“Love Feast: Past, Present, and Future” led by Denise Kettering-Lane will be held on Friday, March 13, from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (Eastern time) at Cross Keys Village in New Oxford, Pa. This free event sponsored by the Susquehanna Valley Ministry Center (SVMC) is in-person only. Continuing education credit is available for the fee of $10.
The Southern Pennsylvania District of the Church of the Brethren has called Traci Rabenstein to serve as district executive minister starting April 6. She resides in Enola, Pa., from where she will serve in this fulltime role.
As I visit congregations, people often ask me what commonalities are present in thriving churches. The three markers I have learned to name are ancient wisdom rearticulated: orientation around spiritual practices (Love of God), healthy internal relationships (Love of one another), and taking the literal needs of actual neighbors seriously (Love of neighbor). The integration of these three markers is what we are calling Being the Body of Christ.
How to Lead When You Don’t Know Where You’re Going: Leading in a Liminal Season by Susan Beaumont is the book chosen for an upcoming online book discussion sponsored by the Church of the Brethren Ministry Office and the Part-Time Pastor; Full-Time Church program.
The February offering from Ventures in Christian Discipleship will be “The Ecology of Vitality: Mutuality in Pastoral and Congregational Well-Being.” Presented by John Fillmore, pastor of Nampa (Idaho) Church of the Brethren and district executive minister of the Church of the Brethren’s Idaho/Western Montana District, the course will be held online on Saturday, Feb. 21, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (central time).
Registration is now open for the 2025 denominational Clergywomen’s Retreat to be held Feb. 10-13, 2025, in Winter Park, Fla. This event, which takes place every five years, offers an opportunity for all licensed and credentialed clergywomen to gather for refreshment, renewal, and inspiration.
The 2025 Strength for the Journey cohorts focus on three themes: 1) Preaching, 2) Team Ministry, and 3) Pastoral Visitation and Chaplaincy. Strength for the Journey (SFTJ) provides resources for several ministry cohorts each year.
Donna Rhodes, executive director of the Susquehanna Valley Ministry Center (SVMC), has announced her retirement effective April 30, 2025. She has served SVMC since Oct. 1, 2001.
The upcoming urban ministry course offered by a partnership of Bethany Theological Seminary, the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership, and the Church of the Brethren Discipleship and Leadership Formation department, is titled “A Place of Refuge: Ministry in the Urban Context.” It takes place on Jan. 7-15, 2025, in Atlanta, Ga.
The Middle Pennsylvania District of the Church of the Brethren has called an interim district executive minister team to serve beginning July 29. The three-person team consists of Rebecca (Beckie) Zeek, Janet Sell, and Mark Liller. All members of the team will address the needs for pastoral placement and will cover the remaining duties of the position description according to interest and gifts.