As I visit congregations, people often ask me what commonalities are present in thriving churches. The three markers I have learned to name are ancient wisdom rearticulated: orientation around spiritual practices (Love of God), healthy internal relationships (Love of one another), and taking the literal needs of actual neighbors seriously (Love of neighbor). The integration of these three markers is what we are calling Being the Body of Christ.
Part-Time Pastor; Full-Time Church book discussion to address ‘how to lead’
How to Lead When You Don’t Know Where You’re Going: Leading in a Liminal Season by Susan Beaumont is the book chosen for an upcoming online book discussion sponsored by the Church of the Brethren Ministry Office and the Part-Time Pastor; Full-Time Church program.
Chelsea Skillen resigns as director of Brethren Volunteer Service
Chelsea Skillen has resigned as director of Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) effective Feb. 10. She has served in leadership of BVS for more than three years, since Oct. 24, 2022. She plans to move to Portugal and will be joining her husband’s publishing business.
February Ventures course to focus on pastoral and congregational well-being
The February offering from Ventures in Christian Discipleship will be “The Ecology of Vitality: Mutuality in Pastoral and Congregational Well-Being.” Presented by John Fillmore, pastor of Nampa (Idaho) Church of the Brethren and district executive minister of the Church of the Brethren’s Idaho/Western Montana District, the course will be held online on Saturday, Feb. 21, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (central time).
Newsline Special: A pastoral response to the removal of Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro and US military strikes
Many of us woke up Saturday morning with news of the U.S. military strike on Venezuela that led to the capture of Venezuela President Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. We have received an official statement from the president’s office of the Church of the Brethren in Venezuela (ASIGLEH) calling for calm, prudence and peace
Official statement from the Church of the Brethren in Venezuela
The Church of the Brethren in Venezuela, Iglesia de los Hermanos Venezuela, has issued the following statement this morning. Please pray for our brothers and sisters during these difficult times.
A message from Intercultural Ministries: Prioritize self-care during this holiday season (in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole)
During Christmas, we celebrate the good news that God chose to dwell among us—entering our world with humility, love, and grace. In Jesus Christ, we are brought together as one family, rich in diversity and deeply loved.
Jenn Dorsch-Messler resigns from Brethren Disaster Ministries
Jenn Dorsch-Messler has announced her resignation as director of Brethren Disaster Ministries, having served for more than 10 years beginning on Feb. 24, 2015. Her resignation is effective Jan. 9, 2026. She has accepted a position on a new executive leadership team at Mennonite Disaster Service located in Lititz, Pa.
Brethren Disaster Ministries receives grant for rebuilding project in Kentucky
Brethren Disaster Ministries received a $5,000 UPS Long Term Recovery Grant through a partnership with the UPS Foundation and National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster.
Emergency Disaster Fund closes out year with large grant to Haiti following Hurricane Melissa, among others
Brethren Disaster Ministries has directed the last grants for 2025 from the Church of the Brethren’s Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) headed by a large grant of $120,000 to support the Hurricane Melissa recovery program of Églises des Frères d’Haïti (the Church of the Brethren in Haiti) and $5,000 to support emergency relief in Cuba after Hurricane Melissa via ASIGLEH (the Church of the Brethren in Venezuela).