The Church of the Brethren’s aid and relief response following Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton continues on the denominational, district, and congregational levels. Here are some updates
This month the Standing with People of Color Committee will offer two opportunities for facilitator training for those interested in leading “7 Prompts” conversations in their communities and congregations.
On International Day of Peace, Sept. 21, Lititz (Pa.) Church of the Brethren erected a Memorial to the Lost. This memorial displayed more than 90 t-shirts, each marked with the name, date of death, and age at death of a person killed by gun homicide in Lancaster County, Pa.
Freeport (Ill.) Church of the Brethren held a peace gathering in September as part of its ongoing witness against gun violence. Families who have lost loved ones to violence attended the event, which received coverage from the local ABC television news.
The Church of the Brethren has ministries that seek to support youth and provide space for them to experience spiritual growth, become advocates for peace and justice, be in community with one another, and serve as the hands and feet of Jesus. Two of these ministries–FaithX and Youth and Young Adult Ministries–seek individuals who are interested in volunteering with youth and young adult programing for a year through Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS).
Are you ready to support the junior high youth in your congregation in planning and leading worship for National Junior High Sunday? Many congregations will observe National Junior High Sunday on Nov. 3, but encouraging junior high youth to step into worship leadership is more important than the particular Sunday. Work it into your congregation’s worship schedule sometime this fall.
On Sept. 10, Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, Nigeria, and its surrounding areas were hit by a devastating flood, leaving thousands of people in dire need of immediate assistance. The disaster, caused by the overflow and breach of the Alau Dam in the neighboring Konduga Local Government Area (LGA), has affected an estimated 1,020,340 individuals across four LGAs: Maiduguri, Jere, Mafa, and Konduga.
John Fillmore has been called by the Church of the Brethren’s Idaho/Western Montana District as district executive minister in a quarter-time capacity. He was affirmed and installed at the district conference on Oct. 12.
In this issue: A prayer request from Brazil, job openings with Eder Financial, ecumenical training and service opportunity for young adults, resources from Churches for Middle East Peace, “Last chance to save” on the Anabaptist Community Bible, an invitation to a research project on music’s effects on convictions and Brethren identity, and much more.
Staff of Brethren Disaster Ministries continue to work with district leaders to help coordinate response efforts including the collection and distribution of relief materials and donations for emergency funding–especially for the hardest-hit areas in Southeastern District. Another conference call with district leaders is planned for Friday afternoon, Oct. 11. Brethren Disaster Ministries urges church members
