Brethren bits: Personnel, jobs, jr. high Sunday, Chronicles webcast, more.

• Emily Osterhus has begun as advocacy assistant in the Washington (D.C.) office of the Church of the Brethren and the National Council of Churches, after finishing a year of Brethren Volunteer Service with the Capital Area Food Bank. Born and raised in coastal North Carolina, she joined BVS after receiving a degree in Political Science and English from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she was president of the UNC Wesley Campus Ministry.
  
  
• The New Windsor (Md.) Conference Center is thanking volunteer host couples who served this summer: Ed and Betty Runion of Markle, Ind., and Ric and Jan Martinez of Live Oak, Calif.
  
  
• The Church of the Brethren seeks a coordinator for recruitment and service advocate for Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) and Global Mission Partnerships. The position will coordinate and lead recruitment efforts and activities for BVS along with attention to the open mission positions. This includes relating to Brethren congregations, districts, camps, colleges, and Annual Conference. The coordinator will connect with Brethren organizations in many ways, through communication vehicles as well as attendance and leadership at functions such as youth events. Primary recruitment efforts are within the denomination, however this position will also lead BVS efforts to recruit outside the denomination. The service advocate component will provide leadership at national, district, and congregational events focused on the peace and justice goals of BVS with knowledge of the conscientious objection witness of the denomination and BVS relationship to the Selective Service System. Requirements include a bachelor’s degree, with a master’s or equivalent work experience helpful; grounding in Church of the Brethren heritage, theology, and polity; ability to articulate and operate out of the vision of the Mission and Ministry Board of the Church of the Brethren; recruitment experience in a college or equivalent volunteer service setting helpful; interpersonal skills and ability to take initiative without regular supervision; organizational abilities and ability to work on the road and in an office setting; general financial understanding. Previous experience with a volunteer service organization helpful but not required. Location is the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill. Request an application, criminal background check authorization, and position description from Karin Krog, Director of Human Resources, Church of the Brethren, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60123; kkrog@brethren.org; 847-742-5100 ext. 258. The position is open until filled.
  
  
• Pinecrest Community, a Church of the Brethren retirement community in Mt. Morris, Ill., seeks a CEO. Pinecrest, a faith-based CCRC, serves 200 residents in independent living, skilled nursing, intermediate care, and dementia care. The CEO will play a pivotal role in guiding Pinecrest through its current five-year strategic planning and the current capital campaign that benefits the skilled nursing facility. Expectations include expertise in planning, financial and operational management, fundraising, a team style of leadership, willingness to be significantly involved in the local communities, effective communication, and commitment to a faith-based philosophy. Deadline for applications is Dec. 31. The position is to begin July 15, 2011. Resume and indication of interest may be submitted to Search Consultant Ralph McFadden at pinecrestceosearch@sbcglobal.net. Questions may be directed to home/office phone 847-622-1677 or home/office address 352 Shiloh Ct, Elgin, IL 60120.
  
  
• Camp Brethren Heights near Rodney, Mich., is seeking two staff: a part-time camp director with responsibility for administration of the camp, and a part-time camp manager responsible for maintenance of the camp. Responsibilities of the camp director include, but are not limited to, marketing the camp to the Michigan District and outside groups, booking retreat groups, coordinating and supervising camp staff, making sure inspections and regulations for the camp are current, keeping financial records, and updating staff files. The camp director must be at least 21 years of age and have at least a high school diploma (or equivalent). The camp director must have excellent communication and organizational skills, with preference for applicants who have experience or training in marketing. Responsibilities of the camp manager include, but are not limited to, cleaning for groups using the camp, organizing work groups, mowing and trimming brush and trees, general repair jobs, snow plowing. The camp manager must have a high school diploma (or equivalent), should have basic maintenance knowledge, and must be able to work with a team. The camp manager will be expected to maintain the camp at a high level of cleanliness and safety. Individuals do not need to be part of a married couple to apply. The camp board is looking to fill the position in a non-traditional way. Send applications and resumes to Tara Wise, 7270 Brown Rd., Lake Odessa, MI 48849-9432. Applications can be found at www.brethrenheights.org under "forms," select the "staff" application. Questions may be directed to Wise at 269-367-4824 or tara@imaginelv.com. Applications are due by Nov. 1.
  
  
• The Ecumenical Stewardship Center, of which the Church of the Brethren is a member, seeks a CEO/executive director. Successful candidates will demonstrate an entrepreneurial spirit, successful program development experience, strong business acumen, board experience, and a stewardship passion grounded in a strong personal faith. Relocation is not required. Additional information is available at www.mhsonline.org/pdf/Final%20ESC%20Profile%209-21-10x.pdf. Interested candidates should contact Kirk Stiffney, MHS Alliance, 234 S. Main St., Suite A, Goshen, IN 46526; 574-537-8736; kirk@stiffneygroup.com.
  
  
• A call for writers from the Ecumenical One Great Hour of Sharing Committee seeks submissions of liturgy, sermon starters, and activities for all ages. The deadline for submissions is Nov. 15. "Share your unique voice as a writer of resources for the ecumenical community across the US, collecting the 2012 One Great Hour of Sharing Offering," said an invitation. For information and a compensation schedule visit www.onegreathourofsharing.org and click the "Writer Call for Entries" button. Be sure to review the guidelines for submissions. For more information contact writerquestions@eoghs.org.
  
  
• Junior High Sunday on Nov. 7 will focus on the theme, "Piece by Piece: Finding Our Place Within God's Story" (Ephesians 2:19-22). Resources at www.brethren.org/youthministryresources include a bulletin cover, Bible study, lectionary commentary, worship resources such as invocations and litanies, a drama, and a scripture jam. For more contact the Youth and Young Adult Ministry Office at 800-323-8039.
  
  
• "Join three Old Testament scholars as they share information, ideas, and insights on the book of Chronicles," said an invitation to a webcast sponsored by the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership on Oct. 26 at 8 p.m. (eastern). Presenters are Robert W. Neff, professor emeritus at Bethany Theological Seminary, former general secretary of the Church of the Brethren, president emeritus of Juniata College, and current associate for resource development at the Village at Morrison's Cove; Frank Ramirez, writer, president of the Brethren Journal Association, and pastor of Everett (Pa.) Church of the Brethren; and Steven Schweitzer, Bethany’s academic dean and associate professor of Old Testament Studies. The three also will record a series of 15-minute podcasts based on the chapters of "The Chronicler," a Brethren Press Bible study by Neff and Ramirez. Tune in at www.bethanyseminary.edu/webcasts. Those who attend the live broadcast may earn .15 continuing education units.
  
  
• The Church of the Brethren is part of a new ecumenical partnership, "After the Spill: Religious Communities Restoring the Gulf," through its advocacy office in Washington, D.C. Find more information at http://afterthespill.com. The effort will focus on an ongoing response to the oil disaster and dedication to long-term Gulf restoration, as the nation approaches the six-month anniversary of the BP oil spill. The website offers a resource on "Gulf Coast Restoration: Five Ways to Get Involved" and "What’s Next for the Gulf?" highlighting ways to engage.
  
  
• The Seminary Consortium on Urban Pastoral Education (SCUPE) in Chicago is holding a 2011 biennial conference on "Peacemaking in a Culture of Violence." Details of the March 1-4 event are at www.congressonurbanministry.com. Announced speakers include Shane Claiborne, Renita Weems, and Walter Brueggemann. There are opportunities to submit a proposal to provide a workshop for the conference. "This event is a wonderful event for Brethren to learn and to share from our expertise, so consider sending a workshop suggestion and offering your leadership," said an announcement from Jonathan Shively, executive director of Congregational Life Ministries for the Church of the Brethren and a member of the planning committee for the event. Early registration of $220 is offered until Nov. 15, along with special rates for students.
  
  
• The Arc of Carroll County, Md., is being honored as Nonprofit Organization of the Year at the fifth annual Carroll County Philanthropists of the Year Awards, given by the Community Foundation of Carroll County. The organization advocates for and supports people with developmental disabilities and their families, and partners with the Church of the Brethren’s New Windsor Conference Center in a Carroll County Training Academy. The program provides employment training for Arc participants who "shadow" Brethren Service Center workers and receive hands-on experience, conference center head Shelly Wagner told the "Carroll County Times." See www.carrollcountytimes.com/news/local/article_83cffa12-da57-11df-8437-001cc4c002e0.html.
  
  
• Douglas Park Church of the Brethren in Chicago, Ill., celebrated its centennial on Oct. 17.
  
  
• Brooklyn (N.Y.) First Church of the Brethren is "having a birthday" on Sunday, Oct. 24, at noon. The church is rededicating its renovated church building, originally built in 1908. "Many congregations and individuals of the Atlantic Northeast and Southern Pennsylvania Districts made these necessary upgrades possible," said an announcement. "In appreciation to you and to our Lord Jesus Christ who is always faithful, we seek your presence during the rededication." Earl Ziegler, district organizer of the project, will be guest speaker. A luncheon will follow. RSVP with number attending to bklyncobpastor@yahoo.com or 718-439-8122.
  
  
• One of the Foods Resource Bank Growing Projects in which the Church of the Brethren participates--the Polo project in northern Illinois--has reported a bumper crop this year. Sponsored by Polo Church of the Brethren, Highland Avenue Church of the Brethren in Elgin, and Faith United Presbyterian Church in Tinley Park, the project has produced 40 acres of soybeans this year, averaging 65 bushels an acre, sold for $28,000 to benefit hunger relief.
  
  
• "Freedom Lies Just North--The Underground Railroad in Adams County" is a bus tour on Oct. 30, sponsored by York (Pa.) First Church of the Brethren. The intergenerational educational opportunity will help congregation members learn about the Underground Railroad.
  
  
• Western Pennsylvania District Conference is this Saturday, Oct. 23, at Camp Harmony near Hooversville, Pa. Moderator Ruby F. Mader will lead the meeting.
  
  
• Western Plains District is planning its sixth annual "Gathering" for Oct. 22-24 in Salina, Kan., on the theme "Melt Me, Mold Me, Fill Me, Use Me." In-depth Bible study about congregational and individual renewal will be led by Stephen Breck Reid, professor of Christian Scriptures at George Truett Theological Seminary and former academic dean at Bethany Theological Seminary. Mutual Kumquat will perform "Melting and Molding Hymn Classics."
  
  
• The University of La Verne in southern California is hosting Preview Days on Oct. 23 and Nov. 20 in the university’s Campus Center. Participants will have an opportunity to speak with faculty and students and go on campus tours. Contact the Office of Admission, 1950 Third St., La Verne, CA 91750; 800-876-4858; admission@laverne.edu.
  
  
• Bridgewater (Va.) College is hosting a "Fall Bash at BC" on Oct. 24 as a "harvest party/National Youth Conference reunion/youth worship," said an announcement. Participants should check in at the Boitnott Room at 3 p.m. (in the Kline Campus Center). The evening ends with worship led by NYC co-coordinator Audrey Hollenberg and the college’s band, Outspoken. Contact chaplain Robbie Miller at rmiller@bridgewater.edu.
  
  
• The John Kline Homestead preservation project in Broadway, Va., has announced that $374,500 has been raised toward the purchase of the property. "We only need $50,500 to meet our $425,000 goal by the end of December," said a note from Paul Roth, one of the leaders of the project. Fundraising continues with six Candlelight Dinners offered in the John Kline house on Nov. 13, 14, 20, and 21, and Dec. 11 and 12. "Enjoy a traditional 1860s meal in a Valley Brethren home. Hear the family discuss rumors of war and its implications for their family and farm. The $40 per plate will also go to preserve the John Kline Homestead," said an invitation. Reservations may be made with Roth at 540-896-5001 or proth@eagles.bridgewater.edu. Contributions to the preservation effort may be sent to John Kline Homestead, P.O. Box 274, Broadway, VA 22815. Find a photo album of the homestead at www.brethren.org/site/PhotoAlbumUser?AlbumID=5449&view=UserAlbum.
  
  
• A number of Learning Tours are offered by New Community Project in 2011: Burma (Myanmar), Jan. 5-16, cost $1,050 ($950 student); Sudan, Feb. 2-16, cost $1,400; the Ecuadorian Amazon, June 11-21, cost $1,150/$1,075; El Salvador and sites related to Oscar Romero’s martyrdom, July 12-21, cost $675/$600; Denali/Kenai Fjords, Alaska, Aug. 2-11, cost $850/$750; Arctic Village, Alaska, and the Gwich’in community, Aug. 11-19, cost $875 (from Fairbanks). Tours are open to all ages. Cost does not include airfare from the United States. For tour details go to www.newcommunityproject.org or contact 888-800-2985 or ncp@newcommunityproject.org.
  
  
• Church communicators are urging the Federal Communications Commission to protect freedom of the Internet. At meetings in mid-October, the National Council of Churches Communications Commission issued a resolution stating that "faith communities have experienced uneven access to and coverage by mainstream media and wish to keep open the opportunity to create their own material describing their faith traditions.... As faith communicators, we see every day the vital connection between a free and fair communications system and the achievement of important social justice goals." The resolution warned, "If vital net neutrality protections are not assured by the FCC, large for-profit companies providing Internet services may have a commercial incentive to favor their own content over others and as a result could limit the activity and equal access of members of faith communities and other non-commercial organizations online." Full text is at www.ncccusa.org/news/101018netneutrality.html.
  
  
• "The Amish Way: Patient Faith in a Perilous World" (October 2010, Jossey-Bass) is a new book by the authors of "Amish Grace": Donald Kraybill, a Church of the Brethren member and senior fellow at the Young Center at Elizabethtown (Pa.) College; Steve Nolt, professor of history at Goshen College; and David Weaver-Zercher, professor of American religious history at Messiah College. The book offers an "inside look" at how Amish Christian beliefs and practices inform every aspect of Amish daily life, according to a release. Order through Brethren Press for $18.95 plus shipping and handling, call 800-441-3712 or go to www.brethrenpress.com.

Source: 10/21/2010 Newsline

Denominational Board Sets Framework for Stratigic Planning, Adopts 2011 Budget

A framework for strategic planning for the next decade of denominational ministry, and a 2011 budget, have been approved by the Church of the Brethren’s Mission and Ministry Board. The group met Oct. 15-18 at the church’s General Offices in Elgin, Ill. The board used a consensus style of decision making, led by chair Dale E. Minnich.

Worship each day of the board meetings centered on the theme, "Hearers and Doers of the Word." A group of students from Bethany Theological Seminary led the Sunday morning worship service.

Also on the agenda were a proposal for a private conversation for the board to seek a working relationship while dealing with controversial issues such as the current denominational conversation on sexuality. The group acted on a proposal regarding the Committee on Interchurch Relations, named a new chair-elect, and received a number of reports including recent Brethren delegations to China and India, among other business.

Framework for Strategic Planning:

The bulk of the board’s time was spent on a framework for strategic planning for the next decade of denominational ministry. The document that was adopted features a preamble prayer, six broad directional goals, and a plan for next steps such as development of strategic objectives and how the resulting strategic plan will be implemented.

Previously adopted vision, mission, and core values statements ( www.brethren.org/site/DocServer/MMB_Vision_Mission_Core_Values_2009.pdf?docID=5381 ) are considered foundational to the effort.

"As we envision the next decade for the Mission and Ministry Board of the Church of the Brethren, we pray that...Christ will be at the center of all we do," begins the preamble prayer, which continues with words of intent for Brethren ministry focused on discerning "God’s yearnings for our ministries," "gathering around the Word," "God’s vision for reconciliation and healing," embodying "Jesus’ example of servant leadership," and more.

Six directional goals are to give broad guidance for denominational ministries for the next 10 years. They identify five large program areas-- "Brethren Voice," church planting, congregational vitality, international mission, and service--and an organizational goal of sustainability. In addition to a title, each directional goal includes a short description and one or two scripture references. (Find the full text of the preamble prayer and directional goals below.)

"The possibilities before us are indeed exciting," said Minnich as he introduced the framework to the board. The preamble prayer reaffirms the vision, mission, and core values of the organization, he said, and the directional goals provide guidance and priorities for church work.

Using an "appreciative inquiry" process that focuses on identifying strengths of the organization, data for strategic planning has been gleaned from a five-year evaluation of the work of the General Secretary, and a survey of seven leadership groups in the denomination: the Mission and Ministry Board, Standing Committee of district delegates to Annual Conference, district executives, executive staff of the Church of the Brethren, the denominational Leadership Team (Annual Conference officers and General Secretary), Intercultural Ministry Team, and participants in a Young Adult Forum.

Consultant Rick Augsburger of the Konterra Group based in Washington, D.C., is providing assistance for the strategic planning. A Strategic Planning Working Group also has been named from board members and executive staff: board chair Dale Minnich; board members Andy Hamilton, Frances Townsend, and Colleen Michael; treasurer Judy Keyser; and general secretary Stan Noffsinger. This working group also was in conversation with the envisioning committee of Annual Conference as it created the framework for strategic planning.

A final strategic plan and any resulting changes in program or staffing are not expected for at least a year, Noffsinger explained during the meetings.

The "real meat" of the strategic planning process will come in the next round of work, as small groups of board members and staff develop strategic objectives to meet the new goals, Minnich said.

Budget for 2011:

The board approved a 2011 budget of $10,038,040 in expense and $10,143,620 in income for all eight Church of the Brethren ministry areas: Core Ministries, Brethren Press, "Messenger" magazine, Brethren Disaster Ministries, Material Resources, the New Windsor (Md.) Conference Center, the Global Food Crisis Fund, and the Conference Office.

The budget includes a Core Ministries budget of $5,369,770 expense, $5,426,000 income, and a decision to use up to $437,000 from a bequest quasi endowment to cover what would otherwise be an anticipated deficit budget in Core Ministries. The Core Ministries are the non-self-funded program areas of the denomination, ranging from Congregational Life Ministries to Global Mission Partnerships, from the Ministry Office to Brethren Volunteer Service, and more.

As part of its decision, the board said it will review the budget at its next meeting in March to see if there is any additional margin to apply to a cost of living increase for employees, and expressed concern about the financial situation of the New Windsor Conference Center.

According to assistant treasurer LeAnn Wine, who presented the budget to the board, underlying assumptions for 2011 include no cost of living increase in employee wages for the second year in a row, a 20-percent increase in cost of medical insurance premiums over 2010, continuation of the established pattern of a slight annual decline in giving from congregations and individuals, and "challenging scenarios" for some self-funding units including the New Windsor Conference Center and Brethren Press.

This budget also is designed to give the board a year to put in place its strategic plan, before any resulting changes are made to program or staffing.

Finance and stewardship staff also reviewed year-to-date income and expense, and reported on stewardship and fundraising results through the end of September. Staff noted that donations from congregations are strong this year, and most Church of the Brethren ministry areas are "in the black" year-to-date. The exception is the New Windsor Conference Center, which continues to experience financial difficulties following the economic recession and resulting loss of bookings from groups that use the facility for meetings and retreats.

Proposal for a Special Conversation:

The board agreed to schedule a half day of private conversation at its next meeting in March, approving a recommendation from the Executive Committee. The time of private conversation will be held in order "to share their views on issues of intense conflict and discord like the current issue of human sexuality and to listen attentively and respectfully to the thoughts of their colleagues," according to the Proposal for a Special Conversation.

"The primary objective of this session would be to encourage frank and trusting sharing," the proposal said, "to build understanding of and respect for our differing points of view, and to undergird a trusting and loving working relationship among board members centered in our common focus on Christ."

Executive Committee members explained that the recommendation is in part a motion of solidarity with a denomination undergoing the current Special Response process on issues related to sexuality. The rest of the board agreed to it with some reservations, after a conversation that focused on questions such as why the board does not engage in the same Special Response process as the rest of the denomination, and whether the conversation will prove to be helpful or harmful to the board.

In other business:

• Two international delegations reported: a delegation to China in August for the centennial of the Ping Ding mission hospital started by the Brethren, and a delegation representing the denomination at the 40th anniversary of the Church of North India (see story to come with regularly schedules issue of Newsline). The China delegation included Jay Wittmeyer, executive director of Global Mission Partnerships; Mary Jo Flory-Steury, executive director of Ministry, whose grandparents were mission workers in Ping Ding and whose father was born there; and Ruoxia Li, who grew up in a former Brethren mission area in China. Two hospitals were part of the celebration, Flory-Steury told the board: the hospital started by the mission, which now practices traditional Chinese medicine; and a new Friendship Hospital that also offers Western medicine. A banner from the celebration displayed the two Chinese characters used to translate the word Brethren: "friendship and heart." Wittmeyer said the phrase represents "a deep sweetness" in the way the Ping Ding community remembers the Brethren. The community would like more Brethren fellowship, he added. His office has received an invitation for Brethren to engage in a medical collaboration there. He noted that the invitation for a church to work openly in China is rare.
  
  
• A review and evaluation of the Committee on Interchurch Relations (CIR) was set in motion, at the request of CIR and the Executive Committee. CIR is jointly answerable to Annual Conference and the Mission and Ministry Board. CIR chair Paul Roth presented the request "that Standing Committee and the Mission and Ministry Board review the CIR’s mission and discern what is most appropriate for the ecumenical work of the Church of the Brethren in the 21st century." The denomination’s Leadership Team will facilitate the review.
  
  
• The board affirmed a change in designation of the Church Loan Fund to become a board-designated fund.
  
  
• Becky Ball-Miller was chosen as chair-elect beginning at the 2011 Annual Conference. She will assist the next chair, Ben Barlow, for a two-year term as chair-elect, and then will serve as chair for two years. The term of service of current board chair, Dale Minnich, ends in July.
  
  
• Todd Eichelberger of Bedford, Pa., was named to the board to fill the unexpired term of Willie Hisey Pierson, who became ineligible for the position when hired by Brethren Benefit Trust. The appointment will come before Annual Conference delegates for confirmation.
  
  
• Board member Wallace Cole was named as a Church of the Brethren representative to the On Earth Peace delegation to Israel and Palestine in January.

(Find a photo album from the Mission and Ministry Board meeting at www.brethren.org/site/PhotoAlbumUser?view=UserAlbum&AlbumID=12551.)

Framework for Strategic Planning: Preamble Prayer and Directional Goals

The Mission and Ministry Board of the Church of the Brethren has adopted a framework to guide strategic planning for the next decade of denominational ministry. The framework includes a preamble prayer and directional goals (see below). Also included in the full document are an outline of next steps in the process, which includes the setting of strategic objectives and how to implement a resulting strategic plan.

Preamble Prayer

As we envision the next decade for the Mission and Ministry Board of the Church of the Brethren, we pray that...

Christ will be at the center of all we do.

We will discern God’s yearnings for our ministries by prayerfully gathering around the Word.

We will creatively imagine and live out God’s vision for reconciliation and healing.

We will help the Brethren express faith through humble service, simple words, and courageous proclamation.

We will grow into a community that more fully reflects all God’s people.

We will embody Jesus’ example of servant leadership.

We will provide opportunities for Brethren to be involved in hands-on ministry so that God’s transforming energy is released through committed service and support.

Our Brethren dedication to peace, simplicity, and community will undergird all aspects of our life and work.

May the Holy Spirit empower us as we respond to God’s yearnings.

Directional Goals

Brethren Voice:
Equip the Brethren to speak Christ’s peace and love to each other, to neighbors, to ecumenical and interfaith communities, and to national powers. "...To give light to those who sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace" (Luke 1:79).

Church Planting:
Cultivate a growing movement of emerging mission points and church planting. "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth" (1 Corinthians 3:6).

Congregational Vitality:
Strengthen the Brethren as we live into our calling as joyful communities of radical, compassionate disciples. "And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds..." (Hebrews 10:24).

International Mission:
Grow the church of Jesus Christ around the world in partnership with sisters and brothers within the Church of the Brethren and beyond. "Therefore, as you go, disciple people in all nations" (Matthew 28:19, International Standard Version). "So that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine" (Romans 1:12).

Service:
Challenge and equip the Brethren to integrate faith and service, deepening our faith as we respond to human need. "...Let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action" (1 John 3:18).

Sustainability:
Assure that the vision for the Mission and Ministry Board is embodied in an organization that is sustainable, flexible, streamlined, and interdependent, and which calls forth committed support from congregations and individuals. "For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ" (1 Corinthians 12:12).

Source: 10/21/2010 Newsline Special

Credits

Newsline is produced by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of news services for the Church of the Brethren, cobnews@brethren.org or 800-323-8039 ext. 260. Doris Abdullah, Jordan Blevins, Carol Bowman, Kathleen Campanella, Rachel Cohen, James Deaton, Mary Jo Flory-Steury, Cori Hahn, Phillip Jenks, Karin Krog, Cheryl A. Leanza, Nathan D. Polzin, David Radcliff, Paul Roth, Howard Royer, Marcia Shetler, and Jonathan Shively contributed to this report.

NEWS

• Summer workcamps explore passion, practices of early church.
  
• Disaster ministry opens new Tennessee project, announces grants.

PERSONNEL

• Heishmans announce decision to leave Dominican Republic mission.
  
• Fahrney-Keedy names Keith R. Bryan as president.
  
• On Earth Peace announces Jim Replogle as new operations director.

UPCOMING EVENTS

• Historic Peace Churches to hold conference in Latin America.
  
• Brethren Disaster Ministries schedules workcamps in Haiti.
  
• Courses are offered through the Brethren Academy.
  
• Organizers of deacon trainings ask, ‘Don’t let it snow!’

BRETHREN BITS

• Correction, remembrances, anniversaries, and more.

Summer workcamps explore passion, practices of early church.

In 2010, more than 350 participants took part in 15 workcamps through the Church of the Brethren’s Youth and Young Adult Ministry. "With Glad and Generous Hearts" was the workcamp theme based on Acts 2:44-47 and during each week of workcamps participants explored the passionate Christian practices of the early church.

Young adults served at New Covenant School in St. Louis du Nord, Haiti, leading crafts, games, songs, and providing a Bible story theater and snacks at a Vacation Bible School. They also worked on the school’s new building.

Intellectually disabled youth and young adults served at the "We Are Able" workcamp held at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md.

Junior high youth took part in workcamps in Elgin, Ill.; Brooklyn, N.Y.; Indianapolis, Ind.; Ashland, Ohio; Roanoke, Va.; Harrisburg, Pa.; and Richmond, Va. Junior high students at the Harrisburg workcamp worked alongside the Brethren Housing Association helping to provide housing and social services to the homeless.

Brethren Revival Fellowship (BRF) senior high youth took part in workcamps in the Dominican Republic and Mexico.

An intergenerational workcamp at the Brethren Service Center and co-led by On Earth Peace gave participants of all ages the opportunity to serve and learn about peacemaking.

For more information about youth and young adult workcamps, contact the Workcamp Office at 800-323-8039 or cobworkcamps@brethren.org, or visit www.brethren.org/workcamps.

-- Jeanne Davies coordinates workcamps for the Church of the Brethren’s Youth and Young Adult Ministry.
Source: 10/7/2010 Newsline

Disaster ministry opens new Tennessee project, announces grants.

Brethren Disaster Ministries is establishing a new home rebuilding site in Tennessee, in an area hit by devastating floods in May. A grant of $25,000 from the Church of the Brethren’s Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) is supporting the new project site.

The grant supports the work of obtaining information to determine the need for Brethren Disaster Ministries programing, and will help underwrite expenses related to travel, food, and housing incurred by volunteers and staff during early assessment and project setup. Funds also will be used to furnish tools, equipment, and supplies for the work of repairing and rebuilding homes for qualified individuals and families.

The EDF also has given grants to continue work at two current rebuilding sites of Brethren Disaster Ministries: $30,000 for the Hurricane Katrina Rebuilding Site 4 in Chalmette, La., in a grant expected to carry the project through the end of 2010; and $25,000 for continued work in the area of Winamac, Ind., along the Tippecanoe River following heavy rains and flooding in 2008 and 2009, where the response is expected to be complete as of the beginning of 2011.

The grant request for the Louisiana site noted that, "Since doubling volunteer capacity in the summer of 2008, Brethren Disaster Ministries’ monthly expenses have nearly doubled as well.... With continued need and financial and volunteer support, BDM staff anticipates a continued presence in the region through mid-year 2011."

In addition, an EDF grant of $40,000 was announced for the Church World Service (CWS) response to the Pakistan floods. The grant will assist CWS and the ACT Alliance in supplying emergency food, water, shelter, medical care, and some personal supplies.

In a recent update on its work in Pakistan, CWS reported that it is continuing its flood response and increasing the number of operational areas. As of Sept. 20, CWS in Pakistan and its partners have distributed food packages to more than 90,000 individuals, as well as 2,500 packages of non-food items; distributed another 140 tons of food for approximately 11,000 more beneficiaries; distributed 1,500 tents for approximately 10,500 beneficiaries; deployed three mobile health units, which have provided services for 2,446 patients. CWS also is supporting additional activities by other donors, including food distribution and another six health units.

Source: 10/7/2010 Newsline

Heishmans announce decision to leave Dominican Republic mission.

Irvin and Nancy Sollenberger Heishman have announced a decision not to seek renewal of their service agreement as co-coordinators of the Church of the Brethren mission in the Dominican Republic. The couple will end their service as mission coordinators in early December, after serving in the DR for seven and a half years. Nancy Heishman also finish her service as director of the Theological Program in the DR, a position she assumed in the fall of 2008.

During their years in the DR, the Heishmans have provided coordination for the mission, working with leadership of Iglesia de los Hermanos (Dominican Church of the Brethren) and providing guidance and support to the DR church and to others involved in the mission including Brethren Volunteer Service workers. Key ministries of the mission during their term included theological education, a BVS/BRF volunteer house, a micro-loan program, and guidance and accompaniment to the DR church during a difficult time of conflict in previous years.

In addition, Irvin Heishman currently is coordinating logistics for the Historic Peace Churches meeting that will gather Brethren, Friends, and Mennonites from the Americas in the DR later this year. The event is to take place Nov. 28-Dec. 2. in Santo Domingo, capital city of the DR.

The couple will leave the DR in December, but stay on contract with the Church of the Brethren until June 2011. They will be doing mission interpretation in the American church community and take time for personal restoration after a stressful term of mission service.

Global Mission Partnership executive director Jay Wittmeyer said the partnership of the Church of the Brethren with Iglesia de los Hermanos will be re-evaluated, particularly in terms of roles and responsibilities, before new staff will be seconded to the DR.

Source: 10/7/2010 Newsline

Fahrney-Keedy names Keith R. Bryan as president.

At its Sept. 22 meeting, the Board of Directors of Fahrney-Keedy Home and Village, a Church of the Brethren retirement community in Boonsboro, Md., named Keith R. Bryan as president/CEO. Bryan has been at Fahrney-Keedy filling that position in an interim role since January.

Bryan is an accomplished fundraiser and has extensive expertise in the field. Prior to starting his own business in 2003, he worked with nonprofit groups for 13 years in leadership roles. These included fund development, marketing, administrative, and volunteer positions. He graduated from the University of Maryland with a bachelor’s degree in law enforcement and sociology, and continued his studies at St. Joseph’s College in Windham, Maine; Pennsylvania State University; Morgan State University; and University of Pennsylvania. He is a retired law enforcement officer. He and his family live in Westminster, Md.

Source: 10/7/2010 Newsline

On Earth Peace announces Jim Replogle as new operations director.

James S. Replogle has been appointed operations director of On Earth Peace. He will handle daily operations for the organization, create and implement longterm strategy, supervise paid and volunteer staff, expand program income and constituencies, and provide leadership in developing program and financial plans and objectives.

Replogle and executive director Bob Gross will share authority for the organization as a whole. The new appointment allows Gross to focus more on fundraising and development--a step toward fulfilling the organization's desire and strategic plan to reach new and larger audiences.

In addition to his new role with On Earth Peace, Replogle will continue as president and owner of J.S. Replogle & Associates, an investment management firm. In prior positions with the church, he has served on the board of directors for On Earth Peace, has directed the Brethren Foundation for Brethren Benefit Trust, directed planned giving for the former General Board of the Church of the Brethren, and was a general manager/publisher of Brethren Press.

Source: 10/7/2010 Newsline

Historic Peace Churches to hold conference in Latin America.

"Hunger for Peace: Faces, Paths, Cultures" is the theme of a conference of the Historic Peace Churches in Latin America, to held in Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic, from Nov. 28-Dec. 2.

This is the fifth of a series of conferences that have taken place in Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America as a part of the Decade to Overcome Violence (DOV), an initiative of the World Council of Churches. The Historic Peace Churches include the Church of the Brethren, Mennonites, and the Society of Friends (Quakers).

The conference will be a combination of personal storytelling, Bible study, and theological reflection about the way that Christian faith addresses the violence of our lives. Invited participants will come from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, the US, and Venezuela. All sessions will be translated into Spanish and English, as well as Haitian Kreyol and Portuguese as needed.

In addition to presentations, worship, and sharing of experiences, participants will receive a tour of the Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo, reflecting on divergent religious traditions expressed in the colonizing of the Americas where one tradition legitimized exploitation while another raised a prophetic voice for human rights. The latter will be celebrated in the 500th anniversary (1511-2011) of the sermon preached by the Dominican Friar Antonio Montesinos in the Santo Domingo Cathedral calling for just and humane treatment of the native Taino people.

Speakers include Heredio Santos, a Quaker from Cuba; Alexandre Gonçalves, a theologian and pastor in the Church of the Brethren in Brazil, and a national coordinator of a nonprofit organization that works to sensitize and prevent the abuse of children; Elizabeth Soto, a Mennonite professor, pastor, and theologian from Puerto Rico, currently living in the United States, who also has served in churches and theological seminaries in Colombia; and John Driver, Mennonite professor, theologian, and missiologist from the US who has served in Latin American and Caribbean countries as well as in Spain, and has authored various books.

Taking part in the planning committee are Marcos Inhauser, a national director of the Church of the Brethren mission in Brazil and a leader in Igreja da Irmandade (the Church of the Brethren in Brazil); Irvin Heishman, a mission coordinator for the Church of the Brethren in the DR; and Donald Miller, a past general secretary of the Church of the Brethren and professor emeritus at Bethany Theological Seminary.

The opening and closing worship services of the conference will be open to the public. The opening worship will be held Nov. 28 at 11 a.m. at Luz y Vida Evangelical Mennonite Church on Avenida Mexico in Santo Domingo with the sermon given by Alix Lozano, Mennonite pastor and leader from Colombia. The closing worship service will be Dec. 2 at 7:30 p.m. at Nueva Uncion Church of the Brethren on Calle Regino Castro in Mendoza with the sermon given by Marcos Inhauser, Brethren pastor and mission coordinator for Brazil.

Webcasts will be offered from several sessions of the conference, viewers will be able to connect at www.bethanyseminary.edu/webcasts/PeaceConf2010.

Source: 10/7/2010 Newsline

Brethren Disaster Ministries schedules workcamps in Haiti.

Brethren Disaster Ministries has announced three "Work, Worship, and Learn" workcamps in Haiti. Dates are Nov. 6-13 (registration and deposit due Oct. 13); Jan. 23-30, 2011 (registration and deposit due Dec. 31); and March 14-20, 2011 (registration and deposit due Feb. 14, 2011). Additional dates may be added if there is interest. Each workcamp can accommodate 15 participants.

The workcamps will help rebuild homes in the Port-au-Prince area and other areas that have received earthquake victims. Working closely with L’Eglise des Freres Haitien (the Haitian Church of the Brethren), participants will help construct homes for earthquake survivors and a guest house at the new Haiti Church offices. A highlight of the trip will be worshiping with Haitian brothers and sisters. Workcamp leaders will provide background information on Haiti and the Haitian Church of the Brethren.

Leaders for the workcamps are Jeff Boshart, Ilexene Alphonse, and Klebert Exceus. Cost is $900 per person, with a $300 deposit due with registration. This fee includes all expenses while in Haiti: meals, lodging, in-country transportation, travel insurance, and $50 for building supplies. Participants will purchase round-trip transportation from their homes to Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

Requirements for participation include good health and stamina for hard work in a hot climate, at least 18 years of age, a passport, vaccinations and medications, with tetanus required and malaria medications recommended; and sensitivity and flexibility with regard to cultural differences. For more information contact Brethren Disaster Ministries at 800-451-4407 or BDM@brethren.org.

Source: 10/7/2010 Newsline

Courses are offered through the Brethren Academy.

A number of upcoming courses for church leadership are offered through the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership, a partnership of Bethany Theological Seminary and the Church of the Brethren. Courses are open to Training in Ministry (TRIM) students, pastors (who will earn two continuing education units unless otherwise noted), and all interested persons.

"Administration as Pastoral Care" is offered at Elizabethtown (Pa.) College through the Susquehanna Valley Ministry Center, with instructor Julie M. Hostetter on Nov. 18-21. The registration deadline is Oct. 18.

"Healthy Congregation, Healthy Prospects, Missional Engagement" is held at McPherson (Kan.) College taught by Jim Kinsey, on Nov. 18-21. Registration deadline is Oct. 18.

"Introduction to Pastoral Care" takes place at Bethany Theological Seminary in Richmond, Ind., with Anna Lee Hisey Pierson, on Jan. 10-14, 2011. Registration deadline is Dec. 10.

"Introduction to the New Testament," an online course led by Susan Jeffers, runs from Jan. 17, 2011, through March 11, 2011. Registration deadline is Dec. 17.

"The Historic Peace Churches Seeking Cultures of Peace" is taught at Bethany Seminary by faculty member Scott Holland, on June 13-17, 2011. Registration deadline is May 9, 2011.

A study tour to Germany, "The Protestant Church of Germany: Past and Present," with instructor Ken Rogers takes place in June 2011. Approximate cost will be $2,000 including airfare. The course will include some church history, but its major focus is on cross-cultural experience with most of the time spent in the city of Marburg and one-day excursions to a number of places including the village of Schwarzenau, where the Brethren movement began in 1708. Training in Ministry students will earn two units credit, pastors will earn four continuing education units. The registration deadline is December.

Go to www.bethanyseminary.edu/academy for class brochures and registration information, or call 800-287-8822, ext. 1824. For courses offered by the Susquehanna Valley Ministry Center, contact SVMC@etown.edu or 717-361-1450.

Source: 10/7/2010 Newsline

Organizers of deacon trainings ask, ‘Don’t let it snow!’

"Last winter we made the nearly four-hour (one way!) trip to Bremen, Ind., to attend a deacon training event. Actually it was longer even than that since we had to stop and dig our van out of the February snow along the way!" laughed Gene Karn, Outdoor Ministries director for the Southern Ohio District of the Church of the Brethren.

"In spite of the travails of travel, it was a very worthwhile day, and we wished more of our fellow deacons could have come along," Karn added. "By the time we arrived home we’d decided to schedule a training session of our own. And, if we felt it would be good for our congregation’s deacons, then other deacons and church leaders in the district would probably enjoy the workshop as well.

"Specifically, I would hope that new or potential deacons would get a better understanding of what the role of deacon is, both in their own congregations as well as in the denomination."

And that’s how the deacon training session scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 23, at West Charleston Church of the Brethren in Tipp City, Ohio, came about. Anticipating a good turnout given the location, multiple workshops are planned on the topics of congregational peacemaking, listening skills, caring for caregivers, and discussing financial concerns as a part of holistic caregiving.

The plenary session, offered by Donna Kline, director of the Church of the Brethren’s Deacon Ministry, will address the question, "So What Are Deacons Supposed to Do, Anyway?" Other presenters are Kim Ebersole, the denomination’s director of Family Life and Older Adult Ministries, and David Doudt, a Church of the Brethren spiritual director.

For more information and to register for this day of workshops in southern Ohio, visit www.brethren.org/deacontraining, where this and other fall sessions are described.

-- Donna Kline is director of Deacon Ministry for the Church of the Brethren.
Source: 10/7/2010 Newsline

Brethren bits: Correction, remembrances, anniversaries, and more.

• Correction: The date of a Special Response hearing at Grandview Church of the Brethren in Pendleton, Ind., is Dec. 4 at 9:30 a.m.
  
  
• Merlin G. Shull, 83, passed away Sept. 22 at Bridgewater (Va.) Retirement Community. He served as executive minister for the Church of the Brethren’s Shenandoah District from 1985-92, and previously was a mission worker in Ecuador. He and his late wife, Grace, who passed away in 1997, also served pastorates in Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. A remembrance from Shenandoah District invited prayers of sympathy and support to the family. Shull was born July 1, 1927, in Chicago, Ill., to the late Merlin C. and Pearl Grosh Shull. He was a graduate of Manchester College, Bethany Theological Seminary, and Lutheran Seminary of Gettysburg, Pa. His service to the church also included a term of Brethren service in Austria. In 1955 he married Mary Grace (White) Shull. He was a member of Bridgewater Church of the Brethren. He is survived by a son, Mark A. Shull Sr.; a daughter, Mary Elizabeth Martin; seven grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. A memorial service was held on Oct. 2 at the Bridgewater Church. Memorial contributions are received to Bethany Theological Seminary. Online condolences may be sent to the Shull family by visiting www.kygers.com .
  
  
• Phyllis Kinzie, 82, a former board member of the General Board of the Church of the Brethren, passed away on June 11 at Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma City, Okla. She was a longtime resident of Cushing, Okla. Kinzie served on the General Board from 1988 until 1992. According to her obituary in the "Stillwater News Press," she was born on Feb. 7, 1928, the fourth child of Chester A. Olwin and Beatrice Yaney Olwin. She attended McPherson (Kan.) College. She married Oliver H. Kinzie in 1945, and they were married for 65 years. She was a longtime member of the Church of the Brethren in Cushing, where she served 16 years as choir director, and of First Baptist Church in Cushing, where she taught Sunday school. Her memberships in community organizations also included Honorary Chapter Farmer of Cushing FFA, and Sunnyside Home Extension, where she held several leadership roles, and she received a Cushing Chamber of Commerce Community Service Award. She is survived by her husband; three sons, Allen Kinzie and wife Cynthia, Kent Kinzie and wife Annette, and Kris Kinzie and wife Denise; daughter Sheree Fielding and husband Dr. Jeff Fielding; ten grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Memorial services were held June 14 at First Baptist Church with burial in the Big Creek Church of the Brethren Cemetery. Condolences may be shared with the Kinzie family at www.davisfh.net.
  
  
• Brett K. Winchester, 57, a member of the Church of the Brethren denomination’s Disabilities Ministry, passed away on Sept. 20 at home in Garden City, Idaho, after a long struggle with liver disorders leading to liver failure. Winchester came to the Church of the Brethren while in high school through youth outreach, his mother having been a member of Eden Valley Church of the Brethren in St. John, Kan., as a young woman. Blind since birth, he developed a great deal of experience coping with blindness and low vision, and shared this experience with his employer, the Idaho Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired. He served as ICBVI Reading Services Coordinator for the Boise office, coordinating radio reading services. He also was involved in numerous advocacy efforts on behalf of persons who are blind or visually impaired. He is survived by his widow, Leona Marie Hutchison Winchester, and his two daughters, Lynnette Hunter and Evelyn Pollock, both of Boise. A memorial service was held Oct. 2 at the United Church of the Brethren in Boise. Memorial contributions are received to the Masonic Lodge of Boise or to the National Federation of the Blind.
  
  
• Moala Penitani of Elkhart, Ind., started Oct. 4 as Customer Service Inventory Specialist for Brethren Press. She holds a bachelor of arts degree in marketing and management from Manchester College in North Manchester, Ind. Her three years of work experience includes involvement with customer service, sales promotion, and raising multicultural awareness.
  
  
• An opening for a Haiti Trauma Program coordinator has been announced by the STAR Program at Eastern Mennonite University (EMU) in Harrisonburg, Va. Brethren Disaster Ministries is helping fund the STAR Program in Haiti, where Haitian Brethren pastors will be trained and in turn facilitate seminars in their congregations. The coordinator of the Haiti Trauma Awareness and Resilience Initiative will facilitate development of structure and administration of the initiative; oversee staff/consultants based in Haiti who will provide administrative support, logistics, and training; coordinate work of the initiative with sponsoring agency programs and initiatives and the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding (CJP); supervise fiscal matters related to the initiative in collaboration with the CJP Practice and Training Institute Director; develop a longterm sustainability proposal for the initiative that will build capacity of Haitian community and leaders to respond to trauma needs of the country. This is a three-year assignment. The program will not operate beyond the initial three-year period. Qualifications and experience required or preferred include among many others a bachelor’s degree required with a master’s degree in development, social work, conflict transformation, or related field preferred; strong experience in program development and administration within Haiti preferred; experience in trauma training, capacity building, and emergency management helpful. Fluency in Creole and English is required. Send letter of intent, curriculum vitae, transcripts, and names, addresses, and telephone numbers of three professional references to Center for Justice and Peacebuilding at cjp@emu.edu, attention Maria Hoover. Review of applications will begin immediately. The position will remain open until filled. Persons who bring diversity are encouraged to apply. EMU is an equal opportunity employer, conducts criminal background investigations as part of the hiring process, and complies with federal and state requirements for non-discrimination in employment with regard to sex, age, race, color, disability, national, and ethnic origin.
  
  
• The National Campaign for a Peace Tax Fund (www.peacetaxfund.org) seeks a volunteer to staff its office in Washington, D.C., while its executive director is on indefinite medical leave. Since 1972, NCPTF has been working to promote a legal alternative for conscientious objectors to military taxation. This volunteer will function as the organization’s administrator while the Executive Director is recovering. Compensation will be negotiated depending on the needs of the volunteer. Responsibilities include assuring that regular communication with the constituency takes place through newsletters, website updating, and maintaining a database; office administration; and assisting with and undergirding lobbying efforts by constituents. A minimum term of one year is sought. Contact Kim McDowell, chair of the NCPTF Personnel Committee, at 301-927-6836 or kimhook@verizon.net.
  
  
• The Fall meeting of the Church of the Brethren’s Mission and Ministry Board takes place Oct. 15-18 at the church’s General Offices in Elgin, Ill. Agenda items include an overview of the finances of the denomination in 2010, a budget for 2011, and a strategic planning proposal.
  
  
• "Piece by Piece: Finding Our Place Within God’s Story" (Ephesians 2:19-22 in the Message version) is the theme for next summer’s National Junior High Conference on June 17-19 at Elizabethtown (Pa.) College. An updated web page for the event is at www.brethren.org/site/PageServer?pagename=grow_youth_ministry_national_junior.
  
  
• The Global Food Crisis Fund is offering a DVD documentary, "Sowing Seeds...Harvesting Hope," showing how a congregation’s growing project can revitalize small farm enterprises in poor communities abroad, through a partnership with the Foods Resource Bank. Produced by the Church of the Brethren with partners Church World Service, the Foods Resource Bank, and the United Methodist Committee on Relief, the documentary centers on transformed communities in Guatemala and Nicaragua. Narrating the 11-minute video is syndicated radio/television farm editor Orion Samuelson. Request a copy from the Global Food Crisis Fund at 800-323-8039.
  
  
• Staunton (Va.) Church of the Brethren is hosting a financial workshop titled "Faith, Family, and Finances: How to Live Faithfully Within Your Means and Keep Peace in the Family" on Oct. 23 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. The workshop presented by the Church of the Brethren Credit Union, Brethren Benefit Trust, and On Earth Peace and its Ministry of Reconciliation program is for those currently experiencing financial challenges, those who anticipate experiencing such struggles in the future, or those ministering to people who are struggling financially. Cost is $15 or $25 per couple. Contact Steward’s Workshop, Staunton Church of the Brethren, 1615 N. Coalter St., Staunton, VA 24401.
  
  
• Mill Creek Church of the Brethren in Port Republic, Va., celebrates its 170th anniversary on Oct. 17.
  
  
• Bethlehem Church of the Brethren in Franklin County, Va., is celebrating its 140th anniversary throughout October.
  
  
• Freeport (Ill.) Church of the Brethren has set aside Nov. 14 as "A Day of New Beginnings" to celebrate its 90th anniversary. The church was founded on Oct. 3, 1920. The celebration begins with morning worship at 9:30 a.m. led by pastor Lisa Fike, followed by a time of sharing stories, lunch, and afternoon worship with former pastors beginning at 1 p.m. Call 815-232-1938.
  
  
• Miami (Fla.) First Church of the Brethren celebrates its 75th Diamond Anniversary with a weekend of events Oct. 23-24. On Saturday afternoon there will be a luncheon event at the Shula Hotel in Miami Lakes, followed by a program of remembrances, greetings, and music offered in the ballroom. A variety of activites will be available for guests on Saturday evening. On Sunday morning the celebration will continue with a 10:30 a.m. worship service at the building where the congregation meets (Biscayne Gardens Civic Association Hall, 1500 N. Miami Ave.). Pastor Ray Hileman will give a message of vision for the future. Following worship, a light lunch will be served. For information about Saturday meal costs, housing, and other questions, contact Anniversary Committee chair Renee Davis at 954-397-5997 or Rick1Renee@aol.com.
  
  
• Three district conferences will be held over the next couple of weeks: Atlantic Southeast District holds its 126th District Conference on Oct. 8-9 at Camp Ithiel in Gotha, Fla., on the theme "Health and Wellness" (Mark 12:29-31) with James Graybill as moderator. Mid-Atlantic District holds its 44th District Conference on Oct. 8-9 at Manassas (Va.) Church of the Brethren on the theme "Let the Peace of Christ Rule in Your Hearts" (Colossians 3:15) with Cinda Showalter as moderator. Middle Pennsylvania District Conference will be Oct. 15-16 at Maitland Church of the Brethren in Lewistown, Pa., on the theme "Seeking the Mind of Christ--Together" (Philippians) with Lowell H. Witkovsky as moderator.
  
  
• McPherson (Kan.) College has reached its highest enrollment numbers in 40 years, according to a release from the school. The college has a total of 622 fulltime students this fall, representing a nearly 15 percent increase in enrollment over last year. In addition to the 622 full-time students, there are another 85 part-time students. This results in a total head count of 707 students, and a total full-time equivalent of 689.
  
  
• The Brethren Revival Fellowship (BRF) has published a commentary on "The Acts of the Apostles" written by Mark E. Baliles (352 pages, suggested donation $20). The BRF’s Brethren New Testament Commentary series aims to give a readable explanation of the New Testament text, with loyalty to Anabaptist and Pietist values. "This commentary is a tool which attempts to explain and apply the teaching of the text through an exposition and an application of the Bible message. There are helpful divisions to aid in structured teaching of God’s Word," said a release. Baliles serves as pastor of Indian Creek Church of the Brethren in Vernfield, Pa. The general editor of the series is Harold S. Martin, a Church of the Brethren elder and editor of the "BRF Witness" newsletter. Send orders and donations to Brethren Revival Fellowship, P.O. Box 543, Ephrata, PA 17522-0543, or make requests at www.brfwitness.org/?page_id=268&category=3&product_id=24.
  
  
• Recommendations regarding process and some practical tools and things to consider in district hearings are being offered to Church of the Brethren members taking part in the denomination’s Special Response conversations by the Brethren and Mennonite Council for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Interests (BMC). The group is offering two resources, titled "Doing Process Well: Recommendations for Brethren Congregations" and "Recommendations for Safe, Sacred, and Meaningful Conversations." Both are available at www.bmclgbt.org.
  
  
• The October edition of "Brethren Voices," the community television program produced by Portland (Ore.) Peace Church of the Brethren, features the band Mutual Kumquat. Beth Merrill interviews members of Mutual Kumquat, and the show also features portions of their evening concert at this year’s Song and Story Fest. During its 10-year history the band has performed at Annual Conference and National Youth Conference, and each of the past six years at the Song and Story Fest co-sponsored by On Earth Peace. Members of the band are Chris Good, Drue Gray, and Seth Hendricks, and Ben Long and Jacob Jolliff also add their musical talents to the group. In other news from the program, beginning this month "Brethren Voices" will be broadcast on Channel 14 in Spokane, Wash. Copies of the October edition of "Brethren Voices" are available for a donation of $8. Contact Ed Groff at Groffprod1@msn.com.
  
  
• "Embracing Aging: Families Facing Change" is the title of a National Council of Churches documentary slated for broadcast on ABC television affiliates beginning Oct. 17. The documentary features residents of ElderSpirit, a co-housing community for age 55 and up in rural Virginia, and families in a variety of situations such as a family caring for a mother with Alzheimer’s and a father with chronic leukemia, or a family managing long-distance care of father with brother and sister on opposite coasts. The program also features geriatricians and experts in geriatric social work and other fields. The documentary was produced by Mennonite-based Third Way Media in partnership with the Catholic Telecasters Group. Air dates and times are scheduled individually by each ABC affiliate, check www.interfaithbroadcasting.com. Order a copy on DVD from https://store.thirdwaymedia.org for $24.95 with study guide and bonus content. The website www.EmbracingAging.com adds additional resources on aging.
  
  
• "Justice, Not Greed," a new book from the World Council of Churches, is co-edited by Brethren scholar Pamela K. Brubaker along with Rogate Mshana, director of the WCC program on Justice, Peace, and Creation. Brubaker is professor of Religion and Ethics at California Lutheran University. Included are papers from 14 Christian economists, theologians, ethicists, and sociologists who are part of the WCC Advisory Group on Economic Matters. The authors "analyze the recent global financial collapse and its roots in a system which fosters structural greed. From economic analysis to biblical and ethical reflection, the papers provide individuals, students, and groups in religious and nonreligious settings a solid basis to learn, discuss, and act to support solutions that favor justice, not greed." The book is listed at www.amazon.com.

Source: 10/7/2010 Newsline

Credits

Newsline is produced by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of news services for the Church of the Brethren, cobnews@brethren.org or 800-323-8039 ext. 260. Joan Daggett, Jan Fischer Bachman, Ed Groff, Ray Hileman, Donna Kline, Karin L. Krog, Michael Leiter, Jim Miller, Adam Pracht, Becky Ullom, Carol Spicher Waggy, Doris Walbridge, and Jane Yount contributed to this report.

NEWS

• Day of prayer for peace brings hope for a future beyond violence.
  
• ‘Reach Deep’ fundraising challenge meets its goal.
  
• Bethany Seminary’s Peace Forum is now being webcast.

PERSONNEL

• Hisey Pierson to direct insurance services for BBT.

UPCOMING EVENTS

• National teleconference on gun violence is held today by NCC.
  
• Districts continue Special Response hearings.

RESOURCES

• Large-print Advent devotional, more new resources from Brethren Press.

FEATURE

• Florida campers learn what it means to be a hero like Jesus.

BRETHREN BITS

• Personnel, N. Korea, Haiti, India violence, anniversaries, and more.

Day of prayer for peace brings hope for a future beyond violence.

More than 90 congregations and community organizations in 20 states and three countries took part in the International Day of Prayer for Peace as partners with On Earth Peace. These communities joined tens of thousands of people on five continents who have been participating in events in the week surrounding Tuesday, Sept. 21--the sixth observance of the World Council of Churches’ International Day of Prayer for Peace, which joins the United Nations' 25-year commitment to an International Day of Peace.

On Earth Peace's more than 90 partner groups planned public vigils, interfaith worship services, prayer drop-in times, childrens' mural making, installation of peace poles, and many other events.

As part of the activities, Ekklesiyar Yan'uwa a Nigeria (EYN--the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) launched an effort in Jos, Nigeria, to build bridges among Christians and Muslims as they shared their mutual concerns for peace following sectarian violence. This week's prayer services in Jos included both Muslims and Christians praying for peace in the wake of church burnings, looting, and killings.

In Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, Breakthru Church International sent 30 people door-to-door wearing bright orange t-shirts to ask about obstacles to peace and to point to signs of hope in preparation for a prayer service and a later public meeting to build hope and investment in their community.

Several prayer services in the United States brought people of different faiths together to pray, an action that seems prophetic in the face of rising anti-Muslim sentiment in this country.

"Observing the International Day of Prayer for Peace is more than a day. It is a process," said Matt Guynn of On Earth Peace. "Wherever there is hard-heartedness, violence, or poverty, there is a crooked path that God can make smooth. That doesn't happen overnight or in a year, but over time, in each heart, in each village, town, and city, in each society, as we work to build a culture of positive peace and active nonviolence.

"In local group after local group, we see that each year, there is a growing sense of possibility for God’s peace. The prayers offered up each Sept. 21 are an opportunity for community members to ask God for help, for inspiration, for guidance for overcoming evil with good."

-- On Earth Peace provided this release. For more information contact Matt Guynn, Program Director and Coordinator of Peace Witness, at mguynn@onearthpeace.org or 503-775-1636.

Source: 9/23/2010 Newsline

‘Reach Deep’ fundraising challenge meets its goal.

A letter headed "Urgent Need--A Landmark Challenge" was mailed out to Church of the Brethren prospective donors on Aug. 6 as the start of a "Reach Deep" fundraising challenge to meet a mid-year budget shortfall of $100,000 in the denomination’s Core Ministries Fund.

The generosity of one Brethren family who anonymously gave $50,000 in response to the need sparked the special funding drive. This family’s gift was offered as a challenge to others to "Reach Deep" to make up the remaining $50,000 by Sept. 15.

That challenge has now met its goal, having received a total of $74,869.18 in online giving and donations in response to the direct mail request, in addition to the original gift of $50,000.

The Stewardship department announced that the $100,000 goal was met on Sept. 1, and exceeded in the following days. "I am certainly grateful for the inspirational response of our donors when invited to ‘reach deep’ this past month," said director Ken Neher.

The Core Ministries budget funds church programs ranging from Congregational Life Ministries and Caring Ministries, to Global Mission Partnerships and Brethren Volunteer Service, among others--as well as operating ministries including human resources, the finance department, communications, and more.

And there are still financial goals to meet before the end of the 2010. "I am looking forward to the continuing response of our donors to God's generosity as the year winds down," added Neher. "I am confident that all our goals for the year can be met if everyone continues to reach deep!"

-- Mandy Garcia is coordinator of Donor Invitation for the Church of the Brethren.

Source: 9/23/2010 Newsline

Bethany Seminary’s Peace Forum is now being webcast.

The weekly Peace Forum lunch and speaker series held by Bethany Theological Seminary and Earlham School of Religion in Richmond, Ind., can now be viewed live online or in archived form. Webcasts are coordinated by Enten Eller, the seminary’s director of Electronic Communications and Distributed Education. Online participants can even pose questions and comments to the presenter.

Attendance for the event is growing, according to the report from Anna Lisa Gross, Bethany’s student coordinator for Peace Studies. "Not only are participants sitting on the floor because the room's 90 chairs are full, the crowd is gathering online. Accessibility is essential as we build cultures of peace. We are delighted to have people joining us online for Peace Forum."

Gross added, "The Bethany Seminary, Earlham School of Religion, Earlham College, and Richmond communities join together each week over a free, delicious lunch and rich conversation. This is the only weekly place that these communities come together to share food, friendship, and matters of faith and intellectual pursuit."

She reported that making the Peace Forum accessible to students from a distance also opens doors for the seminary’s "MDiv Connections" students to pursue a Peace Studies Emphasis. Connect to Peace Forum webcasts and a list of the fall’s speakers and topics at www.bethanyseminary.edu/academics_programs/peaceforum.

Source: 9/23/2010 Newsline

Hisey Pierson to direct insurance services for BBT.

Willie Hisey Pierson has accepted the position of director of Insurance Services for Brethren Benefit Trust (BBT), filling a position to be vacated by Randy Yoder on Dec. 31. Hisey Pierson began his duties on Sept. 21, and will work with Yoder during the transition period.

Hisey Pierson has been a business owner in the home health field and has more than 16 years of experience in the insurance industry, including underwriting--essential knowledge to undergird the Brethren Medical Plan’s self-insured arrangement currently administered by BBT. Additionally, while working for American Family Insurance, he was credited for developing and executing marketing strategies that incorporated multicultural awareness.

He holds a bachelor of science degree from National-Louis University in Wheaton, Ill., and an Illinois Insurance Producer License in Property, Casualty, Health, Accident, and Life. He has sat on the Church of the Brethren’s Mission and Ministry Board and currently is on the Board of Directors for Athletes Against Drugs (Chicago). He and his family reside in Plainfield, Ill., and belong to Neighborhood Church of the Brethren.

At the end of December, Yoder retires as director of Insurance Services and begins a part-time position as client development representative for BBT.

Source: 9/23/2010 Newsline

National teleconference on gun violence is held today by NCC.

The National Council of Churches (NCC) invites participation today in a "common witness on eliminating gun violence" through a Sept. 23 National Teleconference for Prayer and Action. The call-in event this afternoon at 3:30 p.m. (eastern) is planned for clergy and lay leaders in the member denominations of the NCC.

The teleconference is to "discuss some of the work we can do together on this crucial issue," said a letter to denominational leaders from general secretary Michael Kinnamon and NaKeisha S. Blount, Washington policy advocacy officer for Racial Justice and Human Rights.

The teleconference follows on a resolution on gun violence adopted by the NCC Governing Board this summer ( www.ncccusa.org/NCCpolicies/gunviolence.pdf ). In July, the Church of the Brethren Mission and Ministry Board endorsed the NCC resolution and encouraged church members to engage in action on the issue.

Citing John 14:27 and Matthew 22:39, invitations to the teleconference state, in part, "As Christians striving to emulate the model of the Prince of Peace, we cannot avoid the painful truth that we live in an increasingly violent world. Every day in our nation, guns are being used to destroy lives. Gun violence affects all of us; but, African-Americans and Latinos are disproportionately impacted. To remain silent as so many of our neighbors suffer the effects of gun violence would abdicate our commitment to the gospel."

The NCC also has a letter to local congregations describing actions they can join in immediately. Suggestions include taking direct action against irresponsible gun sellers in partnership with organizations like Heeding God’s Call ( www.heedinggodscall.org ), and helping to close the gun show loophole. "While federal law requires licensed gun sellers to perform criminal background checks on everyone they sell a gun to," the letter explains, "a gap in federal law currently permits private sellers, who often congregate at gun shows, to sell guns without background checks or recordkeeping of any kind."

To participate in the teleconference go to www.ncccusa.org/endinggunviolence.html.

Source: 9/23/2010 Newsline

Districts continue Special Response hearings.

In an update on the district hearings that are part of the denomination’s Special Response process on issues of sexuality, several districts have announced upcoming dates:

Virlina District has announced its first five hearings for Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. at Antioch Church of the Brethren in Rocky Mount, Va.; Oct. 9 at 10 a.m. at Topeco Church of the Brethren in Floyd, Va.; Oct. 22 at 7 p.m. at Cloverdale (Va.) Church of the Brethren; Oct. 23 at 2:30 p.m. at West Richmond Church of the Brethren in Henrico, Va.; and Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. at Bassett (Va.) Church of the Brethren.

Northern Indiana District will hold hearings on Oct. 12 at 7 p.m. at Creekside Church of the Brethren in Elkhart, Ind.; Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. at Agape Church of the Brethren in Fort Wayne, Ind.; Oct. 17 at 3 p.m. at Bremen (Ind.) Church of the Brethren; Oct. 24 at 3 p.m. at Osceola (Ind.) Church of the Brethren; and Oct. 31 at 3 p.m. at Bethany Church of the Brethren in New Paris, Ind.

South Central Indiana District holds hearings on Oct. 21 at 6:30 p.m. at Peru (Ind.) Church of the Brethren; Oct. 24 at 6:30 p.m. at Buck Creek Church of the Brethren in Mooreland, Ind.; Oct. 30 at 9:30 a.m. at Grandview Church of the Brethren in Pendleton, Ind. (tentative); and Oct. 31 at 2:30 p.m. at Manchester Church of the Brethren in North Manchester, Ind.

Northern Plains District holds hearings on Oct. 24 at Ottumwa (Iowa) Church of the Brethren; Nov. 6 at Panther Creek Church of the Brethren in Adel, Iowa; Nov. 7 at Worthington Church of the Brethren in Reading, Minn.; and Nov. 20 at South Waterloo (Iowa) Church of the Brethren (all scheduled for 2 p.m.).

Shenandoah District holds hearings on Nov. 2 at Antioch Church of the Brethren in Woodstock, Va.; Nov. 16 at Staunton (Va.) Church of the Brethren; Nov. 30 at Mt. Pleasant Church of the Brethren in Harrisonburg, Va.; and Dec. 2 at Mathias (W.Va.) Church of the Brethren (all scheduled for 7 p.m.). The date and location of a fifth hearing in the eastern section of the district will be announced.

Pacific Southwest District holds hearings on Jan. 16, 2011, at Modesto (Calif.) Church of the Brethren; Jan. 22 at Pomona (Calif.) Fellowship Church of the Brethren; Jan. 30 at Papago Buttes Church of the Brethren in Scottsdale, Ariz. (all scheduled for 3 p.m.).

Shenandoah District also has thanked the 136 people from a variety of congregations who already attended a "Conversations on Homosexuality Training Session" at Linville Creek Church of the Brethren in Broadway, Va. District representatives to the Standing Committee were on hand to facilitate a demonstration of one of the Bible study sessions and answer questions about the study resources and Special Response process, according to a report in the district newsletter.

For more about the Special Response process see www.cobannualconference.org/special_response_resource.html.

Source: 9/23/2010 Newsline

Large-print Advent devotional, more new resources from Brethren Press.

Brethren Press is offering a large-print version of its annual Advent devotional as a brand-new partner to the regular-print devotional. The 2010 Advent devotional http://www.brethrenpress.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=1677 is written by Edward L. Poling. Congregations and individuals who order by Oct. 1 will receive pre-publication prices.

The devotional is available in two sizes: regular print in a pocket-size paperback booklet; and the new large-print 7- by 11-inch booklet. The text of the large-print version will be 14 point. The price is $2.50, or $5.95 for large print. Orders received by Oct. 1 will get a special discount price of $2, or $5 for large print. Shipping charges will be added to the invoice.

Brethren Press also offers these discounted prices to regular seasonal subscribers who sign up to receive both annual devotionals--Advent and Lent--as a series. Subscriptions to the devotional series are automatically renewed each year and can be cancelled or changed at any time. Churches can customize their subscriptions to the devotional series based on need, for example by ordering 25 regular and 10 large print.

More new Brethren Press resources:

• "The Witness of the Hebrew Bible for a New Testament Church," a book edited by Christina Bucher, David A. Leiter, and Frank Ramirez, is a collection of 13 essays by Brethren scholars published in honor of Robert W. Neff in the academic tradition of the "festschrift." Neff has served as general secretary of the Church of the Brethren, president of Juniata College, and has taught at Bethany Theological Seminary. Each chapter includes study questions and recommended resources. Essays range from "Christians Reading the Old Testament" by Robert C. Bowman to "Is There Peace in the Old Testament?" by David A. Leiter to "Suffering in the Book of Job and Psalms" by Neff himself. Order for $27.95 plus shipping and handling.
  
  
• The Fall quarter of http://www.brethrenpress.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=9901--the Brethren Press Bible study curriculum for adults--is written by David W. Miller on the theme, "The Inescapable God." The study addresses the nature and character of God, and God’s relationship with human beings. Order for $4 per copy, or $6.95 for large print, plus shipping and handling.
  
  
• The Gather ’Round Sunday school curriculum this fall focuses on "God and the First Families: Stories from Genesis." Gather ’Round is a Brethren and Mennonite curriculum for Preschool, Primary, Middler, Junior Youth, Youth, Multiage, and the Talkabout resource for families.
  
  
• "Got Spirit?: Finding God in the Everyday" is the outdoor ministry resource for summer 2011. This Christian camping resource is supplied by New Earth. Brethren Press is one of a consortium of denominational publishers that publish in cooperation with the Committee on Outdoor Ministry of the National Council of Churches. Campers will hear daily "Got Spirit?" stories such as the 10 lepers from Luke 17. Six "Daily Discovery" sections are provided for each of five age groups: younger children, older children, younger youth, older youth, and intergenerational/family. An extra section of "Spiritual Practices" is new this year. 200 pages with CD-ROM. Order for $325 plus shipping and handling.

Order any of these resources from Brethren Press at 800-441-3712.

Source: 9/23/2010 Newsline

Florida campers learn what it means to be a hero like Jesus.

Camp Ithiel in Gotha, Fla., is one of the Church of the Brethren camps that used the Outdoor Ministry Resource curriculum "Be a Hero: Living Like Jesus" for camping programs this past summer. The curriculum is from New Earth, offered through eight different denominations including the Church of the Brethren’s publishing house, Brethren Press. An issue of "Camp Ithiel News" reported some of the things children in different age groups learned from the curriculum. Here are some excerpts:

What did you learn about being a hero?

• "You need more than super powers to be a hero. You need faith." (Junior Camp)
  
• "It starts by doing the smallest things." (Junior Camp)
  
• "Sacrificing." (Junior Camp)
  
• "You can save people’s lives by telling them about Jesus." (Junior Camp)
  
• "I learned that sometimes you have to take risks." (Jr. High Camp)
  
• "That you don’t have to have a superpower to be a hero." (Jr. High Camp)
  
• "I learned that being a hero is that you get your power from God." (Jr. High Camp)
  
• "There are lots of them in the Bible and they’re just ordinary people." (Youth Camp)
  
• "We are all called to step up." (Youth Camp)
  
• "How God’s love stays the same no matter what you do." (Youth Camp)

What did you learn about yourself?

• "I am loved." (Junior Camp)
  
• "I like fishing." (Junior Camp)
  
• "We may be all different, but we’re a family." (Junior Camp)
  
• "I am stronger than I thought I was." (Jr. High Camp)
  
• "I can let my burdens go." (Jr. High Camp)
  
• "I need to go to church more to get closer to God." (Jr. High Camp)
  
• "I love to pray." (Youth Camp)
  
• "That I need to open up more." (Youth Camp)
  
• "I’m changing into a more respectful and responsible person." (Youth Camp)

What did you learn about God?

• "God told people to write the Bible." (Junior Camp)
  
• "God never gives up on us so we shouldn’t give up on Him." (Junior Camp)
  
• "He gave his Son." (Junior Camp)
  
• "God is the Almighty." (Jr. High Camp)
  
• "He is always with me." (Jr. High Camp)
  
• "He does many things for us that some people don’t even know about." (Jr. High Camp)
  
• "That He is the hero for the whole world." (Youth Camp)
  
• "He gets angry, too." (Youth Camp)
  
• "He even hears your silent prayers." (Youth Camp)
  
• "He created/inspired Proverbs to help youth learn." (Youth staff)
  
• "God saves." (Youth Camp)

Source: 9/23/2010 Newsline

Brethren bits: Personnel, N. Korea, Haiti, India violence, anniversaries, and more.

• J.E. McNeil has resigned as executive director of the Center on Conscience and War, following over a decade of service to the faith-based organization that advocates for the rights of conscience, opposes military conscription, and serves conscientious objectors. The center’s offices are located in Washington, D.C. Formerly the National Interreligious Service Board for Conscientious Objectors (NISBCO), it was formed in 1940 by an association of religious bodies including the Church of the Brethren. McNeil has served as executive director since Sept. 1999, and plans a departure date of no later than Aug. 31, 2011. The center’s board of directors, which is chaired by Church of the Brethren member Phil Jones, in a release stated that "J.E. has been the spirit, voice, and face of this important work for over a decade. Her leadership has shaped this organization into a nationally, and internationally known body, that supports men and women of conscience in their opposition to war and its violence." A search committee has been formed and applications to fill the position will be accepted beginning Oct. 1. The executive director position is full-time and salaried, with benefits including health insurance and a retirement plan. Candidates are encouraged to submit a cover letter, resume, writing exhibit (some form of writing/publication associated with previous work or vocation), three letters of reference (at least one being unrelated to professional work), salary expectations, and a one-page summary of why the candidate is attracted to this position. The full job description is available on request and at www.centeronconscience.org. The new director will be expected to begin no later than July 1, 2011.
  
  
• Prayer is requested for the people of North Korea and for Robert and Linda Shank, a Church of the Brethren couple preparing to teach at a university there. Global Mission Partnerships executive director Jay Wittmeyer is requesting prayer following news of a Sept. 28 convention of the Korea Workers’ Party to appoint a new leader for the country. According to CNN, it is the first gathering of party delegates in several decades and may be a crucial event for the people of North Korea. The Shanks have been teaching in China at a university close to the border with North Korea, preparing to be among the first group of teachers at the new Pyongyang University of Science and Technology. Robert Shank holds a doctorate in wheat breeding and has conducted rice research. Linda Shank holds a master’s in counseling and learning disabilities, and will be teaching English.
  
  
• The Church of the Brethren has signed on to two public letters on Haiti, through the General Secretary’s office and Witness and Advocacy staff. A letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, sponsored by the Center for Economic and Policy Research, recommends measures for the US government to help ensure that upcoming elections are "free, fair, and inclusive." Parliamentary and presidential elections are scheduled for Nov. 28. The letter expresses concern that more than a dozen political parties have been barred from presenting candidates in the elections without serious justification, and notes that "no serious measures appear to have been taken to guarantee that the over one million Haitians that have been displaced by the earthquake will be able to vote." The second letter went to members of Congress requesting support and co-sponsorship of the Haiti Empowerment, Assistance, and Rebuilding (HEAR) Act of 2010.
  
  
• Doris Abdullah, United Nations representative for the Church of the Brethren, attended the opening of the UN General Assembly’s 65th session in New York on Sept. 14. She also attended a panel discussion on "The Role of the Rule of Law in the Achievement of the Millennium Development Goals." This is the 10th year since the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were adopted in 2000, and Abdullah noted that they still "represent a big challenge." The goals set a date of 2015 to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, achieve universal primary education, promote gender equality and empower women, reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, combat HIV/AIDS and other diseases, ensure environmental stability, and develop a global partnership. The 2006 Church of the Brethren Annual Conference adopted a resolution in support of the goals, go to www.cobannualconference.org/ac_statements/2006GlobalPovertyHunger.pdf.
  
  
• The Conference Office has sent space requests to Brethren agencies and other groups for the 2011 Annual Conference in Grand Rapids, Mich. These include forms for Insight Sessions, catered meals, exhibit booths, and meeting space. All forms are due by Nov. 1. If you have not received these forms and need one, please contact the Conference Office at 800-323-8039.
  
  
• "Where the Designer and design artfully awakens..." is the theme for Bethany Theological Seminary’s Campus Visit Day on Nov. 5. "Perhaps you feel clearly called to set-apart ministry," said an invitation, "perhaps you are a lay leader thirsting for deeper study; perhaps you are uncertain about your vocation, but definitely seeking theological questions. If so, then come!" Participants will engage current students and faculty through theological discussion and worshipful work, tour the campus, share a meal, and learn more about the call to leadership and scholarship in the church and the world. Visit www.bethanyseminary.edu/campus-visit-day-November5 or contact Elizabeth Keller, director of Admissions, at kelleel@bethanyseminary.edu.
  
  
• The annual Global Mission Offering in support of Church of the Brethren mission efforts worldwide, as well as other ministries of the denomination, is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 10. This year’s theme is "Turn the World Upside Down" (Acts 17). For resources in English and Spanish go to www.brethren.org/site/PageServer?pagename=give_GlobalMissionOffering.
  
  
• IMA World Health welcomed Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) and three members of his staff to its headquarters at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md., on Sept. 8. IMA expressed its deep gratitude to Cardin, whose office made calls and joined the effort to locate three IMA staff members who were trapped in the rubble of the Hotel Montana after the January earthquake in Haiti. IMA president Rick Santos, one of the three survivors, presented the senator with a framed letter and plaque in appreciation. In other events during the day, Loretta Wolf, director of the Church of the Brethren’s Material Resources program, led a tour of the Distribution Center where a large shipment of medical supplies had been packed and sent to Haiti just a few days previously. A lunch reception was prepared by the New Windsor Conference Center.
  
  
• On Earth Peace has announced a Middle East Delegation co-sponsored with Christian Peacemaker Teams, scheduled for Jan. 4-17, 2011. "Join passionate, committed peacemakers on a journey to and through Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Hebron," said an invitation. "This is a unique opportunity to meet with Israeli and Palestinian peace and human rights workers; additionally, delegates will visit Palestinian familes whose homes and livelihoods are threatened by expanding Israeli settlements." Contact Rick Polhamus, delegation leader, at 937-313-4458 or jrp@goinx.com.
  
  
• McPherson (Kan.) Church of the Brethren is marking its 125th anniversary with a series of events starting with an anniversary worship service Sept. 26 led by Ruthann Knechel Johansen, president of Bethany Theological Seminary, and the McPherson College Concert Choir.
  
  
• Newton (Kan.) Church of the Brethren is hosting a presentation by Dr. Paul Ullom-Minnich, who will speak on Sept. 26 about his experiences with a Church of the Brethren medical mission to earthquake-stricken Haiti. In March the medical team held clinics in five different locations in five days, and saw close to 1,300 patients. The event begins at 6 p.m. with an ice cream social, followed by Ullom-Minnich’s presentation at 7 p.m.
  
  
• East Chippewa Church of the Brethren in Orrville, Ohio, honored Beulah Maurer on her 90th birthday, along with other members of a "90-plus club": Florence Martin, 91; Norman Hostetler, 91; Elizabeth Leatherman, 90; and Carl Hochstetler, 91.
  
  
• The nursery school at Manchester Church of the Brethren in North Manchester, Ind., is celebrating its 50th anniversary on Oct. 3.
  
  
• A workshop on the changing landscape of the church, "Job’s Lament, Job’s Friends, and Us: Re-Imagining the Kingdom of God," on Sept. 25 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m., is hosted by First Central Church of the Brethren in Kansas City, Kan. Led by Bethany Seminary president Ruthann Knechel Johansen, the workshop and lunch is provided at no cost to participants. For pastors, 0.5 continuing education credit is available for a $10 fee. Contact florylo@bethanyseminary.edu.
  
  
• A benefit concert by Mutual Kumquat at Bridgewater (Va.) Church of the Brethren netted $1,176.16 for the "Back to School: Burma" campaign of New Community Project. A generous matching fund grant was given by Rodney Smith of Midland (Va.) Church of the Brethren, who participated in a 2008 learning tour to Burma.
  
  
• The Brethren Disaster Relief Auction at Lebanon (Pa.) Valley Expo Center is this weekend, Sept. 24-25.
  
  
• The Indiana Camp Board has announced a decision to construct a new dining facility and welcome center at Camp Alexander Mack in Milford, Ind., following a fire that destroyed the camp's Becker Lodge. "It was decided to construct the Welcome Center (which will be the administrative offices) and the Dining Center/Kitchen as two buildings joined by a ‘Commons’ area or ‘Gathering Area,’" said a status report distributed by South Central Indiana District in early September. The "foot print" of the new building will be marked out at the Camp Mack Festival on Oct. 2. Planning for a retreat center to replace lost lodging facilities is still underway.
  
  
• Bridgewater (Va.) College will inaugurate George E. Cornelius as its eighth president on Oct. 7 with a ceremony at 10:30 a.m. (eastern) on the campus mall. Cornelius, who took office July 1, selected the inaugural theme, "Making a Difference," to affirm Bridgewater's commitment to honoring the past, living the present, and shaping the future. A week of activities complement the ceremony, which itself kicks off Homecoming. On Oct. 3, students can participate in a 15- to 20-mile bicycle ride with Cornelius, who is an avid bicyclist. On Oct. 4-8 the college will hold a food drive for the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. On Oct. 4, Cornelius will participate in dorm receptions. On the day of inauguration, the college hosts a reception, an inaugural festival for students, and a concert by the Symphonic Band. On Oct. 8, there will be an inaugural seminar. Activities conclude Oct. 9 with a joint worship service with Bridgewater Church of the Brethren.
  
  
• Enrollment at the University of La Verne (Calif.), a Church of the Brethren-related school, has set records this fall, according to a release. "Coming into this, its 119th academic year, La Verne’s enrollment had never exceeded 1,700 traditional undergraduate students," the release said. "Although final figures will not be available for several weeks, university officials have determined this year’s enrollment has surpassed 1,875 students." The figure represents a 23 percent increase from last year. In addition, the initial count for this year’s entering class shows more than 770 new undergraduate freshmen, transfer, and international students present during the first week of classes, "a 70 percent increase from the 453 of a year ago."
  
  
• McPherson (Kan.) College is celebrating a new Motorcycle Major with a "Bikes on the Lawn" motorcycle rally on Sept. 25, said a release that named McPherson as "the nation’s premier automotive restoration college." A complimentary barbecue lunch will be served. At 12:45 p.m., Automotive Restoration students are scheduled to turn a pile of parts into a fully assembled and running Ford Model T in less than 20 minutes.
  
  
• "Seeking God’s Grace for the Gulf" has been announced by the National Council of Churches as a day of worship, reflection, and healing for the destruction caused by the oil spill. On Sunday, Oct. 3, congregations across the country are invited to use the worship resources offered at www.nccecojustice.org/oilspill/seekinggodsgrace.php.
  
  
• The Church of North India (CNI) has called on the Indian government to protect Christians after schools and churches were attacked in "Quran anger violence," according to an Anglican news report. A mob burned down the Tungmarg Tyndale Biscoe branch school after hearing reports of a man desecrating the Quran in America. The school provided education to 550 children from 150 villages. The release noted that when the school library was burned, among other books copies of the Quran were destroyed. None of the staff were injured and all managed to escape. Other Christian institutions that came under attack included the Roman Catholic Good Shepherd High School at Pulwama, the CNI hospital at Anantnag, a CNI church in Malerkotla, Chandigarh Diocese, and a Roman Catholic Church in Poonch, Jammu. "It is a time to pray and act together," said a report in the CNI newsletter. CNI leaders had condemned the plans by a Florida pastor to burn a Quran, the report said, and are now urging the Christian community to stay calm and maintain peace.

Source: 9/23/2010 Newsline

Credits

Newsline is produced by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of news services for the Church of the Brethren, cobnews@brethren.org or 800-323-8039 ext. 260. Charles Bentley, Kathleen Campanella, Charles Culbertson, Chris Douglas, Emily Esworthy, Phil Jones, Adam Pracht, Marcia Shetler, Brian Solem, Christopher W. Zepp contributed to this report.