Mission Alive 2018, a conference sponsored by the Global Mission and Service program of the Church of Brethren, will take place April 6-8 at Frederick (Md.) Church of the Brethren. The theme is “A Gathering of God’s People…a Global Church of the Brethren,” seeking inspiration from Revelation 7:9.
After everything that has happened this summer, it can be hard to believe that just four years ago, we gathered to talk about intercultural ministries as the wider nation was marking the second term of the first Black president and an era often described as “post-racial.”
The Springs Academy for the Saints is the newest addition to the Springs Academy and is designed for laity. Its format is similar to the Springs Academy for Pastors, introduced in 2013. The Springs Academy for the Saints enables laity to discover their gifts and train for ministry as saints, as Paul says in Ephesians 4:12, “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ.”
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
Children’s Disaster Services (CDS) workshops are scheduled for this fall. The website link for registrations is www.brethren.org/cds/training/dates.html . CDS and its trained and certified volunteers provide care for children and families following disasters.
Durante más de treinta años, el programa de Educación para un Ministerio Compartido (EPMC) ha estado nutriendo y equipando ministros y laicos en pequeñas iglesias angloamericanas. Ahora, el programa está siendo puesto a disposición de las congregaciones en cual se habla español. El diseño único de EPMC ofrece oportunidades para que los ministros en formación y líderes laicos disciernen objetivos y metas juntos y se animen mutuamente a afilar sus habilidades mientras aprenden sobre la fe cristiana y los ministerios de la iglesia. La fuerza del programa es enfocarse en el equipamiento de toda la congregación, ya que apoyan a sus ministros apartados en el cumplimiento de los requisitos educativos y teológicas para sus credenciales.
“In the age of the new atheists we have to figure out how to talk about why religion matters without sounding like jerks. Between burning in hell, and anything goes, there is a lot we can talk about,” said Lillian Daniel, presenter for the Minister’s Association pre-Conference continuing education event.
Each May, spiritual directors from throughout the Church of the Brethren meet for an annual retreat and continuing education. Shepherd’s Spring Outdoor Ministry and Retreat Center in Sharpsburg, Md., provides a beautiful and quiet setting for this event, which includes opportunities for worship, prayer, silence, creative expression, peer supervision, and keynote presentations.
Congregational Life Ministries is partnering with organizations in the United Kingdom to present “Crucible Webinars” in June and July, on the topics “The Virtual Self” and “The Art of Resilience: Nurturing Practices for Flourishing.” Sponsors include the Church of the Brethren Congregational Life Ministries, Anabaptist Network UK, Bristol Baptist College, Mennonite Trust, and Urban Expression UK.
Organizers of the 2017 Annual Conference highlight special programming for this year’s annual meeting of the Church of the Brethren, taking place in Grand Rapids, Mich., June 28-July 2. In addition to business sessions for delegates, all attendees will have opportunities for spiritual enrichment, continuing education, fellowship, and family oriented activities.