Resources to facilitate learning and growth from the Church of the Brethren Standing with People of Color Committee are part of the three-year denomination-wide study/action process. Kindly read through and share within your own congregation or district.
The April and May offerings from the Ventures in Christian Discipleship program at McPherson (Kan.) College will be: on April 2, 6:30-8:30 p.m. (central time), “Introduction to Afrofuturism and Theology” presented by Tamisha Tyler, visiting assistant professor of Theology and Culture and Theopoetics at Bethany Seminary; and, on May 7 and 9, 7-8:30 p.m. (central time), “Becoming a More Loving and Inclusive Church” presented by Tim McElwee, who served as moderator of the 2023 Church of the Brethren Annual Conference.
In this issue: Remembering H. Fred Bernhard, Matching Gift Campaign continues through end of March, NOAC 2025 theme is announced, Bethany welcomes the moderator, W. Harold Row lecture at Bridgewater College, and more.
The new Death Row Support Project (DRSP) Team started their work in January, upon the retirement of founder and former director Rachel Gross. One change the team has made is in the process for writers to connect with pen pals on death row. The team invites anyone interested in writing to someone on death row to attend an informational session on Zoom.
Dawson Springs, Ky., will be the location of the FaithX adult (age 18-plus) service trip in partnership with Brethren Disaster Ministries on July 28-Aug. 3, 2024. There is still time to sign up for this trip if you are interested! FaithX registration can be found at www.brethren.org/faithx and will close on April 1.
Older adult FaithX participants had a wonderful week at Camp Ithiel in Gotha, Fla., where they spent time together in service, fellowship, and worship. A variety of volunteer projects were completed under the guidance of camp director Mike Neff, including removal of invasive plants, trimming of overgrown forest, kitchen help, cleaning, window washing, and painting.
Registration is now open for the Spring 2024 Children’s Disaster Services (CDS) Volunteer Training Workshops. If you have a heart for serving children and families in need following a disaster, find the schedule, cost, and a registration link at www.brethren.org/cds/training/dates.
Church of the Brethren general secretary David Steele has shared the following pastoral statement for Haiti during a state of emergency and widespread violence in the Caribbean island nation. The full text of the pastoral statement follows in three languages: English, Haitian Kreyol, and French:
The Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership is offering “Listening for the Sound of the Genuine” on July 2-3, led by Audrey Hollenberg-Duffey as facilitator, as a directed independent study unit (DISU).
During the early hours of a recent morning, I was awakened by the sound of bombs exploding some distance away. Across the border from us, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, there are frequent skirmishes between rebels and the government forces. It is not uncommon for us to hear gunfire and explosions. There is no imminent danger to us here, but knowing that others are facing death and destruction is disconcerting to say the least.
