The 2015 Young Adult Conference will be held at Camp Swatara near Bethel, Pa., from May 22-24. The conference for those that are age 18-35, sponsored by the Church of the Brethren Youth and Young Adult Ministry. The theme for the conference, that will shape worship and workshops is: “You Shall Go Out With Joy: Transforming the World’s Thorns with Joyful Action” based on Isaiah 55:12-13.
Newsline for March 18, 2015
1) Mission and Ministry Board meets in Pennsylvania, discusses mission and church vitality among other business. 2) ‘Resolution on Christian Minority Communities’ adopted by board, recommended to Annual Conference. 3) Church of the Brethren dividend from Brethren Mutual and Brotherhood Mutual is largest ever. 4) Applications for nursing scholarships are due soon. 5) Dynamics of violence in Nigeria changing dramatically, aid still needed as displaced begin return home. 6) EYN district leader in Maiduguri helps provide ‘an island in the desert’. 7) Internally displaced people in Nigeria experience disempowerment as well as loss. 8) ‘Early bird’ registration for National Junior High Conference ends soon. 9) Young Adult Conference is planned for Pennsylvania in May. 10) Brethren evangelicalism topic of panel discussion at Bridgewater College. 11) Brethren bits
Church of the Brethren General Secretary to Conclude Service as Contract Ends July 1, 2016
At the Oct. 2014 meeting of the Church of the Brethren Mission and Ministry Board, discussions began around the General Secretary’s approaching contract end date of July 1, 2016. After a several-months-long process of discovery, discussion, and deliberation, general secretary Stanley J. Noffsinger and the Mission and Ministry Board members mutually decided at a meeting held March 13-16 at Lancaster (Pa.) Church of the Brethren, that Noffsinger’s service will not extend beyond the end of his current contract.
Newsline for March 11, 2015
1) Nigerian BEST group, Women’s Fellowship Choir to be at Annual Conference, tour districts. 2) BBT explores feasibility of offering group medical insurance for church employees. 3) Winners of Bethany Seminary’s Peace Essay Contest are announced. 4) New faculty in Theological Studies named at Bethany Seminary. 5) On Earth Peace calls Anti-Racism Transformation Team. 6) One Great Hour of Sharing offering emphasis is March 15. 7) Webinar will help those planning community gardens. 8) Breaking the chains: Criminal justice reform and God’s liberation. 9) Brethren bits.
One Great Hour of Sharing Offering Emphasis is March 15
The suggested date for the One Great Hour of Sharing offering emphasis is Sunday, March 15. Gifts given through this special offering empower ministries like the Church of the Brethren’s Global Mission and Service, Congregational Life Ministries, Brethren Volunteer Service, workcamps, and many others.
Brethren Bits for March 10, 2015
Camp Harmony seeks program director, stuffed toys for Nigeria, general secretary’s “selfie” with Staunton Church, BVS Connections Dinners, updated video on Nigeria, Roundtable at Bridgewater, International Women’s Day, Mennonite pastor facing deportation, Capstone gets media attention, and more from congregations and districts
Nigerian BEST Group, Women’s Fellowship Choir to Be at Annual Conference, Tour Districts
Two Nigerian Brethren groups will be attending the 2015 Annual Conference and touring in the eastern and midwestern districts from June 22-July 16. Lancaster (Pa.) Church of the Brethren is the sponsoring congregation. A 2015 EYN Planning Committee includes members from Lancaster and two other Pennsylvania churches: Elizabethtown Church of the Brethren and Mountville Church of the Brethren.
BBT Explores Feasibility of Offering Group Medical Insurance for Church Employees
Brethren Benefit Trust (BBT) is carrying out a feasibility study on the question: Has the time come for Brethren Benefit Trust to offer group medical insurance to employees of Church of the Brethren congregations, districts, and camps? The agency has posted an online survey to help with the study. Employees of Church of the Brethren congregations, districts, and camps are encouraged to take the survey at http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07eanzl66ji6xsvq3c/start .
Addressing the Changing Face of Faith: The Christian Churches Together Annual Meeting
The following report from the annual convocation of Christian Churches Together in the USA (CCT) originally appeared on the “God’s Politics Blog” at the Sojourners website Sojonet. Representing the Church of the Brethren at the CCT meeting were Annual Conference moderator David Steele, moderator-elect Andy Murray, and Brethren Press publisher Wendy McFadden, who serves as president of the Protestant “family” of churches in CCT.
Newsline for March 4, 2015
1) Addressing the changing face of faith: The Christian Churches Together annual meeting. 2) Giving to Nigeria Crisis Fund tops $1 million, staff provide summary of accomplishments. 3) Brethren Volunteer Service Unit 308 completes orientation. 4) Registration is open for 2015 NOAC on the theme ‘then Jesus told them a story…’ 5) Don Kraybill announces June retirement from Elizabethtown College. 6) Bring Back Our Girls: The story of artist Sandra Ceas’ rendition of the Chibok abductions. 7) Brethren bits