The Shine curriculum of Brethren Press and MennoMedia is introducing a new initiative called Shine Everywhere. Shine Everywhere will provide new avenues of communication between those who create Shine curriculum and the congregations and families who use it. The purpose of the new initiative is to listen attentively to congregations and families and then incorporate their input into new Shine resources.
We did it! We have named our new initiative “Shine Everywhere.” We love the fact that it builds on Shine and extends the light metaphor of living in God’s light!
Through Thick and Thin: Devotions for Ash Wednesday Through Easter, written by Beth Sollenberger, is the 2024 Lenten devotional from Brethren Press. This year, the season of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday on Feb. 14. The daily devotions continue through Easter Sunday, March 31.
Shana Peachey Boshart has been hired as the new program facilitator for the Shine Curriculum, a partnership between Brethren Press and MennoMedia. This grant-funded, fulltime position was created to facilitate the development of the Everywhere Faith program, a new faith practice resource. Shine was awarded a grant of $1,250,000 in August 2023 from Lilly Endowment Inc.
The Shine curriculum’s Vacation Bible School for 2024 is titled “Seekers in Sneakers: Discover Jesus!” and is available for purchase through Brethren Press. The boxed set includes the basics needed to offer a VBS session this coming summer.
The November online offering from the Ventures in Christian Discipleship program at McPherson (Kan.) College will be “Meet the Matriarchs,” to be presented by Bobbi Dykema. The course will be held on Zoom Saturday, Nov. 18, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Central time). Continuing education credit is available.
Our next series of seasonal devotionals from Brethren Press are offered for Advent 2023 and Lent 2024. These paperback, pocket-sized books are suitable for individual use and for churches to give to their members: “All Things New” by Kevin Kessler (Advent 2023), “Through Thick and Thin” by Beth Sollenberger (Lent 2024)
A grant of $1,250,000 from Lilly Endowment Inc. will support the development of Shine: Living in God’s Light. MennoMedia received the grant on behalf of Shine, a joint publication of MennoMedia and Brethren Press. The grant is part of Lilly Endowment’s Christian Parenting and Caregiving Initiative, which aims to help parents and caregivers share their faith and values with their children.
Brethren Press is sharing information about three new and upcoming books: A Year of Living Differently, which is being published to mark the 75th year of Brethren Volunteer Service; The Peace Table, a new storybook Bible from the Shine curriculum jointly produced by Brethren Press and MennoMedia; and Luke and Acts: Turning the World Upside Down by Church of the Brethren biblical scholars Christina Bucher and Robert W. Neff.
New resources offered through Brethren Press, the Church of the Brethren publishing house, include several new Bible study resources for children and adults, as well as a new Vacation Bible School curriculum for this summer, and the Lenten devotional for 2023.
