has been tending to their community garden for about five years now, thanks to the original initiative of former pastor Belita Mitchell. The current garden coordinator, Waneta Benson, cites this year as the best year yet!
COBYS Family Services will hold its 25th annual Bike & Hike fundraising event on Sunday afternoon, Sept. 12, at Lititz (Pa.) Church of the Brethren. The signature components of walking and riding bicycles or motorcycles continue. Group starts return this year and an updated route for the walkers, who will stroll through the Lititz business district on Main and Broad Streets, is being introduced. Families, friends, church groups, and riding clubs are encouraged to attend, line up sponsors to support their efforts or donate to the event.
In this issue: The logo for the 2022 Annual Conference is released, prayer requests from Global Mission, job opening, Calling the Called, ‘The Truth About Military Recruiting,’ Atlantic Southeast’s annual Family Peace Camp, McPherson experiences record enrollment, among other news by, for, and about Brethren.
The Church of the Brethren extends its prayers on behalf of our Haitian brothers and sisters in Christ due to the devastating earthquake that hit the island nation on Saturday. We mourn for the loss of life, shelter, and basic needs, and are deeply concerned for the impending tropical storm. Heavy rains were forecast for today.
NEWS
1) Global Mission staff released from custody in South Sudan
2) Global Food Initiative makes Ecuador visit
3) Action alert brings attention to crisis situation in Nigeria
4) Office of Peacebuilding and Policy monitors AUMF and withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan
5) Letter encourages equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines
6) Church workers’ COVID emergency grants are extended again
7) Haiti Medical Project continues to meet needs for health care and community development
UPCOMING EVENTS
8) Virtual National Older Adult Conference to offer keynote presentations, worship and Bible study, unique online gatherings
9) Online formation experience is offered by Discipleship Ministries and Diversity 2 Inclusion
10) Annual Conference office co-sponsors webinars on theme of equipping for leadership
RESOURCES
11) Video promotes nominations and explains process for choosing denominational leadership
12) Brethren Press offers a new Bible story book from Shine
JESUS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD: STORIES FROM CONGREGATIONS
13) Chicago First Church speaks out in support of Brethren Volunteer Service
14) Neighborhood prayer walk helps Celebration of Christ Church reach out
15) Lancaster Church to host International Fun Day on Aug. 21
16) Manchester Church of the Brethren hosts blood drive in honor of 5-year-old
17) Lakeview Church participates in conversation about community center
18) Trinity Church members make quilts for Sabetha Community Hospital
PERSONNEL
19) Joshua Rowan to work in IT for the Church of the Brethren
20) Brethren bits: Remembering Kendal Elmore, BHLA welcomes Jennifer Houser with Facebook event, Bethany Seminary seeks executive for Institutional Advancement, Material Resources gets trailer of Lutheran World quilts, district conferences, new staff for Anabaptist Disabilities Network, more
In this issue: Remembering Kendal Elmore, BHLA welcomes Jennifer Houser with Facebook event, Bethany Seminary seeks executive for Institutional Advancement, Material Resources gets trailer of Lutheran World quilts, district conferences, new staff for the Anabaptist Disabilities Network, and much more
“Discipling Our Imagination: Interrupting Our Biases” is a new online formation experience offered by the Church of the Brethren’s Discipleship Ministries in partnership with Diversity 2 Inclusion. The experience is offered as online workshops or webinars at 7-9 p.m. (Eastern time) on Aug. 24 and 31 and Sept. 7. Credentialed ministers may earn 0.6 continuing education units through the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership. The registration fee is $100.
In line with our 2004 Annual Conference “Resolution: Iraq,” 2006 Church of the Brethren “Resolution: An End to the War in Iraq,” and 2011 Church of the Brethren “Resolution on the War in Afghanistan,” the Church of the Brethren Office of Peacebuilding and Policy along with our ecumenical and interfaith partners are watching and engaging with developments on the repeal of the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 (2002 AUMF) and withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan.
The Annual Conference office is co-sponsoring two online workshops offered by Womaen’s Caucus on the theme “Equipping for Leadership.” All are invited to join! The first webinar titled “Leadership in the Church of the Brethren” will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 24, at 8 p.m. (Eastern time) via Zoom. The Zoom link will be sent out in August.
A new video that promotes nominations for Church of the Brethren leadership and helps explain the nomination and election process at Annual Conference is now available at www.brethren.org/ac/nominations. Also on this web page are a list of currently open positions and nomination forms.