{"id":24228,"date":"2024-08-12T07:51:00","date_gmt":"2024-08-12T07:51:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/?p=24228"},"modified":"2024-08-14T20:14:39","modified_gmt":"2024-08-14T20:14:39","slug":"brethren-bits-47","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/2024\/brethren-bits-47\/","title":{"rendered":"Brethren bits"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n
\n

Prayer is requested for the Church of the Brethren in Rwanda<\/strong>, which has had its five church buildings closed by government inspectors until required improvements can be made. Leading minister Etienne Nsanzimana has shared about the situation with the Church of the Brethren\u2019s Global Mission interim director Roy Winter, who reports that the main need is for pavers in the church courtyards. The government requires that all churches have a wall around their property and, inside the wall, the ground needs to either have growing plants or have pavers. Other needs among the church buildings include water tanks and plumbing, windows and doors, and sound proofing. Winter issued \u201ca call to prayer as the Rwandan Brethren work through this challenging time. We are not ready to request funds to support the need, but can share about the crisis.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Church of the Brethren is not alone in having churches closed by inspectors. <\/strong>Religion News Service reported that \u201cin a crackdown, Rwanda has shut down more than 5,600 places of worship over failure to meet the conditions required for operation. Churches, mosques, caves and tents affected by the shutdown were found to have fallen short of the standard requirements set by 2018 laws, according to officials conducting the two-week process that started July 29. The law requires clerics to have theology degrees, and faith organizations to register with the government and have clear statements indicating their doctrine\u2026. Houses of worship must also pass safety and hygiene codes.\u201d Find the full RNS article at https:\/\/religionnews.com\/2024\/08\/08\/rwanda-government-shuts-more-than-5000-churches-claiming-code-violations<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Children\u2019s Disaster Services (CDS) is promoting upcoming trainings this Fall. <\/strong>The program, which sends teams of trained and certified volunteers to help care for children and families following disasters, is seeking participants for the next series of workshops and also is encouraging Newsline readers to pass the information on to friends, family members, fellow church members, colleagues, and others who may be interested. Said the announcement, \u201cPlease help us to promote the training events by sharing this information with those who are 18 years or older, have a heart for children, and may be interested in becoming Children\u2019s Disaster Services volunteers.” The upcoming training workshops are Sept. 27-28 at Frederick (Md.) Church of the Brethren<\/strong>, from 4:30 p.m. Friday to 5:30 p.m. Saturday; Sept. 28-29 at Modesto (Calif.) Church of the Brethren<\/strong>, from 8:30 a.m. Saturday to 9:30 a.m. Sunday; and Oct. 18-19 at St. John\u2019s Lutheran Church in Victor, N.Y.<\/strong>, from 4:30 p.m. Friday to 5:30 p.m. Saturday. Those that are interested in the mission of CDS to bring comfort and serve the needs of children during disaster responses can learn more at www.brethren.org\/cds<\/a>. Those wishing to register in a scheduled training may click through at www.brethren.org\/cds\/training\/dates.html<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

— There are new additions to the YouTube channel of historical Church of the Brethren videos, <\/strong>created by videographer David Sollenberger working with the Brethren Historical Library and Archives and Church of the Brethren website producer Jan Fischer Bachman. The additions include three classic videos by Paul Grout, Sollenberger reports: \u201cHis seven-minute \u2018race through the Bible\u2019 using several hundred of his painted images, called \u2018For Such a Time as This,\u2019 which was shown at the 2002 National Youth Conference; and the Stations of the Resurrection project, also featuring his art work.\u201d Also included are the Hymnal Jubilee celebration at the 1992 Annual Conference in which Nancy Faus unveiled the new hymnal through group singing and musical presentations, and the first five Annual Conference Wrap-Up videos beginning in 1989. The complete listing of offerings on this channel is at www.brethren.org\/bhla\/video<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

— \u201cJoin On Earth Peace for its 50th Anniversary celebration with a performance by Ted & Co TheaterWorks<\/strong> entitled, \u2018Just Give ‘Em the News,\u2019\u201d said an announcement. \u201cTed and Co use humor and professional storytelling to talk about issues of faith and social justice, provoking both laughter and reflection, as all good comedy does. This show\u2026is an original, delightfully askew, musical take on the first Christmas, when the good news of \u2018on earth peace\u2019 was proclaimed.\u201d Tickets and sponsorships for the performance will support the work of On Earth Peace. Suggested donation levels: $25 for general admission, $100 for 4 or more people, $10 for streaming, or donate another amount at www.OnEarthPeace.org\/donate<\/a>. This family friendly performance will be live streamed from its in-person venue at Bridgewater (Va.) Church of the Brethren on Sept. 28 at 7:30 p.m. (Eastern time).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

— \u201cCalling all former members & friends of Faith Church of the Brethren in Batavia IL!<\/strong> Is anyone interested in a reunion gathering?\u201d Please contact Cort Stevens via email at cort@oldcarsstronghearts.com<\/a>. Stevens\u2019 grandfather, Virgil Weimer, served the congregation as pastor from 1978 to 1983. Stevens joined the congregation in the 1990s, becoming the newsletter editor. Following a March 1998 fire that damaged the sanctuary, he served as chair of the Building Committee. He also led a children’s handbell choir, utilizing bells his grandmother, Merle Weimer, had left for the congregation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

— University Park Church of the Brethren in Maryland has been collaborating with neighborhood residents<\/strong> who have helped put solar panels on the church roof, reported the Washington Examiner<\/em> earlier this year. \u201cThe University Park Community has created a limited liability company–University Park Community Solar LLC–for investment purposes and hired Standard Solar Inc. of Gaithersburg to blanket the Church of the Brethren\u2019s south-facing roof with solar panels. The $130,000 project will help power the church and generate more than two dozen clean energy credits, which investors will sell to utilities at about $250 a pop–or roughly $7,000 in the first year. \u2018We believe that this is the first financial arrangement of this type in the country,\u2019 said Lee Bristol, cofounder of Standard Solar\u2026. An army of ancient oak trees bordering University Park\u2019s sidewalks prevents residents from netting rays on their roofs, which prompted resident David Brosch to seek out the church as a host site.\u201d Read the full article at www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/190966\/md-neighborhood-funds-solar-plant-at-church<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

— Manchester University in North Manchester, Ind., hosted its first-ever NxtGen Leadership Camp on July 21-26,<\/strong> according to an article in Ink-Free News<\/em>, an online-only media outlet in Indiana. The program is funded by Lilly Endowment, Inc. to help Indiana colleges and universities create new or expanded and enhanced on-campus programs for community youth. \u201cThis program aims to increase opportunities for Indiana youth to participate in learning experiences on college campuses that will expose them to Indiana\u2019s higher education institutions while also providing them with experiences that will help prepare them for success in college and beyond,\u201d the article said. \u201cThe camp was, and will continue to be, hosted at no cost to campers. A $250 stipend was provided to each participant to ease the financial burdens on the students and their families. Dozens of local students, grades 9-12 from ten surrounding counties, attended this summer\u2019s camp.\u201d Find the full article at www.inkfreenews.com\/2024\/08\/01\/manchester-university-hosts-nxtgen-leadership-camp<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

— The 28th annual Bike & Hike benefiting COBYS Family Services will be held on Sunday afternoon, Sept. 8, at Lititz (Pa.) Church of the Brethren.<\/strong> \u201cSignature components of the gathering include a three-mile walk through Lititz and a 10- or 25-mile bicycle ride,\u201d said a release. \u201cNew this year, the Tasty Tour is a 1.5 mile walk to Lititz with four stops at local eateries to sample tasty treats. All events end back at the church for the Incredible Ice Cream Celebration. First time and veteran participants are encouraged to join.\u201d The event raises money to support vulnerable children and families in the community, while offering participants the chance to enjoy fresh air and tasty treats. Fundraising and awareness efforts through Bike & Hike begin with the Kickstart Fund with the goal of raising $25,000 before Sept. 8. Hundreds of sponsors, donors, and participants join together to support the foster care, adoption, counseling, and family life education-related services provided by COBYS, which is related to Church of the Brethren districts. Registration is open now and runs through the day of the event for the three-mile walk and bicycle rides. The Tasty Tour is pre-registration only until Aug. 26 so participants can enjoy treats from Dosie Dough, Caf\u00e9 Arabella, Sweet Legacy, and Slate Caf\u00e9. Walk and ride registration is $30 and Tasty Tour is $60 with early bird discounts available. Pre-registration is encouraged, and participants can even create their own online fundraising page. All the details, registration, and donation can be found at www.cobys.org\/bike-and-hike<\/a>. For more information, please contact Anne Stokes at 717-656-6580 ext. 101 or anne@cobys.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

— \u201cSince January 1, 2024, there have been 344 mass shootings in the United States.<\/strong> According to the statistics, this country is still averaging more than one mass shooting each day,\u201d shared Ed Groff in an announcement of the August 2024 episode of Brethren Voices, a Church of the Brethren community television program. \u201cThat means we could break over 500 mass shootings, for the fifth year in a row. Kelley Drane, the Director of the Giffords Law Center, advocates for justice and legislative reform of gun laws. She believes these mass shootings are preventable, as states with stronger gun laws have fewer gun deaths.\u201d This episode features Mike Stern, singer, song writer, and composer, who provides a message on gun violence in the United States. He wrote and performed the song, \u201cRequiem for Uvalde,\u201d dedicated to the 22 victims of the mass shooting of the school in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24, 2022. His song, without words, is combined with video of the murals. Find this episode and nearly 200 other Brethren Voices programs at www.youtube.com\/brethrenvoices<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#MissionAndMinistryBoard #StrategicPlan #RacialJustice #LoveOurNeighbors #Discipleship #NewTestamentGiving<\/p>\n\n\n\n

———-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Find more Church of the Brethren news:<\/p>\n\n\n