Children’s Disaster Services has three upcoming training events. Participants completing the 25-hour workshops will have the opportunity to become certified Children’s Disaster Services volunteers. CDS would love to see an increase in the number of Church of the Brethren-related volunteers.
Contests, resources, updates, and requests for action from the Center on Conscience and War, Creation Justice Ministries, Ecumenical Advocacy Days, and the World Council of Churches
The Ventures in Christian Discipleship program at McPherson College has announced programs for April, May, and June: “Deep Compassionate Listening,” “Beyond Burned Out to Boundaries and Balance,” and “Black Panther Films as Metaphor: Lessons about Race, Colonialism, Violence, and Identity in Wakanda”
A new Church of the Brethren Gun Violence Prevention Action Team launched in January 2023, with the purpose of encouraging the Church of the Brethren to be faithful as an effective force for reducing gun violence in our neighborhoods and wherever it occurs. On Earth Peace is convening this action team as part of a broader campaign to activate advocates for gun violence prevention.
The Mubi zonal celebration of the 100th Anniversary of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria included special centenary dress, presentations, dancing, singing, food, and much more, with gratitude to God and all those contributing to the life of the church.
Due to numerous humanitarian crises around the world, thousands of people are seeking asylum in the United States, some of whom make perilous journeys to the southern border. In April 2022, the state of Texas began sending many of these asylum seekers in buses to Washington, D.C., without plans for their care or in coordination with the city government or others in the area.
Church of the Brethren general secretary David Steele is one of the American faith leaders who have signed a letter to President Biden urging that the president “issue an executive order to establish a Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans.”
The Standing Committee of district delegates to the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference is holding a series of meetings via Zoom in order to handle additional tasks assigned last year.
With just under two years remaining for the grant, the Church of the Brethren Office of Ministry gathered a group of circuit riders, advisory team members, district executives, and others at the denominational offices in Elgin, Ill., Feb. 24-26, to take a “balcony view” of the program to date and consider possibilities and direction going forward.
Walt Wiltschek has been hired by the Church of the Brethren as part-time office coordinator for Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS), beginning on March 7. He continues as district executive minister for Illinois and Wisconsin District, and also continues his role on the editorial team for Messenger magazine.