Brethren Volunteer Service is a full time volunteer program that places volunteers in a one or two year long assignment in the United States and some locations around the world. This ministry of the Church of the Brethren has been a major program in this Christian denomination since 1948.
In June, Brethren Volunteer Service made the decision to transition the summer orientation unit #325 from in-person to virtual. As COVID-19 cases continue to rise in communities around the country, they have made the decision to also offer a virtual orientation for the fall unit #327. BVS is excited to be able to continue providing volunteers to project sites while prioritizing the health and safety of incoming volunteers and the communities where they will be serving.
Following the same format as the summer unit, the fall orientation will be two weeks long and will be done while volunteers are already at their project sites – building in a two-week quarantine time so that volunteers are ready to begin serving as soon as orientation is completed. BVS staff is working hard on planning both virtual orientation units to include as many aspects of the traditional orientation as possible. The volunteers will gather virtually to grow in faith, learn about Brethren history, service, and social justice issues, build community, work together to accomplish common tasks, and have fun. Because of this new format, BVS staff will be working ahead of orientation with volunteers to discern their project placements, which is typically done during the three-week orientation.
The fall orientation will now take place September 27 – October 9, 2020. The application deadline for this unit is Friday, August 7, 2020 and the application can be found online. If anyone is interested in joining this unit and would like more information, please reach out to BVS staff at BVS@brethren.org.
BRF 2020 #326:
Aug. 16 – Aug. 24 (TBD) – Applications are due 7/3
Fall 2020 #327:
Sept. 27 – Oct. 9 (Virtual) – Applications are due 8/7
Brethren Volunteer Service’s Statement on Black Lives Matter Brethren Volunteer Service is a full time volunteer program that places volunteers in a one or two year long assignment in the United States and some locations around the world. This ministry of the Church of the Brethren has been a major program in this Christian denomination
Aug. 6 and 9, 2020, mark the 75th anniversaries of the nuclear bombings of the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan. The Church of the Brethren has been involved in peace witness in Hiroshima through the placement of Brethren Volunteer Service workers at the World Friendship Center. Currently, Roger and Kathy Edmark of Lynnwood, Wash., are serving as directors of the center through BVS (see www.wfchiroshima.com/english ).
In June, Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) made the decision to transition the summer orientation for Unit 325 from in-person to virtual. As COVID-19 cases continue to rise in communities around the country, the staff have made the decision to also offer a virtual orientation for the fall orientation for Unit 327. BVS staff are excited to be able to continue sending volunteers to project sites while prioritizing the health and safety of incoming volunteers and the communities where they will be serving.
Jocelyn Siakula has resigned as orientation coordinator for Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS), a position that she has held since Jan. 5, 2015. She will conclude her work with the Church of the Brethren on July 18.
Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) staff have made the decision to transition the summer orientation unit 325 from an in-person to a virtual event. Amid COVID-19 restrictions, BVS is committed to the health of incoming volunteers and leadership while still providing much-needed volunteer support to BVS project sites.