Brethren bits for May 12, 2017

Church of the Brethren Newsline
May 12, 2017

Children’s Disaster Services reports that the teams of CDS volunteers caring for children and families in Missouri following flooding have served in six different locations, at six MARCs (Multi Agency Resource Centers) so far this week, caring for 64 children. “We are so very grateful for the work of these volunteers!” said the message from the CDS staff. In a Facebook post, the program displayed a picture made by a child who received care, with a comment about partner and sponsoring organizations the American Red Cross: “Red Cross helps a lot of people!” The CDS staff added, “Sending kind thoughts and prayers to these children and families as they struggle with next steps and rebuilding their lives.” Find out more about CDS and its work at www.brethren.org/cds .

— Correction: The editor apologizes to the Wieand Trust and the Wieand family for the misspelling of their name in the article published in last week’s Newsline about recent grants given from the trust.

— Remembrance: Evelyn (Evie) Toppel, 83, passed away on May 6 at Rosewood Care Center in Elgin, Ill. She served the Church of the Brethren as secretary for the director of Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) from May 1978 until her retirement in May 1996, and was affectionately known as “Mom” to countless BVSers through the years. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, May 13, at 10 a.m. at Cornerstone Methodist Church in Plato Center, Ill. The full obituary is posted at www.lairdfamilyfuneralservices.com/obituaries-detail.php?obit_id=3204 .

— Remembrance: Lila McCray, 92, a former missionary to India and a former employee of the Church of the Brethren General Board, passed away on May 7 in Kenosha, Wis. She served with her husband, Jack, in the Church of the Brethren mission in India from 1960 to 1965. After returning to the US, they lived in Elkhart, Ind., where she worked for 12 years with CROP/Church World Service. In 1981, she joined the stewardship staff of the Church of the Brethren, providing leadership in the area of congregational support until 1983. Honoring her request that there be no memorial service, the family will have a private remembrance of her life.

— The Church of the Brethren Workcamp Ministry has announced that its assistant coordinator for the 2018 season will be Grey Robinson. Originally from Glade Spring, Va., Robinson is graduating from Bridgewater (Va.) College this May with a degree in Religion and Philosophy, and will begin work in August to plan the 2018 workcamp season.

— The Brethren Academy is offering “Healthy Conversations as Spiritual Practice” as an online course from September 13-November 8, taught by Reba Herder. She is an experienced conversation facilitator, trainer, author, and coach. Students will gain a deeper theological basis for healthy conversations as well as practical tools, skills, and experience they need to encourage spiritual growth within their ministry context. This course is offered at the Academy level and is open to Brethren Academy students (TRIM and EFSM), lay persons and pastors. TRIM students will earn one Academy Level unit in Ministry Skills studies. Pastors will earn .2 continuing education credits. For online learning, students will need basic computer skills and access to the Internet.The course fee is $295. The registration deadline is August 13. For more information contact 800-287-8822, ext. 1824, or academy@brethren.org .

— Recipes are sought for the upcoming “Inglenook Desserts” cookbook, to be published by Brethren Press. “The initial round of recipe testing has ended,” reports an e-mail from Brethren Press staff. “We have sorted through evaluations and have found many first-rate recipes to include in our forthcoming Inglenook Desserts cookbook. Many thanks to our amazing team of testers! We’ve also discovered several areas where we could use some new recipes, to provide variety and round out our cookbook.” Recipes are sought in the following categories: brownies–unique, not chocolate, but in mint and other flavors; cakes—Angel food or sponge cake recipes only; candy–any candy except fudge; cheesecakes; cobblers and crisps–raspberry, strawberry and/or rhubarb, and peach recipes only; frozen desserts–no homemade ice cream; pies–cream and custard (no pumpkin or pecan), cherry, strawberry; trifles; general fruit desserts (no cakes, pies, cobblers, or crisps); ice cream toppings or sauces; gluten-free desserts of all kinds–please include information in the notes section of the form. “If you have a recipe to submit, remember the recipe should be yours, not one that is already published,” the e-mail reminded. “The Inglenook philosophy is that recipes should be simple, made with wholesome ingredients, and ‘mostly from scratch,’ and come from the tried-and-true kitchens of ordinary cooks. Please spell out everything, no abbreviations. Be very thorough when writing out the directions, remember some of our bakers may not have very much experience.” Submit recipes by June 12 online at www.brethren.org/bp/inglenook/submit-a-recipe.html . Only submissions received through this online form will be considered.

— The Brethren Nutrition Program in Washington, D.C., is seeking candidates for an unpaid part-time summer internship. The program is connected with the Washington City Church of the Brethren, and is located on Capitol Hill. An ideal candidate is a current college undergraduate with an interest in the non-profit sector, gardening, or social services. A job description is available. Contact Faith Westdorp, BNP Operations Manager, Brethren Nutrition Program, 337 North Carolina Avenue, SE,Washington, DC 20003; 202-546-8706.

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