The Church of the Brethren’s Global Food Initiative (GFI) has issued a recent round of grants supporting work for food security and related needs including $15,000 for purchase of farmland in Uganda, $6,470 for a well project in the Democratic Republic of Congo, $825 for a farming project of the emerging Tanzania Church of the Brethren, $5,000 in continued support for the Soybean Value Chain project of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria, and $15,000 for the Wings of Blessing and Hope Farm Poultry Project of ASIGLEH, the Church of the Brethren in Venezuela.
ICM Café Cohort opportunity is announced by Intercultural Ministry
The ICM Café Cohort offers monthly opportunities to participate in intercultural skills that we all can learn and share with our churches to be competent culturally, together.
Emergency Disaster Fund extends aid to organizations working in response to the Israel-Hamas war, in addition to other grants
Recent grants made from the Church of the Brethren’s Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) have been directed by Brethren Disaster Ministries to extend aid to organizations working in response to humanitarian needs created by the war between Israel and Hamas, with the violence now extended beyond Gaza into the West Bank and Lebanon
Brethren bits
In this issue: Remembering Michele Firebaugh, South Sudan Matching Gift Campaign ends Saturday, send a Christmas card to a BVSer, Messenger’s Thanksgiving playlist, the Global Women’s Project annual Advent calendar, and much more
L.E.A.D. Conference gathers in Ephrata to learn to ‘Listen, Equip, Adapt, Disciple’
Keynote speaker Dennis R. Edwards of North Park Theological Seminary, and preachers Etienne Nsanzimana of the Church of the Brethren in Rwanda and Jeff Carter of Bethany Theological Seminary, led the main sessions at the first-ever L.E.A.D. Conference of the Church of the Brethren on Nov. 15-17.
Local Children’s Disaster Services volunteers support children during Mountain Fire in southern California
Children’s Disaster Services (CDS) deployed a local team of volunteers to Ventura County, Calif., providing a calm presence to children affected by the recent Mountain Fire. Volunteers living within a two-hour drive served at a Local Assistance Center (LAC) in Camarillo, Calif.
Brethren bits
In this issue: Nominations still needed for the ballot for the 2025 Annual Conference, order the 2024 Advent Devotional from Brethren Press, Katy Gray Brown joins the Bethany Seminary board, Sing Me Home hosts its final event of 2024 this Saturday, at Manchester Church of the Brethren, the December episode of Brethren Voices, and a new resource from Creation Justice Ministries.
Brethren Academy hosts annual Clergy Tax Seminar, ‘Brethren, We Have Met to Worship,’ among other upcoming courses
Upcoming events from the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership include the annual Clergy Tax Seminar with leadership from Deb Oskin, scheduled for Feb. 1, 2025, as an online webinar; and the course “Brethren, We Have Met to Worship” with leadership from Christy Waltersdorff, scheduled for Jan. 15-March 11, 2025, as an online course via the Moodle virtual classroom.
There is still time to contribute to the South Sudan Matching Gift Campaign
The South Sudan Matching Gift Campaign that celebrates the Church of the Brethren ministry that is growing in South Sudan is in its last weeks. We are raising funding to help support a variety of projects in South Sudan that include agriculture, community development, theological training, and equipment for ministry.
Annville inspires with Community Pledge
On election day, Annville (Pa.) Church of the Brethren—which served as a polling site—also offered voters a separate “poll” inviting them to pledge actions that strengthen the community. In a world of political division, it recognized the importance of uniting around shared values and everyday service that uplifts everyone in the neighborhood.
