Grants from the Church of the Brethren’s Global Food Initiative (formerly Global Food Crisis Fund) support water workshops and farmer training in Burundi, and the attendance by a group from Liberia at a training event at the Soybean Innovation Lab in Ghana.
A ‘Can-Do’ Attitude Marks the 2016 We Are Able Workcamp
This past July, 12 people joined me in the hills of Maryland for the We Are Able workcamp. This annual Church of the Brethren program is for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and volunteers who serve as their assistants. The adults with disabilities and the assistants come together for four days to do service projects, fun recreational activities, and devotions. The workcamp is a time of building community and strengthening faith.
Congregational Life Ministries Offers Resources to Assist Congregations
The Congregational Life Ministries of the Church of the Brethren “provide coaches, collaborators, and consultants to assist congregations in reaching out and connecting with their local communities,” according to the ministries’ webpage. Currently, Congregational Life Ministries staff are making resources available for congregations to discern their gifts, explore their vitality, and teach others about the practices of the church.
Creation Care Study Committee is Named
The Standing Committee of district delegates to Annual Conference has concluded its work of electing a Creation Care Study Committee. Three members have been elected to the new study committee.
Brethren Bits for Aug. 6, 2016
Remembering Jack McCray, job openings, video highlights Capstone 118 in New Orleans, seagoing cowboy celebration at Staunton Church of the Brethren, caregiving event in Virlina District, new address for N. Indiana District, prayer for Hiroshima and Nagasaki, more
Newsline for August 6, 2016
NEWS
1) Creation care study committee is named
2) A ‘can-do’ attitude marks the 2016 We Are Able workcamp
3) Global Food Initiative supports water workshops, farmer training, soybean training
RESOURCES
4) Congregational Life Ministries offers resources to assist congregations
5) Brethren bits
Newsline for July 30, 2016
NEWS
1) EDF grants go to refugee resettlement, Burundi refugee crisis, Ecuador earthquake, and more
2) Material Resources ships aid to West Virginia, among other work
3) Bethany Seminary re-accreditation visits are scheduled
4) Crisis in Puerto Rico affects wellbeing of islanders, church members
5) Office of Public Witness staff connect with visiting Korean church delegation
6) BRF annual dinner receives message to ‘Carry the Light into the Workplace’
7) War looms on their borders, but life goes on: A report from Iraqi Kurdistan
RESOURCES
8) ‘Ventures’ program aims to serve more congregations with donation-based model
9) Brethren bits
EDF Grants Go to Refugee Resettlement, Burundi Refugee Crisis, Ecuador Earthquake, and More
Brethren Disaster Ministries has directed grants from the Church of the Brethren’s Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) to assist with refugee resettlement in the United States, the Brethren Church of Rwanda response to Burundi refugees, Heifer International’s response to the earthquake in Ecuador, Church World Service (CWS) emergency preparedness and home construction in Haiti, and Proyecto Aldea Global’s work toward emergency preparedness in Honduras.
Material Resources Ships Aid to West Virginia, Among Other Work
During the month of July, 480 clean-up buckets and approximately 510 school kits were sent to aid flood relief efforts in West Virginia, shipped by the Church of the Brethren Material Resources program based at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md. The aid was shipped on behalf of International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) in partnership with Church World Service (CWS).
BRF Annual Dinner Receives Message to ‘Carry the Light into the Workplace’
The Brethren Revival Fellowship (BRF) held its annual dinner meeting in Greensboro, N.C., on Saturday evening July 2, during the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference. The room was well filled and the sounds of fellowship abounded. Special music shared by the Glory Girls from the area of White Oak Church of the Brethren in Atlantic Northeast District preceded the evening’s message.