Brethren bits

– The Brethren and Mennonite Heritage Center in Harrisonburg, Va., invites applications for the position of director of Advancement. This is a new role at the center that will focus on fundraising and marketing. It will be a half-time to full-time salaried position depending on the candidate’s interest. A position description and application information can be found at https://brethrenmennoniteheritage.org/employment.

— The World Council of Churches (WCC) is accepting applications for staff leadership positions from people who want to continue and build on the momentum of the global fellowship in its ongoing work for unity, justice, and peace. The four open staff leadership positions include program director for Unity and Mission, program director for Public Witness and Diakonia, director of the Commission on Faith and Order, and director of the Commission on World Mission and Evangelism. The new positions will take up the momentum built at the upcoming WCC 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe, Germany, this fall. The deadline for all applicants is April 30.

About the positions:

The program director for Unity and Mission, based in Geneva, Switzerland, will be responsible for coordinating all related activities, will lead the implementation of programmatic work in collaborative ways with churches and partners, and will lead, coach, and develop a team of more than 20 staff members, among other responsibilities. Programmatic areas: Unity and Mission work including the Commission on Faith and Order, the Commission on World Mission and Evangelism, Mission from the Margins, the Ecumenical Indigenous Peoples Network, the Ecumenical Disability Advocates Network, Youth Engagement in the Ecumenical Movement, Inter-religious Dialogue and Cooperation, and Spiritual Life. For a complete announcement go to https://wcccoe.hire.trakstar.com/jobs/fk0snqy.

“As we continue to pray for the Ukrainian people and for peace, we remember that Easter is a special time for them,” said the newsletter for Living Stream Church of the Brethren, the denomination’s only fully online congregation. “Most are Ukrainian Orthodox and celebrate Easter on April 24, a week after us.” In solidarity with Ukrainian Christians, the congregation is inviting its members during our Holy Week (April 10-17) and/or theirs (a week later) “to take on their practice of creating beautiful and ornate Easter eggs (pysanky), and praying for peace as you do so…. Perhaps there are Ukrainian people in your community with whom you might connect through this activity.” A “how-to” video is at www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjcKizt9n5A. More about Living Stream is at www.livingstreamcob.org.

The program director for Public Witness and Diakonia, based in Geneva, Switzerland, will be responsible for coordinating all related activities, will lead the implementation of programmatic work in collaborative ways with churches and partners, and will lead, coach, and develop a team of more than 30 staff members, among other responsibilities. Programmatic areas: Public Witness and Diakonia work including Public Witness (Commission of the Churches on International Affairs, Peace Building, the Jerusalem Liaison Office, the Ecumenical Office to the United Nations), Economic and Ecological Justice (Economy of Life, Ecumenical Water Network, and the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance), and Human Dignity (Ecumenical HIV and AIDS Initiatives and Advocacy, Health and Healing, Diakonia and Ecumenical Solidarity), as well as Just Community of Women and Men, Overcoming Racism and Human Sexuality. Find the complete announcement at https://wcccoe.hire.trakstar.com/jobs/fk0sci4.

The director of Faith and Order, based in Geneva, Switzerland, will be responsible for coordinating all related activities, will coordinate and actively participate in a wide range of studies approved by the Faith and Order Commission, and address theological, social, and historical factors related to the unity of the churches. Objectives include to lead, inspire, and direct the work of Faith and Order, sustaining and developing close relationships with the Faith and Order Commission and its leadership, ensuring its involvement in the production and promotion of studies on contemporary global Christianity and in the framework of The Church: Towards a Common Vision. Find the complete announcement at https://wcccoe.hire.trakstar.com/jobs/fk0scoh.

The director of the Commission on World Mission and Evangelism, based in Geneva, Switzerland, will be responsible for coordinating all related activities, will help churches and missionary bodies or movements to dialogue on each other’s understanding and practices of mission and evangelism with a view to enhance common witness and mission in unity, will develop a network of relationships with persons and bodies responsible for and/or involved in mission and evangelism, will inspire and promote theological reflection on the ecumenical understanding and practices of mission and evangelism through production of material, in particular the regular editorship and publication of the International Review of Mission. Objectives include to lead, inspire, and direct the work of Mission and Evangelism, sustaining and developing close relationship with CWME and promoting programmatic work conducted within the framework of the WCC towards the visible unity of church. Find the complete announcement at https://wcccoe.hire.trakstar.com/jobs/fk0s4iv.

“Please consider joining us for our spring student and alumni trip to Toledo, Ohio. The Peace Studies Institute and the Environmental Studies program are coming together for this trip to learn about ecological and environmental justice,” said an announcement from Manchester University, a church-related school in North Manchester, Ind. The trip departs late afternoon on Friday, April 29, and returns early Sunday afternoon, May 1. Registration covers the program, lodging, and Saturday lunch. Transportation is available, but participants are encouraged to drive themselves for maximum social distancing and to ensure there is space for everyone. The trip costs are as follows: student $15, non-student programing and meals with no overnight $75, non-student private room with no roommate $200, non-student seeking roommate $100, non-student registering with roommate $75. Register at https://secure.touchnet.net/C23277_ustores/web/store_main.jsp?STOREID=92&SINGLESTORE=true.

– “To the extent that you’re able, I encourage each of you to pay attention to what’s going on in the world around you, and to be involved in the political process in some capacity.” The spring season opener of the Dunker Punks Podcast features Galen Fitzkee, a Brethren Volunteer Service worker serving at the Church of the Brethren’s Office of Peacebuilding and Policy. He joins other speakers in a discussion of “our call as Anabaptist Christians to be active peacebuilders in the face of war and conflict and its devastating aftermath,” said an announcement. Listen at https://arlingtoncob.org/126-count-well-the-cost.

– “This is a nice story about two young BVSers from Germany who have known each other since 6 & 7 years old,” writes Ed Groff, producer of the community television production Brethren Voices. The April episode titled “Two Best Friends, Filling the ‘Gap’ with Brethren Volunteer Service” tells the story of Florian Wesseler and Johannes Stitz. The two young men are serving in Brethren Volunteer Service at SnowCap Community Charities in Gresham, Ore., helping those who are in need of emergency food assistance. However, “it all started in Gutersloh, North-Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, when I was 6 years old,” said Florian Wesseler in a release. His family moved from Bielefeld to Gutersloh in 2003 and at the age of 6 and 7, respectively, Wesseler and Stitz met on the soccer field and became teammates, leading them to becoming “really good friends…. We did confirmation together at our home church. After that we volunteered together as staff members for a Confirmation Camp in Berlin, for the youth of the community. We served as counselors for the young confirmands, providing lessons and recreation,” said Wesseler. “It’s quite common in Germany to do a ‘gap year’ following high school graduation and the beginning of college. This was first discussed in the 10th grade of my English class. It allows students to gain experiences before entering college.” Added Stitz, “Both of us didn’t want to start college right after high school, as we were uncertain about what to do after graduation.” The two applied to German organizations that work with volunteers and were referred to Brethren Volunteer Service. This eventually led them to SnowCap, which received high recommendations from previous volunteers. “This isn’t work–it’s what happens when two best friends work together for others,” said the release from producer Ed Groff. This episode will be available soon alongside previous episodes of Brethren Voices on YouTube at www.youtube.com/brethrenvoices.

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