{"id":26330,"date":"2025-12-16T08:21:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-16T08:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/?p=26330"},"modified":"2025-12-19T22:50:59","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T22:50:59","slug":"brethren-bits-95","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/2025\/brethren-bits-95\/","title":{"rendered":"Brethren bits"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n
\n

— The Church of the Brethren seeks candidates for the fulltime salaried position of director of Brethren Disaster Ministries. <\/strong>The position is based at the Brethren Disaster Ministries office in New Windsor, Md., and reports to the executive director of Service Ministries. Major responsibilities include providing oversight and administration of Brethren Disaster Ministries with a focus on the home rebuilding program. This includes identifying and opening new home rebuilding sites as necessary, managing longterm and weekly rebuilding volunteers, and leading the training of volunteer leaders. Required skills and knowledge include ability to manage staff and volunteers and in-house construction and repair; strong interpersonal skills; ability to articulate, support, and operate out of the vision, mission, and core values of the Church of the Brethren as determined by the Mission and Ministry Board; ability to uphold and support the basic beliefs and practices of the Church of the Brethren as determined by Annual Conference; ability to act within a multicultural and multigenerational team environment; training or experience with making effective presentations and providing adult education, especially in conducting skill training workshops preferred; knowledge of International Building Codes preferred. Required education includes a bachelor\u2019s degree, with an advanced degree in a related field preferred. Applications are being received immediately and will be reviewed on an ongoing basis until the position is filled. Apply by sending a cover letter and resume to COBApply@brethren.org<\/a>; Human Resources Office, Church of the Brethren, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120. The Church of the Brethren is an Equal Opportunity Employer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

— The Church of the Brethren seeks candidates for the fulltime hourly position of program assistant for Children\u2019s Disaster Service (CDS), <\/strong>in the Brethren Disaster Ministries team based at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md. Major responsibilities are to support programing and administration of CDS including support to the associate director; support of volunteers, volunteer training, and response; and assistance with general administration of Brethren Disaster Ministries. Required skills and knowledge include ability to articulate the importance of ministry for traumatized and stressed children; understanding of child development; strong interpersonal skills; ability to keep information and records confidential; excellent written and oral communication skills; excellent skills with email, computer files, and paper files; high attention to detail; strong knowledge and experience using computers and technology; ability to work independently and with limited supervision as well as part of a team, especially during stressful times of disaster response; ability to articulate and operate out of the vision, mission, and core values of the Church of the Brethren and to uphold the basic beliefs and practices of the Church of the Brethren as determined by Annual Conference; among others. Previous experience working with children or in the child development field and two years of office administration experience are preferred. Experience with Raisers Edge software is helpful. An associate\u2019s degree or commensurate education, life, or work experience required. Applications are received and reviewed on an ongoing basis until the position is filled. Apply by sending a cover letter and resume to COBApply@brethren.org<\/a>; Human Resources, Church of the Brethren, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120. The Church of the Brethren is an Equal Opportunity Employer.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Messenger magazine is offering a Christmas music favorites playlist.<\/em><\/strong> Several years ago, Church of the Brethren denominational staff compiled their favorite Christmas music into a playlist. This is updated each year, and now has over four hours of music. Please enjoy the sounds of Christmas on Spotify or YouTube! Find links at www.brethren.org\/messenger\/playlists\/playlist-christmas-favorites<\/a><\/em> (Photo by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cAdaptability in Leadership\u201d with Jeremy Ashworth, <\/strong>pastor of Circle of Peace Church of the Brethren in Arizona, is the next in the series of \u201cThird Thursday\u201d quarterly webinars offered by the L.E.A.D. (Listen \u2013 Equip \u2013 Adapt \u2013 Disciple) Conference Planning Team. Ashworth \u201crecently led his church through a multi-million dollar building campaign,\u201d said an announcement of the event. \u201cThat adaptation was full of challenge, promise, problems and opportunities. Most of us are probably not planning to build new buildings, but all of us find ourselves in a shifting environment. Ministry strategies need to be adapted to share the unchanging Gospel in a constantly changing world. This webinar will deliver principles you can use to help your church evaluate why, what and how to change structures or programs.\u201d The webinar is planned for 7 p.m. (Eastern time) on Jan. 15, 2026.<\/strong> Learn more and register at www.brethren.org\/thirdthursday<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a \u201csave the date\u201d announcement,<\/strong> the L.E.A.D. Planning Team has scheduled the next in-person denominational L.E.A.D. Conference for May 1-3, 2026, at Ephrata (Pa.) Church of the Brethren. The keynote speaker will be Tod Bolsinger of Sloan Leadership Inc. and executive director of Fuller\u2019s De Pree Center Church Leadership Institute. Learn more at www.brethren.org\/dlf\/lead-conference<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Global Mission office of the Church of the Brethren<\/strong> is announcing a request from Ekklesiyar Yan\u2019uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) for a medical doctor or other medical personnel to assist for a few weeks to a few months at the EYN health clinic in Kwarhi, the location of the EYN headquarters in northeast Nigeria. \u201cPlease pray for this to come to pass,\u201d said the announcement. If you are interested or know of someone might be, please contact Sharon Norton at sbnorton@brethren.org<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

— Elizabethtown (Pa.) Church of the Brethren<\/strong> gained media attention in a report on the area school board meeting held Nov. 25. It was announced that the congregation would spearhead a new campaign, kicking off at the community Thanksgiving Eve service hosted by the church, to help pay off the debt of students who owe money for school lunches. School district staff said the debt totals around $34,000. Elizabethtown Church board chair Amy Karr is quoted as saying that 328 students were carrying lunch debt ranging from 10 cents to just over $900. Read the full report at https:\/\/lancasteronline.com\/news\/regional\/elizabethtown-church-launches-fundraiser-to-pay-off-student-lunch-debt\/article_eeae0437-92da-456b-addf-a6ae0e19c5b9.html<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

— The Anabaptist Disabilities Network and Herald Press have announced a webinar with Tatum Tricarico<\/strong>, author of Blessed Is the Body<\/em>, a Lenten devotional centered around disability justice. The webinar is scheduled for Jan. 15, 2026, at 2:30 p.m. (Eastern time). Said the announcement: \u201cDuring Lent, we often reflect on our limits\u2014from dust we are, and to dust we will return. We remember that we will never be able to do everything we want to do, even and especially when what we want to do is love our neighbor well. In this daily devotional, disability rights activist Tatum Tricarico helps us turn the tables on Lent. Rather than a time of feeling condemned or guilty beyond help, Lent is when we can take a breath and finally say what we have been trying to hide all year: I am human. I can\u2019t do it all. And still, I am beloved by God.\u201d Tricarico is an activist, theologian, and director of Christian education at Wesley Memorial UMC in Charlottesville, Va. She is a disability rights activist on Instagram (@blind_person_in_area), where she has curated a disability cultural calendar. During the webinar Tricarico will share insights from her book and have time to answer questions. Join the webinar via Zoom at https:\/\/MCUSA.zoom.us\/j\/89439571091<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n

— The National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC) is sharing an invitation for a nationwide \u201cJust Like Selma\u201d Hymn-sing Project in February 2026.<\/strong> Led by NEWorks, congregations and choirs across the country are invited to sing a new social justice hymn in commemoration of key anniversaries next year: the 100th anniversary of Black History Month, founded in 1926 by Dr. Carter G. Woodson, and the 250th anniversary of the United States. This new hymn \u201cspotlights the Civil Rights Movement\u2019s power to reshape the nation: Just Like Selma,\u201d said an announcement. \u201cOn \u2018Bloody Sunday,\u2019 March 7, 1965, the nation recoiled in horror as state troopers brutally attacked peaceful protestors on Selma\u2019s Edmund Pettus Bridge. This history will be illumined anew through Just Like Selma, a stirring new social justice hymn inspired by King’s \u2018How Long, Not Long\u2019 speech delivered on the steps of the Alabama State Capitol 60 years ago. Composed by Nolan Williams, Jr, the hymn echoes the sounds of Black church devotional songs and Civil Rights anthems. It will be released in time for the MLK national holiday in January 2026.\u201d Find out more and register to participate at https:\/\/neworksproductions.com\/just-like-selma-1<\/a>. Listen to a sound clip at https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/nolanwilliamsjr\/just-like-selma-nolan-williams-1\/s-aETdEzYlDGq<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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

— The World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary has sent letters urging the United States and the European Commission to engage in safeguarding Palestinians living near Bethlehem in the West Bank.<\/strong> \u201cIn letters to US vice president J.D. Vance and to Ursula Von Der Leyen, president of the European Commission, World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay expressed deep concern regarding recent developments in the Palestinian town of Beit Sahour, a predominantly Christian community located near Bethlehem and known worldwide as the biblical Shepherds\u2019 Field,\u201d said a release. The letters say, in part: \u201cAccording to information shared with us and corroborated by independent human rights monitors, Israeli authorities and settlers have moved to establish an outpost on the area of Osh Ghurab, a public recreational space long used by Beit Sahour\u2019s 15,000 residents. This area\u2014falling under Area C and overlooked by an Israeli military post\u2014serves as the principal public space for children, families, and community life.\u201d The letters note that the construction of a settlement at this site amounts to an act of dispossession of Palestinian people and \u201craises serious protection concerns,\u201d reads the text. \u201cThe West Bank has experienced a documented escalation in settler violence, including assaults, intimidation, and the destruction of property\u2026. The WCC is deeply troubled that this development threatens the presence and continuity of a historic Christian community and creates new obstacles to peace, justice, and stability in the Holy Land.\u201d Read the letter to the president of the European Commission at www.oikoumene.org\/resources\/documents\/wcc-general-secretary-letter-to-ursula-von-der-leyen-president-of-the-european-commission<\/a>. Read the letter to the vice president of the US at www.oikoumene.org\/resources\/documents\/wcc-general-secretary-letter-to-vice-president-of-the-united-states-james-david-vance<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

— An alert about the automation of registration for the military draft in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for 2026<\/strong> is being shared by the Friends Committee for National Legislation (FCNL) and other peace and justice organizations. Go to www.fcnl.org\/updates\/2025-11\/dangerous-draft-automation-why-its-time-end-selective-service<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Others sharing alerts about this development include the National Network Opposing the Militarization of Youth (NNOMY), which has been a partner organization for On Earth Peace. \u201cYoung men are set to be automatically registered for the draft under the compromise version of the fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act,\u201d said NNOMY. \u201cThe automatic draft registration provision was one of several measures included in the bill that broadly aim to make it easier for the military to find young people at a time when the propensity to serve remains low. The U.S. has not drafted anyone into compulsory military service since 1973, but young men still have to register with the Selective Service System in case there is a draft again in the future. Failing to register is a felony punishable by a fine of up to $250,000 and five years imprisonment, as well as a loss of eligibility for federal jobs and, in most states, state student aid and state jobs. Under the NDAA provision, the Selective Service System would be able to tap into existing government data, such as Social Security Administration information, to automatically register all 18- to 26-year-old men.\u201d Go to https:\/\/nnomy.org\/en\/home-73768\/1196-automatic-draft-registration,-recruiting-tweaks-included-in-ndaa.html<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Church of the Brethren Office of Peacebuilding and Policy put out an action alert when a similar provision was introduced last year (see https:\/\/mailchi.mp\/brethren\/military-draft-2024<\/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