As the church’s Nigeria Crisis Response is in its second year, we are constantly seeking ways to help the church in Nigeria become more stable and help people recover from the violence and security issues they have had to endure over the last few years. As expected, there is no simple solution. But on our most recent visit to Nigeria one thing became apparent–the people of Nigeria are resilient and will only require a little assistance in certain areas to begin helping themselves.
Brethren Disaster Ministries
Brethren Disaster Ministries Works on New Disaster Recovery Support Initiative
Brethren Disaster Ministries is partnering with the disaster ministries of the United Church of Christ and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) to form a Disaster Recovery Support Initiative (DRSI). The new initiative is intended to help speed up the process of getting volunteers in place to begin repair and rebuilding work following a disaster.
Grant of $50,000 Will Send Aid for Syrian Refugee Crisis in Lebanon
The staff at Brethren Disaster Ministries have directed an allocation of $50,000 from the Church of the Brethren’s Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) to support the Syrian refugee relief programs of Lebanese Society for Education and Social Development (LSESD).
Brethren Funds Distribute $77,958, Brethren Disaster Ministries Starts New Project in West Virginia
A total of $77,958 has been distributed in recent grants from two funds of the Church of the Brethren, the Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) and the Global Food Crisis Fund (GFCF). The grants provide funding for the completion of a Brethren Disaster Ministries rebuilding project in New Jersey and the start up of a new rebuilding project in West Virginia, as well as a rabbit project in Haiti and assessment of GFCF-sponsored projects in the Africa Great Lakes region.
CDS Volunteers Work in Oregon over Holidays, Deploy to Area Flooded by Mississippi
Volunteers from Children’s Disaster Services (CDS), a program of the Church of the Brethren and its Brethren Disaster Ministries, were deployed to a Red Cross shelter in Oregon City, Ore., after an apartment building was evacuated. The evacuation was carried out because of concerns about landslides in the aftermath of strong storms on the Pacific coast.
EYN Choir Tour Proves ‘Phenomenally Successful’
This update on the EYN Women’s Fellowship Choir and BEST tour has been prepared by the secretary and chair of the EYN Visit Planning Committee from Lancaster (Pa.) Church of the Brethren and Atlantic Northeast District. The EYN 2015 Fraternal Visit turned out to be a phenomenally successful “God event.” It strengthened the bond of Christian love and fellowship between EYN (Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria) and the Church of the Brethren more than any other experience in recent years.
Winter and Spring Workshops Are Offered by Children’s Disaster Services
Children’s Disaster Services (CDS) has issued a winter-spring workshop schedule for 2016. The CDS training obtained at these workshops is a unique kind of disaster preparedness training. The trainings will include logistics of disaster response work, all through the lens of compassionate care for children and their families, as well the caregivers themselves.
EDF Grants Support Rebuilding Project in Colorado, PAG in Honduras
The Brethren Disaster Ministries staff have directed two recent grants from the Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) to support continued rebuilding work at a project site in Colorado, and a response by PAG to flooding in Honduras.
Brethren Staff Visit Nigeria, Assess Crisis Response with EYN and Mission Partners
Global Mission and Service staff have made a trip to Nigeria to meet with Nigerian Brethren leadership and mission partners, and to assess the Nigeria Crisis Response. They attended meetings and visited various sites with Nigerian Brethren leaders.
Lancaster County Church Stands with Nigerian Terror Victim
Upon reading about a 14 year-old Nigerian girl and member of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN) who lost her leg after being kidnapped by the Boko Haram, Hempfield Church of the Brethren decided to act.