“Are you fanning into flame your gift? Have you started any fires yet?” asked Belita Mitchell, who spoke for the opening plenary of a conference on leadership sponsored by the Council of District Executives (CODE). The conference on May 14-16 was the first such CODE event, and was hosted by Frederick (Md.) Church of the Brethren.
Training
Ministry Summer Service Pairs Interns with Mentors for Church Ministry
Ministry Summer Service (MSS) orientation is being held this week at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill. Interns arrived over the weekend, mentors arrived on Monday afternoon, and the group continues its orientation through Wednesday.
Christian Citizenship Seminar 2015 Takes on the Topic of Immigration
Two of the senior high youth who participated in this year’s Christian Citizenship Seminar–Jenna Walmer and Corrie Osborne–report on the event and its impact: “On April 18, Church of the Brethren youth gathered in New York City at the start of Christian Citizenship Seminar (CCS), a conference that allows youth to explore the connections between a specific topic and our faith. This year the topic was immigration. The seminar culminates with congressional visits in Washington, D.C. Throughout the seminar, we discussed the importance of our faith’s connection with citizenship and how immigration impacts our lives. It is a busy week filled with learning, fun, and spiritual growth….”
Second Haitian Peace Seminar Is Held in Miami
From Friday evening April 24, until noon Sunday, April 26, the Second Haitian Peace Seminar was held at l’Eglise des Freres Church of the Brethren in Miami, Fla. During the three-day conference 100 attendees registered. Of these registrants 22 were youth. Registrants represented five Haitian churches in Florida and a Church of the Brethren in Haiti.
‘Way to Live: Justice and Forgiveness’ Webinar Is Offered May 5
“Way to Live: Justice and Forgiveness” is part of a continuing series of webinars for those involved in youth and young adult ministry. It is offered Tuesday, May 5, at 8 p.m. (Eastern time), with leadership from Marie Benner-Rhoades of the staff of On Earth Peace. For more information go to the Facebook event page at www.facebook.com/events/1407556442833102 .
Ethics in Ministry Relations Training Offered in Advance of Annual Conference
A training event for ministers, “Healthy Boundaries 201: Ethics in Ministry Relations Training,” will be offered in advance of the 2015 Annual Conference in Tampa, Fla. The training is scheduled for July 10, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m., at the Marriott Waterside hotel in Tampa.
Retreat to Be Held for Church of the Brethren Spiritual Directors
A Spiritual Directors retreat is being planned for May 18-20 at Shepherd’s Spring, an outdoor ministry center and retreat center of Mid-Atlantic District, located near Sharpsburg, Md. The retreat is sponsored by the Congregational Life Ministries of the Church of the Brethren.
Applications for Nursing Scholarships Are Due Soon
The Church of the Brethren awards a limited number of scholarships each year to individuals enrolled in a nursing program. Candidates for the scholarships must be enrolled in an LPN, RN, or nursing graduate program and must be members of the Church of the Brethren.
Spring Issue of Guide for Biblical Studies Seeks the Holy Spirit
“A Guide for Biblical Studies,” the Brethren Press curriculum for adults, this spring will have a focus on the Holy Spirit. The theme for the quarter–March, April, and May 2015–is “The Spirit Comes.”
Webinar Will Focus on ‘Reading the Bible After Christendom’
Although regarded as a classic of Western civilization, the contents of the Bible are not well known. Christendom marginalized the teachings of Jesus, resulting in ways of reading scripture alien to the earliest church.