his duties on April 1.
The endowment created this initiative to encourage theological schools to examine and strengthen their financial and educational practices to improve the economic well-being of future pastors. In keeping with the requirements of the grant, Hess will lead efforts to (1) identify financial concerns of Bethany students and alumni/ae and (2) respond with programming and communication to help all members of the Bethany community address these concerns.
Hess has spent most of his professional life working with nonprofits as an organizational development consultant, both in managerial capacities and with individuals. From 1997-2009 he was the owner of Chess Strategies, primarily serving the fields of child and youth welfare and behavioral healthcare services. For the past four years, he worked as a grant writer and administrator at Beumer Consulting, assisting civic and governmental entities. He enjoys “the challenges of working with others to help improve the health and vitality of organizations and the people affiliated with them.” A large component has been financial management, helping clients better understand and reach a higher comfort level with finances and budgetary issues.
Education in financial literacy and stewardship will be central to Hess’s work at Bethany and will include faculty and staff as well as students. In learning about the nature of debt and financial management in the lives of young adults, faculty and staff will be better equipped to incorporate issues of stewardship into the curriculum and to mentor students. Students themselves will be given information and resources on topics such as simple living, finding outside employment, securing outside funding, and bivocational ministry to help minimize financial pressures. Ultimately it is intended that Hess’s work will lead to collaboration and conversation that benefit seminary alumni/ae and the Church of the Brethren denomination as well.
Hess also brings prior experience with the Lilly Endowment, including the writing of a Lilly grant for the Society of Friends (Quaker) Indiana Yearly Meeting and then membership on the advisory committee. Hess graduated from Earlham College and has studied arts administration at the University of Cincinnati. He is also a certified grant administrator with the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs.
-- Jenny Williams is director of Communications and Alumni/ae Relations for Bethany Theological Seminary.
Source: 4/15/2014 Newsline
Bethany Seminary has named Courtney Hess as project director for the grant of $249,954 received as part of Lilly Endowment Inc.’s Theological School Initiative to Address Economic Issues Facing Future Ministers. Hess began his duties on April 1.
The endowment created this initiative to encourage theological schools to examine and strengthen their financial and educational practices to improve the economic well-being of future pastors. In keeping with the requirements of the grant, Hess will lead efforts to (1) identify financial concerns of Bethany students and alumni/ae and (2) respond with programming and communication to help all members of the Bethany community address these concerns.
Hess has spent most of his professional life working with nonprofits as an organizational development consultant, both in managerial capacities and with individuals. From 1997-2009 he was the owner of Chess Strategies, primarily serving the fields of child and youth welfare and behavioral healthcare services. For the past four years, he worked as a grant writer and administrator at Beumer Consulting, assisting civic and governmental entities. He enjoys “the challenges of working with others to help improve the health and vitality of organizations and the people affiliated with them.” A large component has been financial management, helping clients better understand and reach a higher comfort level with finances and budgetary issues.
Education in financial literacy and stewardship will be central to Hess’s work at Bethany and will include faculty and staff as well as students. In learning about the nature of debt and financial management in the lives of young adults, faculty and staff will be better equipped to incorporate issues of stewardship into the curriculum and to mentor students. Students themselves will be given information and resources on topics such as simple living, finding outside employment, securing outside funding, and bivocational ministry to help minimize financial pressures. Ultimately it is intended that Hess’s work will lead to collaboration and conversation that benefit seminary alumni/ae and the Church of the Brethren denomination as well.
Hess also brings prior experience with the Lilly Endowment, including the writing of a Lilly grant for the Society of Friends (Quaker) Indiana Yearly Meeting and then membership on the advisory committee. Hess graduated from Earlham College and has studied arts administration at the University of Cincinnati. He is also a certified grant administrator with the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs.
-- Jenny Williams is director of Communications and Alumni/ae Relations for Bethany Theological Seminary.
Source: 4/15/2014 Newsline
Brethren bits
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Creation Justice
Creation Justice, a ministry which has spun off from the National Council of Churches, is offering resources for congregations to celebrate Earth Day Sunday. “Earth day is an opportunity to reflect on the wonders of God's Creation,” said an announcement. “With a little planning and a lot of passion you can do much to have an Earth day you'll remember for years to come. You can use any of these ideas to get your congregation fired up about caring for God's Creation.” Suggestions include to plan an Earth Day themed worship service using the Earth Day Sunday resource, "Water, Holy Water" at www.creationjustice.org/earth-day-sunday-in-your-church.html. |
- Correction: The Newsline note about the Southern Ohio "Helping Hands" group that worked on Brethren House incorrectly stated that Bethany Seminary purchased the house for students. Bethany's ownership of the house, previously known as Mullen House, was made possible by the generosity of donors who were part of the Brethren Housing Organization.
- Remembrance: Northern Indiana District is calling for prayer following the death of Josh Copp, 35, who died suddenly and unexpectedly yesterday morning, April 14. He was a leading member of the band Blue Bird Revival, which is booked to play at the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference in early July. The band is one of the three music groups to take to the Conference stage for the Saturday evening concert, and has been scheduled to lead the Young Adult activity on Friday night. Copp was a member of Columbia City (Ind.) Church of the Brethren, and was the son of Connie and Jeff Copp, who is retired from the pastorate and most recently served at Agape Church of the Brethren in Fort Wayne, Ind. Visitation is Thursday, April 17, from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. at Smith and Sons Funeral Home in Columbia City. The funeral service is Friday, April 18, at 2 p.m. at Columbia City United Methodist Church, with visitation an hour prior to the service. Memorial gifts are received to the Jeffrey Robert Copp Education Fund. “Thank you for your continued prayers for the Copp family and the Columbia City Church of the Brethren,” said an e-mail shared by Northern Indiana District Office. “Josh was so very involved in so many aspects of the church as recently as Palm Sunday, singing the solo in the cantata.” The district is extending prayer to Jeff and Connie Copp and their whole family.
- The Church of the Brethren is seeking an individual to fill the position of truck driver/warehouser at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md., working in the Material Resources program. Responsibilities include interstate driving, delivery and pick up of materials, assisting with loading and unloading; handling trucking equipment, maintaining records, and performing vehicle maintenance; performing best practices with operational safety standards, maintaining safe driving record, maintaining Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), and other tasks that may be assigned. The preferred candidate must possess a valid Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) and have been continuously licensed for three years; must have a good driving record and be able to meet Church of the Brethren insurance requirements. A high school diploma or equivalent experience is required. Applications will be received and reviewed beginning immediately 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.
- Bridgewater (Va.) College has celebrated the installation ceremony of president David W. Bushman, with alumni, faculty, staff, students, and friends of the college attending. Bringing greetings on behalf of the Church of the Brethren was associate general secretary Mary Jo Flory-Steury. “Since their foundings the mission of the Church of the Brethren and Bridgewater College intersect as we hold important convictions and values in common,” she said, in part. “Convictions such as peace--living peaceably with oneself and with all God's people, simplicity--living as stewards of God's creation, community--working together as one, alongside Bridgewater's founding ideals: goodness, truth, beauty, and harmony. As these values, these core commitments come together, our common mission is about developing and equipping whole persons who live faithfully, lead courageously, and serve wisely in today's context and culture....” The video of the ceremony is available at www.boxcast.com/show/#/inauguration-of-dr-david-w-bushman . Photos are at www.flickr.com/photos/bridgewatercollege/sets/72157643800971624 . The text of Dr. Bushman's speech has been posted at www.bridgewater.edu/files/inauguration/Inaugural-Address.pdf.
- “Living in the Hope of the Risen Lord” is the title of the Easter Season spiritual disciplines folder from the Springs of Living Water initiative in church renewal. The resource is for use “between Resurrection Day and Pentecost,” said an announcement from Springs leader David Young. “In the early church the ‘Great 50 days’ were a celebration of the Risen Lord, baptism of new believers, and new life for the church. The folder is designed to help individuals and congregations discover daily renewal through reading of scripture, meditating on its meaning, and living lives guided by the scripture of the day.” The Springs folders have a Sunday text that follows the lectionary readings and the Brethren Press bulletin series, with daily texts following a similar daily lectionary. A prayer pattern also is given in the folder. Vince Cable, pastor of Uniontown Church of the Brethren, has written the Bible study questions for use by individuals or groups. The folders are the foundational tool in the Springs of Living Water initiative. Go to www.churchrenewalservant.org or for more information e-mail davidyoung@churchrenewalservant.org.
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 Jeff Boshart, Deb Brehm, James Deaton, Mary Jo Flory-Steury, Chelsea Goss, Nathan Hosler, Rachel Kauffman, Jeff Lennard, Nancy Miner, Stan Noffsinger, Carol Pfeiffer, Jenny Williams, avid Young, and editor Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of News Services for the Church of the Brethren.
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