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Newsline for March 16, 2007


“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news….” — Luke 4:18a


NEWS

1) Brethren attend inaugural meeting of Christian Churches Together.
2) Sustaining Pastoral Excellence program holds ‘Vital Pastors’ retreat.
3) Funds give $95,000 in grants to relief work.
4) Brethren Volunteer Service welcomes its 273rd unit.
5) Brethren bits: Remembrance, personnel, job opening, and more.

PERSONNEL

6) Donna March begins as director of office operations for BBT.

UPCOMING EVENTS

7) Annual Conference registration and housing are now open.
8) Art contest is sponsored by Intercultural Study Committee.
9) Association of Brethren Caregivers joins ‘Cover the Uninsured’ for fourth year.
10) Fellowship of Brethren Homes to hold annual forum.

RESOURCES

11) Summer fun is in the cards.
12) Brethren Foundation offers new Brethren web directory.


Go to http://www.cobwebcast.bethanyseminary.edu/ for the most recent Church of the Brethren webcast featuring voices from the Gulf Coast. This inaugural webcast from the General Board reviews the Executive Committee’s visit to Brethren disaster relief projects in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Florida. It was produced by Becky Ullom, director of Identity and Relations.

To receive Newsline by e-mail or to unsubscribe, go to http://listserver.emountain.net/mailman/listinfo/newsline. For more Church of the Brethren news, go to http://www.brethren.org/, click on “News” to find a news feature, more “Brethren bits,” and links to Brethren in the news, photo albums, and the Newsline archive.


1) Brethren attend inaugural meeting of Christian Churches Together.

A consensus on the importance of evangelism and the need to eliminate domestic poverty marked the official formation of Christian Churches Together (CCT), at a meeting in Pasadena, Calif., on Feb. 6-9. This was the sixth annual gathering for CCT, an informally structured organization of 36 churches and national Christian groups that began in 2001 to provide a meeting place all the major groupings of Christian traditions in the US.

A proposal for the Church of the Brethren to join CCT will be brought to this year’s Annual Conference by the Committee on Interchurch Relations and the General Board. Four Church of the Brethren leaders attended as observers: Belita Mitchell, moderator of Annual Conference; Jim Beckwith, moderator-elect; Stan Noffsinger, general secretary of the General Board; and Michael Hostetter, chair of the Committee on Interchurch Relations.

CCT was begun when a number of US church leaders discussed the need for an ecumenical gathering that included Christian churches and traditions that were not members of the National Council of Churches (NCC) or the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE). The idea was encouraged by NCC general secretary Bob Edgar. By March 2006, 36 churches and organizations had become founding members.

With a focus on praying together and building relationships, the new organization has become the broadest and most inclusive fellowship of Christian churches and traditions in the US. The five “faith families” of the CCT are Evangelical/Pentecostal, Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, and Racial/Ethnic. It is the first time Roman Catholics have formally participated in a broad national ecumenical coalition in the US. Participants also include a number of nondenominational religious groups such as World Vision, Bread for the World, Sojourners/Call to Renewal, and Evangelicals for Social Action.

Evangelism and the need to eliminate poverty in the US were major topics of discussion at the meeting. The theme, “Is Jesus’ Proclamation Our Proclamation?” from Luke 4:18, led participants’ discussion of evangelism in their church and faith family contexts. Participants also continued discussions from a 2006 gathering on poverty, when a committee was appointed to find common ground and propose ways to challenge US Christians and the country to address poverty. At this meeting, CCT considered the proposals and approved a statement on poverty.

For more information, see http://www.christianchurchestogether.org/.

 

2) Sustaining Pastoral Excellence program holds ‘Vital Pastors’ retreat.

“Thank you for the re-call to ministry.” Those words, uttered by a pastor during a closing circle prayer, capped two years of exploring with colleagues what it means to pastor with excellence. Many of the 18 pastors in the circle might have expressed the same sense of renewal.

Sustaining Pastoral Excellence, an initiative of the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership funded by a $2 million Lilly Endowment Inc. grant, aims to give at least 200 Church of the Brethren pastors the opportunity for such renewal over a five-year period.

The 18 who gathered in Ellenton, Fla., Feb. 12-15 and joined hands for that prayer were the first group to finish the “Vital Pastors” track of the program. Meeting in small “cohort” groups, the pastors spend two years exploring a critical question related to ministry. The experience includes an immersion trip to a destination, often overseas, that helps investigation of that question.

At the Florida retreat, these groups spent three hours each telling the other groups and Brethren Academy staff what they had learned in the course of their journey. One group studied Brethren heritage; another studied contemplative styles of worship; the others pursued questions related to mission and developing leadership.

John Weyant, a member of the Mid-Atlantic District cohort, said the study of Brethren heritage, including a trip to Brethren sites in Germany, left him inspired. “We need to re-establish that passion,” he said in the group’s report, “and it starts right here.”

The cohort studying contemplative worship, from Southern Ohio, found inspiration in European churches finding new ways to reach new generations in a secularized atmosphere. “The message is strong enough to survive,” cohort member Jerry Bowen said, “but our churches have to find a new vehicle to share that message.”

A Northern Ohio group focused on ways to “identify, nurture, and release leadership gifts” in congregations. “God gives the congregation the gifts of leadership it needs,” they concluded. “We’re just not always aware of it yet.”

A South/Central Indiana group found a heart for mission in Brazil as it looked for ways to develop that same mission spirit back at home. “If you go home the same as you left, you missed it,” cohort member Bruce Hostetler said, discussing mission experience, whether near home or abroad.

As these were the first groups to complete the process, they were guinea pigs of sorts, to see how it would all work. They noted the challenges of pulling the cohorts together initially and of scheduling the frequent meetings through the process, but each group expressed that it had been worthwhile. Humor and laughter permeated the reports. Many groups planned to continue meeting together now that the formal program is done, building on the relationships formed.

“This is a week of deep satisfaction now that we’re here,” said Jonathan Shively, director of the Brethren Academy. “We have really anticipated this first gathering to learn from you…. This is a turning point in how we understand pastors and parish ministry. What you have done has not been just for you.”

Six more cohort groups began their study last year and will have a concluding retreat in November. Another six groups are beginning their study this spring. In all, about 100 pastors have now been involved in Sustaining Pastoral Excellence, most of them in the Vital Pastors track. Another 18 have participated in the Advanced Foundations of Church Leadership track, which brings together cohort groups of eight to 10 pastors for quarterly retreats to study pastoral leadership and pursue self-development.

Shively noted, too, that the Brethren piece of the program is part of a much more extensive web of pastors connected to the Lilly initiative in various denominations and organizations.

Glenn Timmons, who coordinates the Sustaining Pastoral Excellence program along with his wife, Linda, encouraged this first Brethren group to spread the message of what they had learned, and to encourage other pastors to seek the renewal and reinvigoration they need. “You are ambassadors now,” Timmons told them, “whether you realize it, or want to, or not!”

–Walt Wiltschek is editor of the Church of the Brethren’s Messenger magazine.

 

3) Funds give $95,000 in grants to relief work.

Two Church of the Brethren funds have given a total of $95,000 in recent grants supporting the work of Brethren Disaster Response in the Gulf Coast, as well as aid to Kenya, Somalia, Uganda, and Vietnam. The Global Food Crisis Fund (GFCF) and the Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) are ministries of the Church of the Brethren General Board.

Two EDF grants of $25,000 each support continuing work by Brethren Disaster Response at Hurricane Katrina rebuilding projects “Site 1” in Lucedale, Miss., and “Site 2” in Pearl River, La. The grants will pay for food, housing, and transportation for Brethren volunteers, as well as tools and materials. Two previous allocations to the Lucedale project total $55,000.

Another EDF grant of $5,000 to the Emergency Response program of the church will underwrite expenses incurred by volunteers and staff for early assessments of possible disaster projects.

An allocation from the EDF of $25,000 responds to a Church World Service (CWS) appeal in the wake of flooding in central and southern Somalia and northern Kenya. The money will help nearly 40,000 people with food assistance, school supplies, seeds and/or blankets, as well as agricultural and irrigation projects.

A grant of $9,000 from the EDF responds to a CWS appeal to provide critical aid to nearly 48,000 persons in Uganda. The need arises after years of conflict in the country, where the situation has been worsened by recent floods and drought. The grant will help supply food, farming equipment, seeds, and health care, as well as education and water sanitation.

A grant of $6,000 from the GFCF will help provide clean water and sanitation for Quan Chu Commune Junior Secondary School in Thai Nguyen province of Vietnam. The school, which enrolls 558 students in grades 6 to 9, has no water supply or sanitary toilets. The project is in partnership with CWS, monies to help cover this grant are expected to be raised.

 

4) Brethren Volunteer Service welcomes its 273rd unit.

The eight members of Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) Unit 273 have begun their terms of service. Camp Ithiel in Gotha, Fla., hosted the orientation unit from Jan. 29-Feb. 16. During the orientation volunteers had the opportunity to serve both the greater Orlando community and to fellowship with the Brethren Haitian community in Miami.

Volunteers, home congregations or hometowns, and placements are: Martin Anderson of Eisenhuettenstadt, Germany, will serve at the San Antonio (Texas) Catholic Worker House; Juergen Bartel of Rheinfelden, Germany, is serving with Gould Farm in Monterey, Mass.; Marissa Buckles of New Carlisle (Ohio) Church of the Brethren is going to Tri-City Homeless Coalition in Fremont, Calif.; Joel Dillon of Wheaton, Ill., will volunteer for L’Arche community in Tecklenburg, Germany; Mark Holbert of Saugatuck, Mich., is serving at the Oakland (Calif.) Catholic Worker House; Katherine Nichols of Emporia, Kan., is going to Camp Harmony in Hooversville, Pa.; Bethany Walk of State College, Pa., is volunteering with Quaker Cottage in Belfast, Northern Ireland; Laurin Wuennenberg of Twistringen, Germany, also is serving at the San Antonio Catholic Worker House.

For more information call BVS at 800-323-8039 or visit http://www.brethrenvolunteerservice.org/.

 

5) Brethren bits: Remembrance, personnel, job opening, and more.
  • Rozella M. Lunkley (87), a former Church of the Brethren missionary, died Feb. 23 at Bradner Village Health Care Center in Marion, Ind. She was born on Jan. 1, 1920, in Ottumwa, Iowa, to the late James H. and Jenny (Terrell) Welsh. She married Charles W. Lunkley on May 1, 1939. She was a missionary and a pastor’s wife, serving churches and mission fields from Africa to Iowa and Indiana. She also was an accomplished pianist, artist, and seamstress. She is survived by her husband, daughter Carolyn (Hardey) McDaniel, son James (Judith) Lunkley, godson Daniel (Esther) Dibal, and by three grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. The memorial service was held Feb. 28 at Marion (Ind.) Church of the Brethren, where she was a member. Memorial gifts were designated to Bethany Theological Seminary or McPherson (Kan.) College. Online condolences may be made at http://www.nswcares.com/.
  • Walter Trail has accepted a promotion to managing chef for the General Board at the New Windsor (Md.) Conference Center. Trail has been with the food service department at the Conference Center since December. His previous experience includes management and food service positions with CI Food Service, Eurest Dining Services, and Sbarro, Inc.
  • Susan Brandenbusch, who has served as administrative assistant to the president of Brethren Benefit Trust (BBT) since Nov. 1999, will be terminating her employment on June 15. She will no longer have regular office hours effective March 15. In addition to being assistant to the president, Brandenbusch was in charge of payroll operations, and organized board meetings and the BBT Fitness Challenge at Annual Conference.
  • Fahrney-Keedy Home and Village, a continuing care retirement community in Boonsboro, Md., related to the Church of the Brethren, has announced that interim chaplain Judith Clister has been called as permanent chaplain. She works part-time serving the needs of residents, prepares a weekly Vespers and Sunday morning worship service, and leads a monthly Bible study. Clister was licensed to the ministry in 2004 and is currently taking classes to continue her education. Her background includes over 30 years as a teacher and as a school counselor. For more information, visit http://www.fkmh.org/.
  • Palms Estates, a 55 and over independent living retirement community in central Florida, is seeking executive leadership. The organization includes 71 homes and 40 RV sites, founded by the Church of the Brethren. This is an excellent employment opportunity for an experienced husband and wife team, said the announcement. Responsibilities include leadership and management of the total operation of the Palms Estates. Candidates should possess strong organizational, administrative, accounting, verbal and written communication, and interpersonal skills acquired through training and experience. Knowledge of budgets, financial statements, and computer technology related to all office functions also is required. Qualified applicants need the ability to manage multiple tasks involving residents’ needs and concerns, maintain harmonious relations with related organizations, insure compliance with governmental regulations, and manage a small citrus grove and maintenance staff. Onsite residence and office provided in addition to salary and other benefits. Send a resume and three references by June 15 to The Palms Estates at P.O. Box 364, Lorida FL, 33857.
  • The Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill., is marking the fourth anniversary of the Iraq War with prayer. The chapel is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. today for staff to meditate and pray for peace in Iraq. The Association of Brethren Caregivers (ABC) board, which is meeting this weekend, has invited other agency staff to a brief service at 1 p.m. with music, readings, and prayers for peace.
  • On Earth Peace is seeking reflections in the forms of prayers, poems, litanies, and brief meditations from individuals thinking about the following theme: We have been at war for four years with Iraq (longer if Afghanistan is included)–what do you have to say about the war, including theological/scriptural reflections? Submissions may be used in the On Earth Peace newsletter or on its website. Send submissions to bsayler_oepa@brethren.org by April 1.
  • The theme for the March 16-17 Youth Roundtable at Bridgewater (Va.) College is “Humbled by His Presence.” Roundtable is one of the annual regional youth conferences in the Church of the Brethren. Jim Hardenbrook, former Annual Conference moderator and pastor of Nampa (Idaho) Church of the Brethren, is the guest speaker, with music by “Into Hymn.” For more information contact Virlina District at 540-362-1816 or MQT1965@aol.com.
  • Cliff Kindy of Eel River Church of the Brethren in North Manchester, Ind., and a longterm member of Christian Peacemaker Teams, has been honored by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne and South Bend with the first “Father Tom O’Connor Light of Christ Award.” The award was reported in an Associated Press article in the “Indianapolis Star” newspaper. Kindy has traveled to Iraq and Israel to promote peace, working with Christian Peacemaker Teams. O’Connor, who died in 2004, was a Fort Wayne priest known for his devotion to social justice. Read more at www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070315/LOCAL/703150537.
  • “Basically, I said that I didn’t take this discovery seriously,” said University of La Verne professor Jonathan Reed about “The Lost Tomb of Jesus,” a Discovery Channel documentary that aired March 4. Reed was a panelist for a televised forum about the documentary, moderated by Ted Koppel. The forum titled “The Lost Tomb of Jesus: A Critical Look,” aired immediately following the documentary and included a panel chosen for their knowledge in such fields as archeology, theology, and biblical research. “I discussed this very tomb in the revised edition of ‘Excavating Jesus,’” Reed reported. “I think this program will provide an interesting opportunity for critical assessment of the entire subject.” Reed is professor of religion at the Brethren-related university in La Verne, Calif., and co-author of “Excavating Jesus” and “In Search of Paul.” He is a leading authority on first-century Palestine archeology and lead archaeologist at Sepphoris, the ancient capital city of Galilee. He served as senior historical consultant for the National Geographic Channel 2005 series “Science of the Bible.” For more go to http://www.ulv.edu/.
  • For a second year, MAX Mutual Aid eXchange is sponsoring the denominational Wellness Ministry, a collaboration between the Association of Brethren Caregivers, Brethren Benefit Trust, and the Church of the Brethren General Board. MAX sponsored the ministry in 2006 and has increased its level of support in 2007, reported ABC. The group believes its sponsorship of the Wellness Ministry follows its vision, “as creating and sustaining wholeness through preserving and restoring property, lives, and community,” stated a release from the company. “Funding provided through MAX will assist us in providing resources, workshops, and programs about wellness to Church of the Brethren congregations,” said Mary Lou Garrison, director of the Wellness Ministry. MAX, based in Overland Park, Kan., provides casualty and property insurance for individuals, congregations, and corporations, and has been a sponsor and exhibitor at ABC conferences such as the Caring Ministries Assembly and National Older Adult Conference.
  • “Brethren Voices” a new 30-minute community television program from Portland (Ore.) Peace Church of the Brethren, produced by member Ed Groff, “has become a reality for seven Brethren congregations/and or districts,” Groff said. The church has begun offering the series to other Brethren congregations that are served by community access television stations. The first program for March featured the video from On Earth Peace, “Food and Clothing, Cattle and Love–Brethren Service Following World War II,” produced by David Sollenberger. The second and third programs of the series for April and May will feature the work of Brethren Disaster Response in Mississippi and Louisiana. Other programs being planned include a discussion of war and peace with video provided by On Earth Peace, and a program featuring 2007 Annual Conference moderator Belita Mitchell, Groff said. Each program is hosted by Portland Peace Church’s Rachael Waas Shull. For more information about cost to receive the monthly program, and other information, contact Ed Groff at Groffprod1@msn.com or Portland Peace Church of the Brethren at peacecob@3dwave.com.
  • Peggy Gish, a Church of the Brethren member and longterm member of Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) in Iraq, reported March 9 that the Iraq team has returned home “for healing, examination, and discernment” following a brief abduction of team members. The team was working in the Kurdish north of Iraq. “In late January, Will Van Wagenen, two Iraqi associates, and I were abducted briefly…and then released unharmed,” Gish reported. “The abduction has shaken the team and the organization. Because of the embarrassment this incident has caused them, Kurdish authorities have refused to complete CPT’s NGO application.” Gish asked for prayer as the team questions “whether or how we could responsibly work now in Iraq.” Originally a violence-reduction initiative of the historic peace churches (Church of the Brethren, Mennonite, and Quaker), CPT now enjoys support and membership from a wide range of Christian denominations (for more go to http://www.cpt.org/).

 

6) Donna March begins as director of office operations for Brethren Benefit Trust.

Donna March, manager of Insurance Operations for Brethren Benefit Trust (BBT), has been appointed to the new BBT management position of director of Office Operations, effective March 15.

In her new position, March will direct general office services, human resource services, and the data base development of denominational membership, and will manage BBT offices and telephone and coordinate the office of president.

March has been an employee of BBT since July of 1989, serving much of that time as staff of the insurance department. She will continue to provide part-time leadership for the Brethren Insurance Plan as she transitions to her new job. The Brethren Insurance Plan continues under the direction of interim director Randy Yoder.

 

7) Annual Conference registration and housing are now open.

Housing reservations for Annual Conference in Cleveland, Ohio, June 20-July 4, along with nondelegate registrations, can now be made at www.brethren.org/ac. Also online is the 2007 Annual Conference Information Packet, that also was distributed to all congregations in early March as a CD enclosed in the Source packet.

The Conference office encourages Brethren to use the online housing facility or to submit housing request forms available in the information packet. Obtaining hotel rooms through Conference housing holds down the cost of meeting space and other Conference facilities. To obtain housing online go to www.brethren.org/ac then click on “Housing Reservation” in the Cleveland section of the homepage. Participants are encouraged to obtain housing before registering for the Conference.

Advance registration for nondelegates will realize a saving of more than 33 percent. Conference-goers can register themselves and family members, sign up for age group programs, and purchase tickets for ticketed meal events. Deadline for advance registrations is May 20. Go to www.brethren.org/ac, click on “Registration” in the Cleveland section of the homepage.

Find the information packet at www.brethren.org/ac, click on the “Info Packet” tab in the Cleveland section of the homepage. Paper copies can be obtained by contacting the Annual Conference Office at 800-688-5186 or annualconference@brethren.org.

 

8) Art contest is sponsored by Intercultural Study Committee.

A “Revelation 7:9 Art Contest” is sponsored by the Intercultural Study Committee at Annual Conference. Entries are welcome from Brethren artists of all ages, and congregations are urged to encourage participation from their membership.

Entries should represent the artist’s understanding of Revelation 7:9. Other guidelines are: one entry per artist; all entries must be flat on 8 1/2 by 11 inch paper; any media may be used (crayons, markers, oils, graphics images, photography, etc.); on the back of each entry clearly print or firmly attach a sticker that includes artist’s name and address, home congregation name and address, and age group (“young child” age 8 and under, “older child” ages 9 to 12, “teenager/youth” ages 13 to 18 in high school, “adult” college-age and older).

Judges will award a prize to the winner of each age group. All of the artwork, including the winning entries, will be displayed in the Intercultural Study Committee’s booth at the 2007 Annual Conference in Cleveland, Ohio, from July 1-5. Entries must be received by Friday, May 11. Send entries to Asha Solanky, Attn: Art Contest, 8209 Franconia Rd., Richmond, VA 23227.

 

9) Association of Brethren Caregivers joins ‘Cover the Uninsured’ for fourth year.

For the fourth year in a row, the Association of Brethren Caregivers (ABC) has signed on to the “Cover the Uninsured” Campaign on behalf of the Church of the Brethren. ABC encourages congregations to participate in “Cover the Uninsured” Week on April 23-29.

This program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation raises awareness about the plight of nearly 46 million uninsured Americans. This year’s campaign will focus on the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Signed into law in 1997 and scheduled for reauthorization by Congress this year, SCHIP provides each state with federal funds to design a health insurance program for vulnerable children. SCHIP has become increasingly important for lower income families to provide preventative health care for their children. Last fiscal year, more than six million children were enrolled in SCHIP.

A new study conducted by the University of Minnesota found that, since 1997, employer offers of health insurance to parents with lower incomes have fallen three times as fast as offers to parents who earn more money. Nationally, fewer than half (47 percent) of parents in families earning less than $40,000 a year are offered health insurance through their employer–a nine percent drop since 1997. Meanwhile, offers of health insurance to parents in families earning $80,000 or more have held steady at about 78 percent.

“In reauthorizing SCHIP, Congress must provide the funds needed to maintain coverage for all currently enrolled kids and the millions more who are eligible but remain unenrolled,” said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

To find out more visit http://www.covertheuninsuredweek.org/.

 

10) Fellowship of Brethren Homes to hold annual forum.

Many CEOs, administrators, board members, and chaplains of Brethren-affiliated retirement centers will meet April 19-21 at Brethren Hillcrest Homes in La Verne, Calif., for the Fellowship of Brethren Homes’ annual forum. Hillcrest is one of 22 Brethren facilities that are members of the fellowship, which is a ministry of the Association of Brethren Caregivers (ABC). Theme for this year’s forum is “Dealing with External Forces.”

The conference will begin with a tour of the Hillcrest facility. Presentations will be given by Larry Minnix, CEO of the American Association of Health Services for the Aging, on “Scenario Planning–The Long and Winding Road”; by Marlin Heckman, a Brethren scholar at Hillcrest, on “The Church of the Brethren–Who We Are and How We got Here”; by Larry Boles, development director at Hillcrest, and Lowell Flory, director of Institutional Advancement for Bethany Seminary, on development and fundraising in the local and wider Church of the Brethren community; and by Hillcrest chaplain Myrna Wheeler on older adult ministry and chaplaincy. The conference will conclude at noon Saturday.

For more information about the forum, contact ABC at 800-323-8039 or go to http://www.brethren-caregivers.org/.

 

11) Summer fun is in the cards.

Brethren Forerunners and Dutch Blitz move over! The Gather ’Round curriculum project has released a deck of 78 colorful “Parable Cards” to play at home in conjunction with the summer material on the parables of Jesus.

The cards offer a question, suggestion, or prayer corresponding to a particular parable. For example, a card for the parable of the rich fool who builds new barns to hold all his produce asks, “What does it mean to be rich toward God?” Another card asks that you tell about a time you decided you needed more storage space for something you were saving.

Twenty-six “Any day cards” suggest activities that apply to any parable, such as “Take the characters from your favorite television show and make up an episode that tells the same story as this parable.”

Parable Cards are the Gather ’Round “Talkabout” for the summer quarter. Talkabouts are take-home items that offer families a way to bring up the weekly Gather ’Round scripture texts in conversation and simple activities at home. Each quarter offers a different item. The Talkabout for spring 2007 is a refrigerator magnet puzzle. Talkabouts for previous quarters have been a 14-sided pop-up and a daily tear-off calendar.

Congregations order the Talkabouts for each household in the congregation. Families can also order them on their own for $5.95. Order from Brethren Press at 800-441-3712 or go to http://www.gatherround.org/.

 

12) Brethren Foundation offers new Brethren web directory.

The Brethren Foundation has added a directory of Church of the Brethren executives and development professionals to its website (http://www.bbtfoundation.org/) which provides contact information for Church of the Brethren organizations.

The directory lists denominational agencies, districts, camps, institutions of higher learning, Brethren retirement communities, and other agencies affiliated with the Church of the Brethren. The directory contains the names of key personnel, their e-mail addresses, and phone numbers. Brethren will want to bookmark the page for regular reference. It is also available in a printer-friendly format.

“We trust the directory will be a resource that is helpful to members of the Church of the Brethren as they consider the beneficiaries of their charitable planning,” said Steve Mason, Brethren Foundation director. “The foundation will update the site as we receive input and will do a formal review two times a year.”

The foundation website also offers detailed information on the services provided to clients including gifting opportunities. It describes the foundation’s investment strategy, its investment managers, and its funds with their performance totals. In addition, the site explains the foundation’s commitment to socially responsible investing and contains an extensive list of financial Internet links. Go to http://www.bbtfoundation.org/.

Resources for congregational and personal health and worship will be available beginning March 1 at the ABC website, http://www.brethren-caregivers.org/. Congregation leaders can request a printed version of the resources at no charge from ABC by calling 800-323-8039.

 


To receive Newsline by e-mail or to unsubscribe, go to http://listserver.emountain.net/mailman/listinfo/newsline. Newsline is produced by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of news services for the Church of the Brethren General Board. Contact the editor at cobnews@brethren.org or 800-323-8039 ext. 260. Mary Dulabaum, Lerry Fogle, Hannah Kliewer, Jon Kobel, Karin Krog, Wil Nolen, Barb Sayler, Anna Speicher, and Jay Wittmeyer contributed to this report. Newsline appears every other Wednesday, with the next regularly scheduled issue set for March 28; other special issues may be sent as needed. Newsline stories may be reprinted if Newsline is cited as the source. For more Church of the Brethren news and features, subscribe to “Messenger” magazine, call 800-323-8039 ext. 247.


 

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