Annual Conference moderator shares theme statement for 2027

By Dennis Beckner, moderator of the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference

The Apostle Paul wrote to the members of the church in Thessalonica in 2 Thessalonians 1:3, “We must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing” (NRSVue).

This was Paul’s second letter in just a few months’ time to these early Christians. And already in this second letter, Paul acknowledges that he is hearing of their growing faith and love for each other. Is that what we’re hearing in the Church of the Brethren?

The Church of the Brethren I want to be a part of today is one that is growing in faith and love for each other. But we likely won’t observe growth in our denomination if we don’t focus on bringing and keeping young people in our congregations.

This year’s logo, designed by my daughter, Deanna Beckner, shows a smaller hand and a larger hand forming part of the cross together.

Growing abundant faith, as 2 Thessalonians 1:3 speaks of, goes hand in hand when our love for one another is also increasing. It means older folks and younger ones sharing in the ministry of faith together. It means teaching in our local congregations, camps, and throughout denominational programming so that children, youth, and young adults feel connected by mutual love. It means allowing our emerging young leaders to begin to lead. We will likely need to think differently to allow the Holy Spirit to help us be the church we need to be in this era.

Even if a congregation only has one child, one youth, or one young adult, we need to be intentionally interacting with them to keep them engaged and active in the life of our congregation. Let’s commit to work hand in hand at building up the Church of the Brethren.

Together we can foster faith to grow abundantly among our brothers and sisters of all ages!

Daily themes for Annual Conference 2027:

Wednesday, July 28: Faith Stories: Tell the Next Generation, Psalm 78:1-4
Sharing our faith stories encourages us to see how faith may already be growing in our congregations, districts and denomination. What faith stories should you be sharing with someone else to encourage their faith to grow?

Thursday, July 29: Childlike Faith, Matthew 18:2-5
Jesus encourages us to “become like little children” if we want to enter the kingdom of heaven. Let’s remind ourselves of the importance of our own childlike faith and encourage those basic tenants of our faith to be rekindled.

Friday, July 30: The Young Can Set Faith Examples, 1 Timothy 4:12-14a
Our text reminds us that even youth can set the example of faith for others. Are we listening to our youth? Are we seeing the examples they are setting for our denomination?

Saturday, July 31: Faith Building Outdoors, Psalm 96:1-6, 11-12
Outdoor Ministries of the Church of the Brethren have been providing outdoor Christian education for over 100 years. How are congregations and districts partnering with our camps to allow growing faith to happen in this age?

Sunday, Aug. 1: Planting Seeds of Faith, Matthew 13:31-32
Our continued effort, no matter how small, needs to be planting seeds of faith in our children, youth, young adults, and adults. Consider how the tiny mustard seed can grow into something much bigger which then supports others in their growth. What seeds of faith do we need to be planting to grow our beloved denomination to be more committed followers of Jesus?

(Note: The information provided above is tentative and may be updated as the Worship Team continues its planning process.)

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