On Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, Jim Bridgeman was ordained at Lancaster (Pa.) Church of the Brethren. We always celebrate when someone accepts the call of God to serve the church as a minister, and Jim is no exception. That is, for one important detail: Jim is 93 years of age.
“Join us during our Anniversary Weekend as we celebrate 300 years of Conestoga Church of the Brethren!” said an invitation to a special celebration of three centuries of the Conestoga Church in Leola, Pa., taking place Nov. 9-10.
Brethren Disaster Ministries staff have requested the following grants from the Church of the Brethren’s Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF): $10,000 for a rebuilding project in York County, Pa., following Tropical Storm Ida; $15,000 to support training models and resource development by Children’s Disaster Services (CDS) partner Child Life Disaster Relief; and $5,000 to support families connected with the Maui (Hawaii) Economic Opportunity, Inc.’s Head Start center.
A grant of $7,500 from the Church of the Brethren’s Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) has been directed by Brethren Disaster Ministries to aid 12 families in York County, Pa., who have no other means of recovery from damage by Tropical Storm Ida in 2021.
J. Michael Lausch has been appointed executive director of COBYS Family Services, a non-profit organization based in Lancaster County, Pa., that is related to the Church of the Brethren’s Atlantic Northeast District. Mark Cunningham retired from COBYS in Dec. 2023 after serving as executive director for the last 14 years of his 26-year tenure.
Kay Weaver has announced her retirement on Oct. 15 as director of stewardship for the Church of the Brethren’s Atlantic Northeast District. She has served in the position since 2003.
The Latin community of Churches of the Brethren from the Atlantic Northeast District, “CLIHDANE,” got together on April 1 at Wyomissing Family Restaurant under the initiative of our district executive Pete Kontra, accompanied by Mary Etta Reinhart from the Witness and Outreach Commission, and Don Mitchell, director of the Church Development Commission.
At the opening business session, Stan Dueck, co-coordinator of Discipleship Ministries, introduced church groups accepted into the denomination. Twelve groups are being recognized in 2022. Also, four groups were reintroduced that were formally recognized at the 2021 virtual Annual Conference.
When Un Nuevo Renacer, a Spanish speaking church in Atlantic Northeast District, faced a significant challenge in recent months, pastor Carolina Izquierdo reached out to the district to share their dilemma and found a solution for their need.
Oasis of Hope Fellowship (Iglesia Berith, Oasis De Esperanza) located in Lebanon, Pa., was recently able to make a difference in the life of a family in their church. This family found themselves in a difficult situation this summer. The roof of their home was damaged and water would come through the roof whenever there was rain.