Brethren bits for Feb. 25, 2022

Brethren Press is seeking candidates for a part-time, hourly position of customer service and warehouse specialist at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill. Responsibilities include shipping orders, receiving and maintaining inventory, and entering customer orders. Required skills and knowledge include ability to work within a religious setting and become familiar with the Church of the Brethren organization and beliefs, with experience in congregational life a plus; ability to represent Brethren Press and the Church of the Brethren positively by phone and in person; ability to interact personably with customers, colleagues, and vendors; ability to communicate professionally both orally and in writing; ability to work comfortably in a team environment, plan work activities and use time efficiently, handle details and organize information, navigate digital technology, and efficiently use the system for processing orders and managing inventory. A high school diploma or general education degree required, with college preferred. Applications are being received and will be reviewed on an ongoing basis until the position is filled. Send a resume to COBApply@brethren.org; Office of Human Resources, Church of the Brethren, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120; 800-323-8039 ext. 367. Equal opportunity employer.

Christian Churches Together (CCT) is seeking an executive director. CCT is one of the broadest fellowships of Christian communions in the United States, including Catholic, Evangelical, Pentecostal, Orthodox, Historic Black (African-American), and Historic Protestant Christian communions and organizations that witness together to the reconciling power of the Gospel of Jesus. CCT is currently seeking applicants with a passion for ecumenism for this half-time position. The executive director is the primary leader of CCT, tasked with articulating and facilitating achievement of its mission, vision, and values, including through management and fundraising. The executive director is also responsible for fundraising and management of the organization. The executive director is the face of CCT to the public, and works closely with the Steering Committee and Executive Committee in the day-to-day operations as well as with the participants of CCT, the wider ecumenical community, and the public. Previous experience in the ecumenical movement is preferred. Qualified interested candidates are encouraged to email a letter of interest accompanied by a detailed CV or resume to CCTExecDirectorSearch@gmail.com. More information about CCT can be found at www.christianchurchestogether.org including a detailed job description. The application deadline is April 15.

Prayer requests have been received this week from Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria, shared by Zakariya Musa, EYN’s head of Media: Pray for the upcoming EYN Annual Ministers Council meeting scheduled from March 1-4–the largest gathering of all ordained ministers of the church, during which decisions on pastoral works are made and newly ordained pastors from across the church are welcomed to the annual fellowship. Pray for the release of those who have been kidnapped and are still missing including Wadiam Terri, age 40, wife of pastor Terri Kwada, and their daughter Abigail,18, who were kidnapped at their church residence in Katsina on Feb. 17 and were still missing as of Musa’s email on Feb. 21. Kwada and his family are working in one of EYN’s mission fields in Katsina, a Muslim-dominated state in the northwest Nigeria.

Cross Keys Village-The Brethren Home Community in New Oxford, Pa., gained a “9” ranking in Newsweek’s list of America’s Best Nursing Homes 2022. Newsweek partnered with global data research firm Statista to create this annual ranking identifying “the nation’s top nursing homes based on three critical criteria: overall performance data, peer recommendations and each facility’s handling of COVID-19, relative to in-state competition,” said the website for the listing. “Nursing homes in the 25 states with the highest population size, according to the United States Census Bureau were included in the study. This year our ranking lists the 450 top facilities across 25 states.” Find the listing at www.newsweek.com/americas-best-nursing-homes-2022.

Global Women’s Project is offering a new Lenten Devotional in electronic format this year. The Church of the Brethren-related organization announced: “This new devotional features updated pictures and information from our partner projects around the world, scripture and educational pieces to reflect on, and an action step to consider each day. Thank you so much to Anna Lisa Gross for assembling the scriptures, reflections, information, and actions for this Lenten Devotional. We invite you to come along with us this season as we journey with Jesus to the cross and journey with women from around the world, reflecting on global issues and our place in this expansive world.” Sign up to receive the devotional in your e-mail at https://globalwomensproject.us9.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=5e7e0d825a945ce1a7f64cef4&id=a7749c9fb5.

Creation Justice Ministries is offering a Lenten Calendar to help guide readers to deepen their eco-spirituality during this Lent season 2022. Creation Justice Ministries is a former ministry of the National Council of Churches and a partner organization for the Church of the Brethren. Said an announcement: “Visualize yourself smiling and feeling fulfilled on Easter Sunday because you made commitments to strengthen and schedule your daily spiritual practices during Lent. Prayerfully reading this Daily Reflection-Action Calendar is a powerful tool to do Creation Justice and connect more fully with our God.” Download the Lenten Calendar at https://creationjustice.salsalabs.org/2022lentresource/index.html.

Church World Service (CWS) is advocating for an Afghan Adjustment Act following the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, when more than 130,000 Afghans were evacuated of whom 44 percent are children. “As the urgent evacuations played out in real time, thousands of Afghans were granted humanitarian parole, which is a temporary immigration status typically granted for one or two years,” said a release. “An Afghan Adjustment Act allows the new Afghan evacuees to apply to become lawful permanent residents one year after arrival…. Right now, Congress is negotiating federal funding legislation for the rest of the fiscal year. Congress has an urgent moral obligation to attach an Afghan Adjustment Act to the funding legislation and ensure Afghan evacuees have a chance for permanent protection and to integrate and thrive in our communities.” CWS has announced Monday, Feb. 28, as a national day of action to support an Afghan Adjustment Act. Go to https://cwsglobal.org/action-alerts/national-day-of-action-urge-congress-to-support-and-pass-an-afghan-adjustment-act.

World Council of Churches (WCC) acting general secretary Ioan Sauca has endorsed an appeal issued by the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) and urged President Putin to stop the war and restore peace to the people and nation of Ukraine. “The World Council of Churches affirms and supports the appeal issued on 24 February 2022 by His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kyiv and All Ukraine (Moscow Patriarchate),” said Sauca in a release. “Recalling the ties of history and affinity between the Ukrainian people and the Russian people, His Beatitude called directly on President Putin to stop the war, which he likened to Cain’s murder of Abel…. WCC makes the same appeal to President Putin, to stop this fratricidal war, and to restore peace to the people and nation of Ukraine.”

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