Brethren bits.

• Marvin W. Thill, 78, a former district executive in the Church of the Brethren, died on Dec. 19, 2012, at his home in Stockton, Ill. He was a retired ordained Church of the Brethren minister who served as served as Missouri/Arkansas District executive as well as pastor of a number of congregations in Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and Washington State. He also was a supporter of the denomination’s older adult ministry and instrumental in coordinating bus transportation to National Older Adult Conference (NOAC) for hundreds of older adults. He was born April 25, 1934, the son of William and Ruth (Bruss) Thill. He was a graduate of Stockton High School and Olivet Nazarene University. He married Betty Folkens on Aug. 12, 1954. In 1997 he retired to the Stockton area and served as pastor in the area of Freeport, Ill. He enjoyed raising sheep, back packing in the Cascade Mountains, photography, making post cards, master gardening, and raising corgis. He is survived by his wife Betty; two daughters, Kristin Thill (Mark McKenzie) of Oregon City, Ore., and Lisa Thill (Gordon Franck) of Columbia, Mo.; three sons, Curtis Thill (Yolanda Yoder) of Paoli, Ind., Byron Thill of Seattle, Wash., and Jeffrey (Karin) Thill of Orlando, Fla.; and grandchildren. A memorial service was held at Wesley United Methodist Church in Stockton. Memorial contributions are received to his favorite charities: Heifer International and On Earth Peace. Condolences and remembrances may be sent to the family at www.hermannfuneralhome.com .

• Todd Lilley of Bridgewater, Va., has been hired as Bridgewater College’s director of institutional advancement. Lilley brings an extensive background in development and fundraising, and will begin in early March. He has been serving at the Bridgewater Retirement Community as vice president for development. As director of institutional advancement, Lilley will oversee planning, coordination, and implementation of fundraising programs and alumni activities. He earned his bachelor’s degree in management and organizational development from Eastern Mennonite University and his master’s degree in religion and leadership from Liberty University. He is currently a doctoral candidate in organizational leadership at Shenandoah University. He is senior pastor at Mount Olivet United Brethren Church in Mt. Solon, Va.

• The Church of the Brethren’s Atlantic Southeast District seeks a district executive minister for a part-time position available July 1. The district includes comprises 17 congregations and 2 fellowships in Florida and 8 congregations and 2 fellowships in Puerto Rico. The district is culturally, ethnically, and theologically diverse. Its congregations are rural, suburban, and urban. The district has a strong interest in new church development and church renewal. Consideration is being given to separating Puerto Rico into its own district. The preferred candidate is a spiritually wise pastoral leader who offers inspiration and works collaboratively to envision the work of the district. The district office currently is located in Sebring, Fla. Responsibilities include serving as administrator of the board of the district, facilitating and giving general oversight to the planning and implementation of its ministries as directed by the District Conference and the District Board, and providing linkages to congregations, the Church of the Brethren denomination, and Annual Conference agencies; assisting congregations and pastors with placement; facilitating and encouraging the calling and credentialing of persons to set-apart ministry; building and strengthening relationships with congregations and pastors; using mediation skills to work with congregations in conflict; promoting unity in the district. Qualifications include a clear commitment to Jesus Christ demonstrated by a vibrant spiritual life with a commitment to New Testament values and to the Church of the Brethren faith and heritage; membership in the Church of the Brethren required, ordination preferred; bachelor’s degree required, master of divinity degree or beyond preferred; pastoral experience preferred; bi-lingual preferred; strong communication, mediation, and conflict resolution skills; strong administrative, organizational, and computer skills; passion for mission and ministry of the church, with an appreciation for cultural diversity; flexibility in working with staff, volunteer, pastoral, and lay leadership. Apply by sending a letter of interest and a resume via e-mail to OfficeofMinistry@brethren.org . Applicants are requested to contact 3 or 4 people to provide a letter of reference. Upon receipt of a resume a Candidate Profile will be sent that must be completed and returned before the application is considered complete. The application deadline is March 25.

• Brethren Benefit Trust (BBT) seeks an accountant for a temporary, part-time salaried position based in Elgin, Ill. BBT is an agency of the Church of the Brethren and a not-for-profit organization that provides Pension, Foundation, and Insurance services for 6,000 members and clients nationwide. Function: To support the director of Financial Operations with planned projects and assist the Finance Department staff with financial operations. Scope of duties: Responsibilities include establishing financial reports and budget in Great Plains accounting software; preparing audit schedules; assisting with year-end and month-end closings; assisting with transition from in-house to outsourced pension record-keeping system; and assisting with monthly reconciliation of investments, checking register and bank accounts, and daily valuation of Pension and Foundation funds. Additional responsibilities include confirming trading activity of mutual fund shares for Pension and Foundation investments; providing backup for payroll, accounts payable, and accounts receivable; conducting internal audits and testing for accuracy and compliance within each program offered by BBT; and other duties assigned by the director of Financial Operations. Knowledge/experience: BBT is seeking candidates with an undergraduate degree in accounting, business, or related fields. A CPA is preferred. Requirements include proficiency in Great Plains accounting software and Microsoft Office, demonstrated accounting competency related to not-for-profit/corporate financial transaction processing, as well as strong verbal and written communications skills. Current and active membership in the Church of the Brethren is preferred; current and active membership in a faith community is required. Salary and benefits are competitive with Church Benefits Association agencies of comparable size and scope of services. A full benefits package is included. Apply by sending a letter of interest, resume, three references (one supervisor or professor/teacher, one colleague, one friend), and salary range expectation to Donna March at 1505 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120, or dmarch@cobbt.org . For questions or clarification about the position, please call 847-622-3371. For more information about Brethren Benefit Trust, visit www.brethrenbenefittrust.org .

• General secretary Stanley J. Noffsinger is one of 36 Christian leaders of national denominations and organizations calling upon President Obama to urgently redouble his efforts for meaningful progress in the realization of peace between Israelis and Palestinians, according to a release from Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP). “This new year is also our new beginning, our opportunity to act upon our conviction that God can ‘make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert’ (Isaiah 43:19). Working together, Christians, Jews, and Muslims; Americans, Palestinians and Israelis can find a way to take steps that lead to a just, durable, and comprehensive end to the conflict. As followers of Jesus we can take action in hope that peace is possible, God can make a way, and we must do our part through prayer and action,” the release said. Find the full text of the letter at www.cmep.org/sites/default/files/letter%20to%20the%20President%20Jan%202013.pdf .

• The National Council of Churches (NCC) has issued an update on its recent work on gun violence prevention. “No one could have anticipated the tragedy in Newtown, nor the once-in-a-generation conviction it is creating in the public and on Capitol Hill to change our nation's policies on gun violence prevention. We have gathered our member communions so that together, we can provide a needed moral voice on this issue,” said the e-mail report from Cassandra Carmichael, director of the NCC’s Washington Office. “So far, here's what we have accomplished,” she reports: issued a media statement immediately after the Newtown shootings, sharing a 2010 resolution on Gun Violence Prevention; consolidated prayer, pastoral, and action resources from member communions and used them to promote the Gun Violence Prevention Sabbath; convened member communions' staff and stakeholders who work on gun violence issues; shared the NCC perspective on gun violence prevention at a meeting with Vice President Joe Biden; participated in two gun violence prevention media events, one at the National Cathedral in December and one at the United Methodist Building across from the US Capitol in January. Biden “told us in earnest that the faith community will raise the most important and authoritative voice in our nation's conversations on gun violence prevention,” Carmichael added. The NCC plans therefore to galvanize as much of its constituency as possible to participate in an interfaith Gun Violence Prevention call-in day to Congress on Feb. 4. For more information go to www.ncccusa.org/SHaction.html .

• The 2013 Global Mission and Service workcamp to Nigeria includes participants Jay Wittmeyer, missions executive, and Fern Dews of N. Canton, Ohio. The two will travel to Nigeria Jan. 27 to help with construction of a wall surrounding and enclosing the EYN Secondary School, a ministry of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria). They will work with students at the school, meet with EYN leadership and members, and travel to nearby places important to Brethren history in Nigeria. In response to ongoing violence in Nigeria, the two will carry letters of support gathered from churches and individuals from across the US, addressed to EYN leaders and members. To read more about Nigeria, visit www.brethren.org/partners/nigeria . The Global Mission and Service workcamp to South Sudan is scheduled for April 20-28. Find application materials and more information at www.brethren.org/partners/workcamp.html . All application materials are due to the Global Mission and Service office by March 8.

Photo by courtesy of Black Rock Church of the Brethren

• “Celebrating 275 years!! Black Rock Church unveils anniversary sign,” says a note from pastor Dave Miller announcing that Black Rock of the Brethren, established in 1738, is celebrating its 275th year of serving Christ and community in Southern Pennsylvania District. “Black Rock was the fourth Church of the Brethren planted in North America and the first west of the Susquehanna River,” he adds. Throughout 2013 the congregation will hold events that celebrate the church’s past legacy, communicate its present activity, and outline a vision for the future. Plans are under way for a Spring Fair with food and fun for all ages, a summer focus on service to the community launched with a Vacation Bible School on the theme of peace, a Fall Festival and Homecoming Weekend, and more. Black Rock Church is located near the Pennsylvania-Maryland state line in Glenville, Pa. For more information contact 717-637-6170 or blackrockcob@comcast.net or go to www.blackrockchurch.org .

• White Rock Church of the Brethren at Carthage in Floyd County, Va., this year is celebrating its 125th anniversary of becoming a congregation.

• Lincolnshire Church of the Brethren in Fort Wayne, Ind., holds a 13th annual “Taste of Chocolate” on Feb. 9. First seating is 5-6:30 p.m. Second seating is 7-8:30 p.m. Tickets are $9 for adults, $5 for ages 4-10, free for age 3 and under. Proceeds go to youth ministry. Contact the church office at 260-456-1993.

• Bridgewater (Va.) Church of the Brethren is hosting lunch and supper events featuring “Shrove Tuesday Pancakes,” in an annual pre-Lenten fellowship meal sponsored by the Bridgewater Home Auxiliary. The lunch is Feb. 12, from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., and supper will be served from 4-7 p.m. Cost is a free-will donation to support the work of the auxiliary in serving residents of the Bridgewater Home.

• Steve Crain, campus pastor at McPherson (Kan.) College, will lead sessions at the next Western Plains District Leadership Training event on Feb. 7-9. Crain, who is ordained in the Church of the Brethren and trained both at Fuller Theological Seminary and the University of Notre Dame where he earned a doctorate in theology, will lead the district in focusing on its statement of vision: “Rooted Together in Love to Be Christ’s Transforming Hope and Power.” A district announcement reported that participants will seek to answer the question, “How do we become a community in which Christ’s transforming hope and power can ‘take flesh’?” Sessions will include small group exercises in meditation and reflection, idea-building, and group spiritual direction. Contact the district office, 620-241-4240 or wpdcb@sbcglobal.net .

• Pastors in Northern Plains District are joining together in a new project to preach on the denominational vision statement. “Central Iowa Brethren pastors meet once a month to share how our ministries are going and how we are doing personally,” writes pastor Laura Leighton-Harris of Peace Church of the Brethren. “At the October meeting we reviewed the Church of the Brethren Vision Statement passed by the 2012 Annual Conference and decided we would each preach a four-part sermon series on it during January.... We also invited the other pastors in Northern Plains District to join us." The group is working together via e-mail, sharing scripture reflections, sermon ideas, worship plans, hymns, etc. Quite a few pastors are doing the preaching series and sharing their thoughts and plans by e-mail, she reports. "This has been a very rewarding experience and we are discussing future collaborative sermon series." Find the denominational Vision Statement and related resources at www.brethren.org/about/vision.html .

• Camp Eder near Fairfield, Pa., offers a Winter Camp for children and youth on Feb. 8-10. The theme is “All Things New” (Genesis 1). Cost is $75. For more information go to www.campeder.org/winter-camp .

• Camp Mack near Milford, Ind., has released its 2013 events, retreats, and summer camps brochure. “God Makes All Things New” is the 2013 Camp Mack theme, taken from Isaiah 41:19.
  
  “Check out the first events of the year,” invites the camp in a Facebook post. “Our first quilt retreat of the year is Feb. 14-17.” For more information go to www.campmack.org/files/adult_and_family_forms_info/Winter_Quilt_Reteat_2013.pdf .

• McPherson (Kan.) College is offering more than $80,000 in prizes for Kansas high school entrepreneurs in its second “Jump Start Kansas” program. Every year, “Jump Start Kansas”--created and hosted by McPherson College--awards two grand-prize grants of $5,000 to a Kansas high school student or team of students who present the best entrepreneurial idea. One grant is given in the area of commercial entrepreneurship, and one for social entrepreneurship. The grants come with no stipulation that the high school students attend McPherson College, said a release. The grand prize winners may receive a $20,000 scholarship to McPherson College across four years. All students for the remaining eight finalist ideas will be offered a $4,000, four-year scholarship to attend the college. Students can enter with their ideas between now and Jan. 28 at www.mcpherson.edu/jumpstartkansas .

• Living Stream Church of the Brethren, a new online church in Pacific Northwest District, has launched a video contest. The church seeks submissions of spiritual or scripture-based videos for its Lenten worship services, according to an announcement from pastor Audrey deCoursey. The contest is open to all and seeks original content in music, photography, animation, interviews, and more to reach its audience of roughly 100 people each week. Submission guidelines are available at www.livingstreamcob.org . Living Stream worships live on Sunday evenings, and participated in the National Council of Churches’ Gun Violence Prevention Sabbath. Now in its second month of weekly worship, the ministry has reached worshipers in over a dozen states and four countries, deCoursey reports. She is working with Portland Peace Church of the Brethren as the ministry grows to provide community and encouragement to persons who may not have a connection to another congregation. For more information, e-mail contact@livingstreamcob.org .

• The Bittersweet Gospel Band was in Puerto Rico from Jan. 14-21 for the Annual Assemblea of the Churches of the Brethren in Puerto Rico, held this year at Castañer Iglesias de los Hermanos. The band included Gilbert Romero from Los Angeles, Calif.; Dan and Abby Shaffer from western Pennsylvania; Leah Hileman from Florida; Trey Curry and Scott Duffey from Staunton, Va. Duffey delivered the message for the opening worship based on the conference theme from Isaiah 40:9, "Lift Up Your Voice." The band played four worship concerts while in Puerto Rico, including concerts at the congregations at Arecibo and Bayamon, and at a rehabilitation center. At Bayamon, the band presented a guitar as a gift to the congregation from Staunton Church of the Brethren. Lillian Reyes, pastor of the Bayamon church, “received the gift and immediately passed it on to a teenage girl in the congregation who has expressed a desire to take guitar lessons and play for church, but she had no instrument,” Duffey reported in a note for Newsline.

• In a newsletter this week, the Brethren Revival Fellowship has given an update on its Brethren Mission Fund and decisions made for use of funds. Among its support of a variety of mission workers, the BMF is making a one-time gift of $5,000 to the Church of the Brethren Theological Training Academy in Spain on Feb. 20-27, channeled through the denomination’s Emerging Global Mission Fund. A one-time gift of $3,000 is going to pastoral leadership training for the Haitian Church of the Brethren, channeled through the denomination’s Global Mission and Service office.

• "Lent is coming!" reminds the Global Women's Project (GWP), which is offering a Lenten calendar again this year. The calendar shares stories and information from GWP partner projects around the world, and provides daily devotionals and "invigorating activities," said the announcement. To receive the calendar either electronically or on paper, send a request to cobgwp@gmail.com . GWP also has published its annual newsletter featuring partner project updates, a remembrance for Barbara Smith, a financial report, and a note about celebrations being planned for the organization’s 35th anniversary. The newsletter is online at http://globalwomensproject.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/gwp-newsletter-2013.pdf .

Photo by Heeding God's Call

• Heeding God’s Call planted 331 t-shirts on a church lawn Saturday to remember the 331 Philadelphians murdered in 2012. The event at Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill on Germantown Avenue in Philadelphia, drew attention to “too many gun deaths” and was intended as a challenge to the mayor to act to stem the flow of illegal guns in the city. Heeding God’s Call is a faith-based grassroots movement to prevent gun violence headquartered in Philadelphia, where it began during a conference of the Historic Peace Churches (Church of the Brethren, Mennonites, and Quakers). The organization brings pressure to bear on gun shops to persuade them to avoid selling to people who would put guns on the street. It is currently active at two gun shops in Northeast Philadelphia and one in Washington, D.C. For more information contact info@heedinggodscall.org or 267-519-5302.

• La Verne (Calif.) Church of the Brethren member Russell Traughber has written “Driving the Birds” for Jabonkah Sackey, who was born in Liberia in 1948 and suffered the horror of female genital mutilation “at the cutting hands of the Secret Society at age eight,” he reports in a note to Newsline. “As horrible as this is, Jabonkah's story proves courageous and uplifting. She asked me to write her story to be free of the secrets of her childhood and to do her part in stopping FGM. I believe ‘Driving the Birds’ will be meaningful to my fellow Church of the Brethren members and help raise awareness about FGM and the problem it continues to be, especially in Africa.” More about Traughber’s book is available at www.amazon.com .

Source: 1/24/2013 Newsline

Credits

Newsline is produced by the news services of the Church of the Brethren. Contact the editor at cobnews@brethren.org. Contributors to this issue of Newsline include Anna Emrick, Mary Jo Flory-Steury, Mary Kay Heatwole, Keith Morphew, Hallie Pilcher, Brian Solem, and editor Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of News Services for the Church of the Brethren.

Newsline: January 10, 2013

NEWS

• Special provisions make IRA Charitable Rollover extension more complex.
• Applicants sought for Ministry Summer Service, Youth Peace Travel Team.

PERSONNEL

• Kettering begins as coordinator of Intercultural Ministries.
• Coordinators are named for National Youth Conference 2014.

UPCOMING EVENTS

• ‘Strengthening Your Small Congregation’ to be held in mid-April at Camp Mack.
• Clergy tax seminar is Feb. 11, both online and at seminary campus.
• Bridgewater College to host conference on substance abuse prevention.

FEATURES

• At home in beloved community.
• Litany of Commitment: A worship resource on gun violence using the words of Martin Luther King Jr.

BRETHREN BITS

• Ecumenical job opening, Lent devotions from Bethany faculty, new church development webcast to come, and more.

Special provisions make IRA Charitable Rollover extension more complex.

By now many are aware that the IRA charitable rollover has been extended through the end of 2013. There are some special provisions this time that make it more complex. Read on to learn about the details of the law.

The IRA charitable rollover has proven a popular way for donors to support their favorite causes. It enables donors to make a gift to charity from their IRA and not include the distributed amount in their taxable income. Beyond making it easier to make gifts from their IRA, this can be advantageous for donors from a tax standpoint if:

• They do not itemize deductions.

• They pay state income tax but cannot take charitable deductions on the state return.

• They would not be able to deduct all of their charitable contributions because of deduction limitations.

• An increase in taxable income may negatively impact their ability to use other deductions.

The extension keeps in place all of the previous requirements in order for the transfer to qualify:

• The donor must be at least 70 1/2 years of age when the gift is made.

• The transfer must be made directly from the IRA administrator to the charity.

• The gifts from the IRA cannot exceed $100,000 per person or $200,000 for a couple in a given year.

• They can only be outright gifts (they cannot fund a charitable gift annuity or charitable trust).

• No goods or services can be given in exchange.

• The gift cannot be made to a donor-advised fund or a supporting organization.

The law is retroactive and includes gifts in 2012 as well as 2013. This helps donors who made qualifying IRA distributions in 2012 in the hope that the provision would be extended. These donors need to make sure they get a receipt that has the required information for IRA charitable rollover gifts.

If donors did not make a qualifying gift in 2012 but would still like to, they can do so in one of two time-limited ways:

• Make a 2012 IRA rollover in January 2013. A donor can do a rollover gift in January and elect to have this be considered made in 2012. There is a short window of opportunity for this--it must be made by the end of January. How the election is to be made will be specified by the secretary of the Treasury Department later this year (presumably before April 15!).

• Convert a December 2012 IRA distribution into a 2012 IRA charitable rollover gift. Some donors waited to take their required minimum distributions until December, hoping that the IRA rollover would be extended for 2012. If that is the case, and the distribution meets all of the IRA rollover criteria except for the direct transfer to charity requirement, donors can now claim it as a charitable rollover gift in 2012, to the extent that they now transfer the distribution in cash to the qualifying organization.

This transfer from their bank account to the charitable organization must occur by Jan. 31, 2013. If the donor took a distribution in December and made a gift to a qualifying organization in December, these two can be tied together, as long as the charitable distribution occurred after the withdrawal from the IRA.

It is not clear at this time what the Internal Revenue Service will require from the taxpayer (donor) to document this gift arrangement. Please contact the Brethren Foundation if you would like to receive this information when it becomes available.

This is great news for the not-for-profit community and its donors, and a good way to start the new year!

-- From the Newsline editor: Our thanks to Brethren Benefit Trust (BBT) staff Brian Solem for submitting this report to Newsline, with information provided by PGCalc.

Contact the Brethren Foundation if you would like to receive more information about the IRS requirements to document rollover gifts, when it becomes available. Call 888-311-6530 or 847-695-0200 or e-mail bfi@cobbt.org.

Contact the Church of the Brethren Donor Relations team for more information or help with giving a gift to the Church of the Brethren denomination: John R. Hipps at jhipps@brethren.org or Mandy Garcia at mgarcia@brethren.org.

Church members interested in supporting other Church of the Brethren-related agencies through the IRA charitable rollover are encouraged to contact those organizations directly. A directory of church agencies is available at www.brethren.org/about/directory.html.

Source: 1/10/2013 Newsline

Applicants sought for Ministry Summer Service, Youth Peace Travel Team.

Photo by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford

2010 Youth Peace Travel Team - jumping

The denomination’s Youth and Young Adult Ministry is seeking applicants for Ministry Summer Service and the 2013 Youth Peace Travel Team. Registration for both of these summer programs closes on Friday, Jan. 11. Go to www.brethren.org/yya/mss for more about Ministry Summer Service. Go to www.brethren.org/yya/peaceteam.html for more on the Youth Peace Travel Team.

Ministry Summer Service

Ministry Summer Service (MSS) is a leadership development program for college students in the Church of the Brethren, who spend 10 weeks of the summer working in the church--either in a  congregation, district office, camp, Youth Peace Travel Team, or denominational program.

Through MSS, God calls congregations to reach out in the ministry of teaching and receiving new leadership, and God calls young adults to explore the possibility of church work as their vocation.

The MSS orientation dates for 2013 are May 31-June 5. Interns are required to spend one week at the orientation with the other interns, followed by nine weeks working in a church setting to develop leadership skills and to explore a call to ministry. Interns receive a $2,500 tuition grant, food and housing for 10 weeks, $100 per month spending money, transportation from orientation to their placement, transportation from their placement to home.

Congregations and other placement sites are expected to provide an atmosphere for learning, reflection, and development of leadership skills of the intern; a setting for intern to engage in ministry and service for a 10-week period; a stipend of $100 a month, plus room and board; transportation on the job and travel of the intern from orientation to the placement site; a structure for planning, developing, and implementing a ministry or service project in a variety of areas; financial resources and time for the pastor or another mentor to attend two days of orientation.

Mentors are expected to spend at least an hour a week with the intern in intentional supervision or mentoring, using materials shared during orientation or other ideas to develop their own model and style for doing mentoring or supervision; informally check in daily with the intern for questions, progress reports, and feedback; negotiate expectations for the number of hours the intern will work each week; prepare a written report; assist the placement site in creating a support network for the intern; communicate expectations and responsibilities to the intern and to the congregation or placement site; attend a two day orientation.

Four of the Church of the Brethren-related colleges and universities (Bridgewater, Elizabethtown, Manchester, and McPherson) provide $2,500 scholarship from the respective college for the first two interns from their institutions who participate in MSS, and the Ministry Summer Service program provides $2,500 per student for each young adult from other colleges.

For more information go to www.brethren.org/yya/mss.

Youth Peace Travel Team

The Youth Peace Travel Team, composed of Ministry Summer Service interns, is sponsored by the Church of the Brethren, On Earth Peace, and the Outdoor Ministries Association. The group gives peace programs at a variety of camps and conferences over the summer including the Annual Conference of the Church of the Brethren.

The first Youth Peace Travel Team was formed in the summer of 1991 as a cooperative effort of a number of Church of the Brethren programs. Since that year, a team has been fielded every summer. The members of the team travel to Brethren camps throughout the US with the goal of talking with other young people about the Christian message and the Brethren tradition of peacemaking.

College age Church of the Brethren young adults (19-22 years old) will be selected for the next team. Team members receive the same scholarship and benefits as other MSS interns.

Go to www.brethren.org/yya/peaceteam.html or for more information, contact the Youth and Young Adult Ministry office at 800-323-8039 ext. 385 or cobyouth@brethren.org.

Source: 1/10/2013 Newsline

Kettering begins as coordinator of Intercultural Ministries.

Photo by Ken Wenger

Gimbiya Kettering, shown here speaking at the On Earth Peace breakfast at the 2009 Annual Conference

Gimbiya Kettering began Jan. 7 in a part-time position as coordinator of Intercultural Ministries for the Church of the Brethren. Her position is within the staff of Congregational Life Ministries.

The focus of her position will be to facilitate planning for the Intercultural Consultation and Celebration and its successors, to strengthen and develop networks of support for ethnic minority congregations and their leaders, and to assist denominational staff in becoming more effective at helping the church live out the intercultural vision articulated in the Annual Conference paper “Separate No More.”

She brings a lifetime of experience with the Church of the Brethren, both abroad and in the US, which has been enhanced with ecumenical relationships. As a young adult of color, she brings insight and passion toward building an intercultural identity for the Church of the Brethren.

In previous service to the church, Kettering was communications coordinator for On Earth Peace for close to five years, from Aug. 2007-Dec. 2011. She has a degree in International Studies from Maryville College, Tenn., and holds an MFA degree in Creative Writing from American University. Recently she was named the “Undiscovered Voices Scholar” at the Writer's Center in Bethesda, Md., she has been published in national literary magazines, and continues to work on her first novel. After college, she interned with her father Merlyn Kettering on a series of workshops and peace gatherings led by the New Sudan Council of Churches and sponsored by the Church of the Brethren, which culminated with the publication of a book entitled “Inside Sudan: The Story of People-to-People Peacemaking in Southern Sudan.”

She remains rooted in Maple Grove Church of the Brethren in Ashland, Ohio, and lives in the Washington, D.C., area.

Source: 1/10/2013 Newsline

Coordinators are named for National Youth Conference 2014.

Three coordinators have been named for National Youth Conference 2014, to be held July 19-24, 2014, on the campus of Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colo.: Katie Cummings, Tim Heishman, and Sarah Neher.

Katie Cummings hails from Summit Church of the Brethren in Bridgewater, Va. She graduated from Bridgewater College in 2012 with a major in sociology and a minor in peace studies. She currently is serving in Brethren Volunteer Service as an assistant coordinator for the Church of the Brethren workcamp ministry.

Tim Heishman calls the North Baltimore Mennonite Church “home” this year as he serves as a youth leader through Mennonite Voluntary Service and also teaches seventh graders at Acts4Youth, an after-school program in the city. Over the years, he has called many places “home,” including the Dominican Republic where his parents served as Church of the Brethren mission workers. He graduated from Eastern Mennonite University in 2012 with majors in biblical studies and history.

Sarah Neher, currently a senior at McPherson (Kan.) College, calls McPherson Church of the Brethren her home church. She will complete student teaching this spring, and graduate in May with a degree in biology education.

The three coordinators will meet Feb. 15-17 with the National Youth Cabinet to begin planning the next National Youth Conference.

--Becky Ullom Naugle is director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry.

Source: 1/10/2013 Newsline

‘Strengthening Your Small Congregation’ to be held in mid-April at Camp Mack.

Photo courtesy of Margaret Marcuson

Margaret Marcuson

“Strengthening Your Small Congregation” is the title of a day-long event planned for Saturday, April 13, from 8:45 a.m.-4 p.m. at Camp Alexander Mack in Milford, Ind. The gathering will be devoted to encouraging and equipping pastors and lay leaders of small congregations. It is designed especially to reach those in Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio who can travel to Camp Mack within a reasonable amount of time, but it is open to anyone.

Keynote leadership will be provided by Margaret Marcuson, whose presentation will be on “Leaders Who Last: Sustaining Yourself in Small Church Ministry.”

Congregational Life Ministries executive Jonathan Shively reports some of the story behind the event, featuring two Indiana pastors: Kay Gaier of Wabash Church of the Brethren, and Brenda Hostetler Meyer of Benton Mennonite Church.

The two women met through a Lilly-funded program for small church pastors. “Kay approached me in 2010 about their enthusiasm for the work they’d done and their desire to pass along the same encouragement and insight to other pastors and leaders of small churches like theirs,” Shively remembers. “We had them do an insight session in Grand Rapids (at the Annual Conference), which was standing room only and very well received.

“A few months ago Kay contacted me and said that they were planning a day-long event for small church leaders and that they had already arranged for the keynote leader, Margaret Marcuson, who had worked with them in the Lilly process. They were looking for some support from Mennonite and Church of the Brethren folk. They realized quickly that you don’t just put together a conference, and so we’ve been working collaboratively to give shape to the event.

“I love the initiative of these two pastors and the vision they have for supporting others in the vital ministry of smaller congregations!”

Contributing partners are the Congregational Life Ministries, the Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference and the Central District Conference of the Mennonite Church USA, and the Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary. Endorsing partners are Bethany Theological Seminary, the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership, and two Church of the Brethren districts: Northern Indiana and South/Central Indiana.

Marcuson speaks and writes on leadership and works with church leaders in the US and Canada as a consultant and coach. She is author of “111 Tips to Survive Pastoral Ministry,” “Leaders who Last: Sustaining Yourself and Your Ministry,” and “Money and Your Ministry: Balance the Books While Keeping Your Balance” (forthcoming). She has taught in the Leadership in Ministry workshop, a family systems training program for clergy, since 1999. An American Baptist minister, she pastored First Baptist Church of Gardner, Mass., for 13 years, where the average worship attendance was 80 people.

The schedule for the day includes opening and closing worship, a keynote address in the morning, followed by a panel discussion with small church pastors, lunch, and two afternoon workshop sessions. Workshops will be offered on the following topics:

• “Worship in Your Own Voice”

• “Fair Fighting in the Small Church: Caring for Each Other Through Divisive Issues”

• “Money and Your Ministry: Balance the Books While Keeping Your Balance”

• “Discerning Our Congregation’s Future: Finding the Meeting Place of God's Intention and Our Hope”

• “The Pastoral Care Team: Elders and Deacons and Pastors, Oh My!”

• “The Gift of Leadership: Structures for Small Congregations”

• “Welcoming and Nurturing Children within the Small Congregation”

• “Evangelism: A Mindset for Mission”

Also an open coaching session with Marcuson will be offered. Participants are invited to bring a challenge from their own churches to this session, at which Marcuson will coach several participants and observers will have the chance to think through possibilities and solutions for their own leadership settings.

Cost is $50 for the first person from a congregation, and $25 for each additional person from the same congregation. Students enrolled in ministry training may attend for $25. Continuing education units are available for an additional $10 fee.

Find out more and register at www.brethren.org/smallchurch . A Facebook page is available at www.facebook.com/smallchurch or go to www.facebook.com/events/173968569409127 . A Twitter stream is planned as well, to be found at #smallchurch2013. For more information, contact 800-323-8039 ext. 303 or congregationallife@brethren.org.

Source: 1/10/2013 Newsline

Clergy tax seminar is Feb. 11, both online and at seminary campus.

The annual tax seminar for clergy will be held on Monday, Feb. 11, sponsored by the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership, the Church of the Brethren Office of Ministry, and Bethany Theological Seminary's Office of Electronic Communication. Students, pastors, and other church leaders are invited to attend, either in person at the seminary in Richmond, Ind., or online.

The sessions will cover tax law for clergy, changes for 2012 (the most current tax year), and detailed assistance as to how to correctly file the tax forms and schedules that pertain to clergy including housing allowances, self-employment, W-2s clergy reductions, and so forth.

Participants will learn how to file clergy taxes correctly and legally and how to comply with regulations while maximizing tax deductions, and will earn .3 continuing education credit.

Greatly appreciated by Bethany Seminary students, this seminar is now open to clergy and others across the denomination. It is recommended for all pastors and other church leaders who wish to understand clergy taxes including treasurers, steward commission chairs, and church board chairs.

The seminar takes place Feb. 11 with the following schedule: morning session from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. (eastern time) with .3 continuing education units available upon request for live attendance; afternoon session from 2-4 p.m. (eastern time). Lunch is not included.

Registration is $20 per person. Registration for current students of Bethany Seminary, the Brethren Academy programs (TRIM, EFSM, SeBAH), and Earlham School of Religion are fully subsidized although registration is still required to reserve a seat. Registration also is required for those attending online to allow proper access to the online seminar and for instructions and handouts to be sent a few days prior to the event. Registrations are not complete until payment is received. For space and quality reasons, registrations may be capped at 25 persons locally and 85 persons online.

Leadership is provided by Deb Oskin, EA, NTPI fellow, who has been doing clergy tax returns since 1989 when her husband became pastor of a small Church of the Brethren congregation. She has learned the problems and pitfalls associated with the IRS's identification of clergy as "hybrid employees," both from a personal and professional perspective. During her 12 years with H&R Block (2000-2011), she achieved the company’s highest level of expertise certification as master tax adviser, and teaching certification as certified advanced instructor, and has earned the status of enrolled agent with the IRS and is qualified to represent clients to the IRS. She was called by Living Peace Church of the Brethren in Columbus, Ohio, to be the peace minister to the wider community in 2004 and served as Southern Ohio District board chair from 2007-2011. She also works closely with several interfaith peace organizations in central Ohio and currently operates her own independent tax service specializing in clergy taxes.

Register for the seminar at www.bethanyseminary.edu/webcasts/clergytax2013.

Source: 1/10/2013 Newsline

Bridgewater College to host conference on substance abuse prevention.

A conference and continuing education opportunity that explores substance abuse prevention and treatment methods will be held at Bridgewater (Va.) College on Jan. 26 from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. in Bowman Hall.

Sponsored by the Shenandoah District of the Church of the Brethren, the conference is open to all members of the community including pastors, youth leaders, lay leaders, substance abuse prevention professionals, students, and parents.

The conference will include guest speakers, a panel discussion, and activities designed to examine current trends and explore how drugs work, cultural sensitivity, risk factors for addiction, assessments and referrals, tools for church engagement, signs and symptoms of abuse, and short- and long-term outcomes.

Topics also include “Substance Abuse Across Development,” “Environmental Scan: Media’s Impact on Perception of Risk” and “Risk Factors for Use and Abuse.”

“Substance abuse is our nation’s number-one public health problem, with more than 25 percent of our country dealing with some form of chemical addition,” said Brian Kelley, associate professor of psychology and department chair at Bridgewater and organizer of the conference. “While substance abuse may conjure up images of sordid neighborhoods and dangerous, predatory drug dealers, the most serious drug abuse problems often occur in our own homes and include drugs and chemicals that are the most easily accessible like cigarettes, alcohol, prescription pills, and inhalants.”

Kelley said nearly every home in America contains a chemical that potentially may be abused and that “the most common drug dealer in the US is parents.” The most common age for drug-use initiation, he said, is the teen years.

“While it is true that faith and fellowship provide significant protective factors for reducing substance use and abuse, many folks in our various faith communities end up leaving just when they need support the most, generally in their late teens and early twenties, and don’t come back to the church,” Kelley said. “Or, if they do, it is generally in their forties after drugs have already ravished their lives. Our community would benefit tremendously from a concentrated and coordinated message of support from our faith communities.”

He said the goal of the conference is to help explain the scope of the problem and equip faith leaders with more effective prevention and treatment strategies.

The cost of the conference is $30, which includes a DVD, handouts, and light breakfast. A lunch buffet is an additional $7.50. To register or RSVP, contact Kelley via e-mail by Jan. 11 at bkelleyphd@gmail.com.

-- Mary K. Heatwole is editorial assistant for medial relations in the Office of Marketing and Communications at Bridgewater College. For more about the college see www.bridgewater.edu .

Source: 1/10/2013 Newsline

At home in beloved community.

Photo by Steve Pavey, courtesy of CPT

The Freedom Ride group sings together

The following reflection by Lizz Schallert, development assistant at On Earth Peace, was originally published by Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) on Dec. 19, 2012:

In November I received an e-mail from Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) describing the 21st Century Freedom Ride, asking if someone would be willing to represent CPT on the trip. After reviewing the website, I quickly jumped on the opportunity to spend a weekend with Vincent Harding and dozens of folks representing present social justice movements. I am thankful to be a part of CPT and support its work to reduce violence and undo structural oppression.

Over the weekend of the Freedom Ride I found myself celebrating the diversity of God’s people: openly undocumented youth, recently incarcerated women now working against our prison industrial complex, formerly homeless men seeking shelter for others, sisters and brothers at various Catholic Worker houses and intentional Christian communities, and those carrying on the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement by fighting for racial justice--certainly an unlikely gathering in the eyes of the world.

What is the thread that binds us together in our diverse ages, races, and stories? How did we all end up on a bus travelling across southern states, visiting war zones and holy sites of the Civil Rights Movement? As the weekend progressed, answers to these questions emerged.

While Dr. Harding spoke to us and encouraged us toward the New America, the "America that must be born again," the dust began to settle and the spool began to spin. We all wanted to be midwives in this work--to dream, to yearn, to create this "country that does not exist, of which we are citizens."

Throughout the weekend we were blessed, critiqued, and encouraged by Dr. Harding as we envisioned a new democracy. We sat close, shared the microphone, and incarnationally found ourselves living what we hope for.

As a Christian, I could not help but draw connections between our discussions of hope for a new country with my hope for a new Church. As a somewhat lost Catholic-Quaker-Brethren who grew up in the Church of Christ, I felt at home for a few days. Every voice mattered. Everyone was seeking the truth.

Before boarding the bus to Alabama I was hoping I could still make it to Mass on Sunday, particularly in this season of Advent, when we anticipate and hope for the return of Christ in us and the world. This desire gently diminished and disappeared as Dr. Harding put on Ben Branch's Operation Breadbasket Orchestra's version of "Precious Lord, Take My Hand" during our first gathering over the weekend.

As the song came over us our eyes began to close, our toes tapped, and we were together. Our barriers no longer mattered. Eternity mingled with the present. This is the Holy Church, I thought. This is the work we are to be about. Here we were, in 2012, a rag-tag mix of concerned citizens of a "country that does not exist," singing Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s last request.

"Ben, make sure you play 'Precious Lord' in the meeting tonight. Play it real pretty," Martin Luther King Jr. said on April 4, 1968, at the Lorraine Motel, just before his assassination.

-- Lizz Schallert is development assistant at On Earth Peace. Christian Peacemaker Teams was founded by the Historic Peace Churches (Church of the Brethren, Mennonites, and Quakers) and has the mission to build partnerships to transform violence and oppression, with a vision of a world of communities that together embrace the diversity of the human family and live justly and peaceably with all creation. For more go to www.cpt.org.

Source: 1/10/2013 Newsline

Litany of Commitment: A worship resource on gun violence using the words of Martin Luther King Jr.

This Litany of Commitment includes words of Martin Luther King Jr., from a speech to Clergy and Laity Against the Vietnam War, delivered less than a month before his death. Written by pastor Dolores McCabe and Susan Windle, it was first published in the Heeding God’s Call newsletter before the most recent school shooting at Newtown, Conn. Newsline shares it here as a resource for celebrations of Martin Luther King Day on Jan. 21.
 
Leader: In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, “the calling to speak is often a vocation of agony, but we must speak. We must speak with all the humility that is appropriate to our limited vision, but we must speak.”

People: Listen to our voices.

Leader: We are the mothers and fathers who have children who will never grow old, because they have been shot dead on the city streets.

People: Listen to our voices.

Leader: We are brothers and sisters who are growing up without seeing what our siblings would become, and we want to end the killing.

People: Listen to our voices.

Leader: We are cousins, aunts, uncles, neighbors.... We are all related to the victims of violence.

People: Listen to our voices.

Leader: We are the children of the most high God. We speak for the voiceless of Tucson, Columbine, Virginia Tech, Aurora, Colorado, Oak Park,Wisconsin.... For the voiceless of Philadelphia and all the wounded cities and towns throughout this nation, for all beloved communities torn by the ravages of gun violence.

People: Listen to our voices.

Leader: In the words of Dr. King, "We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history there is such a thing as being too late."

People: Now is the time.

Leader: Now is the time to end the senseless killing of our boys and girls, our men and women.

People: Now is the time.

Leader: Now is the time to cease the profligate sale of assault weapons and all multiple firing guns, weapons meant only for murder.

People: Now is the time.

Leader: Now is the time to rid our streets of all illegal weapons, to put a stop to the straw purchasing of firearms.

People: Now is the time.

Leader: Now is the time to demand that gun dealers adhere to an ethical "Code of Conduct,” a code of behavior that holds them accountable to the communities in which they do their business.

People: Now is the time.

Leader: Returning to the voice and message of Martin Luther King, “We as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values. We must rapidly begin the shift from a 'thing-oriented' society to a 'person-oriented' society.”

People: Now is the time.

Leader: With homage again to Dr. King, we say “...let us begin...let us rededicate ourselves to the long and bitter but beautiful struggle for a new world.”

All: Listen to our voices. Now is the time.

-- This litany was shared by Heeding God’s Call, a faith-based movement to prevent gun violence. Heeding God’s Call was started during a meeting of the Historic Peace Churches in Philadelphia, Pa., and now has chapters in other areas of Pennsylvania including Harrisburg, as well as Baltimore, Md., and Washington, D.C. For more go to www.heedinggodscall.org.

Source: 1/10/2013 Newsline

Brethren bits.

• The Colorado Council of Churches based in Denver, Colo. is seeking an executive director beginning May 15, to lead a state-wide, ecumenical community where covenant relationships and partnership efforts can flourish, advancing the mission “Walking Together in Faith, Working Together for Justice.” The executive serves as the primary face and voice of the council within the Christian community, interfaith relations, and addressing social justice issues. Information about the position, scope, qualifications, compensation, and application process may be found at www.cochurches.org . Send application materials to ApplicationCCC@stlukeshr.com . First consideration is being given to applications that were received by Jan. 4.

• Bethany Seminary faculty will offer Lenten devotionals continuing in the style of the Advent devotionals previously offered on Bethany’s website. Seminary teaching and administrative faculty will write the devotionals. Beginning Feb. 11, devotionals for Ash Wednesday, each Sunday in Lent, and Easter will be at www.bethanyseminary.edu/resources/devotionals based on Lenten lectionary texts. It is hoped that the insights, meditations, and prayers shared by the seminary faculty will be meaningful and useful to congregations, organizations, and individuals throughout the season.

• Those planning to travel to the Holy Land in June with the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership trip led by Marilyn Lerch and Dan Ulrich, are requested to check now to be sure that passports are good through the end of 2013. If not, apply for a new passport today, notes Lerch in a reminder. For details of the trip go to www.bethanyseminary.edu/academy/courses or be in touch with the leaders at ulricda@bethanyseminary.edu or lerchma@bethanyseminary.edu .  The 12-day trip will begin on June 3.

• The New Church Development Advisory Committee (NCDA) of the Church of the Brethren has announced its first webcast training event, a half-day session to be held May 18. “It is the vision of the New Church Development Advisory Committee to bring our district teams and leaders together for this unique learning opportunity that will include a keynote presentation and conversation groups,” said the announcement. The committee includes Rubén Deoleo, Lynda Devore, Steven Gregory, Dava Hensley, Ray Hileman, Don Mitchell, Nate Polzin, David Shumate, and Jonathan Shively, executive director of Congregational Life Ministries. Stan Dueck, director of Transforming Practices, is involved as well.

• Sangerville Church of the Brethren in Shenandoah District is hosting an organ concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 13, in celebration of its new Viscount Prestige 100 organ. The concert is presented by Whitesel Music and features organist Jesse Ratcliffe.

• Beacon Heights Church of the Brethren in Fort Wayne, Ind., hosted an information session about drones this past Sunday, Jan. 6, during the adult education hour with youth also invited to attend. Dave Lambert brought a model of a drone, showed a video, and led a discussion about how drones are used and misused, what the dangers are, and what church members can do.

• The Agape Group at Manassas (Va.) Church of the Brethren is planning to attend the Feb. 12 Annual Lincoln Cemetery Ceremony in Rockingham County, Va., at the Lincoln Homestead--the original residence of President Abraham Lincoln’s grandfather. For the past 34 years, Church of the Brethren leader Phil Stone has conducted a ceremony in the Lincoln cemetery to honor President Lincoln and his Virginia family, said the announcement.

• Virlina District has announced that its District Resource Center in Roanoke, Va., will relocate to 3402 Plantation Road, NE, in Roanoke, as soon as renovations of the new facility--a former bank building--are complete. As a result of the move, the district office will be closed through Jan. 14, at 8:30 a.m. On that date the new mailing address will become effective. Telephone and e-mail contact information will not change. Until renovations are complete, the district staff will work out of space provided by Williamson Road Church of the Brethren at 3110 Pioneer Ave., NW, in Roanoke. The district’s old facility on Hershberger Road will be demolished and the site landscaped as a part of a beautification project of Friendship Retirement Center. The district plans a “dismissal service” to mark the end of its 47-year residency on the campus of the retirement community on Jan. 12 at 5 p.m.

• In more news from Virlina District, churches and individuals have been contributing to a special offering for Hurricane Sandy response. “Thus far we have received $24,162.92 from 44 congregations,” reports the district e-newsletter.

• Northern Plains District has announced the launch of the Vital Ministry Journey in the district, as a previous program called Sending of the Seventy wraps up. “Meetings will be held in January and February in five areas of Northern Plains District to advance our emphasis on congregational vitality and renewal,” reported district executive Tim Button-Harrison in the district newsletter. “Participants will hear stories from visitors to churches from the most recent Sending of the Seventy and learn about the Vital Ministry Journey designed to unite congregations in discovering gifts, discerning God’s call, and developing vital ministries. Also there will be time for worship, for visiting with those in similar positions (i.e. board chairs, deacons, pastors, moderators, etc.), and for calling area ministers/shepherds.” The district is planning five meetings, one for each cluster of churches, and inviting all interested people to attend. The meetings started Jan. 5 and continue through Feb. 17.

• The Shenandoah District Office will again be a Kit Depot for Church World Service in 2013. All forms of CWS relief kits including School Kits, Hygiene Kits, Baby Care Kits, and Emergency Clean-Up Buckets may be delivered to the district office at 1453 Westview School Road, Weyers Cave, Va., (adjacent to Pleasant Valley Church of the Brethren) beginning April 8 through May 16. The Depot will accept kits and buckets 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday. The kits will be picked up following the Shenandoah District Disaster Ministries Auction and trucked to the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md, for processing and warehousing. Details about kits and contents are at www.churchworldservice.org .

• Manchester University’s College of Pharmacy professor Sidhartha Ray was selected as a national recipient of the 2013 Society of Toxicology Undergraduate Educator Award. “This honor is a significant tribute to Dr. Ray’s teaching, and we congratulate him!” said Manchester University president Jo Young Switzer in her e-mail newsletter.

• “Manifold Greatness: The Creation and Afterlife of the King James Bible” is a traveling exhibition opening Feb. 2 at the High Library at Elizabethtown (Pa.) College. It celebrates the 400th anniversary of the first printing of the King James Bible and examines its fascinating and complex history, said a release. Elizabethtown is one of 40 sites across 27 states displaying the exhibition and the sole location in Pennsylvania (visit www.manifoldgreatness.org for detailed information). In addition to the exhibition, the High Library will showcase four displays of historical texts and Bibles including the High Library c.1599 copy of the Geneva Bible, from the Elizabethtown College special collections. Additional items will be shown from the special collections of the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist studies including the 1712 Marburg Bible, a mystic and prophetic Bible, as well as the Behrleburg folio, which includes a Bible and related commentary from the 1730s.The exhibit was organized by the Folger Shakespeare Library and the American Library Association Public Programs Office and made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Guest lecturer for the opening reception is Jeff Bach of the Young Center, who will speak  Feb. 2 at 2 p.m. Faculty will give a panel discussion on Feb. 6 at 4 p.m. on the topic “Shakespeare, Literature, and the Language of the King James Bible.” Panelists include Christina Bucher, professor of Religious Studies.

• January’s “Brethren Voices” community television show features Stanley J. Noffsinger, general secretary of the Church of the Brethren. Host Brent Carlson interviews Noffsinger about his nine years as general secretary of the denomination. “His family heritage with the Church of the Brethren can be traced back many generations as his father was a Brethren pastor as well as his grandfather,” reports producer Ed Groff in an announcement. “The land for the Lower Miami Church of the Brethren in Southern Ohio was donated by his great, great grandfather.” Noffsinger also speaks about his passion for the church and his work in a job that “is different every day, and there’s always a challenge.” In February, “Brethren Voices” will feature Brethren Volunteer Service worker Rachel Buller of Comer, Ga., who is the first BVS volunteer to serve at the Asian Rural Institute in Nasushiobara, Tochigi-ken, Japan. To subscribe to “Brethren Voices” contact groffprod1@msn.com .

• Christian Churches Together (CCT) has announced an April event to observe the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” The ecumenical organization, of which the Church of the Brethren is a member, also plans to release a formal response to that historic letter. CCT’s annual meeting early in 2013 in Austin, Texas, will focus on the human realities, legal implications, and challenges of immigration in the US--building on previous meetings devoted to the topics of poverty, evangelism, and racism.

Source: 1/10/2013 Newsline

Credits

Newsline is produced by the news services of the Church of the Brethren. Contact the editor at cobnews@brethren.org. Contributors to this issue of Newsline include Ed Groff, Julie Hostetter, Marilyn Lerch, Amy Mountain, Vickie Samland, Jonathan Shively, Jenny Williams, and editor Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of News Services for the Church of the Brethren.

Newsline: December 27, 2012

NEWS

• Delegation learns about sensitivities in the Holy Land, calls for continued work for two-state solution.
• National Youth Cabinet is announced for 2013-14.

UPCOMING EVENTS

• Save the date for next deacon training events, says Deacon Ministry.
• Stuart Murray Williams to lead webinar on ‘Living the Biblical Vision.’
• Fifth Presidential Forum to be held at Bethany Seminary.

BRETHREN BITS

• Personnel, jobs, mission prayer guide, registration deadlines, district events, much more.

Delegation learns about sensitivities in the Holy Land, calls for continued work for two-state solution.

Church of the Brethren leaders have returned from an ecumenical delegation to Israel and Palestine with a renewed commitment to a place sacred to the Brethren faith tradition, and a call for the expression of love to all the people involved in the violent struggles ongoing in the Middle East.
In an interview made after their return to the United States, general secretary Stan Noffsinger and associate general secretary Mary Jo Flory-Steury commented on their experience of joining with other Brethren leaders and a group from the American Baptist Churches USA in an ecumenical faith pilgrimage earlier this month.

Along with the general secretary and his wife Debbie Noffsinger, and Flory-Steury and her husband Mark Flory-Steury, the Brethren delegation included Keith Goering, Andy Hamilton, and Pam Reist, who are members of the Mission and Ministry Board. The total delegation numbered 16, and included American Baptist general secretary Roy Medley.

In addition to an opportunity for a first-hand view of the situation in Israel and Palestine, and chances to meet with and talk with people on all sides of the conflict there, Noffsinger and Flory-Steury emphasized the value of renewing relationships with the American Baptists. The two denominations have a long history of working together, but in recent years the relationship has not been maintained as closely as in past decades.

In addition, the two church leaders said they benefited from the opportunity to better prepare themselves to speak publicly on behalf of the denomination about the realities of a Middle Eastern situation they characterize as complex, with geo-political as well as religious dimensions.

The delegation was led by three people representing the three main faiths in the region--Jewish, Christian, and Muslim. The experience was “an immersion into the life of the living stones” of the Holy Land, Noffsinger said, and included visits with Israelis and Palestinians who are active religiously and politically. The range of people the group visited represented “a broad spectrum” that included peacemakers as well as those holding more extreme views.

The group also visited historic sites important to the Brethren and Baptist traditions, such as the place where it is thought Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount. At each historic site, they read scripture, prayed, and had a meditation. They also began every day together with worship, with a key scripture coming from Isaiah 11:3-4a. On their last evening together the group shared in a Love Feast with feetwashing. The experience of an intentional ecumenical faith journey has sparked other ideas for getting groups of Brethren and American Baptists together in the future, Noffsinger said.

Learnings about a complex land

Both Noffsinger and Flory-Steury commented on the importance of the experience for their personal spiritual lives, as well as for their professional development. A key aspect was increased understanding of a complicated place that is yet so important to the Christian faith.

“One of my learnings is the very small percentage of people in the land that are Christian,” Noffsinger said. He noted that only two percent of the population is Christian, and that percentage has fallen dramatically in recent years. “But they’re a vibrant community,” he added. He heard from the Christians with whom the delegation met “a desire to find a just peace for all peoples.”

“Everybody there is tired of the peace process, because it has not worked and there is a lot of distrust,” noted Flory-Steury. One key learning for her is that problems surrounding the peace process are linked to the increase of growth in Israeli settlements. Also, Christians expressed to the delegation the conviction that there is no one solution, nor an easy solution, to the issues they face.

People of all backgrounds talked to the delegation about the importance of caring for the needs of all the human beings involved. One speaker told them, “As Americans, don’t love one of us and hate the other. Love the people of the land, both Israeli and Palestinian,” Noffsinger quoted from his notes.

Flory-Steury remembers a leading Lutheran pastor asking the group to urge American Christians to reflect on their theology in relation to the people of the Holy Land. The pastor pointed out that some theological attitudes held by Americans are doing harm to Palestinian Christians.

Another Palestinian Christian leader, the president of a Bible college, said to Noffsinger: “The decision to be a Christian is something I consider daily as I cross the border (into Israeli controlled territory). I choose to show the poor young Israeli soldier Christ’s peace and love.”

Civil, human, and equal rights are of high importance, Flory-Steury said. These rights should include equal access to holy sites, as well as equal access to water, she added. One issue that has not gained much space in the news is the problem of who controls the water, she said. Another issue noted by Noffsinger is the inequalities experienced by Palestinians living in Israeli territory, who pay taxes yet may not receive equal services.

Meeting with parents who lost children to the violence

The last people the group met with were bereaved parents, who had lost children to the violence ongoing in Israel and Palestine. From her notes, Flory-Steury quoted one woman who spoke with the group: “There is either compassion or revenge after the killing of a child,” she said. “The seeking of revenge kills you because there is no revenge. Forgiving is giving up your just right to revenge.”

Noffsinger quoted the words of a man whose daughter had been killed: “Letting go and forgiving gives you the freedom to move on.”

Following is the letter that Noffsinger and Medley issued after they returned to the United States, which has been delivered to the White House:

Dear President Obama,

We write to you with the highest sense of urgency about the situation in Palestine and Israel to plead to you for a strong voice against the establishment of a Jewish settlement in the E-1 area. We write as religious leaders who love Israel and pray for the peace of Jerusalem. We write as religious leaders who love the Palestinians and pray for the fulfillment of their yearning for self-determination. We write as religious leaders who are committed to peace and whose denominations have long supported a two-state solution.

We have just returned from a joint visit to Israel and Palestine. We have spent time with Israelis and Palestinians in Nazareth, Bethlehem, and Jerusalem. We came with open hearts and minds as we have sought "the things that make for peace." We have encountered courageous people in every place who are working to bridge hatred and animosity with love and respect, affirming the image of God in each and every one.

In every place we visited we were met with a growing alarm that the two-state solution is being dealt a death blow by the announcement that a Jewish settlement will be built in the E-1 area. There is strong consensus that without strong intervention by yourself and our government to oppose this and to bring the parties together to do the hard work of negotiating a peace, the legitimate desires of both people to live in security and freedom will be dashed, the forces of extremism will be strengthened, and catastrophic armed conflict in the area will ensue.

Therefore, we urge you to act firmly to bring the power and influence of the United States to bear by clearly and forcibly stating our opposition to the expansion and by opening serious discussions that will lead to a negotiated settlement based upon a two-state solution that guarantees the rights and security of both Israel and Palestine.

Source: 12/27/2012 Newsline

National Youth Cabinet is announced for 2013-14.

"In God's Image" is the theme for the next National Youth Sunday in 2013.

The Church of the Brethren's National Youth Cabinet for 2013-14 has been announced by the Youth and Young Adult Ministry office.

Youth members of the new cabinet include:

• Emmett Eldred from Middle Pennsylvania District

• Brittany Fourman from Southern Ohio District

• Sarandon Smith from Atlantic Northeast District

• Sarah Ullom-Minnich from Western Plains District

• Kerrick van Asselt from Western Plains District

• Zander Willoughby from Michigan District

Adult advisors to the cabinet are:

• Rhonda Pittman Gingrich of Northern Plains District

• Dennis Lohr of Atlantic Northeast District.

Becky Ullom Naugle, director of the denomination's Youth and Young Adult Ministry, will work with the cabinet to plan National Youth Conference 2014.

Source: 12/27/2012 Newsline

Save the date for next deacon training events, says Deacon Ministry.

"It’s not too late, save the date," reminds the Church of the Brethren's Deacon Ministry office.

Just a few days remain before registration ends for the first deacon training event of 2013, to be held on Saturday, Jan. 5, at Chambersburg (Pa.) Church of the Brethren. Topics will include "So What are Deacon Supposed to Do, Anyway?" "The Art of Listening," and "Beyond Casseroles: Offering Support Creatively." The registration fee of $15 per person or $25 for a couple includes lunch. An additional fee of $10 is required from those ministers desiring .45 units of continuing education credit. Registration ends on Monday, Dec. 31. Register now at www.brethren.org/deacons/documents/deacon-training-chambersburg.pdf .

Mark your calendars now for the fourth annual pre-Annual Conference deacon workshops on Saturday, June 29, in Charlotte, N.C. The morning workshop, "Listen and Play: Ministry with Children in Times of Stress," will be offered in conjunction with Children’s Disaster Services. The afternoon workshop will be on "Conflict Transformation," presented with Ministry of Reconciliation (MoR) staff. Cost $15 per person or $25 for a couple, lunch is on your own. Go to www.brethren.org/deacons/documents/pre-conference-workshops-2013.pdf for registration materials.

Source: 12/27/2012 Newsline

Stuart Murray Williams to lead webinar on ‘Living the Biblical Vision.’

A webinar titled, “Living the Biblical Vision of a Multi-Voiced Church,” will be offered in January as a collaborative resource from the Church of the Brethren’s Congregational Life Ministries and the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership.

The webinar will take place in two parts:

• Webinar 1, “Monologue or Multi-Voiced Learning?” will be held Jan. 22, 2013, at 12 noon-1:30 p.m. (Pacific time, 3-4:30 p.m. eastern).

• Webinar 2, “The Vision for a Multi-Voiced Church,” takes place Jan. 29 at 12 noon-1:30 p.m. (Pacific time, 3-4:30 p.m. eastern).

There is no pre-registration and no fee required to attend the online event. Participants may earn .15 continuing education units for attending the live sessions.

“The New Testament indicates that the early churches were multi-voiced, participative, and expected that the Holy Spirit would speak through all the members of the community,” said an announcement of the webinar. “First-generation renewal movements (such as the Anabaptists) have typically been multi-voiced as well, recovering this New Testament characteristic. But institutionalization has persistently reduced such diversity of participation and resulted in many aspects of church life becoming mono-voiced or restricted to only a few voices. The webinars will survey mono-voiced and multi-voiced expressions of church. Murray Williams will offer insights and engage participants in a discussion on the biblical and missional basis advocating for a multi-voiced church, and exploring practical ways of developing multi-voiced communities today.”

The presenter is Stuart Murray Williams, founder of Urban Expression, a pioneering church planting agency with teams in the United Kingdom, Netherlands, and the US. Regarded as one of the world’s leading advocates for contemporary forms of Anabaptism, he is a scholar, trainer, mentor, writer, strategist, and consultant with particular interest in urban mission, church planting, and emerging forms of church. He holds a doctorate in Anabaptist hermeneutics and is an associate lecturer at the Baptist College in Bristol. His books on church planting, urban mission, and the contribution of the Anabaptist tradition to contemporary missiology include “The Power of All” and “The Naked Anabaptist.”

For more information about the webinar contact Stan Dueck at 800-323-8039 ext. 343 or sdueck@brethren.org.

Source: 12/27/2012 Newsline

Fifth Presidential Forum to be held at Bethany Seminary.

Bethany Theological Seminary will hold its fifth Presidential Forum on April 5 and 6, 2013, at the Bethany campus in Richmond, Ind. The forum’s theme, “The Bible in Our Bones: Telling and Living the Stories of Our Faith,” invites all to encounter God’s word with fresh eyes and to live and share its life-giving messages with insight and integrity. Scholars, storytellers, artists, and other ministerial leaders will guide this exploration of biblical story through worship, instruction, and reflection.

David L. Barr and Thomas E. Boomershine will serve as plenary speakers. Barr’s address, “It’s Not the End of the World: The Fantastic Story of John’s Apocalypse,” will present the book of Revelation not as a prediction of the future, but as a story of how the followers of Jesus are to live in the world. Having taught at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, since 1975, Barr currently holds the title of professor of religion. He also has served as director of the University Honors Program and chair of the Departments of Religion, Philosophy, and Classics, and was named the Brage Golding Distinguished Professor of Research in 2004. His recent books include "Tales of the End," a narrative commentary on the apocalypse of John, and "New Testament Story: An Introduction."

Boomershine will deliver a plenary address titled “Mark’s Story of Jesus and the Gospel of Peace.” While the understanding of Jesus as a Messiah of peace is often drawn from the birth narratives and the Sermon on the Mount, Boomershine will illustrate how this theme is most explicit in the passion and resurrection narrative. Boomershine is president of GoTell Communications and founder of the international Network of Biblical Storytellers. He is also the organizer of the Bible in Ancient and Modern Media group in the Society of Biblical Literature and the NBS Seminar, both helping develop a paradigm of biblical study focused around performance criticism. Boomershine is professor emeritus of New Testament at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio.

Husband and wife collaborators Garrison Doles and Jan Richardson will lend their artistic and leadership skills to the forum’s worship services and workshops. A prolific and celebrated songwriter and singer, Doles tours nationally and has won major songwriting competitions in North Carolina, Texas, Florida, and Massachusetts. Also the cofounder of Theatre Downtown in Orlando, Fla., he has produced, acted, directed, designed, and written for the stage. Richardson is an artist, writer, and ordained minister in the United Methodist Church. She serves as director of the Wellspring Studio, LLC, and travels widely as a retreat leader and conference speaker. Characterized by a distinctive intertwining of word and image, Richardson’s work has attracted an international audience.

Complementing the formal sessions, a wide array of instructional and interactive workshops will encourage personal engagement with scripture. A number of Church of the Brethren educators, lay leaders, and members in ministry will join Boomershine, Doles, and Richardson to provide leadership. From music to "bibliodrama" to storytelling with children, attendees may take away new techniques or insights for themselves and their faith communities. Among other workshop topics are interpretations of scripture, living out the gospel’s messages, and questions of faith among today’s young adults.

Friday evening will feature a performance of "Requiem," composed and directed by William E. Culverhouse, director of choral music at Earlham College, and performed by members of the college choral program. This rich and varied work for mixed chorus and harp draws on texts taken from the King James Bible and the "Book of Common Prayer" and incorporates elements of Celtic folksong  and American folk hymnody.

A Pre-Forum Gathering will again welcome Bethany alumni/ae and friends to the seminary for fellowship and interaction with faculty, staff, and students. Sponsored by Bethany’s Alumni/ae Coordinating Council, the gathering will open Thursday evening, April 4, with dinner, worship, and a coffeehouse, and will continue April 5 with four educational sessions. Drawing on both historical and contemporary contexts, current and former faculty will speak to the presence that scripture has in human experience: Amy Gall Ritchie, director of student development; Scott Holland, professor of theology and culture; Eugene Roop, president emeritus of Bethany Seminary and adjunct professor in the DMin program at Anderson University; Michael McKeever, adjunct professor in New Testament Studies for Bethany and professor in biblical studies at Judson University; and Enten Eller, director of electronic communication.

The Presidential Forums were inaugurated in 2008 under the direction of president Ruthann Knechel Johansen. By exploring topics that thoughtfully address issues of faith and ethics, the forums strive to build community among those at Bethany, the wider church, and the public, and to provide visionary leadership for re-imagining the role of seminaries in public discourse. In fall 2010, Bethany received a generous grant from the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations to endow the Presidential Forums.

The forum will begin with dinner and worship on Friday, April 5, and extend through Saturday afternoon. Registration will open Jan. 15, 2013. Registration costs will increase modestly after Feb. 15. A discounted rate is available for students. Each event qualifies for 0.5 continuing education units. Registration will be capped at 150 participants. For a complete schedule, registration information, and housing options, visit www.bethanyseminary.edu/forum2013 .

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

Source: 12/27/2012 Newsline

Brethren bits.

• Linda Reed has begun as the new director of Admissions at Fahrney-Keedy Home and Village, a Church of the Brethren continuing care retirement community near Boonsboro, Md. She began work on Nov. 12. Prior to coming to Fahrney-Keedy, she was a financial consultant to nursing homes in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, and most recently was director of Admissions and Marketing for six years at Reeders Memorial Home in Boonsboro. She and her family also operate a carriage company, and volunteer horse-and-wagon rides at nursing communities in the area. She is a member of Downsville Church of the Brethren.

• Good Shepherd Home, a full-service continuing care retirement community located in Fostoria, Ohio, is seeking a fulltime long-term care chaplain. Salary will be based on experience and education in the ministry field. The Good Shepherd Home was developed by the Northwest Ohio District of the Church of the Brethren and opened in 1904. It is a member of the Fellowship of Brethren Homes. It currently serves about 200 seniors. To apply, submit a résumé to Good Shepherd Home, 725 Columbus Ave., Fostoria, OH 44830, Attn: Chris Widman, Executive Director. Résumés must be received by March 1, 2013.  For information about the home visit www.goodshepherdhome.com . Good Shepherd Home is an equal opportunity employer.

• The new Sunday school curriculum to be produced by Brethren Press and MennoMedia is accepting applications for a part-time contract editor. Editors work closely with curriculum writers to edit manuscripts in accordance with editorial and production guidelines. Candidates must have excellent editorial and writing skills, understand faith formation and developmental stages, and operate well in a collaborative environment. Must be well-grounded in Church of the Brethren or Mennonite beliefs and practices. A bachelor’s degree is required; a graduate degree in theology or education is preferred. See Job Opportunities at www.gatherround.org .

• The Global Mission and Service office is producing a monthly prayer guide lifting up Church of the Brethren mission workers and mission partners around the world. Daily prayers are provided in a flier format easy to download and print from an online document. Find the January 2013 issue at www.brethren.org/partners/prayer-guide-2013-1.pdf .

• Online registration has opened or will open soon for church events in 2013. Unless otherwise noted, find registration links at www.brethren.org/about/registrations.html . Registration is open now for the Christian Citizenship Seminar for high schoolers and adult advisors on March 23-28 in New York City and Washington, D.C. Registration for congregational and district delegates to the 2013 Annual Conference on June 29-July 3 in Charlotte, N.C., opens Jan. 2 at www.brethren.org/ac (non-delegate registration will open Feb. 20). Registration opens Jan. 4 for the National Junior High Conference set for June 14-16 at Elizabethtown (Pa.) College (please note that an online parental consent form is required to register). Registration opens Jan. 9 at 7 p.m. (central time) for summer workcamps (find out more at www.brethren.org/workcamps ). On Jan. 25 young adults may begin registering for the Young Adult Conference on May 25-27 at Camp Pine Lake in Eldora, Iowa.

• A national call-in day to Congress against gun violence has been set for Feb. 5, 2013, in an announcement from the National Council of Churches. NCC president Kathryn M. Lohre wrote, “Sisters and brothers in Christ, it is because of my hope in the birth of Jesus that I dare to ask: What will it take? How many more communities will suffer in the wake of gun violence? How will we honor those lives lost in Aurora, Oak Creek, and Newtown, and all those lives lost over the years to gun violence on the streets and in homes throughout the US? When will we heed the call to action? Now is the time to raise our voices and pray with our feet!” The NCC is joining several interfaith partners in calling for a national religious call-in day in which congressional representatives will be urged to enact gun control legislation within 50 days. Those participating in the day are encouraged to contact President Obama to urge him “to continue to act swiftly to end this national epidemic.” A Gun Violence Prevention Sabbath weekend to prepare churches and other faith groups for the effort is set for the first weekend of the year, Jan. 5-6. Go to http://ncccusa.org/SHaction.html to sign up to receive more information as it becomes available.

• In the wake of the Newtown school shooting, Heeding God’s Call brought Philadelphia area faith leaders together to name gun violence a “spiritual and religious issue,” according to a release. The group stood at a historic spot for a press conference and rally Dec. 19--the west sidewalk of North Sixth Street between Race and Arch, site of Pennsylvania Hall, where Philadelphia leaders in 1838 named slavery as a spiritual and religious problem and demanded its end. Faith traditions represented included Mennonites, Society of Friends (Quakers), United Church of Christ, Presbyterian Church USA, Episcopal Church USA, United Methodist Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, and Reform Judaism. Heeding God’s Call is a movement to prevent gun violence, started during a meeting of the Historic Peace Churches (Church of the Brethren, Mennonites, Quakers) in 2009. It seeks to bring faithful and public pressure to bear on gun shops to persuade them to avoid selling to those who would put guns on the street. Find out more at www.heedinggodscall.org .

• “In this new year, the Cloverdale Church will mark their 100th anniversary as a congregation,” reports the Virlina District newsletter. Celebration of Cloverdale (Va.) Church of the Brethren’s centennial started on Dec. 16, when James Flora was guest speaker for worship. Flora was called into ministry by the Cloverdale congregation in the late 1940s, the announcement said. Additional anniversary events will include Cloverdale hosting the Roanoke-area Brethren Lenten services known as “Awakening” in March. On May 5, Church of the Brethren general secretary Stanley Noffsinger will speak for worship. The “big” anniversary weekend will be July 5-7. On Dec. 22, 2013, the congregation will mark 100 years since the dedication of the original Cloverdale church meetinghouse.

• McPherson (Kan.) Church of the Brethren raised more than $20,000 at an 8th annual Christmas Gift Market on Nov. 10, reports a note from Jeanne Smith in the Western Plains District newsletter. The event began in 2005 when the church's Leadership Team challenged the board to come up with a year-long project that would kindle excitement for church ministries, Smith reported. “This year the eight-year total surpassed $138,000, a tremendous out-pouring of love from the church and community,” she added.

• Peoria (Ill.) Church of the Brethren has held a special “Mountain Mission Trip” dedicated to Jim Harshbarger, who suddenly passed away the afternoon after loading his truck for the trip. The Illinois and Wisconsin District newsletter reported that for many years he had promoted the trip to the congregation and spent many hours driving around the area collecting donations of furniture, appliances, household items, and clothing to contribute to the annual trip to Missions in Eastern Kentucky. “There was a noticeable empty space in the caravan this year,” the report said. “Even though Jim was missing his son, David, and grandsons Dylan and Randy took over the helm of Jim’s GMC/Ford truck and trailer to make the trip in his Dad’s memory.”

• Central Church of the Brethren in Roanoke, Va., was represented at a Homeless Person's Memorial Service at Greene Memorial United Methodist Church, as part of the Congregations in Action effort. “Even more exciting was the presence of eight Highland Park Elementary School students, and the ENTIRE Highland Park faculty, who came in support of Congregations in Action and their students,” reported pastor Tim Harvey in a Facebook post. Harvey delivered the sermon for the service. The “Roanoke Times” reported on the event, which remembered the 21 homeless residents of Roanoke who died in the past year (go to www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/318278 ). “Some were welders and constructions workers,” Harvey wrote. “Some held master's degrees. All were created in the image of God.”

• Peaceknits is a charity knitting and crocheting group that meets the first and third Mondays of the month at Bedford (Pa.) Church of the Brethren. “In preparing for the group's Christmas lunch on Dec. 14, a tally was made of what the group has donated since its beginnings in 2008,” reported the Middle Pennsylvania District newsletter. “Peaceknits has hand made 405 items from donated yarn and given them to: Bedford UPMC Hospital, World Vision, Bedford County Children and Youth Services, Your Safe Haven, Special Olympics, a refugee center in Istanbul, the children of Alakanuk, Alaska, and Hurricane Sandy victims.”

• Virden (Ill.) Church of the Brethren celebrated its 100th anniversary at the Illinois and Wisconsin District Conference this year. Patricia Barnett wanted to do something to help the congregation celebrate, so she crocheted over 200 crosses to give out at the conference, reports the district newsletter. The theme of the conference, chosen by moderator Fletcher Farrar, was “The Courage of Daniel” and was represented by the artwork of Kay Guyer. Delegates numbered 64. A silent auction and a live auction of donated quilts and a cedar chest raised a total of $2,865. During the conference, the district youth group visited Pleasant Hill Village Healthcare, met residents, and learned about Alzheimer’s and dementia care.

• The Shenandoah District Pastoral Support Committee is sponsoring a day-long faith-based conference on substance abuse on Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013, at Bridgewater (Va.) College. Location will be Bowman Hall. The conference will be led by associate professor of psychology Brian M. Kelley, who has done extensive research and lecturing about addiction. Continuing education units will be offered. Among topics to be considered are risk factors for addiction, signs and symptoms of abuse, and tools for churches to become engaged with the problem of substance abuse. Cost is $30, which includes a DVD, handouts, and a light breakfast. The lunch buffet will cost an additional $7.50. A fee of $10 will be charged to receive continuing education credits. To RSVP by Jan. 11 contact bkelleyphd@gmail.com .

• Gilbert Romero will be performing in Shenandoah District with the Bittersweet Gospel Band in January. Then the band will leave for a week of ministering with the Puerto Rican Brethren on Jan. 14, reports the district newsletter. The band will play several times for Puerto Rican churches and at the Assemblea, the annual meeting of the island churches, to be held at Castañer. Romero will speak at Staunton (Va.) Church of the Brethren on Sunday morning, Jan. 13, and a Bittersweet Concert will be held at the Staunton church that afternoon at 3 p.m. The band also will perform at Sunrise Church of the Brethren in Harrisonburg, Va., on Jan. 12 at 6:30  p.m. For more information go to bittersweetgospelband.blogspot.com .

• “Why Young People Leave the Church and What to Do about It” is the title of a two-part workshop in Southern Ohio District on Jan. 12, 2013, at New Carlisle Church of the Brethren and Feb. 9 at Eversole Church of the Brethren. Each workshop begins at 9 a.m. and ends at noon. “Most young adults are striving for financial and emotional independence, and the energy they pour into this activity often draws them away from practicing faith,” said an announcement. “The percentage of young adults who leave the church has stayed pretty steady since the 1970s. But one thing has definitely declined: The hope that if we do nothing they will soon come marching back (along with spouses and kids). If we build a church, they may not come. But if they leave, what should we do about it?” The workshops will review proposals for how the church should change, and explain terms such as “missional” and “emergent.” Participants will look at ways churches can connect with young adults and help them connect with God. The workshop is offered in conjunction with a “Focus on Finance” workshop. Bekah Houff and Russell Haitch, staff and faculty of Bethany Seminary, respectively, are presenters.  Go to www.sodcob.org/event-details/195279/1358002800 for more information and to register.

• Brethren Woods is holding a “Caving Adventure Day” on Feb. 10, 2013. The half-day underground adventure will visit natural subterranean features in a cave near Bridgewater, Va. Participants will gather at 12:30 to 1 p.m. at Bridgewater Church of the Brethren and travel to a cave site together, returning to the church by 6 p.m. Lester Zook of WildGuyde Adventures and EMU’s Outdoor Ministry and Adventure Leadership Department will be the guide. Cost is $45 and includes a bag lunch, transportation, headlamp, caving helmet, and some additional gear. For more information and permission slips/waivers, as well as registration (due by Jan. 25) go to www.brethrenwoods.org or call 540-269-2741.

• Springs of Living Water, a Christ-centered church renewal initiative, has announced “Celebrating the All Sufficient Christ” as the title of its next spiritual disciplines folder for Epiphany, the Season of Light. The resource is for the season beginning Jan. 13, 2013, up to the start of Lent. “This short season of one month will focus on Paul’s book of Colossians with the highest Christology,” said the announcement. “Meditating on and pondering on these scriptures on a daily basis can be life changing.” Instructions for use of the folder by the entire congregation are given and an insert invites participants to next steps of Christian growth. Along with the disciplines folder are Bible study questions written by Pastor Vince Cable of Uniontown Church of the Brethren. Find the resources at www.churchrenewalservant.org . In another announcement from the Springs initiative, registrations are now being received for the first Springs Academy course, “Foundations of Christ-centered Church Renewal,” for pastors and church leaders using interactive telephone conference calls. For more information contact David Young at davidyoung@churchrenewalservant.org .

• January 2014, Bridgewater (Va.) College chaplain Robbie Miller will lead a 15-day study tour of Israel and Palestine as part of a “Lands of the Bible” interterm course. The tour, conducted by the University of the Holy Land in Jerusalem ( www.uhl.ac/en ), will visit sites of biblical and religious importance. The Susquehanna Valley Ministry Center related to Bethany Seminary will grant 8 continuing education units for the study tour. Pastors and members of the Church of the Brethren are welcome to participate as space permits. Contact rmiller@bridgewater.edu or 540-828-5383.

• The Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education has awarded Elizabethtown (Pa.) College a $50,000 program development grant. A release reports that the grant, which is supported by Lilly Endowment Inc., provides colleges and universities with funds to foster the intellectual and theological exploration of vocation in their campus communities. Elizabethtown intends to use the grant to create programs that deepen faculty, staff, and student understanding of its Educate for Service motto related to purposeful life work and ethical leadership across disciplines and departments. One program that will receive funding is a summer retreat for faculty to have an opportunity to think about their life's work and how engaging in reflection can make them better mentors.

• Che Wiechart, a Manchester University student, is a finalist in the Everence Financial “Money Talks” video contest. Wiechart’s video is one of seven that made the final cut as visitors voted on the Everence website at www.everence.com/moneytalks , reports a release. The voting continues through Jan. 15, 2013. The theme “Money Talks: The World Is Listening” encouraged people to think and talk about the role of money in the world today. The finalist who receives the most votes will win the contest and a cash prize as well as a grant to their favorite charity. Awards also will go to the second- and third-place vote getters and their selected charities.

• Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pa., has committed to purchase 50 MWh of Keystone Solar annually for the next seven years, according to a release. Community Energy will supply the clean energy generation from the Keystone Solar Project in Lancaster, Pa. “As the country and state move toward a clean energy future, sponsorship of the Keystone Solar Project highlights Juniata College's commitment to environmental sustainability,” the release said. “Juniata College has a college-wide initiative to reduce its carbon footprint.... In a difficult economy that demands excellence, Juniata College has set a strong example for how to not only set an environmental goal, but make that goal mean something.” The Keystone Solar Project is a 5 megawatt (AC) ground-mounted solar project that will produce approximately 8,000 MWh of electricity annually, the equivalent of powering 950 homes or avoiding 5,516 tons of carbon dioxide each year. As part of the program, the college will have access to "Building Keystone Solar," an online course designed to invite students and professors behind the scenes at real-world solar projects.

• A new online publication from the World Council of Churches (WCC) invites congregations to explore the themes of Christian unity, justice, and peace in advance of its upcoming 10th Assembly. “Pilgrimage to Busan: A Journey into Ecumenical Christianity” is a six-unit resource designed for study groups, adult forums, and retreat groups to study the theme of the upcoming assembly, “God of Life, Lead Us to Justice and Peace.” The resource includes participants’ and leaders’ guides, which are available online for free download, and also suitable for printing. The assembly will take place Oct. 30-Nov. 10, 2013, in Busan, Republic of Korea (South Korea). It is anticipated to be the most diverse Christian gathering of its size in the world, the WCC release said.Translations of the resource in French, German, Spanish and Korean are underway. Find the study resource at http://wcc2013.info/en/resources/pilgrimage-to-busan .

• The 2013 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity will be celebrated on Jan. 18-25.  Sponsored jointly by the Roman Catholic Church and the World Council of Churches (WCC), the Week of Prayer invites congregations all over the world to share in common prayer for Christian unity. A WCC release announced that the materials for 2013 were initially prepared by the Student Christian Movement of India and shaped by the context of great injustice experienced by the Dalits or “untouchables.” The theme will be “What Does God Require of Us?” (Micah 6:6-8). To order congregational resources for this year’s celebration, go to http://geii.org.

• The National Council of Churches (NCC) is inviting young adults to apply for seed grants to start ecumenical projects. The NCC’s New Fire Task Force, in partnership with the Ecumenical Young Adult Ministries Team, invites young adults to apply for seed grants of up to $500 to support local ecumenical young adult-initiated projects, a release said. The New Fire Network is a network of young adult Christians who are connecting and organizing young adult ecumenical leadership to re-invigorate and re-envision cooperative Christian community. Through the Seed Grant Program, New Fire seeks to support ecumenical projects that connect young adults to an experience of Christian unity in a concrete and meaningful way. The grant program aims to break down divisions among those age 18-35; renew the relationship between the church and young adults; equip young adults to be agents of love, justice, and peace; and facilitate capacity-building opportunities for young adults to expand knowledge and skills so they can better serve churches and the ecumenical movement. Find the application form online at www.ncccusa.org/pdfs/SeedGrantApplication.pdf or contact newfireyoungadults@gmail.com for a copy. Applications are due by Feb. 28, 2013, and can be submitted to the New Fire Task Force at newfireyoungadults@gmail.com . Award decisions will be announced by March 31.

Source: 12/27/2012 Newsline

Credits

Newsline is produced by the news services of the Church of the Brethren. Contact the editor at cobnews@brethren.org. Contributors to this issue of Newsline include John Ballinger, Stan Dueck, Philip E. Jenks, Donna Kline, Don Knieriem, Michael Leiter, Madalyn Metzger, Amy Mountain, Becky Ullom Naugle, Rose Stutzman, John Wall, David S. Young, and editor Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of News Services for the Church of the Brethren.