Sunday at NYC – ‘Called’

“Amazement seized all of them, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, ‘We have seen strange things today’” (Luke 5:26).

Photo by Glenn Riegel

Quotable quotes

“We are called to fly against the world. Thankfully we have a flock to fly with.”
— Laura Ritchey, giving one of the speeches by the winners of the youth speech contest.

“You are the Church of the Brethren. For 300 years you are one of the three historic peace churches in the world. C’mon! This is your job! … Carry us to Jesus. We need to be healed!”
— Rodger Nishioka, the speaker for the Sunday evening worship service. He is an associate professor at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Ga., where he holds a chair in Christian education.

“Ana and Baptist are both so intense, but put em together and they just make sense!
Rrr Raht da daht dah dah dah dah dah dah dah dah doo.”
— A couple of lines out of Eric Landram’s lyrics, “At Bethany,” sung to the tune of “Frozen.”

“I’m so cold!”
–NYC coordinator Katie Cummings, emerging from the water tank after her turn in the popular dunking booth at the Brethren Block Party.

“Ice cream!” “Ice cream!” “Ice cream!”
–Three youth explaining their favorite part of the Brethren Block Party.

Photo by Glenn Riegel

“I’ve been arguing against killing people since I was 16 years. Once this bumper sticker came out I was so relieved. I don’t have to argue anymore. If you don’t like what it says, talk to Jesus. It’s not me that said, ‘Don’t kill enemies.’”
— David Sollenberger, Brethren videographer and peacemaker, at a workshop focused on the iconic bumper sticker coined by Linda Williams of First Church of the Brethren in San Diego, “When Jesus said, ‘Love your enemies,’ I think he probably meant don’t kill them.”

NYC by the numbers

92: Number of people whose attendance at NYC this year was made possible with help from the NYC Scholarship Fund

$6,359.10: Received in the Sunday evening offering for the Haiti Medical Project

650: Number of people scheduled to take the buses to hiking in the mountains Monday

1,039: Downloads of the NYC app. More numbers from the app: 356 photos uploaded, 185 text posts, 2,789 likes!

2,390: NYC registrations, including youth, adult advisors, volunteers, and staff

The day’s schedule

Photo by Nevin Dulabaum
Mutual Kumquat performs at NYC 2014

A 5K started off the day, run on a course laid out around the CSU campus. Morning worship featured the youth speech contest winners: Alison Helfrich of Bradford, Ohio, from Oakland Church of the Brethren in Southern Ohio District; Katelyn Young of Lititz, Pa., from Ephrata Church of the Brethren in Atlantic Northeast District; and Laura Ritchey of Martinsburg, Pa., from Woodbury Church of the Brethren in Middle Pennsylvania District. Rodger Nishioka, who holds the Benton Family Chair in Christian education and is an associate professor at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Ga., preached for evening worship. The Sunday morning offering collected Hygiene Kits for Church World Service. The Sunday evening offering was received for the Haiti Medical Project of the Church of the Brethren. A first for NYC was the “Brethren Block Party” held in the afternoon, with a variety of activities and booths sponsored by church agencies and programs, including a popular dunking booth featuring several denominational leaders. The day ended with a late-night concert by Mutual Kumquat.

T-shirt days

NYC participants quickly notice the variety of t-shirts representing church agencies. Several are sponsoring t-shirt days. Sunday is Bethany Seminary day. Tuesday is Brethren Colleges day. On Wednesday, current and former Brethren Volunteer Service workers will wear orange tie-dye shirts.

Question of the Day: If God called you today, what would you be called to do?

Photo by Nevin Dulabaum
Arm wrestling for peace, at the Brethren Block Party

Jacob
Thomasville, Pa.
“Help everyone with everything they need throughout the day.”

Kylie

Milledgeville, Ill.
“Probably go and help one of my friends who needs help with money. Give to them.”

Nathan
Bel Aire, Kan.
“Walk in His light and the Word, any way possible.”

Linnea
Goshen, Ind.
“I really don’t know, probably to get out there more and tell more people about Him.”

Clara
Trotwood, Ohio
“Maybe be a missionary in Chicago because that was my first mission trip.”

Caleb
Gettysburg, Pa.
“Be a farmer because I’m good at it.”

NYC News Team: Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of News Services. Eddie Edmonds, Tribune editor. Photography: Glenn Riegel, Nevin Dulabaum. Writers: Frank Ramirez, Mandy Garcia. Question of the Day: Britnee Harbaugh, Maddie Dulabaum. Web and app support: Don Knieriem, Russ Otto.

[gt-link lang="en" label="English" widget_look="flags_name"]