Sunday, June 30
Page 2

CHRIST IS ALIVE

"Who are we as Brethren?" was the question asked at the beginning of Sunday afternoon's "Christ Alive: The Story of the Church" program. Through scripture reading, video clips, and quotes shown on the hall's large screens, three presenters showed how "Christ is alive . . . and has always been alive in the Church of the Brethren."

The production this year was put together by a three-person team called by Annual Conference Program & Arrangements Committee, a change from the past two years when the Annual Conference agencies collaborated on a "Brethren Ministries Live" report and before than when the General Board did a General Board live report.

One topic in this year's presentation was the role of peace in the church. A video clip showed Brethren congregations and their thoughts on peacemaking as a result of Sept. 11 "Peace is a natural lifestyle of committed followers of Jesus Christ," said one of the three presenters, who delivered the program in a rotating narration.

A trio of readers provides the narration for Sunday afternoon's "Christ Alive" presentation.

Throughout the program, references were made to moments in history that helped create the Brethren church of today. Some of these included the original baptism in 1708, the love feast, and the establishment of an official publication.

Other video clips showed the Brethren's attempts to stand by their views on tobacco usage. Brethren Benefit Trust (BBT) petitioned stockholders of the company that owns restaurants such as Taco Bell, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Pizza Hut to make them smoke-free.

Through mission work, Brethren spread the word of God to other countries, even those considered to be enemies of the United States. A trip to Iraq allowed members of the Brethren church to be advocates for peace and to view the effects of Sept. 11 on the people there. Brethren churches are alive in the Dominican Republic, and more are being established in Brazil. Each mission trip to a foreign country allows the Church of the Brethren to grow in an understanding of other cultures.

Another video showed how the church also strives to break down barriers within congregations. Scenes from the Virlina District demonstrated Brethren work in not only accepting members of different race, culture, and ethnicity, but also those with disabilities.

"Christ Alive" closed with a reading of the Lord's Prayer, followed by the audience singing the first verse of the hymn, "Christ is alive!"