Brethren Insurance Services now offers the convenience of an online portal for insurance enrollment. This year’s Open Enrollment will run from Nov. 15-30. Brethren Benefit Trust (BBT) has partnered with Milliman, a highly respected independent risk management, benefits, and technology firm founded in 1947, in order to bring this feature to our customers, and provide ongoing insurance administration services.
Kim Gingerich has been hired as program assistant for the rebuilding program of Brethren Disaster Ministries, based out of the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md. She will begin in this position on Oct. 25.
In this issue: CDS teams continue to serve Afghan evacuee children and families at Fort Bliss, prayer request for Christian Aid Ministries kidnap victims, gratitude for new malaria vaccine, new longterm volunteer for Brethren Disaster Ministries, bullying prevention webinar from On Earth Peace, and more news by, for, and about Brethren
NEWS
1) Mission and Ministry Board holds fall meeting this weekend
2) Material Resources has a banner week
3) Refugees or evacuees, kids need care: Church of the Brethren ministry looks after children when disaster strikes
4) Global Church of the Brethren Communion survey strongly affirms Brethren characteristics
5) Church World Service holds ‘Together We Welcome’ gathering, starts new ‘Welcome Backpacks’ collection
6) Brethren Volunteer Service seeks testimonies
7) A life-affirming ‘degrowth’ is possible, economists and theologians find
UPCOMING EVENTS
8) Program and Arrangements Committee announces preachers for worship at 2022 Annual Conference in Omaha
9) FaithX announces theme for 2022 summer service events
JESUS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD: STORIES FROM CONGREGATIONS
10) Agape youth reach out through back-to-school kits
11) Lititz Church prepares to welcome Afghan refugees
12) Brethren bits: First Zoom meeting of global women in the Church of the Brethren, consider applying to be a youth worker for NYC 2022, a new invitation to BVS Coffee Hours, sobering news from the EYN disaster ministry in Nigeria, district news, and more
In this issue: The first Zoom meeting of global women in the Church of the Brethren, consider applying to be a youth worker for NYC 2022, a new invitation to BVS Coffee Hours, sobering news from the EYN disaster ministry in Nigeria, district news, and more.
Are you a former Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) volunteer? Do you have afond memory, a story to tell, or words of praise from your time in BVS? Do you love to talk about BVS, but have no one to talk to about it?
Outcomes of an international survey asking what characteristics are essential for a church to be Church of the Brethren have been released. A committee of the Global Church of the Brethren Communion developed the survey. The committee had asked all interested Church of the Brethren members around the world to respond, and provided the survey in English, Spanish, Haitian Kreyol, and Portuguese.
In two new efforts related to Church World Service (CWS) work for refugees, immigrants, migrants, and most recently Afghan evacuees, the ecumenical humanitarian organization has announced “Together We Welcome: A National Faith Gathering to Strengthen Support for Refugees, Immigrants and Migrants” and a new “Welcome Backpack” kit.
Monday of this week was the busiest day at the Material Resources warehouse in years. Staff unloaded 1 trailer from Ohio, 4 trailers from Wisconsin, 1 trailer from Pennsylvania, 3 U-Haul trucks from Pennsylvania, and quite a few cars, pickup trucks, and a church bus filled with donations for Lutheran World Relief.
David Sollenberger, moderator for the 2022 Annual Conference, has chosen the theme “Embracing One Another as Christ Embraces Us.” As we prepare to explore this theme through worship, the Program and Arrangements Committee is excited to announce the line-up of preachers for the Conference to be held in Omaha, Neb., on July 10-14, 2022.
