On April 23, I traveled to Prattsville, N.Y., to undergo training to become a Disaster Project Leader. Disaster Project Leaders are wonderful men and women called to lead and guide volunteers who come out to Brethren Disaster Ministries rebuilding sites for a week. I was very excited to learn all that happened behind the scenes to keep the project sites running.
Brethren Volunteer Service
Dinner Celebrates Completion of Prattsville, N.Y., Rebuilding Project
On May 1, more than 75 people gathered at Prattsville Community Church in the New York Catskills to celebrate all the work Brethren Disaster Ministries volunteers have done. Delicious dinner and desserts were provided by the church and community for volunteers and homeowners.
BVS Unit 300 Completes Orientation
The 300th unit of Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) completed winter orientation from Jan. 27-Feb. 15 in Gotha, Fla. The new volunteers, their home towns or home congregations, and project placements are listed below.
BVS Marks Milestones of Unit 300, 65th Year
Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) is marked by two key milestones in 2013: the 65th anniversary of the program’s enactment by Annual Conference, and the volunteer Unit 300.
Service Sunday is Scheduled for February 3
“Let Your Light Shine” is the theme for the Church of the Brethren’s 2013 Service Sunday. The theme comes from Matthew 5:14-16, which closes, “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good works and give glory to God in heaven.”
Applicants Sought for Ministry Summer Service, Youth Peace Travel Team
The denomination’s Youth and Young Adult Ministry is seeking applicants for Ministry Summer Service and the 2013 Youth Peace Travel Team. Registration for both of these summer programs closes on Friday, Jan. 11.
Peace Camp 2012 in Bosnia-Herzegovina: A BVS Reflection
The following report on Peace Camp 2012 held in Bosnia-Herzegovina is from Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) worker Julianne Funk, originally published in the BVS Europe newsletter. Kristin Flory, coordinator for Brethren Service in Europe, notes that “20 years ago this year, we started sending BVSers to peace groups in ex-Yugoslavia.”
Brethren Volunteer Service Unit 299 Begins Work
Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) Unit 299 completed orientation on Sept. 16-Oct. 5. The fall orientation was held at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md. Following are the new volunteers, their home congregations or home towns, and the projects where they will serve through BVS.
BVS-BRF Orientation Unit Completes Training
Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) unit 298, a unit held jointly with the Brethren Revival Fellowship (BRF), completed orientation on Aug. 19-28 at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md.
Southern Plains District Dedicates ‘Pop’s House’ at Falfurrias
The highlight of the Southern Plains District Conference was dedication of “Pop’s House,” the cottage in which the founders of the Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) project at Falfurrias, Texas, lived in the early years of that project.