#Discipleship #StrategicPlan
Starting this August, Shine Everywhere takes on a new focus—helping congregations make the most of new at-home materials in the revised and updated Shine curriculum for 2026-2027. Designed with today’s churches, teachers, and families in mind, Shine offers greater flexibility, stronger family connection, and engaging new resources while staying rooted in core values of community, peacemaking, service, and following Jesus.
Five Church of the Brethren congregations in Pennsylvania are joining together to organize and sponsor “PeaceFest: Turning Communities Toward Peace” on Saturday, Sept. 19—the weekend closest to the International Day of Peace. This event is free and open to the public from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Lititz Church of the Brethren.
From Sept. 1 to Oct. 4, churches worldwide will mark the Season of Creation, at the invitation of the World Council of Churches. (The Church of the Brethren is one of the founding members of the WCC.) The Season of Creation runs for five weeks, and is given to prayer and action for the care of creation. The theme this year is “Living Water,” drawn from Ezekiel 47.
Crest Manor Church of the Brethren and Dismas House of South Bend, Ind., have entered into a “Shalom Partnership” to offer mutual friendship, support, and community for residents of Dismas House seeking to find their way back into society following incarceration.
The tradition of young adults gathering for a time of fellowship, worship, and growing in faith together at Young Adult Conference continues! Camp Blue Diamond near Petersburg, Pa., hosted the event on May 22-24, drawing 44 attendees from all over the US. The theme “Identity in Community,” based on Romans 12:4-5, anchored the weekend.
The daily worship services at the 2026 Annual Conference of the Church of the Brethren will be livestreamed and available free of charge with no registration required, although donations will be appreciated. Annual Conference takes place in Fort Wayne, Ind., on June 28 to July 2.
The 2026 Annual Conference of the Church of the Brethren is offering a number of special events and opportunities this summer in Fort Wayne, Ind.
“By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.” This verse from Hebrews 11:8 was the theme of the second Church of the Brethren L.E.A.D. Conference held at Ephrata (Pa.) Church of the Brethren on May 1-3.
Thanks be to God for the immigration work of former Brooklyn (N.Y.) First Church of the Brethren pastor Phill Carlos Archbold. Brooklyn First added seven new members into its community on Saturday, April 11. The group included the third generation of the Juarez family to join the congregation.
On Sunday, Sept. 20, at 3 p.m. (Eastern time), the 56th Annual Dunker Church Service will be held at the historic Dunker Church on the Antietam National Battlefield—one of the most hallowed and iconic landscapes of the American Civil War.
