New resources of note from Brethren Press include new quarterly materials from the Shine curriculum, which is jointly produced by Brethren Press and MennoMedia; new quarterly materials for A Guide for Biblical Studies; new Covenant Bible Studies titles; a Spanish-language version of “Another Way of Believing” by Dale W. Brown titled “Otra Manera de Creer”; Living Word Bulletins for the next church year; and the Advent devotional for 2019 titled “Ready” by Frank Ramirez.
In the Brethren Journal Association (BJA) annual report to the spring 2019 meeting of the Bethany Theological Seminary board of trustees, association president Jim Grossnickle-Batterton reported the following:
A newly commissioned ministerial ethics workbook is being featured during the current renewal cycle. Every five years ordained and commissioned ministers in the Church of the Brethren are required to take ministerial ethics advanced level training in order to renew their credentialing. Licensed ministers and those new to the denomination are required to take the basic level of training as part of the credentialing process. The ministerial ethics training is the responsibility of the Office of Ministry, working with district leadership and ministry commissions.
On April 20, 1999, Tom and Linda Mauser joined a club that no one wanted to join: the parents of a child victimized by gun violence. Their son, Daniel Mauser, was a victim of the Columbine High School shooting in Littleton, Colo.
The April offering from the “Ventures in Christian Discipleship” program at McPherson (Kan.) College will focus on “Healthy and Safe Congregations.” Almost all congregations aspire to welcome the stranger into our midst. Our tradition, sacred texts, doctrines, teachings, and cultural values can be a resource to visitors, members, and the community. But sometimes those very things we love become a roadblock to others. This course will look specifically at how congregations can be a safe place for those who are vulnerable.
The Compelling Vision Process Team is inviting all Brethren to connect with a Facebook page dedicated to spiritual preparation for the visioning conversations that will happen during the 2019 Annual Conference in Greensboro, N.C. The page is titled, “COB Compelling Vision Spiritual Connection Page” and may be found at www.facebook.com/COB-Compelling-Vision-Spiritual-Connection-Page-1050919648604889 .
A number of events are offered in 2019 for youth and young adults in the Church of the Brethren: Christian Citizenship Seminar (CCS) on April 27-May 2, Young Adult Conference on May 24-26, and National Junior High Conference on June 14-16.
An innovative weekend retreat is offered this spring by board members of the Church of the Brethren Outdoor Ministries Association (OMA). Randall Westfall and Jonathan Stauffer are leading “Cultivating a Verdant Faith” at Camp Emmaus in Mount Morris, Ill., on March 8-10.
Like most Brethren, my deep Dunker guilt means I keep my nose to the grindstone long after the job is done. I always feel like I haven’t done enough to deserve my good fortune, so I work and work and work. But I have never regretted those rare occasions when I give myself permission to play hooky.
A view of the closing morning of National Youth Conference 2018.
