 The upcoming Mission Alive conference is one of the opportunities for the new mission advocate network to connect and learn more about Church of the Brethren mission work around the world. The conference takes place Nov. 16-18 at Lititz (Pa.) Church of the Brethren. |
The Church of the Brethren’s Global Mission and Service program has begun a network of congregational- and district-based mission advocates. The purpose of the new Global Mission Advocate Network is to equip districts and congregations to promote and invigorate Brethren mission efforts at the individual, congregational, and district levels.
Each district and congregation is being encouraged to name a mission advocate. The advocate will keep Brethren mission work before their district or congregation through newsletters, websites, conferences and other avenues, as well as communicate district mission efforts to the broader network. In addition, the advocate will encourage participation in funding of Church of the Brethren missions and consideration of mission service opportunities.
The Global Mission and Service office has committed to provide regular mission updates to the network including prayer requests, stories from the mission field, and opportunities for church members to become involved. The office also has committed to providing avenues for districts and churches to give support to Brethren mission work, to regularly host mission-focused events such as the Mission Alive conference, and to keep an active list of all district and congregational advocates.
The first issue of a newsletter for mission advocates was sent out recently by e-mail. The newsletter included a review of the upcoming theological training in Haiti (see story in “Upcoming Events” below), as well as a number of mission prayer requests and opportunities to become directly involved in mission work.
Mission advocates were requested to pray for peace in Nigeria and for Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN–the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria), as well as mission worker Carol Smith who is returning to Nigeria to teach math at the EYN Secondary School. Prayer also was requested for mission worker Grace Mishler who returns to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, to continue her work of training others to compassionately mainstream the physically disabled.
Service opportunities that were shared include
– an invitation to join Bill Hare of Polo (Ill.) Church of the Brethren on a Jan. 9-19, 2013, trip to build homes in southern Honduras
– an invitation to attend Mission Alive on Nov. 16-18 at Lititz (Pa.) Church of the Brethren (go to www.brethren.org/missionalive2012 for more information and online registration)
– an invitation from Global Mission and Service executive Jay Wittmeyer to consider traveling with him to an annual meeting of one of the other Church of the Brethren bodies around the world.
For more information about the Global Mission Advocate Network contact Anna Emrick at 847-429-4363.