300th Anniversary update: Death Row Support Project marks 30 years of solidarity and support.
The Death Row Support Project was birthed from the criminal justice program of the Washington Office of the Church of the Brethren 30 years ago. Since its beginning in 1978, it has followed the path of many other Church of the Brethren-initiated efforts: it now has participants from all over the world and from many different denominations.
The project began at a time when the death penalty returned to the forefront of political debate in the United States, after a five-year period in which the constitutionality of the death penalty was under scrutiny. There had been no executions for 10 years. There were, however, 400 people who had been sentenced to death by a few states who had refused to let go of the death penalty.
The twofold purpose of the project was, and continues to be, to "visit" those in prison, following the call of Jesus, and to provide a way for those outside of the criminal justice system to be educated about the realities of the death penalty. Interested people are asked to begin by writing a letter to someone on death row, reaching out in friendship.
Some participants have been able to visit their friends on death row. Once, in the Florida State Prison visiting room, a man from Texas and a couple from Minnesota met each other and discovered that they were both there because of the Death Row Support Project!
The death penalty is an issue that can be approached from many different directions. Most Death Row Support Project participants simply write letters. Others have become more involved. One couple testified at a resentencing hearing for their friend; another witnessed the execution of his pen pal. An elderly white woman makes an annual trek from California to Ohio to visit the black man whom she calls "brother." Sunday school classes have "adopted" a death row prisoner, making it possible to send small amounts of money in addition to writing letters.
A special calling is required to write to someone on death row. Not all people are easy to write to. Some individuals have been on death row for almost 30 years. Others will have sentences reduced and be in prison the rest of their lives. Some will become close family friends, and then be executed.
In spite of the challenges, as is often the case when the Spirit calls us, there is much reward in this important work of reaching out to "the least of these."
--Rachel Gross is one of the founders of the Death Row Support Project, along with her husband, Bob Gross, and continues as volunteer staff. Go to www.brethren.org/genbd/witness/drsp.htm for more information.
Source: 7/3/2008 Newsline Extra
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
300th Anniversary resource: ‘Brethren Brush with Greatness.’
Frank Ramirez spins tales and Kermon Thomasson draws humorous illustrations of 32 individuals whose lives have touched the Brethren in a new book from Brethren Press titled "Brethren Brush with Greatness."
Abraham Lincoln, Annie Oakley, Daniel Boone, Nathan Leopold, William Stafford, Andrew Young, James Earl Jones, and many, many more famous people make their appearances in the 150-page paperback. The book tells about famous people who were somehow related to the Brethren; Brethren who, themselves, became famous; and famous people who, legend has it, were members of the Church of the Brethren.
Author Frank Ramirez is pastor of Everett (Pa.) Church of the Brethren and the author of numerous books, among them "The Meanest Man in Patrick County and Other Unlikely Brethren Heroes." Illustrator Kermon Thomasson of Henry County, Va., served for 20 years as editor of the Church of the Brethren's "Messenger" magazine.
Order the book from Brethren Press for $15.95 plus shipping and handling, call 800-441-3712. It also may be purchased at the Brethren Press bookstore at Annual Conference.
Source: 7/3/2008 Newsline Extra
Frank Ramirez spins tales and Kermon Thomasson draws humorous illustrations of 32 individuals whose lives have touched the Brethren in a new book from Brethren Press titled "Brethren Brush with Greatness."
Abraham Lincoln, Annie Oakley, Daniel Boone, Nathan Leopold, William Stafford, Andrew Young, James Earl Jones, and many, many more famous people make their appearances in the 150-page paperback. The book tells about famous people who were somehow related to the Brethren; Brethren who, themselves, became famous; and famous people who, legend has it, were members of the Church of the Brethren.
Author Frank Ramirez is pastor of Everett (Pa.) Church of the Brethren and the author of numerous books, among them "The Meanest Man in Patrick County and Other Unlikely Brethren Heroes." Illustrator Kermon Thomasson of Henry County, Va., served for 20 years as editor of the Church of the Brethren's "Messenger" magazine.
Order the book from Brethren Press for $15.95 plus shipping and handling, call 800-441-3712. It also may be purchased at the Brethren Press bookstore at Annual Conference.
Source: 7/3/2008 Newsline Extra
300th Anniversary resource: ‘Alexander Mack: A Man Who Rippled the Waters.’
A new children's book about the life of Alexander Mack Sr. has been published for the 300th Anniversary of the Brethren movement. "Alexander Mack: A Man Who Rippled the Waters" is written by Myrna Grove and illustrated by Mary Jewell.
The book is written especially for children ages 8-12, and is a biography of the first minister and organizer of the Brethren. Jewell, who is a direct descendant of Mack, has illustrated it with 50 oil paintings, offering "a moving tribute to the spirit of our church's founder who sacrificed to bring us another way of living based on New Testament principles," said a release. Special features include a timeline of Mack's life, an 18th century German map, and a bibliography of suggested reading for older children and adults.
A book signing is scheduled for Sunday, July 13, 4-5 p.m. at the Brethren Press bookstore at the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference in Richmond, Va. The 64-page hardback book will be available for purchase at the Conference bookstore, or may be ordered through Brethren Press for $22 plus shipping and handling, call 800-441-3712.
In addition, plans are for one of the paintings from the book to illustrate the Annual Conference moderator's sermon in Richmond on Saturday evening, July 12. Go to www.mgrovebooks.com or www.brethrenpress.com for information.
Source: 7/3/2008 Newsline Extra
A new children's book about the life of Alexander Mack Sr. has been published for the 300th Anniversary of the Brethren movement. "Alexander Mack: A Man Who Rippled the Waters" is written by Myrna Grove and illustrated by Mary Jewell.
The book is written especially for children ages 8-12, and is a biography of the first minister and organizer of the Brethren. Jewell, who is a direct descendant of Mack, has illustrated it with 50 oil paintings, offering "a moving tribute to the spirit of our church's founder who sacrificed to bring us another way of living based on New Testament principles," said a release. Special features include a timeline of Mack's life, an 18th century German map, and a bibliography of suggested reading for older children and adults.
A book signing is scheduled for Sunday, July 13, 4-5 p.m. at the Brethren Press bookstore at the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference in Richmond, Va. The 64-page hardback book will be available for purchase at the Conference bookstore, or may be ordered through Brethren Press for $22 plus shipping and handling, call 800-441-3712.
In addition, plans are for one of the paintings from the book to illustrate the Annual Conference moderator's sermon in Richmond on Saturday evening, July 12. Go to www.mgrovebooks.com or www.brethrenpress.com for information.
Source: 7/3/2008 Newsline Extra
300th Anniversary bits and pieces.
- Germantown Church of the Brethren in Philadelphia, Pa., the oldest Brethren congregation and the "mother church" of the Brethren, celebrated its 285th anniversary with the dedication of a new Family Life Center on June 1. The congregation has been working for some time to create the new center by renovating a warehouse building located next door to the church and parsonage. The dedication ceremony was "a wonderful mix of ethnicity and faith and service," said Craig Smith, Atlantic Northeast District executive minister. "It was a wonderful day." The intercultural congregation is pastored by Richard Kyerematen.
- Pipe Creek Church of the Brethren in Union Bridge, Md., is celebrating the 250th anniversary of its founding. Pipe Creek Fellowship was organized in 1758 and is considered the "mother church" of the Eastern District of Maryland, said an announcement from the church’s Historical Committee. A day of celebration has been planned for Sept. 28. Worship will begin at 10 a.m. the "old-time" way with no musical instruments and lined hymns--progressing to a more modern-day service with piano, organ, and choir. The church hopes to have former pastors participate with a short message. Period dress is of choice. A catered hot meal will follow. The afternoon service will begin at 2:30 p.m. and will feature the congregation’s youth band, and former and present church families and those in Brethren Volunteer Service sharing remembrances of Pipe Creek. The church invites everyone who would like to attend. "Help us celebrate our 250 years of service to the Lord," said the announcement. Respond by Sept. 1 to Beverly Maring at 500 Clear Ridge Rd., Union Bridge, MD 21791; maring2@verizon.net or 410-848-8149.
- Lewiston (Minn.) Church of the Brethren is making plans for its 150th anniversary celebration the weekend of Sept. 13-14.
- Palmona Park Community Church of the Brethren in North Fort Myers, Fla., this year is celebrating 55 years in its present location.
- Online registration is now available for the Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) 60th Anniversary Celebration to be held Sept. 26-28 at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md. Visit www.brethrenvolunteerservice.org to register. If you do not have Internet access, call the BVS office for assistance. Also in celebration of the 60th anniversary of BVS, a limited edition polo shirt with an embroidered 60th anniversary logo is available for $30. Shirts will be available at Annual Conference, National Young Adult Conference, National Older Adult Conference, and the BVS 60th Celebration. For home delivery there is an additional $5 shipping fee. The BVS office can be contact at 800-323-8039 ext. 410.
- Nearly 250 people attended all or part of the 300th Anniversary Celebration sponsored by the 13 congregations and fellowships of the Church of the Brethren in Floyd County, Va. The celebration took place on June 14 in the Beaver Creek Church of the Brethren's new 3,500 square foot social hall, according to a report from Virlina District. The celebration included hymns from the 1901 "Brethren Hymnal," and the singing of the Archie Naff Family, the Floyd County Ministers, Lester and Judy Weddle, and Statement (a young bluegrass gospel band). Among the speakers were Margaret Hubbard, Elbert Lee Naff, Sr., Roy U. Turpin, and district executive minister David K. Shumate. The event has been the only area gathering to celebrate the 300th Anniversary within the district, and was initiated by a committee from Red Oak Grove Church of the Brethren but grew to include the entire county.
- The Floyd County, Va., churches also have created a cookbook in celebration of the 300th Anniversary and as a fundraising project for the district’s Hispanic church. The 247-page "What’s Cooking with the Floyd County Brethren?" includes some recipes in both English and Spanish, and is available for $14 from the Virlina District Resource Center. Call 540-362-1816.
- Fairview Church of the Brethren in Unionville, Iowa, has been celebrating the 300th Anniversary of the denomination all year, according to a note in the Northern Plains District e-mail newsletter. The church’s anniversary projects have included sending 300 notes of appreciation and encouragement to Brethren volunteers, pastors, and church employees; working to memorize 300 Bible verses; and working toward the goal of making 300 Christian Care Calls. The 300th Anniversary Calendars and the anniversary devotional book from Brethren Press, "Fresh from the Word," have been distributed to every family in the congregation. Brethren Heritage was the subject of an eight-week Bible study on Sunday evenings this spring. The church choir has emphasized Brethren heritage stories and music in worship. Youth attended a heritage conference and four members of the church will be attending a heritage tour to Germany later this summer. Most recently, the Fairview congregation surpassed a goal of collecting 300 food items for the local "Lord's Cupboard" pantry, when 314 items were delivered in June.
- Prairie City (Iowa) Church of the Brethren has been celebrating the 300th Anniversary by working toward having 300 people in worship each month. The congregation met the goal in April, with a total attendance of 337.
- Northern Colorado Church of the Brethren has announced a Brethren Anniversary Celebration on Aug. 24 at Hygiene, Colo., at the historic Brethren church there. The meetinghouse in the small town of Hygiene, north of Longmont, was the first Brethren church to be built in Colorado. Along with it a sanatarium was built in 1882, started by pastor Jacob S. Flory who had come to the area a few years earlier to work with tuberculosis patients. The Brethren Anniversary Celebration at Hygiene will begin with a picnic at 2 p.m., followed by a short program of history and fellowship.
Credits
Newsline is produced by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of news services for the Church of the Brethren General Board, cobnews@brethren.org or 800-323-8039 ext. 260. Dave Ingold, Phil Jones, Jon Kobel, Karin Krog, Michael B. Leiter, Jeff Lennard, Beth Merrill, Janis Pyle, Joe Vecchio contributed to this report.
Newsline is produced by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of news services for the Church of the Brethren General Board, cobnews@brethren.org or 800-323-8039 ext. 260. Dave Ingold, Phil Jones, Jon Kobel, Karin Krog, Michael B. Leiter, Jeff Lennard, Beth Merrill, Janis Pyle, Joe Vecchio contributed to this report.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
DISASTER RESPONSE NEWS
- Northern Plains District is part of relief effort for Iowa floods.
- Grant will help Northern Plains District disaster work.
- Children’s Disaster Services cares for children in Cedar Falls.
- Church World Service aids nearly 1 million people in Myanmar.
- Disaster response bits: Correction, Indiana flood response, grants, more.
Northern Plains District is part of relief effort for Iowa floods.
Over the past weekend, the Church of the Brethren’s Northern Plains District issued an e-mail report on its congregations and members affected by flooding in Iowa, and how the district is contributing to the relief effort. The report dated June 21 noted that as flood waters recede in many areas damage is being assessed, and flooding continues south of Iowa along the Mississippi.
The Church of the Brethren’s Emergency Disaster Fund is giving a grant of $5,000 to Northern Plains District in support of its efforts to assist in cleanup following the flooding (see story below).
Following are excerpts from the district report:
Gahm reported that Root River Church of the Brethren just raised $700 for clean-up buckets during Vacation Bible School. With those funds they have assembled 15 kits and will assemble five more. The Hands of Christ group in Rochester is working with Root River by purchasing items for the kits.
6/25/2008 Newsline Extra
Over the past weekend, the Church of the Brethren’s Northern Plains District issued an e-mail report on its congregations and members affected by flooding in Iowa, and how the district is contributing to the relief effort. The report dated June 21 noted that as flood waters recede in many areas damage is being assessed, and flooding continues south of Iowa along the Mississippi.
The Church of the Brethren’s Emergency Disaster Fund is giving a grant of $5,000 to Northern Plains District in support of its efforts to assist in cleanup following the flooding (see story below).
Following are excerpts from the district report:
"Cedar Rapids was especially hit by the Cedar River that broke flood records. Tammy Buseman, pastor of Cedar Rapids Baptist and Church of the Brethren, shares that her congregation has been directing people to be involved in locally coordinated relief efforts. In addition, the church is working to provide direct support to members of the church severely impacted by the flood. Several have lost homes and businesses.The district report went on to highlight the great need for Emergency Clean-up Buckets. Go to www.churchworldservice.org/kits/cleanup-kits.html for information about contents and how to assemble Emergency Clean-up Bucket kits. Gary Gahm is working with Church World Service to determine a distribution site for buckets in Iowa. The Northern Plains District Conference also will hold a buckets collection on July 25-26 at Hammond Avenue Church in Waterloo.
"Sandy Marsau, board chair of South Waterloo Church of the Brethren, shares that her congregation has provided financial assistance to several families connected with the church who were uprooted by the flooded Cedar River. One family who feared the total loss of their home was relieved to find that flood waters had stopped at the ground floor level.
"The flooded Shell Rock River impacted many in the town of Greene where our Greene Church of the Brethren/Methodist Church is located. Loran McRoberts, moderator of the Greene Church, lost everything in the basement which was filled with 5-6 feet of water/sewage. The same thing happened in the church parsonage and in the Methodist Church facility. Ashok Patat, pastor of the Greene Church, shares that one family in the church completely lost their home.
"Gary Gahm is our Northern Plains District disaster coordinator and the district contact person for requests for assistance and offers of help.... Inform him of those persons in your church who are interested in volunteering with clean-up and rebuilding efforts. Especially important are the names of persons from your church who will be coordinating volunteers. Contact Gary Gahm at gahmg@juno.com or 712-328-0894 or 712-314-1326.
"Gahm has been working at state-level coordination efforts. A website has been set up for receiving funds, requests for assistance, and offers of volunteer help and he has now been trained to use that site as a coordination tool. He also has been working with Zach Wolgemuth and Jane Yount of Brethren Disaster Ministries to receive a grant for district disaster response efforts and to begin planning for the longterm volunteer and recovery effort.
"On June 13, Tim Button-Harrison, interim district executive, along with Gary Gahm and Zach Wolgemuth, participated in a conference call of Iowa church leaders and disaster coordinators to share information and discuss ways to cooperate in providing immediate and longterm relief. Out of the discussion, the Episcopal Diocese offered to set up a central website for Iowa church leaders to share and coordinate information. A follow-up conference call of Iowa church leaders is scheduled for June 24.
"Grants are now available from the District Disaster Fund for congregations to assist families in need, for general flood relief work of congregations, and for expense reimbursements of volunteers serving on behalf of the district and our churches. There is an urgent need of financial contributions to the District Disaster Fund. Funds will be used to provide grants, through congregations, to individuals in need, to support local and district relief efforts, and to reimburse expenses of volunteers working on behalf of the district and its churches. Send checks to Disaster Fund, Northern Plains District--Church of the Brethren, P.O. Box 493, Ankeny, IA 50021.
"A message we need to share is DO NOT SEND CLOTHES. There may be special clothing needs that arise, but until the word comes out about such a need, clothes are not needed."
Gahm reported that Root River Church of the Brethren just raised $700 for clean-up buckets during Vacation Bible School. With those funds they have assembled 15 kits and will assemble five more. The Hands of Christ group in Rochester is working with Root River by purchasing items for the kits.
6/25/2008 Newsline Extra
Grant will help Northern Plains District disaster work.
It was raining again this week in Iowa as Gary Gahm, Northern Plains District disaster coordinator, was preparing a grant request for $5,000 through the Emergency Disaster Fund. The fund is a ministry of the Church of the Brethren. Through the Brethren Disaster Ministries program, the fund makes small grants available to assist the disaster relief efforts of local churches or an effort of a whole district.
Gahm explained, "With all the flooding and tornadoes in Iowa there is a lot of clean up to do now and longterm. The goal will be to help as many people as we are able."
The funds will be used to feed and lodge volunteers, purchase some tools as needed, and other items that may be needed to do the job correctly and safely. The funds also may be used to support local rebuilding efforts or local agencies managing longterm recovery.
Gahm reported that at this time there are 70 counties in Iowa with a presidential disaster declaration, and there are many Brethren families and friends who need assistance in the damaged area. The grant money will be directed through the district office and be paid out by the district treasurer through congregations.
The Emergency Disaster Fund also has given a grant of $5,000 to support the work of Children’s Disaster Services in Iowa and Indiana. As of today, June 25, Children’s Disaster Services has seen 230 children in Iowa and about 200 in Indiana. The fund has given an additional $5,000 to the work of Church World Service in parts of Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana.
6/25/2008 Newsline Extra
It was raining again this week in Iowa as Gary Gahm, Northern Plains District disaster coordinator, was preparing a grant request for $5,000 through the Emergency Disaster Fund. The fund is a ministry of the Church of the Brethren. Through the Brethren Disaster Ministries program, the fund makes small grants available to assist the disaster relief efforts of local churches or an effort of a whole district.
Gahm explained, "With all the flooding and tornadoes in Iowa there is a lot of clean up to do now and longterm. The goal will be to help as many people as we are able."
The funds will be used to feed and lodge volunteers, purchase some tools as needed, and other items that may be needed to do the job correctly and safely. The funds also may be used to support local rebuilding efforts or local agencies managing longterm recovery.
Gahm reported that at this time there are 70 counties in Iowa with a presidential disaster declaration, and there are many Brethren families and friends who need assistance in the damaged area. The grant money will be directed through the district office and be paid out by the district treasurer through congregations.
The Emergency Disaster Fund also has given a grant of $5,000 to support the work of Children’s Disaster Services in Iowa and Indiana. As of today, June 25, Children’s Disaster Services has seen 230 children in Iowa and about 200 in Indiana. The fund has given an additional $5,000 to the work of Church World Service in parts of Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana.
6/25/2008 Newsline Extra
Children's Disaster Services cares for children in Cedar Falls.
A visit to the American Red Cross service center in Cedar Falls, Iowa, is the first stop on the road to recovery for many affected by flooding in the region. For those with children, the process can be more difficult. That's why the volunteers with the Church of the Brethren's Children's Disaster Services are a welcome sight for these parents.
Eighty-five-year-old Jacquelyn Snyder, or Grandma Jackie as she's known to the kids, is one of these volunteers. She comforts the children by playing games, reading stories, and just spending time with them.
"It's so rewarding to know that you can give people a little relief even if it's only for a few hours," said Snyder, who has been with the program for over 10 years. "I went through the flood of 1993 so I can relate to what they are going through."
Volunteers like Snyder have been offering child care assistance to parents and children during local and national disasters since Children's Disaster Services was founded in 1980.
At a time in her life when many people would be slowing down, the Iowa resident says she has a lot more help to give. "As long as I can get around, I'll keep volunteering."
6/25/2008 Newsline Extra
A visit to the American Red Cross service center in Cedar Falls, Iowa, is the first stop on the road to recovery for many affected by flooding in the region. For those with children, the process can be more difficult. That's why the volunteers with the Church of the Brethren's Children's Disaster Services are a welcome sight for these parents.
Eighty-five-year-old Jacquelyn Snyder, or Grandma Jackie as she's known to the kids, is one of these volunteers. She comforts the children by playing games, reading stories, and just spending time with them.
"It's so rewarding to know that you can give people a little relief even if it's only for a few hours," said Snyder, who has been with the program for over 10 years. "I went through the flood of 1993 so I can relate to what they are going through."
Volunteers like Snyder have been offering child care assistance to parents and children during local and national disasters since Children's Disaster Services was founded in 1980.
At a time in her life when many people would be slowing down, the Iowa resident says she has a lot more help to give. "As long as I can get around, I'll keep volunteering."
6/25/2008 Newsline Extra
Church World Service aids nearly 1 million people in Myanmar.
Church World Service (CWS) has reported that as of June 23, it has provided temporary shelter and fresh water supplies sufficient for nearly one million Myanmar (Burma) cyclone survivors. The Church of the Brethren has given a total of $100,000 to the CWS relief work in Myanmar through grants from the Emergency Disaster Fund and the Global Food Crisis Fund.
Cyclone Nargis cut a huge swath of destruction about 100 miles wide across 200 miles of the populous Irrawaddy Delta, killing an estimated more than 100,000 people and thousands of livestock, and destroying homes, crops, and property. Estimates say over two million people were affected.
As of June 19, the CWS team based in Bangkok, Thailand, reported that its local partner in Myanmar had reached a total of 572 villages in the disaster-affected region, had provided supplies sufficient to serve more than 980,000 beneficiaries, and had delivered 3,944 "water baskets." The CWS philosophy is to work through local organizations, which helps people at grassroots levels build greater self-sufficiency and resiliency.
The water baskets, which capture rainwater, alone deliver the potential for 986,000 people to have clean drinking water. Each of the portable, lightweight plastic water container holds the equivalent of a day's clean drinking water for 250 people.
CWS said its local partner has also provided temporary shelter plastic tarpaulins for 41,374 households--more than 25 percent of the total number of households (160,000) the United Nations has estimated to have received emergency tarpaulins so far.
CWS said its fellow INGO members of the Action by Churches Together (ACT) alliance have also provided food and other non-food supplies to survivors in the target communities served by the local partner as well.
Church World Service is now shifting to farm recovery and rehabilitation in the devastated Irrawaddy delta area, with a focus on immediate agricultural assistance to ensure next season's crops and to build future food security.
"As with our recovery work following the 2004 tsunami, our model of 'disaster relief' is really about building disaster risk reduction components into any of our emergency recovery and rehabilitation programs," said Donna Derr, director of the CWS Emergency Response Program. "We're turning our attention in Myanmar to that kind of holistic recovery now."
Farmers in the area have until the end of July to recover their fields and paddies and get rice seed in the ground for next season's crops. Concentrating on some 11 townships in the delta already being assisted, CWS and its local partner plan to provide farmers with rice seed stock, field preparation tools, and equipment to compensate for the significant numbers of work animals-- buffalo and oxen normally used for tilling--that were lost in the cyclone. Additionally, CWS intends to provide capitol for hiring laborers from among those families who don't own farmland and need income.
Go to www.brethren.org/genbd/BDM/EDFindex.html and www.brethren.org/genbd/global_mission/gfcf.htm for more information about the Emergency Disaster Fund and the Global Food Crisis Fund, and how to contribute.
6/25/2008 Newsline Extra
Church World Service (CWS) has reported that as of June 23, it has provided temporary shelter and fresh water supplies sufficient for nearly one million Myanmar (Burma) cyclone survivors. The Church of the Brethren has given a total of $100,000 to the CWS relief work in Myanmar through grants from the Emergency Disaster Fund and the Global Food Crisis Fund.
Cyclone Nargis cut a huge swath of destruction about 100 miles wide across 200 miles of the populous Irrawaddy Delta, killing an estimated more than 100,000 people and thousands of livestock, and destroying homes, crops, and property. Estimates say over two million people were affected.
As of June 19, the CWS team based in Bangkok, Thailand, reported that its local partner in Myanmar had reached a total of 572 villages in the disaster-affected region, had provided supplies sufficient to serve more than 980,000 beneficiaries, and had delivered 3,944 "water baskets." The CWS philosophy is to work through local organizations, which helps people at grassroots levels build greater self-sufficiency and resiliency.
The water baskets, which capture rainwater, alone deliver the potential for 986,000 people to have clean drinking water. Each of the portable, lightweight plastic water container holds the equivalent of a day's clean drinking water for 250 people.
CWS said its local partner has also provided temporary shelter plastic tarpaulins for 41,374 households--more than 25 percent of the total number of households (160,000) the United Nations has estimated to have received emergency tarpaulins so far.
CWS said its fellow INGO members of the Action by Churches Together (ACT) alliance have also provided food and other non-food supplies to survivors in the target communities served by the local partner as well.
Church World Service is now shifting to farm recovery and rehabilitation in the devastated Irrawaddy delta area, with a focus on immediate agricultural assistance to ensure next season's crops and to build future food security.
"As with our recovery work following the 2004 tsunami, our model of 'disaster relief' is really about building disaster risk reduction components into any of our emergency recovery and rehabilitation programs," said Donna Derr, director of the CWS Emergency Response Program. "We're turning our attention in Myanmar to that kind of holistic recovery now."
Farmers in the area have until the end of July to recover their fields and paddies and get rice seed in the ground for next season's crops. Concentrating on some 11 townships in the delta already being assisted, CWS and its local partner plan to provide farmers with rice seed stock, field preparation tools, and equipment to compensate for the significant numbers of work animals-- buffalo and oxen normally used for tilling--that were lost in the cyclone. Additionally, CWS intends to provide capitol for hiring laborers from among those families who don't own farmland and need income.
Go to www.brethren.org/genbd/BDM/EDFindex.html and www.brethren.org/genbd/global_mission/gfcf.htm for more information about the Emergency Disaster Fund and the Global Food Crisis Fund, and how to contribute.
6/25/2008 Newsline Extra
Disaster response bits: Correction, Indiana flood response, grants, more.
- Correction: The correct numbers for the Volunteer Reception Center in Franklin, Ind., are 317-738-8801, 317-738-8807, or 317-738-8006. Brethren Disaster Ministries is encouraging those interested in volunteering with the clean up work in Indiana following storms and flooding to contact the center in Franklin.
- Pastor Charles Berdel of Christ our Shepherd Church of the Brethren in Indianapolis, will represent Brethren Disaster Ministries at a meeting being convened by the United Way in Franklin, Ind., tomorrow morning. The meeting is to establish a Long-Term Recovery Committee to coordinate resources and organize longterm recovery efforts for the flood survivors of Johnson County, Ind. Brethren Disaster Ministries anticipates establishing a rebuilding project in Indiana in the future, once needs have been identified and communities are ready for assistance.
- The Church of the Brethren's Material Resources program has begun shipping relief supplies to Iowa following the flooding. Material Resources staff work out of warehouses at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md. Director Loretta Wolf shared this note in a staff newsletter today: "Often Material Resource staff doesn’t see or hear from those who receive the items we work with. This week we received a letter from Iowa, where we shipped supplies: ‘The layettes, health kits, and school supplies will be used and appreciated by so many of our people. We really do not know how to adequately thank you. All we ask is that you accept our sincere gratitude. Your sensitivity, concern, and support will always be appreciated.’ It is good to hear how much we as part of the Church of the Brethren impact others’ lives."
- "Courage to Care," a Children's Disaster Services Level 1 Volunteer Workshop, will be held Aug. 22-23 at First Church of the Brethren in Roaring Spring, Pa. Children’s Disaster Services is a Church of the Brethren ministry. The 27-hour workshop trains volunteers to care for children following disasters, to set up special child care centers in disaster locations, and to provide crisis intervention for young children while parents apply for assistance and put their lives back together. The training prepares volunteers to participate in Children’s Disaster Services teams such as those currently at work in areas of Iowa affected by flooding. The registration fee covers the curriculum, meals, and lodging. Registration costs $45, or $55 if received less than three weeks before the workshop. Participants must be 18 years of age or older, in good physical and mental health, and must work well under stress and adverse conditions. Go to www.childrensdisasterservices.org for program and registration information. Contact Faye Eichelberger, onsite coordinator for the workshop, at 814-239-2867. Contact the Children's Disaster Services Office at CDS_gb@brethren.org or 800-451-4407 #5.
Credits
Newsline is produced by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of news services for the Church of the Brethren General Board, cobnews@brethren.org or 800-323-8039 ext. 260. Judy Bezon, Jon Kobel, Roy Winter, Loretta Wolf, Jane Yount contributed to this report.
Newsline is produced by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of news services for the Church of the Brethren General Board, cobnews@brethren.org or 800-323-8039 ext. 260. Judy Bezon, Jon Kobel, Roy Winter, Loretta Wolf, Jane Yount contributed to this report.
Friday, June 20, 2008
DISASTER RESPONSE NEWS
- Children’s Disaster Services ramps up response in flooded midwest.
- Brethren Disaster Ministries calls for clean-up volunteers in Indiana.
- CWS repeats call for Emergency Clean-up Buckets, issues correction to drop-off site in Indiana.
- Plains states Brethren still dealing with destruction caused by tornadoes.
- International Christian leaders call for a season of prayer for Zimbabwe.
Children's Disaster Services ramps up response in flooded midwest.
Children’s Disaster Services is fielding teams of child care volunteers in Indiana and Iowa to support families affected by flooding. Children's Disaster Services is a ministry of the Church of the Brethren. Each child care team includes four or five trained and certified volunteers, and the response in each state is overseen by a trained project manager.
One Children’s Disaster Services team has been working in Martinsville, Ind., in a Red Cross Assistance Center that has seen 25-30 children each day. The Red Cross will no longer be working out of that center, which will now be carried on by FEMA and others, and the child care team will continue to provide services to children there. The team also will be expanded from four to five people. Ken Kline has been the project manager in Indiana, but has completed his two weeks commitment and Barbara Lungelow will be the new project manager.
Another Children's Disaster Services team relieved exhausted volunteers for CJ's Bus, which has stopped services in Indiana as of Wednesday, June 18. The team that had worked with CJ's Bus has moved to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and is now serving children and families there. In Cedar Rapids, Children's Disaster Services may soon also be providing training for other responders from the Iowa state response as well.
A child care team in Cedar Falls, Iowa, has been working to care for children at a Lutheran school while families cleaned up homes from mud that carried oil and fertilizer. That child care team has now moved location and currently is working at a Red Cross Service Center. A second team of child care givers will begin working in Cedar Falls starting Monday, June 23.
Another team will begin providing child care in Iowa City on Monday. Lorna Grow is the project manager for the teams working in Iowa.
Children's Disaster Services is putting two more teams of child care workers on alert, to go into additional areas affected by flooding on Sunday or Monday. By the end of next week, the program will be sending new teams of volunteers to replace those who by that time will have been working for two weeks.
Brethren Disaster Ministries is requesting a grant of $5,000 to support the work of Children's Disaster Services in Indiana and Iowa, from the Church of the Brethren's Emergency Disaster Fund.
Go to www.brethren.org/genbd/BDM/CDSindex.html for more information about Children's Disaster Services and for information about how to become a trained disaster child care volunteer.
Source: 6/20/2008 Newsline Extra
Children’s Disaster Services is fielding teams of child care volunteers in Indiana and Iowa to support families affected by flooding. Children's Disaster Services is a ministry of the Church of the Brethren. Each child care team includes four or five trained and certified volunteers, and the response in each state is overseen by a trained project manager.
One Children’s Disaster Services team has been working in Martinsville, Ind., in a Red Cross Assistance Center that has seen 25-30 children each day. The Red Cross will no longer be working out of that center, which will now be carried on by FEMA and others, and the child care team will continue to provide services to children there. The team also will be expanded from four to five people. Ken Kline has been the project manager in Indiana, but has completed his two weeks commitment and Barbara Lungelow will be the new project manager.
Another Children's Disaster Services team relieved exhausted volunteers for CJ's Bus, which has stopped services in Indiana as of Wednesday, June 18. The team that had worked with CJ's Bus has moved to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and is now serving children and families there. In Cedar Rapids, Children's Disaster Services may soon also be providing training for other responders from the Iowa state response as well.
A child care team in Cedar Falls, Iowa, has been working to care for children at a Lutheran school while families cleaned up homes from mud that carried oil and fertilizer. That child care team has now moved location and currently is working at a Red Cross Service Center. A second team of child care givers will begin working in Cedar Falls starting Monday, June 23.
Another team will begin providing child care in Iowa City on Monday. Lorna Grow is the project manager for the teams working in Iowa.
Children's Disaster Services is putting two more teams of child care workers on alert, to go into additional areas affected by flooding on Sunday or Monday. By the end of next week, the program will be sending new teams of volunteers to replace those who by that time will have been working for two weeks.
Brethren Disaster Ministries is requesting a grant of $5,000 to support the work of Children's Disaster Services in Indiana and Iowa, from the Church of the Brethren's Emergency Disaster Fund.
Go to www.brethren.org/genbd/BDM/CDSindex.html for more information about Children's Disaster Services and for information about how to become a trained disaster child care volunteer.
Source: 6/20/2008 Newsline Extra
Brethren Disaster Ministries calls for clean-up volunteers in Indiana.
Indiana is ready for volunteers to assist with cleaning up and mucking out following the severe flooding that has affected some 6,500 homes across the state, in an announcement from Brethren Disaster Ministries.
"Brethren in Indiana and surrounding districts are urged to help!" said the announcement from Brethren Disaster Ministries coordinator Jane Yount.
The call for volunteers has come from the Volunteer Reception Center in Franklin, Ind., which is south of Indianapolis in Johnson County. Each group of volunteers that responds is asked to include group leaders who can help manage the job to which the group is assigned. Interested volunteer groups should make arrangements directly with the reception center (see contact information below).
Brethren Disaster Ministries is requesting Brethren groups to contact their district disaster coordinators with information about their plans to volunteer, and for how long. Brethren Disaster Ministries will collect this information to report to the broader church about the response.
Contact the Volunteer Reception Center at 317-736-8801. This phone number will be staffed during regular business hours. Volunteer housing will be available at the Dietz Building, at Franklin College, 251 S. Forsythe St., Franklin, Indiana.
Brethren Disaster Ministries requests those who volunteer to be aware that flood clean-up is dirty and strenuous work. "All volunteers should be up to date with their tetanus vaccination and in good general health," Yount said. "Please prayerfully consider participating in this relief effort."
Source: 6/20/2008 Newsline Extra
Indiana is ready for volunteers to assist with cleaning up and mucking out following the severe flooding that has affected some 6,500 homes across the state, in an announcement from Brethren Disaster Ministries.
"Brethren in Indiana and surrounding districts are urged to help!" said the announcement from Brethren Disaster Ministries coordinator Jane Yount.
The call for volunteers has come from the Volunteer Reception Center in Franklin, Ind., which is south of Indianapolis in Johnson County. Each group of volunteers that responds is asked to include group leaders who can help manage the job to which the group is assigned. Interested volunteer groups should make arrangements directly with the reception center (see contact information below).
Brethren Disaster Ministries is requesting Brethren groups to contact their district disaster coordinators with information about their plans to volunteer, and for how long. Brethren Disaster Ministries will collect this information to report to the broader church about the response.
Contact the Volunteer Reception Center at 317-736-8801. This phone number will be staffed during regular business hours. Volunteer housing will be available at the Dietz Building, at Franklin College, 251 S. Forsythe St., Franklin, Indiana.
Brethren Disaster Ministries requests those who volunteer to be aware that flood clean-up is dirty and strenuous work. "All volunteers should be up to date with their tetanus vaccination and in good general health," Yount said. "Please prayerfully consider participating in this relief effort."
Source: 6/20/2008 Newsline Extra
CWS repeats call for Emergency Clean-up Buckets, issues correction to drop-off site in Indiana.
Church World Service (CWS) has issued another call for Emergency Clean-up Buckets to respond to storms and flooding in the midwest. The buckets are kits that may be assembled by congregations, other groups, and individuals, and donated to the disaster clean-up effort. Go to www.churchworldservice.org/kits/cleanup-kits.html for information about contents and how to assemble the Emergency Clean-up Bucket kits.
Following is the corrected information for the collection point for CWS Emergency Clean-up Buckets in Indiana. Buckets may be dropped off on weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at Church World Service, 28606 Phillips St., Elkhart, IN 46515. For more information contact Cindy Watson or Donna Kruis at 800-297-1516. This temporary collection effort in Indiana will end on July 31.
An e-mail from CWS staff on June 18 noted "the heavy need for CWS Emergency Clean-up Buckets. As we watch flooding in the midwest, assembly of CWS Emergency Clean-up Buckets will help us respond all the more quickly to needs."
Source: 6/20/2008 Newsline Extra
Church World Service (CWS) has issued another call for Emergency Clean-up Buckets to respond to storms and flooding in the midwest. The buckets are kits that may be assembled by congregations, other groups, and individuals, and donated to the disaster clean-up effort. Go to www.churchworldservice.org/kits/cleanup-kits.html for information about contents and how to assemble the Emergency Clean-up Bucket kits.
Following is the corrected information for the collection point for CWS Emergency Clean-up Buckets in Indiana. Buckets may be dropped off on weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at Church World Service, 28606 Phillips St., Elkhart, IN 46515. For more information contact Cindy Watson or Donna Kruis at 800-297-1516. This temporary collection effort in Indiana will end on July 31.
An e-mail from CWS staff on June 18 noted "the heavy need for CWS Emergency Clean-up Buckets. As we watch flooding in the midwest, assembly of CWS Emergency Clean-up Buckets will help us respond all the more quickly to needs."
Source: 6/20/2008 Newsline Extra
Plains states Brethren still dealing with destruction caused by tornadoes.
Families from Quinter (Kan.) Church of the Brethren were affected by tornadoes that hit near the town in May. While the town of Quinter was spared, 15 families living in the surrounding area suffered moderate to total loss, reported pastor Keith Funk.
"Moderate losses would include loss of barns and other buildings, farm equipment, fence, and damage to the home--loss of roof, windows, siding damage, etc. Total loss would include all of the above including the home residence," he said.
One couple in the congregation, Charles and Judy Easton, suffered total loss. However, the Eastons are working at putting their lives back together and moving forward, Funk reported. "Currently, they are staying with a member of our congregation, Margaret Lee Inloes, who has opened her home to them," he said. "They feel immensely blessed by the help and support they have received from the congregation and the surrounding community. They have blessed our congregation by their continued faithfulness and positive spirit in light of their very difficult circumstances."
Quinter church members Ross and Sharon Boone also suffered extensive damage to their farm and home, though their home was ultimately spared. Their losses include barns and buildings either totally lost or severely damaged, along with some of their equipment. "In all of this, Ross has been undergoing treatment for cancer. Yet both Ross and Sharon have witnessed to God's faithfulness in the midst of the storm," Funk said.
"The community and congregational help and giving has been an inspiration in all of this," the pastor added. "Though this has been a traumatic time in the life of our community, we have also witnessed the evidence of God's goodness and grace in the lives of those affected by the storms and in those responding to their neighbors in need."
Source: 6/20/2008 Newsline Extra
Families from Quinter (Kan.) Church of the Brethren were affected by tornadoes that hit near the town in May. While the town of Quinter was spared, 15 families living in the surrounding area suffered moderate to total loss, reported pastor Keith Funk.
"Moderate losses would include loss of barns and other buildings, farm equipment, fence, and damage to the home--loss of roof, windows, siding damage, etc. Total loss would include all of the above including the home residence," he said.
One couple in the congregation, Charles and Judy Easton, suffered total loss. However, the Eastons are working at putting their lives back together and moving forward, Funk reported. "Currently, they are staying with a member of our congregation, Margaret Lee Inloes, who has opened her home to them," he said. "They feel immensely blessed by the help and support they have received from the congregation and the surrounding community. They have blessed our congregation by their continued faithfulness and positive spirit in light of their very difficult circumstances."
Quinter church members Ross and Sharon Boone also suffered extensive damage to their farm and home, though their home was ultimately spared. Their losses include barns and buildings either totally lost or severely damaged, along with some of their equipment. "In all of this, Ross has been undergoing treatment for cancer. Yet both Ross and Sharon have witnessed to God's faithfulness in the midst of the storm," Funk said.
"The community and congregational help and giving has been an inspiration in all of this," the pastor added. "Though this has been a traumatic time in the life of our community, we have also witnessed the evidence of God's goodness and grace in the lives of those affected by the storms and in those responding to their neighbors in need."
Source: 6/20/2008 Newsline Extra
International Christian leaders call for a season of prayer for Zimbabwe.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) in a release dated June 18, has called on the United Nations to end the violence in the African country of Zimbabwe, and for free and fair elections there. The WCC has invited its member churches to pray for Zimbabwe on Sunday, June 22, as the beginning of a season of prayer for the people and government of the country.
Stan Noffsinger, general secretary of the Church of the Brethren General Board, is encouraging Brethren to join in this season of prayer for Zimbabwe.
In a letter to UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon, the WCC expressed continued concern about the situation in Zimbabwe and asked the world body to utilize its resources to assure an end to pre-election violence and a free and fair election on June 27.
The letter from WCC general secretary Samuel Kobia states the dismay of the council and its member churches "at the news of the brutality meted out by police and other government forces in Zimbabwe," and refers to President Robert Mugabe's statement last week that he would "go to war" rather than acknowledge an election victory by the opposition.
Churches in the region have reported on atrocities. An extensive dossier has been compiled by the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa about the situation in Zimbabwe, prepared under the leadership of Allan Boesak of the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa. The WCC said that the dossier presents graphic details of violence.
The WCC is appealing to the government of Zimbabwe to assure free and fair elections, allowing for election monitors, and the distribution of food and other humanitarian aid, and is calling on the churches in southern Africa to initiate a healing and reconciliation process immediately following the elections.
Go to www.oikoumene.org/?id=6044 for the text of the WCC letter to the United Nations. Go to www.oikoumene.org/?id=4654 for more about WCC member churches in Zimbabwe.
Source: 6/20/2008 Newsline Extra
The World Council of Churches (WCC) in a release dated June 18, has called on the United Nations to end the violence in the African country of Zimbabwe, and for free and fair elections there. The WCC has invited its member churches to pray for Zimbabwe on Sunday, June 22, as the beginning of a season of prayer for the people and government of the country.
Stan Noffsinger, general secretary of the Church of the Brethren General Board, is encouraging Brethren to join in this season of prayer for Zimbabwe.
In a letter to UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon, the WCC expressed continued concern about the situation in Zimbabwe and asked the world body to utilize its resources to assure an end to pre-election violence and a free and fair election on June 27.
The letter from WCC general secretary Samuel Kobia states the dismay of the council and its member churches "at the news of the brutality meted out by police and other government forces in Zimbabwe," and refers to President Robert Mugabe's statement last week that he would "go to war" rather than acknowledge an election victory by the opposition.
Churches in the region have reported on atrocities. An extensive dossier has been compiled by the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa about the situation in Zimbabwe, prepared under the leadership of Allan Boesak of the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa. The WCC said that the dossier presents graphic details of violence.
The WCC is appealing to the government of Zimbabwe to assure free and fair elections, allowing for election monitors, and the distribution of food and other humanitarian aid, and is calling on the churches in southern Africa to initiate a healing and reconciliation process immediately following the elections.
Go to www.oikoumene.org/?id=6044 for the text of the WCC letter to the United Nations. Go to www.oikoumene.org/?id=4654 for more about WCC member churches in Zimbabwe.
Source: 6/20/2008 Newsline Extra
Credits
Newsline is produced by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of news services for the Church of the Brethren General Board, cobnews@brethren.org or 800-323-8039 ext. 260. Judy Bezon contributed to this report.
Newsline is produced by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of news services for the Church of the Brethren General Board, cobnews@brethren.org or 800-323-8039 ext. 260. Judy Bezon contributed to this report.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
NEWSUPCOMING EVENTS300th ANNIVERSARY UPDATE
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