CHRISTIAN LEADERS TARGET POVERTY Calling poverty a “moral scandal,” leaders from the full spectrum of Christian churches in the country met Jan. 13-16 in Baltimore to dig deeper into the issue and then take their message to Washington. The participants in Christian Churches Together reaffirmed their conviction that service to the poor and work for
Newsline for January 14, 2009
Newsline January 14, 2009 “In the beginning was the Word” (John 1:1). NEWS 1) Gather ’Round looks at the future. 2) New Church Development Advisory Committee meets, visions. 3) McPherson County congregations support Growing Project. 4) Camp Mack helps feed the hungry locally, and in Guatemala. 5) Brethren bits: Correction, job openings, inauguration, and more.
NCC Leader: ‘Peace Is the Message of the Church’
National Council of Churches (NCC) General Secretary Michael Kinnamon brought greetings Jan. 13 to the opening session of Heeding God’s Call: A Gathering on Peace in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends and the Church of the Brethren, both member communions of the National Council of Churches USA, joined with
Vital Pastors Program Groups Meet, Share Critical Questions
Six groups of Church of the Brethren pastors met Nov. 17-21, 2008, near Los Angeles, Calif., in the latest in a series of national conferences occurring through the Vital Pastors program of the Sustaining Pastoral Excellence (SPE) initiative. The pastors’ groups shared results of their studies through the program. One group, made up of five
Newsline Special for January 9, 2009
“For the Lord…will having compassion on his suffering ones” (Isaiah 49:13b). NEWS 1) Brethren call for cease fire between Israel and Gaza. 2) On Earth Peace-sponsored delegation is in Israel and Palestine. 3) Church World Service is poised to deliver aid in Gaza. 4) WCC says Christians worldwide are acting on the Gaza crisis. **********************************************************
Brethren Join in Calls for Cease Fire Between Israel and Gaza
Two Church of the Brethren organizations–the Brethren Witness/Washington Office and On Earth Peace–are among Christian organizations worldwide calling for peace and a cease-fire between Israel and Gaza. The World Council of Churches (WCC) and Church World Service (CWS) have been among those issuing statements on the Gaza crisis in recent days. The Church of the
New Church Development Advisory Committee Meets, Visions
(Jan. 6, 2009) — In Dec. 2008 the Church of the Brethren’s New Church Development Committee enjoyed the warm hospitality of Papago Buttes Church of the Brethren in Scottsdale, Ariz., as the group met for prayer, visioning, dreaming, and planning for church planting in the United States. The meeting explored ways to foster a movement
Child Protection Resource Is Made Available Through Districts
(Jan. 5, 2009) — A resource for churches on child protection has been made available to the Church of the Brethren districts by the denomination’s Caring Ministries. In its interim report on child abuse prevention, made at the 2008 Church of the Brethren Annual Conference, the program had pledged to identify resources to assist churches
Newsline for December 31, 2008
Newsline — December 31, 2008 “Celebrating the Church of the Brethren’s 300th Anniversary in 2008” “You prepare a table before me…” (Psalm 23:5a). NEWS 1) Brethren funds offer replenishment grants for local hunger ministries. 2) Church of the Brethren plans major disaster recovery project in Haiti. 3) Grants are given for Pakistan, the Congo, Thailand.
Newsline Extra for December 29, 2008
Newsline Extra: Remembrances Dec. 29, 2008 “…Whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s” (Romans 14:8b). 1) Remembrance: Philip W. Rieman and Louise Baldwin Rieman. Philip Wayne Rieman (64) and Louise Ann Baldwin Rieman (63), co-pastors of Northview Church of the Brethren in Indianapolis, Ind., were killed in a car accident on