The Global Food Initiative (GFI) of the Church of the Brethren has made several grants in the last two months. The grants support long-term hurricane recovery for farmers in Puerto Rico, church-related community garden projects in the US and in Spain, an orchard in Nigeria, a refrigeration project of Lybrook Community Ministries in New Mexico, and Brethren participation in an ECHO East Africa Symposium. Find out more at www.brethren.org/gfi .
Church of the Brethren summer workcamps are offered for junior high and senior high youth and young adults. This year’s theme is “Grow” (2 Peter 1:5-8).
A number of events are offered in 2019 for youth and young adults in the Church of the Brethren: Christian Citizenship Seminar (CCS) on April 27-May 2, Young Adult Conference on May 24-26, and National Junior High Conference on June 14-16.
The president of Brethren Benefit Trust (BBT), Nevin Dulabaum, has signed on to a letter to Congressional leaders sent by chief executive officers of denominational benefit plans. The November letter expressed concern about two separate sections of the Internal Revenue Code, one with potential to restrict participation in church retirement income account plans, and the other to potentially impose a tax on church parking lots.
An innovative weekend retreat is offered this spring by board members of the Church of the Brethren Outdoor Ministries Association (OMA). Randall Westfall and Jonathan Stauffer are leading “Cultivating a Verdant Faith” at Camp Emmaus in Mount Morris, Ill., on March 8-10.
Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) has hosted the 64th annual assembly of TEKAN at EYN headquarters in Kwarhi, Nigeria. TEKAN stands for the Fellowship of Christian Churches in Nigeria and includes 15 primarily Hausa-speaking denominations, making it the largest Christian ecumenical body in Nigeria.
Registration is open or is opening soon for several events and opportunities for youth and young adults in the Church of the Brethren, including the 2019 workcamps, Christian Citizenship Seminar, National Junior High Conference, and Young Adult Conference. Application deadlines are coming up for Ministry Summer Service and the Youth Peace Travel Team.
— The Church of the Brethren Office of Peacebuilding and Policy is monitoring the situation in Yemen, which has been the subject of many Action Alerts sent out to Brethren. Last week, the Senate voted to pass Senate Joint Resolution 54 (www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-joint-resolution/54 ) calling for an end to unauthorized US military involvement in Yemen. “The legislation still faces
Michigan District has called Edward “Ike” Porter to serve as interim district executive minister beginning Jan. 1, 2019. West Marva has called John Ballinger to serve as interim district executive minister beginning Jan. 14.
A preschooler is sending a message to Capitol Hill and death row–“You deserve love no matter what.”
