Church of the Brethren Newsline August 5, 2017 The Susquehanna Valley Ministry Center on the campus of Elizabethtown (Pa.) College announces three upcoming continuing education events: “Go and Do Likewise: The Practices of Christology,” “Enriching the Lives of Older Adults,” and “Science, Theology, and the Church Today–Ministry with Youth and Young Adults.” Registration forms are available at www.etown.edu/programs/svmc/continuing-education or
Each May congregations are encouraged to celebrate the contributions of members of all generations to our life together. The first Sunday in May (May 7) is National Youth Sunday, a day when youth are engaged in planning, organizing, and leading worship. The entire month is designated as Older Adult Month, an opportunity for congregations to celebrate God’s gift of aging and the contributions of elders in our midst.
The next National Older Adult Conference, Inspiration 2017, will be held in Lake Junaluska Conference Center, in western North Carolina, from Sept. 4-8. The theme is “Generations” from Psalm 145:4: “One generation shall laud God’s works to another and shall declare God’s mighty acts.” The theme reflects the intergenerational community that gathers at NOAC and the importance of generations engaging each other in meaningful conversations about relationships, leaving a legacy, and faith.
The 14th NOAC is being billed as “Inspiration 2017” with the theme “Generations” (Psalm 145:4). Dates are Sept. 4-8, 2017, at Lake Junaluska (N.C.) Conference and Retreat Center.
Youth Sunday, graduations, Pentecost, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day–May is a busy month! The Office of Intergenerational Ministries encourages congregations to also celebrate May as Older Adult Month.
Forum 2016 of the Fellowship of Brethren Homes took place at Brethren Hillcrest Homes in La Verne, Calif., on April 19-21. The forum was hosted by Matthew Neeley, CEO and president, and attended by 21 people. Of the 22 retirement communities in the fellowship, 13 were represented.
The Fellowship of Brethren Homes, an organization of the Church of the Brethren-related retirement communities, will hold its annual Forum 2016 on April 19-21 at Hillcrest in La Verne, Calif. The event will begin with a dinner on Tuesday, April 19, and end with a session on Thursday morning, April 21.
For her community garden work, Dawn Blackman Sr. of Champaign (Ill.) Church of the Brethren was among 41 Purpose Prize Fellows selected from more than 600 nominees.
Kim Ebersole has tendered her resignation effective Oct. 9. She has been serving on the Church of the Brethren denominational staff as director of Family Life and Older Adult Ministries.
The 2015 National Older Adult Conference, which was the Church of the Brethren’s 13th NOAC, gathered 906 people at the Lake Junaluska (N.C.) Conference Center on Sept. 7-11. This number includes registered participants, staff, volunteers, guest speakers, and young adult assistants. Here are some more NOAC numbers: