Today in Grand Rapids – Wednesday, July 3, 2024

“Be sure to welcome our friend Phoebe in the way of the Master, with all the generous hospitality we Christians are famous for. I heartily endorse both her and her work. She’s a key representative of the church at Cenchrea. Help her out in whatever she asks. She deserves anything you can do for her. She’s helped many a person, including me” (Romans 16:1, The Message).

“Let me repeat this: We are yearning to be in community with and for each other.”

— Annual Conference moderator Madalyn Metzger preaching for the opening worship service of the 2024 Conference. She added–in a sermon reflecting on the similarities of her experience as moderator with that of Phoebe, who is introduced by Paul in Romans 16—that “being in community means walking beside each other even in disagreement….so that we can faithfully fulfill our calling to be Christ’s hands and feet.” Photo by Glenn Riegel

“Help us welcome one another in a way worthy of God’s people.”

— Julie Alphonse, offering a prayer as one of the worship leaders for this evening’s service, alongside her mother Michaela Alphonse. Photo by Glenn Riegel

“Jesus, Holy One,
You are ever-faithful.
Jesus, draw us near,
Gathered at your table,
Gathered in your love.”

— The words to a song that the worship band will be leading the congregation in singing at each of this week’s worship services.

Six intercultural leaders in the Church of the Brethren received the Revelation 7:9 Award during today’s Mission and Ministry Board meeting in Grand Rapids, Mich. The award was presented by Founa Badet, director of Intercultural Ministries.

Badet (at left) with five of the six recipients of the Revelation 7:9 award: (from left) Gilbert Romero, Matt Guynn, Duane Grady, Joshua Brockway, and Michaela Alphonse. Not pictured: Joe Vecchio.

For brief biographies of the honorees go to www.brethren.org/news/2024/revelation-79-award-is-presented

Among items for sale at the Brethren Press bookstore in the Annual Conference exhibit hall is a brand-new book by publisher Wendy McFadden. Notes to the Church (Brethren Press, 2024) presents a selection chosen from McFadden’s 25 years of columns that have appeared in each issue of Messenger, the magazine of the Church of the Brethren.

McFadden will be one of the featured authors to hold book signings at the bookstore during the Conference.

For the full schedule of book signings go to www.brethren.org/news/2024/conference-bookstore-debuts-mcfadden-book

–– Registration numbers as of 4:45 p.m. on Wednesday, July 3, 2024: 408 delegates, 957 non-delegates including in-person and virtual attendees, for a total of 1,365 participants.

— Worship attendance: 1,023 in this evening’s congregation.

— This evening’s offering received during worship is for the Annual Conference operating budget: $6,909.35 received onsite, with an additional $725 in online gifts, for a total of $7,634.35.

–– The young adult group at Annual Conference, along with staff of Brethren Volunteer Service, Intercultural Ministries, and Bethany Seminary, are planning a “take over” of social media during the Conference using the hashtags #yacob2024 and #cobac2024. Young adults are invited to post their photos and videos, views and experiences of the Conference for sharing by the communications staff on the Church of the Brethren Facebook and Instagram pages. Find a fun video of the young adult group at www.facebook.com/churchofthebrethren where a stream of this evening’s Conference worship service also is available.

–– To join in the Annual Conference worship services via online streaming, you may also use this link: www.brethren.org/ac2024/webcasts.

— Find online photo albums from the Annual Conference at https://churchofthebrethren.smugmug.com/AC2024.

#cobac2024