The NOAC Planning Team is pleased to announce that we are launching a NOAC Book Study. We are hoping to establish book study groups on Zoom in the winter months. We will begin with one of the books from our 2025 speakers.

At the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference this summer, On Earth Peace challenged the denomination to raise $100,000 to provide a Legal and Mutual Aid Fund to support Church of the Brethren members facing challenges as a result of the detention and deportation efforts of agencies that are part of the government’s Homeland Security administration.

We’ve all grown old together with Ken Medema and Ted Swartz over the decades, as they have performed at National Youth Conference, Annual Conference, National Older Adult Conference. And in their new program, which they call “Curious and Clueless,” they did what we all do when we begin to feel our age.

If you need to walk off a heavier lunch than usual, I recommend taking a walk around Lake Junaluska. It’s around two and a half miles, give or take. This time of year it’s not too hot, so it’s well worth your time–if you like roses, kids, and dogs.

At this year’s Welcome Festival, offered during registration on the first afternoon of NOAC, a talented local bluegrass group—Upstream Rebellion—entertained folks while they waited for their rooms to be ready.