In a concerted effort identifying the need to work on hunger and famine relief, a number of Christian groups in the US and internationally have announced a season of prayer and fasting that began on Sunday, May 21. According to the United Nations and other experts, 20 million people are at risk of starvation in four regions–northeastern Nigeria, South Sudan, Somalia, and Yemen–and millions more are suffering from drought and food shortages.
More people face famine today than at any time in modern history, with 20 million people at risk of starvation and millions more suffering drought and food shortages. In light of this, the All Africa Conference of Churches and the World Council of Churches invite us to take part in a Global Day of Prayer to End Famine on May 21.
This year’s Christian Citizenship Seminar (CCS) took place from April 22-27. The theme was based on Native American rights and food security. Thirty-eight high school aged youth and their advisers from as far as California to as close as Pennsylvania, and states like Kansas in between, were a part of this year’s CCS.
NEWS
1) Bethany Seminary honors new graduates
2) Bethany trustees focus on new Strategic Plan
3) Office of Public Witness signs on to letter opposing deportations of Haitians
4) CCS 2017 studies Native American rights and food security
REFLECTION
5) CCS: Sparking a passion for social justice
PERSONNEL
6) Two units of Brethren Volunteer Service are placed at project sites
7) Sandy Schild retires from Brethren Benefit Trust
RESOURCES
8) Ecumenical Stewardship Center offers resources
9) Brethren bits
Correction, remembering Evie Toppel and Lila McCray, personnel notes, CDS continues work in Missouri, Brethren Press seeks dessert recipes for new cookbook, and more
In recent months, two units of Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) have been placed at project sites across the United States and in a variety of international settings. The units are listed below by volunteer names and project placements.
The Church of the Brethren Office of Public Witness has signed on to a letter to the US administration from the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti. The letter responds to signals from the administration that a decision may be made not to extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nearly 50,000 Haitians living in the United States.
Sandy Schild has announced her retirement from Brethren Benefit Trust (BBT) as of June 1. She has been BBT’s Finance Project manager and Operations Support. She began as director of Financial Operations on Dec. 14, 2009.
The 2017 edition of “Giving” magazine titled “Live Generously,” and related materials, are now available from the Ecumenical Stewardship Center. The Church of the Brethren partners with the center in stewardship resources and other initiatives.
I’ve found that social media does an amazing job of keeping track of timelines I could never have kept straight for myself. While scrolling through my Facebook feed during a time of leisure at this year’s Christian Citizenship Seminar, I stumbled upon pictures of me and other 2015 CCS participants enjoying the city life in Washington, D.C. and New York. The energy of my companions and the dynamic cities we explored together left me even more excited to learn about the issues surrounding immigration, which was the theme of CCS the year that I attended as a high school junior.
