Craig Smith is shown here preaching for Sunday morning worship at the 2011 Annual Conference in Grand Rapids. His sermon was titled, “Third Day People.”
“Third Day people are people of celebration… We are a body of Christ. We are not a corpse of Christ. We need to learn how to celebrate.”
– Craig Smith, district executive minister for Atlantic Northeast District, preaching for Sunday morning worship
“The Brethren celebrate the sesquicentennial (of the Civil War) from a different vantage point and draw different conclusions.”
– Moderator Robert E. Alley giving a historical tidbit on the 1861 annual meeting of the Brethren, held in Virginia on the eve of the Civil War
“No matter how we’re going to do it, it will be Robert’s rules.”
– The Moderator joking about how many people have mentioned the coincidence of his name and his role in leading the Conference in following Robert’s Rules of Order
What’s Cooking? The new “Inglenook Cookbook” and you
The new Inglenook Cookbook” is coming and Brethren Press needs your recipes. Since 1901, the “Inglenook Cookbook” has been a tradition passed from generation to generation. The new cookbook project looks to follow in that same tradition by assembling the best recipes from today’s kitchens. Submit your recipes by Oct. 15, and help continue the tradition. To find more visit www.inglenookcookbook.org or stop by the Brethren Press bookstore exhibit. The “Inglenook Cookbook”: live simply, eat well.
By the numbers
— 348 simultaneous log-ins at the peak viewership for the webcast of this evening’s business session, the Step 1 of the Special Response at the 2011 Annual Conference
— $14,306.11 received in Sunday’s offering
— 2 new fellowship and 2 new congregations welcomed by Annual Conference: Renacer Roanoke, Va.; Peace Covenant Church, in the “triangle” area of Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, N.C.; Light of the Gospel Fellowship, Brooklyn, N.Y.; and Mountain Dale Church in West Marva District
Brethren on the street, interviews and photos by Frank Ramirez
The question of the day: What have you or your congregation done to widen the table of Jesus Christ?
 “Personally, I am Vacation Bible School coordinator for our church. We were able to include many children from the community. We had almost 90 children. That’s extending the table.” – Sarah Hendricks, McPherson, Kan. |
 “(Chuckled) We unintentionally instituted infant baptism. We discovered one woman we baptized was pregnant with twins.” – Alan Kieffaber, North Manchester, Ind. |
 “We are working to discover that we don’t all have to agree and still remain in communion with each other.” – Marilyn Lerch, Bedford, Pa. |
 “We are trying to use the gifts of everyone who shows up on our doorstep.” – Anita Smith Buckwalter, Lansing, Mich. |
  “We are working in Pyongyang, North Korea. We’re allowed to walk the walk. It’s all about bridge building.” – Robert and Linda Shank, Pyongyang, North Korea |
 “My way is to bring peace, serving people to alleviate hunger from the world! I am grateful to all Christians, and to the Global Food Crisis Fund, which supports this work to serve all people with love.” – Kim Joo, Seoul, South Korea |
 “We are sponsoring Vivek Solanky to go to Bethany. Vivek is one of the Brethren in India.” – Asha Solanky, Richmond, Va. |
Coverage of the 2011 Annual Conference is by the News Team of Jan Fischer-Bachman, Mandy Garcia, Karen Garrett, Amy Heckert, Regina Holmes, Frank Ramirez, Glenn Riegel, Frances Townsend, and editor and news director Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford. Wendy McFadden serves as executive director of Brethren Press. Contact cobnews@brethren.org