- Correction: The correct date for the group photo of Brethren Pension Plan members and spouses who are in Schwarzenau, Germany, for the 300th Anniversary celebration, is Saturday, Aug. 2, at 5 p.m.
- Lillian Dako, funding system specialist for the Centralized Resources department of the Church of the Brethren General Board, passed away unexpectedly at her home during the early morning hours of June 30. The General Board has requested prayer for her daughter, Susan, and her brother, Bob. Dako had worked at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill., for almost 14 years, having begun work for the General Board on Aug. 8, 1994. She filled a position with the finance and funding areas, and her work included processing donations and accounts receivable, as well as work with fundraising efforts. A high point of her work took place in early 2005, when she processed a record amount of giving to the Emergency Disaster Fund, representing the generous response of Brethren to the tsunami in southeast Asia--close to 10 times the amount given in the same period in the previous year. Interviewed for a Newsline article in Feb. 2005, Dako called the response "astounding," and noted with excitement that each day that January she received about the number of gifts that usually arrive in a month. Dako is survived by her brother, Bob, and her daughter, Susan. The community at the General Offices gathered for a time of prayer and scripture in her memory on the afternoon of her death. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, July 5, at 2-4 p.m. at Geils Funeral Home in Wood Dale, Ill.
- Katie O'Donnell of Royersford, Pa., has completed her term of service as a community outreach worker in Campo Limpo, Brazil, with the Global Mission Partnerships of the Church of the Brethren General Board. She was serving through Brethren Volunteer Service. O'Donnell plans to begin a master's degree program in English as a second language and linguistics at the University of Arizona in the fall.
- Ryan Richards of Coupeville, Wash., has completed his term of service at Miguel Angel Asturias Academy, Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, where he was working through Brethren Volunteer Service. His work was funded by the Global Mission Partnerships of the Church of the Brethren General Board. He will begin a master's degree program in public administration at New York University in the fall.
- Camp Bethel is accepting resumes for the fulltime, year-round position of food services director. The position is available immediately. It is a salaried position for a dependable, caring worker with good interpersonal and leadership skills. Culinary experience or training is required, and staff management experience is preferred. The starting benefits package includes a salary of $28,050, family medical insurance, a pension plan, a travel allowance, and professional growth funds. An application form, a position description, and more information is available at www.campbethelvirginia.org/jobs.htm or send a letter of interest and an updated resume to Barry LeNoir at camp.bethel@juno.com. Camp Bethel is an outdoor ministries center of the Church of the Brethren’s Virlina District, located near Fincastle, Va.
- The Global Food Crisis Fund has given a grant of $13,760 to the Foods Resource Bank. The grant represents the fund’s 2008 allocation for operational support of Foods Resource Bank. The Global Food Crisis Fund is a ministry of the Church of the Brethren General Board.
- On Earth Peace is inviting congregations to join the World Council of Churches' 2008 International Day of Prayer for Peace on Sunday, Sept. 21. "Will your church be praying for peace?" said the invitation. The announcement noted that hundreds of thousands of people from churches, synagogues, and mosques around the world are expected to join together in the annual International Day of Prayer for Peace. For those participating through On Earth Peace, there will be opportunities to connect with other congregations concerned about violence, access to On Earth Peace resources, and guidance on how to make praying and acting for God's peace an ongoing activity. Go to www.onearthpeace.org/prayforpeace for more information about the event and to register. On Earth Peace is an agency rooted in the Church of the Brethren, helping people faithfully discern "the things that make for peace" (Luke 19), see www.onearthpeace.org or call 410-635-8704.
- Work has begun to replace the air conditioning "chillers" at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill. The building’s two air conditioners are 50 years old, and were scheduled for replacement in 2009. However, last October one failed and is not worth repairing as it has outlived its useful life. In March, the General Board approved a new thermal ice storage system that chills water and make ice in large exterior storage tanks. The ice will be made in the tanks at night when energy costs and temperatures are lower. The building is then cooled by circulating water through the tanks that were frozen the previous night. The project also includes related asbestos abatement, and cross connection of chilled water pipes to allow the one functioning chiller to cool the entire building during the replacement process. The installation contract has been awarded to Mechanical, Inc. The entire project is expected to be completed by August 10.
- Highland Avenue Church of the Brethren in Elgin, Ill., was one of more than 275 congregations across the country that displayed anti-torture banners during June. According to the National Religious Campaign Against Torture, the congregations were of a wide variety of faiths. The anti-torture banners commemorated Torture Awareness Month, and read "Torture is a Moral Issue" or "Torture is Wrong." Go to www.tortureisamoralissue.org to learn more, or contact the National Religious Campaign Against Torture, 316 F St. NE, Suite 200, Washington, DC, 20002; 202-547-1920.
- La Porte (Ind.) Church of the Brethren has set a date for the workday to replace its fellowship hall ceiling. The workday will be held Sept. 8. Contact the church at 219-362-1733.
- Lititz (Pa.) Church of the Brethren is hosting a Mission Seminar sponsored by the Brethren World Missions group on July 23, from 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. The seminar will be led by members of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN--the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria). The morning session will be on the topic, "The Muslim-Christian Conflict and the EYN Response," and the afternoon session will be on "Strategies for the Growing Church in Nigeria." Cost is $6 for lunch. Continuing education credit is available for a $10 fee. Call 717-626-2131 for reservations for the seminar, the deadline is July 14. An evening rally will follow at Hempfield Church of the Brethren, where about 30 members of EYN are expected to attend. Several will tell stories of life in Nigeria and the health of the church. African-style worship and music will be shared.
- Members of South Waterloo Church of the Brethren in Waterloo, Iowa, have been helping clean up following the flooding. "This last week we had an outpouring of volunteers from South Waterloo who assisted two church families with after-flood clean-up," reported church board chair Sandy Marsau in the Northern Plains District e-mail newsletter. Approximately 75 people from the church assisted at three different clean-up times to remove items from the two homes. One family was still unable to return to their home as it had sustained much damage and required inspection.
- Northern Plains District also reported that Sheldon (Iowa) Church of the Brethren has donated $2,500 for disaster response. Sandi Cox, treasurer of the Sheldon church, contacted the district to share that the congregation voted to send the money for district disaster relief efforts. In addition, donations to the District Disaster Fund have been coming in from individual members, the district said.
- Fahrney-Keedy Home and Village in Boonsboro, Md., is hosting its Fourth Annual Summer Festival on Aug. 2, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. The festival features free admission and family fun including a Landmark Search with a $250 cash prize, childrens’ crafts, games, a water park, a petting zoo, a Classic Car Cruise-In, arts and crafts vendors, "The Magic of Dean Burkett," and a bake sale. Go to www.fkmh.org or call 301-671-5000 or -5001 for more information.
- Church of the Brethren member Rachel W.N. Brown has authored a children’s Christmas book, "Small Camel Follows the Star." Illustrations are by Giuliano Ferri, an Italian artist. The hardback book is published by Albert Whitman and Company. The nativity story follows Wise Balthazar, Small Camel, and his mother as they follow the star across the desert to look for a baby king. Brown is a quilt artist who has for many years helped organize the Annual Conference quilt auction of the Association for the Arts in the Church of the Brethren. The story of Small Camel was born as she researched details for a special Christmas quilt. Order the book from Brethren Press for $16.95 plus shipping and handling.
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Brethren bits: Correction, remembrance, personnel, job, GFCF grant, more.
Todd Bauer begins as Latin America/Caribbean specialist.
Todd Bauer began July 1 as Latin America and Caribbean specialist for the Church of the Brethren General Board. This is a part-time position with Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) and Global Mission Partnerships. He will work with the BVS office in placing and supervising volunteers in the field, and will work in project oversight and development.
Bauer has most recently worked with Pastoral Social, the social ministry of the Guatemalan Catholic Church, in the department of Huehuetenango in northwest Guatemala bordering Chiapas, Mexico. Placed there as a volunteer after the 2001 winter unit of BVS, he has served in Guatemala for five years as a fulltime volunteer and then as a fulltime employee.
His work has included ecological balance and poverty reduction services. A reforestation and appropriate technology component of the program of Pastoral Social is supported by the Church of the Brethren’s Global Food Crisis Fund. His experience in Latin America also includes work with the Guatemalan Accompaniment Project.
He holds a degree in civil engineering from the University of Vermont, with additional training in appropriate technology and permaculture design.
Source: 7/2/2008 Newsline
Todd Bauer began July 1 as Latin America and Caribbean specialist for the Church of the Brethren General Board. This is a part-time position with Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) and Global Mission Partnerships. He will work with the BVS office in placing and supervising volunteers in the field, and will work in project oversight and development.
Bauer has most recently worked with Pastoral Social, the social ministry of the Guatemalan Catholic Church, in the department of Huehuetenango in northwest Guatemala bordering Chiapas, Mexico. Placed there as a volunteer after the 2001 winter unit of BVS, he has served in Guatemala for five years as a fulltime volunteer and then as a fulltime employee.
His work has included ecological balance and poverty reduction services. A reforestation and appropriate technology component of the program of Pastoral Social is supported by the Church of the Brethren’s Global Food Crisis Fund. His experience in Latin America also includes work with the Guatemalan Accompaniment Project.
He holds a degree in civil engineering from the University of Vermont, with additional training in appropriate technology and permaculture design.
Source: 7/2/2008 Newsline
Dateline June 24, Chalmette, La.
Greetings from the hot, humid south. The Little Swatara Workgroup has made it through it's second, and so far hottest day of disaster relief at the Brethren Disaster Ministries rebuilding site in Chalmette, La.
This embedded photographer has been painting, trimming, sanding, and sweating with the rest of the crew. Other than a flat tire on route 59 in Mississippi, we have been unhindered by problems and spirits are high--although some youth may have been slower to wake up this a.m.
We have been working in conjuction with the Brethren Disaster Ministries’ St. Bernard project, and as a result have met folks from Sacramento, Calif., as well as volunteers from Americorp.
Having been in New Orleans last year, it's sad to see the effects of three years after Hurricane Katrina. Many houses have been demolished, indicating the low return rate. Daily we see the demolition teams moving through the neighborhoods as they demolish house after house. Equally impressive is the thoroughness of the removal. The concrete pad is left behind and in one day's time, it's hard to tell that a house was just removed.
Neighbors who return appear to have a bond that can only come from weathering through such a common disaster. Their spirit is undiminished, even if it has been tested. Spray-painted messages on make-shift signs and fences attest to the love of community and their neighbors.
As we traveled south down 59 (after the flat tire) we were witness to the visual spectacle of field after field, thousands upon thousands of FEMA trailers, parked in fairly even rows. Picture the largest camper dealership you can imagine and then multiply this view a hundred fold.
After a number of workgroup visits, we sadly also encountered a first, which pointedly expressed the worst of the disaster. The now infamous spray-painted house inspection cross that indicated date of inspection, who inspected, the number of bodies and pets found, has often been explained, but always illustrated with a sample that indicated no deaths. Today we witnessed one inspection cross that may have indicated a death.
Amid the almost mythical retelling of the event, the modest but proud stories of helping to rebuild, the final tally and tragedy of Hurricane Katrina is too easily pushed to the recesses of the imagination and the back page of news and history.
The most often expressed wish from locals as they discuss their situation and the event that so changed their lives, is the desire that their plight not be forgotten. Their request is that others not forget.
We're not even halfway through this work week, and yet the opportunity to connect as a broader community is evident. The youth, advisors, coordinators, and a Brethren Volunteer Service worker continue to enjoy the closeness of shared effort, sweat, and community. And we are eating and sleeping very comfortably in a home that was repaired by Brethren volunteers.
God didn't will the destruction and tragedy. However, He has blessed the response in support, and the tested will of those in the flood. God's love is here...holy ground.
--Glenn Riegel sent this report from the Brethren Disaster Ministries rebuilding site in Chalmette, La., where he was working with a group from Little Swatara Church of the Brethren, Bethel, Pa.
Source: 7/2/2008 Newsline
Greetings from the hot, humid south. The Little Swatara Workgroup has made it through it's second, and so far hottest day of disaster relief at the Brethren Disaster Ministries rebuilding site in Chalmette, La.
This embedded photographer has been painting, trimming, sanding, and sweating with the rest of the crew. Other than a flat tire on route 59 in Mississippi, we have been unhindered by problems and spirits are high--although some youth may have been slower to wake up this a.m.
We have been working in conjuction with the Brethren Disaster Ministries’ St. Bernard project, and as a result have met folks from Sacramento, Calif., as well as volunteers from Americorp.
Having been in New Orleans last year, it's sad to see the effects of three years after Hurricane Katrina. Many houses have been demolished, indicating the low return rate. Daily we see the demolition teams moving through the neighborhoods as they demolish house after house. Equally impressive is the thoroughness of the removal. The concrete pad is left behind and in one day's time, it's hard to tell that a house was just removed.
Neighbors who return appear to have a bond that can only come from weathering through such a common disaster. Their spirit is undiminished, even if it has been tested. Spray-painted messages on make-shift signs and fences attest to the love of community and their neighbors.
As we traveled south down 59 (after the flat tire) we were witness to the visual spectacle of field after field, thousands upon thousands of FEMA trailers, parked in fairly even rows. Picture the largest camper dealership you can imagine and then multiply this view a hundred fold.
After a number of workgroup visits, we sadly also encountered a first, which pointedly expressed the worst of the disaster. The now infamous spray-painted house inspection cross that indicated date of inspection, who inspected, the number of bodies and pets found, has often been explained, but always illustrated with a sample that indicated no deaths. Today we witnessed one inspection cross that may have indicated a death.
Amid the almost mythical retelling of the event, the modest but proud stories of helping to rebuild, the final tally and tragedy of Hurricane Katrina is too easily pushed to the recesses of the imagination and the back page of news and history.
The most often expressed wish from locals as they discuss their situation and the event that so changed their lives, is the desire that their plight not be forgotten. Their request is that others not forget.
We're not even halfway through this work week, and yet the opportunity to connect as a broader community is evident. The youth, advisors, coordinators, and a Brethren Volunteer Service worker continue to enjoy the closeness of shared effort, sweat, and community. And we are eating and sleeping very comfortably in a home that was repaired by Brethren volunteers.
God didn't will the destruction and tragedy. However, He has blessed the response in support, and the tested will of those in the flood. God's love is here...holy ground.
--Glenn Riegel sent this report from the Brethren Disaster Ministries rebuilding site in Chalmette, La., where he was working with a group from Little Swatara Church of the Brethren, Bethel, Pa.
Source: 7/2/2008 Newsline
Peace witness is scheduled at Annual Conference in Richmond.
The Brethren Witness/Washington Office will lead a public rally for nonviolence at the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference in Richmond, Va., on the afternoon of July 15. In partnership with the Richmond Peace Education Center and other peace groups in the area, the Tuesday afternoon event will call for an end to the violence of current wars and focus on the need for direct conversation and mediation with Iran.
The event will begin with a march from the Greater Richmond Convention Center, stepping off at 4:45 p.m. Participants will begin with prayer, and then walk to the Richmond City Plaza where they will be greeted by speakers, music, prayer, and drama. Organizers are Phil Jones, director of the Brethren Witness/Washington Office, and Adria Scharf, director of the Richmond Peace Center. The event will close by 6 p.m.
Conference participants are encouraged to join in support of the Church of the Brethren’s 2004 and 2006 resolutions against the Iraq war, and to witness to 300 years of Brethren heritage as peacemakers. Organizers hope that Brethren can once again give faithful witness to being a peace church, and work in faithful partnership with area peacemakers toward a common goal.
In addition, plans are being made to exhibit the "Eyes Wide Open" display as part of the peace witness. The display was featured at Annual Conference in Charleston, W.Va., some years ago, and included a symbolic display of the boots representing the American soldiers who had been killed in the Iraq war. Since then the number of casualties in Iraq has grown to over 4,000, and the display can no longer be shown in its entirety. Individual states have developed their own displays. It is planned for the Virginia display to be at Annual Conference in Richmond as a visual memorial to the more than 100 Virginian men and women who have been killed in Iraq, as well as the thousands of Iraqi and ally casualties.
More information will be available at the Brethren Witness/Washington Office booth at the Exhibit Hall at Annual Conference in Richmond.
--Phil Jones is director of the Brethren Witness/Washington Office.
Source: 7/3/2008 Newsline Extra
The Brethren Witness/Washington Office will lead a public rally for nonviolence at the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference in Richmond, Va., on the afternoon of July 15. In partnership with the Richmond Peace Education Center and other peace groups in the area, the Tuesday afternoon event will call for an end to the violence of current wars and focus on the need for direct conversation and mediation with Iran.
The event will begin with a march from the Greater Richmond Convention Center, stepping off at 4:45 p.m. Participants will begin with prayer, and then walk to the Richmond City Plaza where they will be greeted by speakers, music, prayer, and drama. Organizers are Phil Jones, director of the Brethren Witness/Washington Office, and Adria Scharf, director of the Richmond Peace Center. The event will close by 6 p.m.
Conference participants are encouraged to join in support of the Church of the Brethren’s 2004 and 2006 resolutions against the Iraq war, and to witness to 300 years of Brethren heritage as peacemakers. Organizers hope that Brethren can once again give faithful witness to being a peace church, and work in faithful partnership with area peacemakers toward a common goal.
In addition, plans are being made to exhibit the "Eyes Wide Open" display as part of the peace witness. The display was featured at Annual Conference in Charleston, W.Va., some years ago, and included a symbolic display of the boots representing the American soldiers who had been killed in the Iraq war. Since then the number of casualties in Iraq has grown to over 4,000, and the display can no longer be shown in its entirety. Individual states have developed their own displays. It is planned for the Virginia display to be at Annual Conference in Richmond as a visual memorial to the more than 100 Virginian men and women who have been killed in Iraq, as well as the thousands of Iraqi and ally casualties.
More information will be available at the Brethren Witness/Washington Office booth at the Exhibit Hall at Annual Conference in Richmond.
--Phil Jones is director of the Brethren Witness/Washington Office.
Source: 7/3/2008 Newsline Extra
Annual Conference bits: mission breakfast, bookstore items.
- The Brethren World Missions breakfast at the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference in Richmond, Va., on July 15 will feature a leader from Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN--the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria). Breakfast speaker David Garnuwa is president of BEST (Brethren Evangelism Support Trust), an organization of Nigerian business leaders who work to impact communities for Christ through their local churches. About 25 members of EYN are expected to attend the breakfast, according to an announcement from Brethren World Missions.
- The Brethren Press bookstore at Annual Conference will offer a variety of items commemorating the 300th Anniversary of the Brethren movement. Items displaying the 300th Anniversary logo include 13-ounce glass mugs ($10.95), polo shirts ($39.95 most sizes or $42.95 XXL), keychains ($5), and souvenir pins ($3.50). Some items are more whimsical: two styles of t-shirts will be available, one with the message "MACK IS BACK" illustrated with a Warhol-like graphic of the Brethren founder, and another with the message "Mack ’08 -- 1708-2008" ($16 for most sizes, $18 for XXL). Small drawstring sport packs also feature the "MACK IS BACK" image ($10). When ordering these through the Brethren Press order line 800-441-3712, a shipping and handling charge will be added to the listed price.
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
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
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
Children's Disaster Services helps staff CJ's Bus.
A certified team of care givers from Children’s Disaster Services (CDS) on June 16 relieved the exhausted volunteers who have staffed CJ’s Bus since the recent storms, tornadoes, and flooding began in Indiana. CJ’s Bus volunteers had been working to care for children of families affected by the disasters since June 6 in Indianapolis, and then in Martinsville after flooding there.
Kathryn Martin, founder of CJ’s Bus, knew of Children’s Disaster Services’ expertise and volunteer base because CDS provides training for CJ’s Bus volunteers. The board members of CJ’s Bus also are required to become CDS certified.
When Martin realized that CJ’s Bus would have to close down due to the lack of volunteers, she called CDS offices in Maryland. Could a team from CDS staff the bus so it could stay open for children whose parents were using harsh chemicals to clean up after the flooding?
"It is not a safe environment for the children," Martin emphasized.
Judy Bezon, associate director for Children’s Disaster Services, agreed. "Since we already had a team in the area working with the Red Cross and additional volunteers ‘on alert’ for the entire midwest, it is no problem to deploy a team," she said.
The team of Children’s Disaster Services volunteers was working at CJ’s Bus within 24 hours of the request. The team will stay for up to two weeks, then be replaced with a fresh team of new volunteers. With a volunteer base of 500 certified volunteers, CDS can assure that child care be provided to children of disaster victims for as long as it is needed.
Children’s Disaster Services is a Church of the Brethren ministry and the oldest and largest nationwide organization specializing in children’s disaster related needs. Since 1980 CDS has maintained a nationwide volunteer base. To be certified with CDS, volunteers require 27 hours of training and a rigorous certification process.
Go to www.childrensdisasterservices.org to learn more about Children’s Disaster Services or for more about becoming trained as a volunteer.
Source: 6/18/2008 Newsline
A certified team of care givers from Children’s Disaster Services (CDS) on June 16 relieved the exhausted volunteers who have staffed CJ’s Bus since the recent storms, tornadoes, and flooding began in Indiana. CJ’s Bus volunteers had been working to care for children of families affected by the disasters since June 6 in Indianapolis, and then in Martinsville after flooding there.
Kathryn Martin, founder of CJ’s Bus, knew of Children’s Disaster Services’ expertise and volunteer base because CDS provides training for CJ’s Bus volunteers. The board members of CJ’s Bus also are required to become CDS certified.
When Martin realized that CJ’s Bus would have to close down due to the lack of volunteers, she called CDS offices in Maryland. Could a team from CDS staff the bus so it could stay open for children whose parents were using harsh chemicals to clean up after the flooding?
"It is not a safe environment for the children," Martin emphasized.
Judy Bezon, associate director for Children’s Disaster Services, agreed. "Since we already had a team in the area working with the Red Cross and additional volunteers ‘on alert’ for the entire midwest, it is no problem to deploy a team," she said.
The team of Children’s Disaster Services volunteers was working at CJ’s Bus within 24 hours of the request. The team will stay for up to two weeks, then be replaced with a fresh team of new volunteers. With a volunteer base of 500 certified volunteers, CDS can assure that child care be provided to children of disaster victims for as long as it is needed.
Children’s Disaster Services is a Church of the Brethren ministry and the oldest and largest nationwide organization specializing in children’s disaster related needs. Since 1980 CDS has maintained a nationwide volunteer base. To be certified with CDS, volunteers require 27 hours of training and a rigorous certification process.
Go to www.childrensdisasterservices.org to learn more about Children’s Disaster Services or for more about becoming trained as a volunteer.
Source: 6/18/2008 Newsline
New Windsor Conference Center experiences new life.
The New Windsor Conference Center is experiencing new life since the decision of the General Board to develop and implement new programming in support of the Brethren Service Center mission. The conference center is located on the campus of the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md.
The New Windsor Conference Center offers a variety of services to groups and individuals, including lodging, dining services, meeting rooms, event planning, and communication services. In recent months, it has been full enough on a regular basis to issue a new requirement that reservations be made at least two weeks in advance. This represents a significant influx of new business and increased advance bookings, with some advance bookings already made through the year 2013.
A recent staff report said that the conference center is "consistently rated ‘Excellent’ by lodgers and visitors. Prayers have been answered as the New Windsor Conference Center is called to offer the gift of hospitality to greatly increased numbers in 2008 and beyond."
"When new groups visit the campus, many will schedule another meeting before departure," said Cori Hahn, conference coordinator. "On the weekend of April 18, we had seven separate groups on campus, with every lodging room booked--and this is not unusual."
The conference center also is negotiating with the Arc of Carroll County, Md., to work together on internships to train developmentally disabled adults in work at the center. The trainees may engage in tasks such as housekeeping and food preparation, in a program that may begin this fall.
The staff report noted that the conference center is readying itself for even more significant growth in the coming year, through improvements in facilities and resources and outreach through partners and others in the region.
To find more information about the New Windsor Conference Center go to www.brethren.org/genbd/nwcc or contact chahn_gb@brethren.org or 410-635-8700.
Source: 6/18/2008 Newsline
The New Windsor Conference Center is experiencing new life since the decision of the General Board to develop and implement new programming in support of the Brethren Service Center mission. The conference center is located on the campus of the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md.
The New Windsor Conference Center offers a variety of services to groups and individuals, including lodging, dining services, meeting rooms, event planning, and communication services. In recent months, it has been full enough on a regular basis to issue a new requirement that reservations be made at least two weeks in advance. This represents a significant influx of new business and increased advance bookings, with some advance bookings already made through the year 2013.
A recent staff report said that the conference center is "consistently rated ‘Excellent’ by lodgers and visitors. Prayers have been answered as the New Windsor Conference Center is called to offer the gift of hospitality to greatly increased numbers in 2008 and beyond."
"When new groups visit the campus, many will schedule another meeting before departure," said Cori Hahn, conference coordinator. "On the weekend of April 18, we had seven separate groups on campus, with every lodging room booked--and this is not unusual."
The conference center also is negotiating with the Arc of Carroll County, Md., to work together on internships to train developmentally disabled adults in work at the center. The trainees may engage in tasks such as housekeeping and food preparation, in a program that may begin this fall.
The staff report noted that the conference center is readying itself for even more significant growth in the coming year, through improvements in facilities and resources and outreach through partners and others in the region.
To find more information about the New Windsor Conference Center go to www.brethren.org/genbd/nwcc or contact chahn_gb@brethren.org or 410-635-8700.
Source: 6/18/2008 Newsline
Brethren bits: Personnel, job opening, Annual Conference, more.
- Mary Miller has begun work as office assistant in the Material Resources program at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md. Material Resources is a ministry of the Church of the Brethren General Board. Miller's most recent position was as a supervisor at Bon Secours Spiritual Center in Marriottsville. She and her family live in Union Bridge, Md.
- Western Pennsylvania District of the Church of the Brethren has announced the calling of Abby R. Mader of Windber, Pa., to the newly created position of district children/youth ministries coordinator. She will guide, counsel, and encourage district and local church workers in matters of children and youth ministry; will work at creating programs for the children and youth of the district; and also will work closely with staff at Camp Harmony in Hooversville, Pa. Mader is a 2005 graduate of Grove City College with a bachelor’s degree in history education. She also is a licensed minister in the district.
- The National Campaign for a Peace Tax Fund (NCPTF) is seeking an executive director. The NCPTF, located in Washington, D.C., lobbies for passage of the Religious Freedom Peace Tax Fund Bill, to establish in law the right of conscientious objection to military taxation. NCPTF is seeking an executive director to begin on Oct. 1, 2008, to lead lobbying, administration, and fundraising activities of the NCPTF, and the Peace Tax Foundation (a 501c3 educational organization). Contact searchcommittee@peacetaxfund.org for detailed requirements and salary information, and to submit a resume. The deadline for applications is Aug. 15. Additional information is at www.peacetaxfund.org or call 888-PEACETAX.
- June 20 is the deadline for making housing reservations for Annual Conference, according to an announcement from the Annual Conference Office. Hotel rooms are still available to anyone who has not yet obtained housing for the 2008 Annual Conference in Richmond, Va., on July 12-16. Housing reservations in the Church of the Brethren hotel block can be made up until June 20. Go to https://hr.idssasp.com/home.aspx?XSHvr1xsjof5M1Ieqj3FQuwFotvLtyWMr2nmo
MLO37P2hfArZ80ia2aU0gIph8ZmTsTz4M53Hv*OBkWcdpywaw to obtain housing reservations online. After June 20, call 804-783-7490 to contact the housing bureau in Richmond for assistance with finding housing. - A video report about a youth workcamp to clean up the historic John Kline home in Broadway, Va., has been posted by WHSV Channel 3 in Harrisonburg, Va. The report interviews Paul Roth, who has been instrumental in the effort to preserve the homestead, and youth who volunteered to clean it up in preparation for those who are expected to visit on their way to and from the 2008 Annual Conference. A total of 27 high school students from across the country came together for the workcamp. Go to http://www.whsv.com/news/headlines/20098664.html and click on the picture box at the right of the story to find the video report.
- The Association of Brethren Caregivers has announced a "Walk for the Well-Being of School Children in Nigeria," to take place at the National Older Adult Conference (NOAC) in September. The non-competitive "Well Walk" will raise money to help supply water for the Comprehensive Secondary School at the headquarters of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN--the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria), with a fundraising goal of $5,000. The $10 per person registration for the walk will go to the water project. NOAC is being held on the theme, "Come to the Water," from Sept. 1-5 in Lake Junaluska, N.C. The Well Walk is planned for Sept. 4. Go to www.brethren-caregivers.org for more information.
- A new deacon resource will be available at the 2008 Annual Conference. For more than 25 years, Fred Swartz, Annual Conference Secretary and retired pastor, has been writing about the caring work of deacons. Recently he put together some of his best writing on deacons and added discussion questions. This new free resource titled "Essential Servants: Reflections on the Caring Ministries of Deacons," will be available online at www.brethren-caregivers.org after July 1, and at Annual Conference in Richmond, Va., this summer. The Association of Brethren Caregivers will have 100 copies available at the Conference. There also will be a display at the ABC exhibit explaining how to download the resource to make your own free copy.
- "Treasure in Earthen Vessels: A Women's Celebration of Body, Mind, and Spirit" is being offered by the Association of Brethren Caregivers as a retreat for women who are seeking to develop balance, a sense of wellbeing, and fullness of spirit. The weekend will be led by Deanna Brown and Anita Smith Buckwalter, and will be held at the Leaven Retreat Center in Lyons, Mich. The event begins at 7 p.m. on Sept. 26 and continues through 11 a.m. Sept. 28. The registration deadline is July 25, but space is limited, so early registration is encouraged. Contact Mary Lou Garrison at the ABC office at mgarrison_abc@brethren.org or 800-323-8039.
- On Earth Peace has announced the date for the next observation of the International Day of Prayer for Peace, scheduled for Sept. 21, 2008. Last year, more than 100 groups and congregations associated with the Church of the Brethren planned events as part of the International Day of Prayer for Peace. "How about 300 in 2008?" asked an invitation from On Earth Peace. For more information visit www.onearthpeace.org/prayforpeace or contact IDOPP.2008@gmail.com or 410-635-8704.
- Northern Indiana District is seeking volunteers to help replace a ceiling that is collapsing in the fellowship hall at La Porte (Ind.) Church of the Brethren. The work will include removing old ceiling panels and replacing them with a new dropped ceiling, according to board chair Ruth Blake. She expressed appreciation for the help of district disaster coordinator John Sternberg in coordinating the effort. "It's a big issue for us because we don’t have much funds," she said.
- Virlina District has begun a new evangelistic and service-oriented outreach project called "Mision Agua Vida--Water of Life Mission," according to a recent district newsletter. The project is for congregations, Vacation Bible Schools, Sunday school classes, youth and young adult groups, and men’s or women’s fellowship groups searching for a project to sponsor. Two fellowships in the district have developed the concept of passing out bottled water to soccer players, primarily Hispanic in origin, as an act of hospitality and an evangelistic means of establishing relationship. Sponsoring groups provide funds to purchase the water. The District Resource Center houses and sees to the distribution of funds or bulk water. The two fellowships are Siguiendo Los Pasos de Jesus in Roanoke, Va., and Living Faith in Concord, N.C.
- Twenty-four members of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN--the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) who are attending Annual Conference in Richmond, Va., also will be visiting in Virlina District on July 16-19. The group is made up of Christian business people who are part of BEST (Brethren Evangelism Support Trust). The district is searching for hosts willing to offer a place to stay for members of the group, contact Carol Mason at 800-244-5896.
- The Church of the Brethren's Oregon and Washington District is a contracting denominational partner of the Institute for Ecumenical Theological Studies (IETS) at the School of Theology and Ministry of Seattle University. According to a report from John Braun, a district appointee to the IETS Board, the School of Theology and Ministry has drawn international respect for its success in building ecumenical participation with sensitivity to each denomination’s unique gifts and requirements. His report appeared in the Oregon and Washington District newsletter in May. "The school is so young that it must clearly be seen as still evolving," Braun wrote. "But the quality of graduate education, the hundreds of students enrolled, and the growing community of alumni serving in area churches make me proud and excited to be a small part of this venture." The school is working toward an even deeper commitment to its interfaith vision, he said, including unifying its two advisory boards--the school also has an Institute for Catholic Theological Studies--and continuing an emphasis on disciplined interreligious conversation. In addition, the school is building new dual degree programs between theology and other professional disciplines. Braun reported, "Our first such venture with a dual degree will occur with the law school and a new program on conflict mediation and peacemaking."
- The Northwest Brethren Arts Gathering will be held Aug. 15-17 at Camp Koinonia in Cle Elum, Wash. The weekend will feature arts, music, and Brethren fellowship. More information in available from Oregon-Washington District, call 509-662-3211.
- Four employees have successfully completed the Certified Nursing Assistant class started recently at Fahrney-Keedy Home and Village, a Church of the Brethren continuing care retirement community in Boonsboro, Md. Those completing the class are Tiffany Waters of Waynesboro, Pa.; Misty Shifflett of Williamsport, Md.; Trina Hammond of Martinsburg, W.Va.; and Samantha Shry of Boonsboro. Stephanie Alexander, assistant administrator at Fahrney-Keedy, created the course curriculum, which includes 164 hours of instruction over 12 weeks. Each day’s session lasts for up to six hours. While taking the course, each student spends a day working in each of several departments: laundry, maintenance, housekeeping, and dietary. Passing a final exam means the student is a Certified Nursing Assistant. Then, successful completion of an optional state exam is necessary for a person to become a Geriatric Nursing Assistant. All four recent graduates plan to take the GNA exam. Alexander thanked the Fahrney-Keedy Auxiliary for helping with funding and in making the class a reality.
- COBYS Family Services, an agency affiliated with Atlantic Northeast District of the Church of the Brethren, has signed up to be a beneficiary of GoodSearch.com. For every Internet search done by COBYS supporters using GoodSearch, COBYS earns about a penny. The agency also earns money for online purchases made through the site. Go to www.goodsearch.com for instructions to designate COBYS as a recipient. For more information contact Don Fitzkee, development and interpretation coordinator for COBYS, at don@cobys.org or 717-656-6580.
- Two more graduates of Manchester College in North Manchester, Ind., have received Fulbright scholarships. This brings the total from the college to 25--the most per capita of any university or college in Indiana, according to the release from the college. Andrew F. Haff, a history major is from Westminster, Md., and is a member of Westminster Church of the Brethren; and Timothy R. Polakowski is a social work and Spanish major from Rockton, Ill. Polakowski will teach English in South Korea; Haff will teach English in Vietnam. Go to www.manchester.edu for more.
- Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pa., presented five alumni-related awards on June 7 during Alumni Weekend 2008. Stamford, Conn., resident Carol McFate, chief investment officer for Xerox Corp., was awarded the Alumni Achievement Award. West Grove, Pa., resident Charlie Goodale, a retired sales manager with DuPont Corp., received the Harold B. Brumbaugh Alumni Service Award. Reading, Pa., resident Nicholas Bower, president of Physicians for Humanity and currently a family practice resident at St. Joseph Medical Center, received the Young Alumni Achievement Award. David Orth-Moore, a country representative for Catholic Relief Services in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, was awarded the William E. Swigart Jr. Alumni Humanitarian Award. Hummelstown, Pa., resident Thomas Terndrup, professor and chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, received the Health Professions Alumni Achievement Award.
- The "Brethren Voices" program for July interviews Annual Conference moderator James Beckwith, pastor of Annville (Pa.) Church of the Brethren. Brethren Voices is a community-access cable television project for Church of the Brethren congregations and groups, sponsored by Portland (Ore.) Peace Church of the Brethren. Beckwith will preside over the Conference during the historic 300th Anniversary of the Church of the Brethren. Brent Carlson of Peace Church of the Brethren hosts the program. The August edition of "Brethren Voices" celebrates three years of community television programing with a trip to the Amazonian Rain Forest of Ecuador with the New Community Project, a Brethren-related nonprofit. New Community Project has just announced the purchase of a 137-acre parcel of Ecuadorian rain forest adjacent to the Cuyabeno Ecological Reserve. Copies of these programs are available from Peace Church of the Brethren for a donation of $8. For more information contact producer Ed Groff at Groffprod1@msn.com or 360-256-8550.
- Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) has announced the release of the new book "118 Days: Christian Peacemaker Teams Held Hostage in Iraq." The book tells the story of the hostage crisis endured by the organization and its team members in Iraq, beginning in Nov. 2005. Editor Tricia Gates Brown has compiled chapters written by members of CPT and CPT sympathizers actively involved with securing the release of Harmeet Singh Sooden, Jim Loney, Tom Fox, and Norman Kember, as well as by family, friends, and others affected by the crisis. The book contains first-hand accounts of what led the four men to Baghdad, where their paths crossed with armed militants who did not understand their mission; provides insight into the daily lives of CPT delegations and teams; and describes the daily sacrifices of the four hostages. In particular, readers will learn about the life of Tom Fox, the hostage who was killed. Go to www.cpt.org/118days for more. An initiative of the historic peace churches--the Church of the Brethren, Mennonites, and Quakers--Christian Peacemaker Teams seeks to enlist the whole church in organized, nonviolent alternatives to war and places teams of trained peacemakers in regions of lethal conflict.
- A new documentary is being recommended to congregations interested in starting a conversation about history and race. The recommendation is passed along by Valentina Satvedi, an ordained Church of the Brethren minister serving with Mennonite Central Committee’s anti-racism program. "Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North" will air on PBS in the P.O.V. series on June 24. Filmmaker Katrina Browne tells the story of a troubling discovery--that her New England ancestors were the largest slave-trading family in US history. She retraces the "Triangle Trade," from the family’s old hometown in Rhode Island to slave forts in Ghana and sugar plantation ruins in Cuba. "Traces of the Trade" is being released in 2008 on the occasion of the Bicentennial of the US Abolition of the Slave Trade, which took place Jan. 1, 1808. To find out more, visit www.tracesofthetrade.org and check local PBS station listings for exact dates and times of broadcast.
- Janice Holsinger, founder and owner of U-Gro Learning Centres and a member of Palmyra (Pa.) Church of the Brethren, in May was honored as one of Pennsylvania’s Best 50 Women in Business for 2008. A report in the "Lebanon Daily News" quoted Holsinger as saying, "The areas I stress as owner and founder are treating each child as a special person and developing a strong self-image and self-confidence in each child." Holsinger also is a musician, a graduate of Elizabethtown (Pa.) College, and a member of the board of directors of the college.
Nigeria workcamp is announced for 2009.
A special call has been issued for skilled carpenters and plumbers for the 2009 annual Nigeria workcamp, jointly sponsored by the Global Mission Partnerships of the Church of the Brethren General Board, Ekklesiyar Yan'uwa a Nigeria (EYN--the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria), and Mission 21 (formerly Basel Mission).
Those willing to do general manual labor are also welcome for event scheduled for Feb. 8-March 8, 2009. Workcamp leader will be Dave Whitten, Nigeria mission coordinator for the Church of the Brethren.
At EYN Headquarters, the group will help construct a teacher’s house for the Comprehensive Secondary School and complete the HIV/AIDS office building started in 2008. On the work project, American and European participants will work together with Nigerian Christians. Workcampers also will have opportunities to worship in EYN churches and be hosted in the homes of church members.
Former workcamper Kathleen D. Brinkmeier, pastor of First Church of the Brethren in Rockford, Ill., encourages participation from personal experience: "Before going on my first journey I had believed that workcamp missions were for the young and energetic believers, but I found that age and energy are not directly related. Our workcamp was diversified in age and in country of origin, and every participant was encouraged to use their individual gifts--and we did that and worked as a huge team. I urge anyone that has ever felt God tug at the strings of your heart and whisper, ‘Go into all the world, making disciples,’ to take this opportunity and walk in faith."
Approximate cost of $2,200 includes round-trip travel from the closest airport in the continental US, and living expenses while in Nigeria. Participants must be of age 18 or older. Those age 14-17 may participate if accompanied by a parent or legal guardian who is participating in the workcamp.
For information and an application go to www.brethren.org/genbd/global_mission/workcamp/index.html or contact Justin Barrett at the Global Mission Partnerships Office, jbarrett_gb@brethren.org 800-323-8039 ext. 230. The deadline for applications is Oct. 10.
--Janis Pyle is coordinator of mission connections for the Church of the Brethren’s Global Mission Partnerships.
Source: 6/18/2008 Newsline
A special call has been issued for skilled carpenters and plumbers for the 2009 annual Nigeria workcamp, jointly sponsored by the Global Mission Partnerships of the Church of the Brethren General Board, Ekklesiyar Yan'uwa a Nigeria (EYN--the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria), and Mission 21 (formerly Basel Mission).
Those willing to do general manual labor are also welcome for event scheduled for Feb. 8-March 8, 2009. Workcamp leader will be Dave Whitten, Nigeria mission coordinator for the Church of the Brethren.
At EYN Headquarters, the group will help construct a teacher’s house for the Comprehensive Secondary School and complete the HIV/AIDS office building started in 2008. On the work project, American and European participants will work together with Nigerian Christians. Workcampers also will have opportunities to worship in EYN churches and be hosted in the homes of church members.
Former workcamper Kathleen D. Brinkmeier, pastor of First Church of the Brethren in Rockford, Ill., encourages participation from personal experience: "Before going on my first journey I had believed that workcamp missions were for the young and energetic believers, but I found that age and energy are not directly related. Our workcamp was diversified in age and in country of origin, and every participant was encouraged to use their individual gifts--and we did that and worked as a huge team. I urge anyone that has ever felt God tug at the strings of your heart and whisper, ‘Go into all the world, making disciples,’ to take this opportunity and walk in faith."
Approximate cost of $2,200 includes round-trip travel from the closest airport in the continental US, and living expenses while in Nigeria. Participants must be of age 18 or older. Those age 14-17 may participate if accompanied by a parent or legal guardian who is participating in the workcamp.
For information and an application go to www.brethren.org/genbd/global_mission/workcamp/index.html or contact Justin Barrett at the Global Mission Partnerships Office, jbarrett_gb@brethren.org 800-323-8039 ext. 230. The deadline for applications is Oct. 10.
--Janis Pyle is coordinator of mission connections for the Church of the Brethren’s Global Mission Partnerships.
Source: 6/18/2008 Newsline
Brethren denominations have a history of cooperation.
The cooperative planning for Annual Conference this year between the Church of the Brethren and the Brethren Church represents the largest such effort since the major division of the Brethren movement in the 1880s.
By the 1880s, three groups had emerged among the Brethren. There were the old orders, who took the name Old German Baptist Brethren. There were the progressives, adopting the name Brethren Church. And there were the conservatives, who are now known as the Church of the Brethren. The conservatives had characteristics of both groups, still plain on the one hand and at the same time adopting progressive methods--just at a slower pace than advocated by the progressives.
Time has changed all of us in some ways, but even as we maintain our separate identities, Brethren at times enjoy fellowship and work together on common projects intended as cooperative efforts rather than steps toward unification.
This year’s Annual Conference has by no means been the only gesture of cooperation. Ministers and members have moved between the Brethren Church and the Church of the Brethren from time to time. There have been numerous times over the years when officers or other representatives from both bodies have brought greetings at each other’s conferences. Queries have been presented at both denominations’ conferences for formally reuniting (in 1925, 1934, 1947, and once in the 1990s to name some of these efforts), but an informal fellowship and occasional mutual project has been the path that we have taken.
Beginning in 1944, a number of Brethren Church missionaries worked in Nigeria in conjunction with the Church of the Brethren mission program. The Brethren Church and Church of the Brethren continued to work together in the Nigerian mission through the 1950s and 1960s. In the 1940s, the two denominations worked together in peace witness and war-time agencies, along with mission and relief programs.
On June 12-13, 1973, a meeting was held at "Tunker House " in Virginia. M.R. Zigler succeeded in gathering 125 members representing the five major Brethren bodies for a gathering to "shake hands." Lectures on Peter Nead and John Kline were presented, and those present also participated in worship. As a follow-up, Joseph R. Shultz of Ashland, Ohio, hosted a study conference in April 1974.
Another study conference among Brethren groups took place at Bethany Seminary in Oak Brook, Ill., in 1976. This was the beginning of many more conferences of Brethren groups, of which this summer’s gathering at Schwarzenau is a continuation. At the Oak Brook meeting, M.R. Zigler made a suggestion that sparked discussion about the development of the Brethren Encyclopedia. Donald F. Durnbaugh then developed a formal proposal for this reference work and presented it to the group before they left Oak Brook. As a result, the Brethren Encyclopedia Board was formed. The encyclopedia board has produced numerous publications and continues to function as an informal cooperative fellowship among Brethren today.
The two denominations had a joint ministry in the form of the Columbus Cooperative Brethren congregation starting on July 1, 1930. This continued until 1980 when the congregation dropped its affiliation with the Church of the Brethren. In southern Ohio, a Brethren Heritage Center has existed since 2001 that involves most of the Brethren groups in the area. It has a board of directors including Brethren from several groups.
In Dec. 2000, Brethren Church executive director Buzz Sandberg extended words of friendship to the Church of the Brethren through the "Agenda" newsletter. In this article, Sandberg expressed regret for the break in the Brethren family and his desire for healing. The Church of the Brethren responded to the gesture with a statement of friendship at Annual Conference the following year.
At about the same time, the Church of the Brethren's 300th Anniversary Committee extended an invitation to the Brethren Church to have conferences at the same time and place in 2008, in order to commemorate the 300th Anniversary and fellowship together. The result is our upcoming gathering in Richmond, Va., which will be attended by some members of other Brethren denominations as well.
--Dean Garrett is a member of the 300th Anniversary Committee. This article was first published in the committee’s newsletter, which he edits. References include Brethren Encyclopedia articles by Dale R. Stoffer, Donald F. Durnbaugh, and other authors, and Annual Conference Minutes.
Source: 6/18/2008 Newsline
The cooperative planning for Annual Conference this year between the Church of the Brethren and the Brethren Church represents the largest such effort since the major division of the Brethren movement in the 1880s.
By the 1880s, three groups had emerged among the Brethren. There were the old orders, who took the name Old German Baptist Brethren. There were the progressives, adopting the name Brethren Church. And there were the conservatives, who are now known as the Church of the Brethren. The conservatives had characteristics of both groups, still plain on the one hand and at the same time adopting progressive methods--just at a slower pace than advocated by the progressives.
Time has changed all of us in some ways, but even as we maintain our separate identities, Brethren at times enjoy fellowship and work together on common projects intended as cooperative efforts rather than steps toward unification.
This year’s Annual Conference has by no means been the only gesture of cooperation. Ministers and members have moved between the Brethren Church and the Church of the Brethren from time to time. There have been numerous times over the years when officers or other representatives from both bodies have brought greetings at each other’s conferences. Queries have been presented at both denominations’ conferences for formally reuniting (in 1925, 1934, 1947, and once in the 1990s to name some of these efforts), but an informal fellowship and occasional mutual project has been the path that we have taken.
Beginning in 1944, a number of Brethren Church missionaries worked in Nigeria in conjunction with the Church of the Brethren mission program. The Brethren Church and Church of the Brethren continued to work together in the Nigerian mission through the 1950s and 1960s. In the 1940s, the two denominations worked together in peace witness and war-time agencies, along with mission and relief programs.
On June 12-13, 1973, a meeting was held at "Tunker House " in Virginia. M.R. Zigler succeeded in gathering 125 members representing the five major Brethren bodies for a gathering to "shake hands." Lectures on Peter Nead and John Kline were presented, and those present also participated in worship. As a follow-up, Joseph R. Shultz of Ashland, Ohio, hosted a study conference in April 1974.
Another study conference among Brethren groups took place at Bethany Seminary in Oak Brook, Ill., in 1976. This was the beginning of many more conferences of Brethren groups, of which this summer’s gathering at Schwarzenau is a continuation. At the Oak Brook meeting, M.R. Zigler made a suggestion that sparked discussion about the development of the Brethren Encyclopedia. Donald F. Durnbaugh then developed a formal proposal for this reference work and presented it to the group before they left Oak Brook. As a result, the Brethren Encyclopedia Board was formed. The encyclopedia board has produced numerous publications and continues to function as an informal cooperative fellowship among Brethren today.
The two denominations had a joint ministry in the form of the Columbus Cooperative Brethren congregation starting on July 1, 1930. This continued until 1980 when the congregation dropped its affiliation with the Church of the Brethren. In southern Ohio, a Brethren Heritage Center has existed since 2001 that involves most of the Brethren groups in the area. It has a board of directors including Brethren from several groups.
In Dec. 2000, Brethren Church executive director Buzz Sandberg extended words of friendship to the Church of the Brethren through the "Agenda" newsletter. In this article, Sandberg expressed regret for the break in the Brethren family and his desire for healing. The Church of the Brethren responded to the gesture with a statement of friendship at Annual Conference the following year.
At about the same time, the Church of the Brethren's 300th Anniversary Committee extended an invitation to the Brethren Church to have conferences at the same time and place in 2008, in order to commemorate the 300th Anniversary and fellowship together. The result is our upcoming gathering in Richmond, Va., which will be attended by some members of other Brethren denominations as well.
--Dean Garrett is a member of the 300th Anniversary Committee. This article was first published in the committee’s newsletter, which he edits. References include Brethren Encyclopedia articles by Dale R. Stoffer, Donald F. Durnbaugh, and other authors, and Annual Conference Minutes.
Source: 6/18/2008 Newsline
Brethren Pension Plan members invited to group photo in Schwarzenau.
Members of the Brethren Pension Plan, a ministry of Brethren Benefit Trust (BBT), who will be in Schwarzenau, Germany, for 300th Anniversary events at the beginning of August are invited to be part of a historic photo opportunity.
A group photo of all Brethren Pension Plan members and spouses who are in Schwarzenau for the celebration will be taken by BBT communications staff Nevin Dulabaum. The photo session will take place at 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3, at the supper area on the grounds of the manor house in Schwarzenau, on the banks of the Eder River.
The group picture will be kept for BBT records and will be used in future publications. Dulabaum also is offering to take individual or couple shots of plan members and spouses. Copies of photos will be available to participants via e-mail following the celebration. For more information, contact Nevin Dulabaum at ndulabaum_bbt@brethren.org or 847-622-3388.
Source: 6/18/2008 Newsline
Members of the Brethren Pension Plan, a ministry of Brethren Benefit Trust (BBT), who will be in Schwarzenau, Germany, for 300th Anniversary events at the beginning of August are invited to be part of a historic photo opportunity.
A group photo of all Brethren Pension Plan members and spouses who are in Schwarzenau for the celebration will be taken by BBT communications staff Nevin Dulabaum. The photo session will take place at 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3, at the supper area on the grounds of the manor house in Schwarzenau, on the banks of the Eder River.
The group picture will be kept for BBT records and will be used in future publications. Dulabaum also is offering to take individual or couple shots of plan members and spouses. Copies of photos will be available to participants via e-mail following the celebration. For more information, contact Nevin Dulabaum at ndulabaum_bbt@brethren.org or 847-622-3388.
Source: 6/18/2008 Newsline
300th Anniversary bits: More anniversaries in 2008.
- Hammond Avenue Brethren Church in Waterloo, Iowa, is celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2008. On January 1, 1993, Waterloo City Church of the Brethren and First Brethren Church of Waterloo merged to form a new congregation. Both congregations share historical roots dating to the arrival of the first Brethren in Black Hawk County, Iowa, in 1856. The church continues its dual affiliation with the Church of the Brethren and the Brethren Church (headquartered in Ashland, Ohio), parent denominations of the two former congregations. Hammond Avenue Brethren Church and White Dale Brethren Church in Terra Alta, W.Va,, are the only two congregations dually affiliated with both Brethren groups who will jointly celebrate the 300th anniversary of the Brethren movement in Richmond, Va, this summer, reports pastor Ronald W. Waters.
- Arlington (Va.) Church of the Brethren is celebrating its 55th anniversary and the 300th Anniversary of the denomination. Arlington Church of the Brethren was founded in 1953 on the remnants of a dairy farm, but now serves a wide variety of cultures and geography, supporting people from Peru, Ecuador, and Mali, among other locations, with its facilities are used by both Cambodian and Hispanic congregations, reports the "Sun Gazette" Go to www.sungazette.net/articles/2008/06/07/arlington/news/nws58a.txt for the full article.
- Long Green Valley Church of the Brethren in Glen Arm, Md., is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. The celebration will culminate with a homecoming weekend Oct. 25-26. Frank Ramirez of Everett (Pa.) Church of the Brethren will be the guest speaker.
- West Milton (Ohio) Church of the Brethren is holding its 100 Year Celebration on July 5-6. The variety of activities planned include children’s games, a petting zoo, an ice cream social, and Nashville-based singer/songwriter Shay Watson. Contact the church at 937-698-4395.
- The Brethren Home Community in New Oxford, Pa., also celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. It commemorated the occasion with a butterfly release and birthday cake on May 3.
- A photo gallery from the 140th anniversary celebration at Ankeny (Iowa) Church of the Brethren has been posted online by the "Des Moines Register." The event was held June 8, with a Celebration Service followed by a potluck lunch. Among those in attendance was Stan Noffsinger, general secretary of the Church of the Brethren General Board, whose father Ross served as minister of the Ankeny area country church. A photo of a group of past ministers pictures Vernon Merkey, Clifford Ruff, Ethmer Erisman, Mary Jane and Tim Button-Harrison, and Lois Grove. Go to
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=D2&Dato=20080609&Kategori=COMM&Lopenr=806090809&Ref=PH&Params=Itemnr=1&community=Ankeny to view.
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. Dennis W. Garrison, Jeri S. Kornegay, Nancy Miner, David Radcliff, and Asha Solanky 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. Dennis W. Garrison, Jeri S. Kornegay, Nancy Miner, David Radcliff, and Asha Solanky contributed to this report.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Brethren Disaster Ministries responds to storms, flooding in Midwest and Plains.
A rash of severe storms and subsequent flooding has disrupted normal life for thousands of families in parts of the Midwest and Great Plains. For weeks, hardly a day has passed without hearing news of yet another tornado or flood. States on either side of the Mississippi have been hit repeatedly. Already 110 people have been killed by tornadoes, almost twice the 10-year average.
Brethren Disaster Ministries and Children’s Disaster Services staff are monitoring situations in parts of Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Iowa. This includes participating in conference calls with other response organizations to share information and to offer our services.
As is typical during the initial response phase of a major disaster, Children’s Disaster Services staff have been in touch with American Red Cross personnel in the hardest hit areas, offering to set up child care projects in shelters or assistance centers. Teams of trained child care volunteers will watch children at the centers or shelters while parents clean up and gather the resources necessary to take care of their basic needs and start recovering from the disaster.
Currently Children’s Disaster Services has two project managers in the field, a team of four child care volunteers at work in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and 18 more volunteers who are ready to respond.
In Iowa, Children’s Disaster Services is responding in the Cedar Falls and Cedar Rapids areas. Lorna Grow of Dallas Center, Iowa, is coordinating that response. Children’s Disaster Services also has been invited to set up child care in a combined shelter/service center in Cedar Rapids. Grow has reported that the evacuation of Des Moines may mean there is a need for child care volunteers to work in a shelter there as well.
In Indiana, Ken Kline from Lima, Ohio, will serve as project manager and is assessing the child care needs in the five American Red Cross service centers that are currently open.
Brethren Disaster Ministries staff have made contact with the denomination’s district offices to find out whether any Brethren have been affected by the storms and flooding, and to offer support and advice. District disaster coordinators have been continuously gathering data, sharing needs, and making our services known to the disaster-impacted communities.
In Iowa this morning, Northern Plains District’s interim executive minister Tim Button-Harrison took part in a conference call with ecumenical leaders and disaster responders including staff of Brethren Disaster Ministries. He also has been checking in with Church of the Brethren congregations along the flooding Cedar River: First Baptist/Brethren Church in Cedar Rapids, Greene Church of the Brethren which is a yoked parish with a Methodist church, Hammond Avenue Brethren Church in Waterloo, and South Waterloo Church of the Brethren.
Button-Harrison reported that some members of First Baptist/Brethren Church have probably lost homes and businesses, and there are a number of families at South Waterloo Church of the Brethren whose homes have been flooded. One of the South Waterloo families has been unable to get to their house because of flooding and is living in a motel, while other families have flooded basements. The South Waterloo Church is giving funds to church families who do not have a place to stay, to help them through this difficult time, he said.
All of the Church of the Brethren buildings are okay, Button-Harrison said. The South Waterloo Church has some flooding in its basement, he added, and the Methodist church affiliated with Greene Church of the Brethren also has a flooded basement. A flooded basement "is a pretty common thing right now!" he said. "The question is how much. If you’ve got four-to-five feet (of water) you may have lost everything."
Button-Harrison also called attention to the similarities with floods in 1993. "In 1993 they talked about it being a once in a 500 year flood," he said. "It’s like we’re getting a 500-year flood every 15 years."
Meanwhile, two grants from the Emergency Disaster Fund totaling $11,000 have been issued in response to an appeal from Church World Service (CWS). These grants are supporting the work of CWS to supply material aid, deploy staff for trainings, and financially support Long-Term Recovery Groups working in the affected areas.
An appeal for Emergency Clean-Up Buckets for distribution in the Indiana flood area has been issued by CWS. Donors should not ship the buckets to the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md., for this response. Instead, CWS has established a local collection point in Indiana: Penn Products Warehouse, 6075 Lakeside Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46278; 317-388-8580 ext. 298. Drop-off is between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. For more information contact the office of CWS at Elkhart, Ind., at 574-264-3102. Go to www.churchworldservice.org/kits/cleanup-kits.html for information about what to include in the kits.
--Jane Yount, who serves as coordinator for Brethren Disaster Ministries; Judy Bezon, director of Children’s Disaster Services; and Zachary Wolgemuth, associate director of Brethren Disaster Ministries, contributed to this report.
Source: 6/13/2008 Newsline Extra
A rash of severe storms and subsequent flooding has disrupted normal life for thousands of families in parts of the Midwest and Great Plains. For weeks, hardly a day has passed without hearing news of yet another tornado or flood. States on either side of the Mississippi have been hit repeatedly. Already 110 people have been killed by tornadoes, almost twice the 10-year average.
Brethren Disaster Ministries and Children’s Disaster Services staff are monitoring situations in parts of Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Iowa. This includes participating in conference calls with other response organizations to share information and to offer our services.
As is typical during the initial response phase of a major disaster, Children’s Disaster Services staff have been in touch with American Red Cross personnel in the hardest hit areas, offering to set up child care projects in shelters or assistance centers. Teams of trained child care volunteers will watch children at the centers or shelters while parents clean up and gather the resources necessary to take care of their basic needs and start recovering from the disaster.
Currently Children’s Disaster Services has two project managers in the field, a team of four child care volunteers at work in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and 18 more volunteers who are ready to respond.
In Iowa, Children’s Disaster Services is responding in the Cedar Falls and Cedar Rapids areas. Lorna Grow of Dallas Center, Iowa, is coordinating that response. Children’s Disaster Services also has been invited to set up child care in a combined shelter/service center in Cedar Rapids. Grow has reported that the evacuation of Des Moines may mean there is a need for child care volunteers to work in a shelter there as well.
In Indiana, Ken Kline from Lima, Ohio, will serve as project manager and is assessing the child care needs in the five American Red Cross service centers that are currently open.
Brethren Disaster Ministries staff have made contact with the denomination’s district offices to find out whether any Brethren have been affected by the storms and flooding, and to offer support and advice. District disaster coordinators have been continuously gathering data, sharing needs, and making our services known to the disaster-impacted communities.
In Iowa this morning, Northern Plains District’s interim executive minister Tim Button-Harrison took part in a conference call with ecumenical leaders and disaster responders including staff of Brethren Disaster Ministries. He also has been checking in with Church of the Brethren congregations along the flooding Cedar River: First Baptist/Brethren Church in Cedar Rapids, Greene Church of the Brethren which is a yoked parish with a Methodist church, Hammond Avenue Brethren Church in Waterloo, and South Waterloo Church of the Brethren.
Button-Harrison reported that some members of First Baptist/Brethren Church have probably lost homes and businesses, and there are a number of families at South Waterloo Church of the Brethren whose homes have been flooded. One of the South Waterloo families has been unable to get to their house because of flooding and is living in a motel, while other families have flooded basements. The South Waterloo Church is giving funds to church families who do not have a place to stay, to help them through this difficult time, he said.
All of the Church of the Brethren buildings are okay, Button-Harrison said. The South Waterloo Church has some flooding in its basement, he added, and the Methodist church affiliated with Greene Church of the Brethren also has a flooded basement. A flooded basement "is a pretty common thing right now!" he said. "The question is how much. If you’ve got four-to-five feet (of water) you may have lost everything."
Button-Harrison also called attention to the similarities with floods in 1993. "In 1993 they talked about it being a once in a 500 year flood," he said. "It’s like we’re getting a 500-year flood every 15 years."
Meanwhile, two grants from the Emergency Disaster Fund totaling $11,000 have been issued in response to an appeal from Church World Service (CWS). These grants are supporting the work of CWS to supply material aid, deploy staff for trainings, and financially support Long-Term Recovery Groups working in the affected areas.
An appeal for Emergency Clean-Up Buckets for distribution in the Indiana flood area has been issued by CWS. Donors should not ship the buckets to the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md., for this response. Instead, CWS has established a local collection point in Indiana: Penn Products Warehouse, 6075 Lakeside Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46278; 317-388-8580 ext. 298. Drop-off is between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. For more information contact the office of CWS at Elkhart, Ind., at 574-264-3102. Go to www.churchworldservice.org/kits/cleanup-kits.html for information about what to include in the kits.
--Jane Yount, who serves as coordinator for Brethren Disaster Ministries; Judy Bezon, director of Children’s Disaster Services; and Zachary Wolgemuth, associate director of Brethren Disaster Ministries, contributed to this report.
Source: 6/13/2008 Newsline Extra
Disaster grant goes to Myanmar cyclone response.
A grant from the Church of the Brethren’s Emergency Disaster Fund will send $30,000 to support Church World Service (CWS) relief work in Myanmar, following the destruction caused by Cyclone Nargis.
The grant is an an additional allocation for CWS-sponsored work in Myanmar. Brethren Disaster Ministries staff report that although much response to the cyclone continues to be delayed, the longstanding work of CWS in Asia and its partnership with several local organizations has allowed for a more immediate response that few other organizations have achieved.
The funds from the Church of the Brethren will help provide food rations, safe water supplies, and temporary shelters. A more detailed and comprehensive longterm response is expected in the future.
In a June 6 report from CWS, the organization emphasized that volunteers from local faith partners in Myanmar are visiting villages affected by the cyclone, distributing much-needed relief items to survivors. They are providing clean water through purification tablets and well cleaning, food, shelter, health care including medical teams of doctors and nurses, clothing, blankets, and psychosocial support.
"In all the places where the churches are providing assistance, the food is fresh--they are cooking and providing fresh food every day," explained a pastor in Myanmar, quoted in a CWS release. The pastor coordinates the relief effort among churches throughout the cyclone-affected areas. Speaking from 28 years of affiliation with CWS, the pastor says, "Churches (in Myanmar) provide support in a non-discriminatory way--this is the witness of the church."
Churches are doing this in various ways, one being transforming church buildings into temporary family shelters--21 in total, CWS reports. Church communities are also addressing the emotional pain caused by the cyclone by organizing teams of 20-30 students to provide psychosocial support for people living in displacement camps. "The first response of the people is just to survive," the pastor noted. "They are fearful."
The volunteers connected with CWS are reporting that all the school buildings in the area are destroyed, making it nearly impossible for children to return to school as planned this month. "While relief work is still going on, we have to already think of rehabilitation," one worker said, adding that there were around 50 days left before the monsoon planting season ends. Rice has to be planted before then, otherwise there will be a serious food shortage within six months.
Go to www.churchworldservice.org/news/myanmar/index.html for more information about the Church World Service response in Myanmar.
CWS also is encouraging people of faith to help get the word out to the media that its relief assistance is reaching people in Myanmar, through local partners. Church World Service has been working through partnerships in Myanmar since 1959. CWS has provided the following the sample letter to the editor:
Source: 6/13/2008 Newsline Extra
A grant from the Church of the Brethren’s Emergency Disaster Fund will send $30,000 to support Church World Service (CWS) relief work in Myanmar, following the destruction caused by Cyclone Nargis.
The grant is an an additional allocation for CWS-sponsored work in Myanmar. Brethren Disaster Ministries staff report that although much response to the cyclone continues to be delayed, the longstanding work of CWS in Asia and its partnership with several local organizations has allowed for a more immediate response that few other organizations have achieved.
The funds from the Church of the Brethren will help provide food rations, safe water supplies, and temporary shelters. A more detailed and comprehensive longterm response is expected in the future.
In a June 6 report from CWS, the organization emphasized that volunteers from local faith partners in Myanmar are visiting villages affected by the cyclone, distributing much-needed relief items to survivors. They are providing clean water through purification tablets and well cleaning, food, shelter, health care including medical teams of doctors and nurses, clothing, blankets, and psychosocial support.
"In all the places where the churches are providing assistance, the food is fresh--they are cooking and providing fresh food every day," explained a pastor in Myanmar, quoted in a CWS release. The pastor coordinates the relief effort among churches throughout the cyclone-affected areas. Speaking from 28 years of affiliation with CWS, the pastor says, "Churches (in Myanmar) provide support in a non-discriminatory way--this is the witness of the church."
Churches are doing this in various ways, one being transforming church buildings into temporary family shelters--21 in total, CWS reports. Church communities are also addressing the emotional pain caused by the cyclone by organizing teams of 20-30 students to provide psychosocial support for people living in displacement camps. "The first response of the people is just to survive," the pastor noted. "They are fearful."
The volunteers connected with CWS are reporting that all the school buildings in the area are destroyed, making it nearly impossible for children to return to school as planned this month. "While relief work is still going on, we have to already think of rehabilitation," one worker said, adding that there were around 50 days left before the monsoon planting season ends. Rice has to be planted before then, otherwise there will be a serious food shortage within six months.
Go to www.churchworldservice.org/news/myanmar/index.html for more information about the Church World Service response in Myanmar.
CWS also is encouraging people of faith to help get the word out to the media that its relief assistance is reaching people in Myanmar, through local partners. Church World Service has been working through partnerships in Myanmar since 1959. CWS has provided the following the sample letter to the editor:
(DATE)--Jane Yount serves as coordinator of Brethren Disaster Ministries.
(YOUR ADDRESS)
Dear editor,
As the death tolls continue to climb from the cyclone that hit Myanmar (Burma) on May 3 aid agencies need additional support for emergency and recovery assistance to survivors. Working in Myanmar (Burma) has been difficult for many aid agencies but those tied to churches have an edge. Through Church World Service my church, the Church of the Brethren, has been able to get assistance to people on the ground in Myanmar (Burma) despite heavy restrictions on international agencies. That’s because most faith-based aid agencies operate by supporting local partners, citizens of the nation in need. The local partners supported by the Church of the Brethren and CWS pre-positioned supplies in advance of Cyclone Nargis and were able to deliver shelter, food, and water soon after the storm. A widespread, international effort will be needed if the people of Myanmar (Burma) are to recover from this disaster. While it is taking time for all agencies to respond, groups based in Myanmar (Burma) are trying to attend to massive needs. It’s important that we, as a community, continue to support relief work in Myanmar (Burma) through our local churches.
Sincerely,
(YOUR NAME)
(YOUR AREA OF RESIDENCE)
(PHONE # for news editor's verification only)
Source: 6/13/2008 Newsline Extra
Church of the Brethren congregation takes part in Indiana relief effort.
Christ Our Shepherd Church of the Brethren in Greenwood, Ind., has been keeping attuned to all of the relief efforts in Johnson County and the state of Indiana, following storms and flooding. Because of their efforts with the Johnson County courthouse and military veterans, through the denomination's Welcome Home Project, the congregation was called upon to help with the relief efforts ministering to victims of the flood of June 7 and beyond.
The church has teamed up with Johnson County Emergency Management, United Way, and the American Red Cross to be an information center, and with FEMA as a processing point for people to sign in for damage assessment and for FEMA assistance to help with recovery.
Christ Our Shepherd Church also is going to team up with a designated Johnson County person to provide staffing to run a free department store for furniture, washers and dryers, and other appliances. The church’s food pantry will continue to be open 24/7 as they become aware of emergency needs. The church also may be open to housing and providing kitchen facilities for cooking or special needs of volunteers on the way to help flood victims.
Volunteers in Indiana are being urged to be patient and wait for the flood waters to recede and for safe conditions before responding in affected areas.
--Jane Yount serves as coordinator of Brethren Disaster Ministries.
Source: 6/13/2008 Newsline Extra
Christ Our Shepherd Church of the Brethren in Greenwood, Ind., has been keeping attuned to all of the relief efforts in Johnson County and the state of Indiana, following storms and flooding. Because of their efforts with the Johnson County courthouse and military veterans, through the denomination's Welcome Home Project, the congregation was called upon to help with the relief efforts ministering to victims of the flood of June 7 and beyond.
The church has teamed up with Johnson County Emergency Management, United Way, and the American Red Cross to be an information center, and with FEMA as a processing point for people to sign in for damage assessment and for FEMA assistance to help with recovery.
Christ Our Shepherd Church also is going to team up with a designated Johnson County person to provide staffing to run a free department store for furniture, washers and dryers, and other appliances. The church’s food pantry will continue to be open 24/7 as they become aware of emergency needs. The church also may be open to housing and providing kitchen facilities for cooking or special needs of volunteers on the way to help flood victims.
Volunteers in Indiana are being urged to be patient and wait for the flood waters to recede and for safe conditions before responding in affected areas.
--Jane Yount serves as coordinator of Brethren Disaster Ministries.
Source: 6/13/2008 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. Jon Kobel 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. Jon Kobel contributed to this report.
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