![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/10\/brian-mclaren-speaks-at-noac.jpg\")
Brian McLaren speaks at NOAC 2015<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\u201cI will use stories to speak my message and to explain things that have been hidden since the creation of the world\u201d (Matthew 13:35, CEV).<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n Quotes of the day<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s time for us to discover in the pages of the Bible and in the life of Jesus a new vision of a story that can change the world.\u201d — Brian McLaren in his keynote presentation to NOAC. McLaren is a popular author, speaker, activist, and public theologian.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI guess many in this room are thinking: \u2018I\u2019ve had it up to here with those silly arguments…. I\u2019ve had it with the narrative of decline…. It\u2019s time to announced: we\u2019re pregnant! …We\u2019re ready to accept a new story and all it opens up.\u201d — Brian McLaren, closing his presentation with an invitation to the older adults to use their power and status to aid the church in moving into a new future, commenting that in the last half of life one must decide whether to hoard power and influence \u201cor to risk it for the good of others.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cRemember in this parable, the father does not stand for God. He stands for who you should be…. You can let Christ work through you and you can be a conduit for the love of God…. The father\u2019s joy comes from the relationships he has forged and the righteousness he has fostered, and it is complete. So go and whoop it up!\u201d — Bob Bowman completing his three-part Bible study of Jesus\u2019 parable of the Prodigal Son with a focus on the character of the father in this story found in Luke 15.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cExtravagance!… <\/span> NOAC by the Numbers<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Registration<\/strong>: more than 870 people.<\/p>\n Monday\u2019s offering:<\/strong> $3,297.43. Share a Story:<\/strong> 400 children\u2019s books donated to Junaluska Elementary School\u2014more than one per child for the 350 students, plus a box of gently used books for classroom use, and a box of extras from the Kits for Kids service project.<\/p>\n Kits for Kids:<\/strong> 46 NOAC volunteers assembled 416 School Kits and 287 Hygiene Kits, and more than $1,300 was donated in cash to help Church World Service aid disaster survivors.<\/p>\n NOAC for Nigeria:<\/strong> more than $10,000 raised for the Nigeria Crisis Response effort, with about 160 people joining in the walk\/run.<\/p>\n One World, One Church: NOAC for Nigeria<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n About 160 NOACers got up early to join in a 2.5-mile walk\/run around beautiful Lake Junaluska this morning. The event was co-sponsored by Brethren Benefit Trust and coordinated with help from the young adult volunteers at NOAC this year, led by Brethren Volunteer Service worker Laura Whitman.<\/p>\n Meeting in the parking lot next to the Memorial Chapel at 7 a.m., the event started the walk with a presentation about the crisis in Nigeria and prayer led by Nigeria Crisis Response co-directors Carl and Roxane Hill. The group also had a chance to view the Wall of Healing banners that had been displayed at Annual Conference, bearing the names of some 10,000 Nigerian Brethren who have lost their lives in the violence and displacement caused by the Boko Haram Islamist extremist insurgency.<\/p>\n Each person\u2019s $10 registration fee, as well as numerous additional gifts, came to more than $10,000 by the end of the day, and will benefit the Nigeria Crisis Fund..<\/p>\n I scream, you scream, we all scream…<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The day’s college and university ice cream socials for alumni and friends were hosted by Elizabethtown (Pa.) College, Manchester University in North Manchester, Ind., and the University of La Verne.<\/p>\n NOAC Staff:<\/strong> Kim Ebersole, director of NOAC; Debbie Eisenbise, director of Intergenerational Ministries; Laura Whitman, special projects coordinator and BVSer; Jonathan Shively, executive director of Congregational Life Ministries. NOAC Planning Team:<\/strong> Bev and Eric Anspaugh, Deanna Brown, Jim Kinsey, Paula Ulrich, Deb Waas, Christy Waltersdorff. Onsite coverage provided by the NOAC Communication Team:<\/strong> Eddie Edmonds, Russ Otto, Frank Ramirez, and director of News Services Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Reviewing the day at NOAC 2015 in Lake Junaluska, N.C.a<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[806,1259,1256],"wf_post_folders":[],"class_list":["post-10485","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-congregational-life-ministries","tag-noac","tag-older-adults"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10485","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10485"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10485\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13117,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10485\/revisions\/13117"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10485"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10485"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10485"},{"taxonomy":"wf_post_folders","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wf_post_folders?post=10485"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/10\/the-j-creek-cloggers-dance-at.jpg\")
The J Creek Cloggers dance at NOAC 2015<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\nSo kill the fatted calf <\/span>
\nIn unreasonable extravagance. <\/span>
\nWe will not be satisfied <\/span>
\nUntil all the lost are home <\/span>
\nAnd the family is one….<\/span>
\nA worldwide party<\/span>
\nWhere there\u2019s room for everyone.\u201d<\/span>
\n— A song by Ken Medema, inspired by the extravagant generosity of NOAC participants who gave thousands of dollars, and hundreds of children\u2019s books and relief goods during today\u2019s Service Day at NOAC.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n
\nWednesday\u2019s offering:<\/strong> $8,662.02.
\nThank you for your offerings! They support the ministries of the Church of the Brethren, including NOAC.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/10\/the-walkrun-for-nigeria-took.jpg\")
The walk\/run for Nigeria took NOACers on a 2.5 mile trail around Lake Junaluska<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/10\/comedian-bob-stromberg.jpg\")
Comedian Bob Stromberg gave the Thursday evening entertainment at NOAC2015<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n