In this issue: Remembering Wally Landes, Ella Mae Weaver, and Merle Brown, plus how to join the moderator’s second online “town hall,” invitation to Brethren Disaster Ministries’ first repair/rebuilding project after Hurricane Harvey, districts receive offerings for hurricane relief, Mission Alive 2018 registration, prayer services for food justice, along with lots of news from congregations and districts, and more.
At last month’s National Older Adult Conference (NOAC), Jim Wallis, president and founder of Sojourners, spoke to us of faithfulness and of living our Christian witness. This month, Sojourners reminds us that this is a call to peacemaking in the context of our daily lives. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a time for us to consider that while “one in three women experience intimate partner violence in their lives…95 percent of church-going women report they have never heard a sermon on abuse preached from the pulpit of their church.”
After the devastating damage of hurricanes like Maria, civil society often breaks down. Desperate or opportunistic people start looting or stealing and stresses keep increasing. Another part of society pulls together and helps each other, bringing out the very best in human nature…and our faith often brings out the very best of being the church. The Puerto Rican churches are an inspiring example of being the church in a crisis. While burdened with many hardships, the Puerto Rican Brethren are coming together supporting each other and reaching out to their communities.
The Church of the Brethren Workcamp Ministry has released the 2018 workcamp dates and locations. This programming for next summer will offer 10 locations for service, focusing on junior high opportunities because it will be a National Youth Conference year.
The board of Renacer Hispanic Ministry has developed and adapted a new strategy plan to widely reach the denomination. The new strategy plans has three foundational components:
The Church of the Brethren has provided a second large grant to Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) to support the church rebuilding efforts of EYN members. Out of this grant of $109,000, 20 EYN churches will receive grants of $5,000 each.
The most recent grants from the Global Food Initiative (GFI) bolster agriculture in several nations including Burundi, Ecuador, India, the Dominican Republic, and Venezuela. Find out more about the work of the GFI and how to support it at www.brethren.org/gfi .
Traci Rabenstein has assumed leadership of the Church of the Brethren Donor Relations team, as of Oct. 9. John Hipps has concluded his work with the Church of the Brethren as director of Donor Relations, a position he has held since Sept. 24, 2012.
The Church of the Brethren earlier this year received a check of $50,000 from Brethren Mutual Aid Agency and Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company, representing a benefit earned through the Ministry Partner Program. The denomination’s Leadership Team has decided to use the money to fund work to frame a “compelling vision” for the denomination, with $1,000 provided to the Finance Office to cover costs of administering the money.
Roy Winter is on a trip to Puerto Rico this week to assess needs following Hurricane Maria and to meet with Church of the Brethren leaders in Puerto Rico District. Winter is associate executive director of Global Mission and Service and Brethren Disaster Ministries.
