{"id":27792,"date":"2026-09-19T21:36:22","date_gmt":"2026-09-19T21:36:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/?p=27792"},"modified":"2026-09-19T21:36:22","modified_gmt":"2026-09-19T21:36:22","slug":"brethren-bits-118","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/2026\/brethren-bits-118\/","title":{"rendered":"Brethren bits"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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— Job opening: Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP)<\/a> is hiring an event coordinator<\/strong> to manage the administrative logistics and planning of major annual events including the Joint Advocacy Summit. This is a hybrid position with some time required in the Washington, D.C., office. CMEP is a partner organization for the Church of the Brethren Office of Peacebuilding and Policy. Find the full job description<\/a> and how to apply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

— The Shine curriculum<\/a><\/strong> from Brethren Press<\/a> and MennoMedia is inviting Sunday school leaders to register to join a Shine Everywhere Circle<\/a> for the Winter season. These Zoom groups help teachers focus on how to help parents adopt the new materials available from Shine this year, and circles will be offered every quarter for Fall, Winter and Spring. \u201cCircle participants say they gained inspiration and ideas for Shine Curriculum in their Circle gathering,\u201d said the announcement. \u201cIt\u2019s wonderful to meet with folks and hear their enthusiasm for sharing faith with children with Shine! We meet for just an hour, but you\u2019ll leave with so much value.\u201d Participation is free. The only requirement is to be a user of Shine: Living in God\u2019s Light curriculum. Register<\/a> by Oct. 26.<\/p>\n\n\n

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— A new issue of On Earth Peace\u2019s Agape magazine<\/a> for children<\/strong> is now available. \u201cOur 11th issue explores the topic of disability and how to support belonging in our communities!\u201d said an announcement. \u201cThe magazine includes articles, activities, and book suggestions…. Helping those around you feel safe and welcomed is a daily choice, especially when some of us are regularly pushed to the sidelines. People with disabilities often miss out on fun activities or cool opportunities because their needs aren\u2019t recognized. This is called inaccessibility. Together we\u2019ll learn to recognize when someone is being excluded due to disability and how to help in ways that prioritize the person\u2019s wants and respect their needs. Remember, everyone deserves to belong\u2014including you! That\u2019s why this issue also includes a letter of encouragement, tools for processing big feelings, and helpful ways to express personal boundaries.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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— Also from On Earth Peace is an announcement of the agency\u2019s first collectable Christmas ornaments<\/a><\/strong>. \u201cA fundraising initiative of the On Earth Peace Board of Directors, proceeds will support On Earth Peace in honoring the birth of Jesus as the organization lives out its value of Jesus-centered spirituality by following Jesus into the work of justice and peace,\u201d said the announcement. \u201cWe hope that this ornament serves as a reminder for you that in this world, despite the despair and hopelessness, let\u2019s choose courage. Let\u2019s choose love. Let\u2019s choose to honor and follow the teachings of Jesus to better ourselves and the world around us.\u201d The ornament commemorates On Earth Peace\u2019s 2026 Annual Poster Report titled \u201cMy Voice Is my Superpower,\u201d with an illustration by an On Earth Peace intern.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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ENGAGE: A Church of the Brethren Global Mission Gathering<\/strong> takes place tomorrow evening, Sunday, Sept. 20, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. (Eastern time) hosted at Lancaster (Pa.) Church of the Brethren. \u201cHear firsthand from Brethren leaders and partners connected with the church in Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, and Nigeria, and explore what it means to be united in mission,\u201d said an invitation. The gathering is free and open to the public. For those who cannot attend in person, the event will be live-streamed on YouTube<\/a>. Visit the Global Mission webpage<\/a> for more <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Save the date! <\/strong>The dates for the 2027 National Older Adult Conference (NOAC) have been announced. The next NOAC will take place on Sept. 6-10, 2027.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Religion News Service (RNS) has started an online tracker<\/strong> for immigration court cases involving religious groups. \u201cThe Religion and Immigration Litigation Tracker<\/a> follows federal lawsuits involving religious groups, individual faith leaders and the second Trump administration over the administration\u2019s immigration policies,\u201d said a description. Tracker includes the court case in which the Church of the Brethren is a plaintiff, Mennonite Church USA v. DHS, among many others. RNS partnered with the Law, Rights, and Religion Project at Union Theological Seminary in New York to build the tracker. If the tracker has missed any cases or needs updates, please email tips@religionnews.com<\/a>. Find the tracker<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

— York Center Church of the Brethren<\/strong> in Lombard, Ill., is planning a 75th anniversary celebration on Oct. 18 during and after worship. According to the Illinois and Wisconsin District newsletter, \u201cpictures and mementos from past years are being collected, and the congregation has been sharing photos and memories from past directories as far back as 1970 in anticipation of the event.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

— Manassas (Va.) Church of the Brethren and the Forgetful Friends Chorus<\/strong> has been featured on the AARP website<\/a>. The article titled \u201cHelping People with Dementia Reconnect through Music\u201d interviews Connie Young and Susan Dommer under the subtitle, \u201cHow two women created a choral community for caregivers and their loved ones, providing comfort and joy in song. The interview by Nora Rappaport was published on Sept. 16. Young \u201cis a retired virologist who lives in Gainesville, Virginia,\u201d the article report, and Susan Dommer \u201cis musical director at the Manassas Church of the Brethren and leads the Greater Manassas Children\u2019s Choir.\u201d Dommer told the interviewer that \u201cthere\u2019s extensive research about music and the brain. We know that in dementia patients, response to music is one of the last things to leave. People\u2019s speech may be gone, but when they hear the right music, they can sing.\u201d Young told about how, after her mother died, she was inspired by the Giving Voice Chorus in St. Paul, Minn., in which people with dementia and their caregivers sing together. She shared that with Dommer, who responded, \u201cI\u2019m in!\u201d They started the Forgetful Friends Chorus in 2016, and now perform several times a year at senior centers and memory care units.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

— Reading (Pa.) Church of the Brethren<\/strong> was one of the churches participating in Alliance Area Habitat for Humanity, which dedicated an Apostle Build home in August and plans to finish another in November. According to an article in the Canton Repository, the first home went to the Huber Family, which includes Joe Huber and Kayla Vogelsong-Huber and their children. Find the full story<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Illinois and Wisconsin District office<\/strong> in Lombard, Ill., has a new phone number: 630-576-0276, ext. 800. Callers also can still contact district executive minister Walt Wiltschek on his cell phone as before.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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— Shenandoah District has announced final result<\/strong>s from its 2026 Disaster Auction. \u201cDirector of Finance, Gary Higgs, has reported that the 2026 Disaster Auction net profit was $183,250.40. The funds will be used for the support of Disaster Relief Trips and supplies for Disaster Response.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

— The 2026 retreat of the Church of the Brethren Outdoor Ministries Association (OMA)<\/strong> will take place Nov.15-19 at Camp Harmony near Hooversville, Pa. The retreat brings together Brethren camping leaders of all levels to gather for professional growth, faith formation, and outdoor ministry community development. The theme, \u201cTorchbearers,\u201d is inspired by Matthew 5:14-16. The keynote speaker will be Jolene Regetta, a licensed professional counselor, former public school teacher, and life-long camp servant. The retreat includes workshops, Bible study, meditations, games, meals, and more. Cost is $215 for OMA camp members, $240 for non-members. Learn more and register<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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— The Brethren Heritage Center<\/strong> in Brookville, Ohio, is sponsoring a presentation on \u201cBrethren Life in 1776\u201d on Oct. 10 at the Ridge Church in Brookville. \u201cBrother Sam Funkhouser will share some of the struggles and successes of Brethren families in eastern Pennsylvania in their early years in the freedoms America offered,\u201d said an announcement. For more information<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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— Community Peacemaker Teams (CPT),<\/strong> which got its start as an initiative of the peace churches including the Church of the Brethren, is marking its 40th anniversary this year. To celebrate this milestone, CPT is hosting a special online gathering on Saturday, Sept. 26, at 11 a.m. (central time) that will bring together stories spanning four decades of peacemaking, solidarity, and transforming violence and oppression. The theme is \u201cRooted in community, rising in resistance\u201d with keynote speaker Judy Da Silva, Anishinaabe Elder and Water Protector from Asubpeeschoseewagong First Nation. Register here<\/a> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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— Church World Service\u2019s \u201cState of Play\u201d newsletter on immigration concerns<\/strong> this week reported that ICE arrests continue to soar. Citing a Reuters report, the newsletter said that ICE arrests \u201cjumped to almost 51,000 in August, setting a record for the third month in a row.\u201d The newsletter this week also reported a sharp increase in deportation removal flights from the US. \u201cIn August, Human Rights First\u2019s ICE Flight Monitor tracked 325 removal flights to 40 countries, a 35 percent increase from a year ago. Forced third country transfers reached a record high: 16 flights to 13 countries, including removal flights carrying third country nationals to Liberia, Burundi, and Saint Lucia for the first time. Nearly 40 percent of all removal flights were to Mexico, and about a third to Guatemala and Honduras. Flights to Haiti are now occurring weekly rather than monthly, even as the State Department maintains a \u2018Level 4 – Do Not Travel\u2019 advisory due to crime, terrorism, kidnapping, unrest, and limited health care.\u201d Find State of Play<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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— Church at the Crossroads<\/strong>, an annual conference focused on the experience of the indigenous Palestinian Christian community in Israel and Palestine, takes place on Nov. 5-7 in Atlanta, Ga. Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) partners with the Bethlehem Institute for Peace and Justice to hold the event. CMEP is a partner organization for the Church of the Brethren Office of Peacebuilding and Policy. \u201cRooted in Scripture and kingdom-focused theology, this conference invites participants to wrestle honestly with biblical questions, hear directly from the indigenous Church in the Holy Land, and discover faithful discipleship in a violent world,\u201d said an announcement. Find out more and register<\/a> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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— A webinar from Creation Justice Ministries <\/strong>launched the Season of Creation earlier this month, and is now available on YouTube. \u201cOur special guest, Queen Quet, is the Chieftess and Head-of-State of the Gullah\/Geechee Nation,\u201d said an announcement from Creation Justice Ministries, which is a partner organization for the Church of the Brethren Office of Peacebuilding and Policy. \u201cThe Gullah\/Geechee Nation exists from Jacksonville, NC to Jacksonville, FL. It encompasses all of the Sea Islands and thirty to thirty-five miles inland to the St. John\u2019s River. Queen Quet was elected by the Gullah\/Geechee Nation as the first ever Chieftess and Head-Of-State in 2000 and is presently serving her third term. We were honored to have her share about the Gullah\/Geechee\u2019s spiritual and cultural connection to water. Watch the webinar<\/a> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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— Creation Justice Courses<\/strong> also are being offered now by Creation Justice Ministries. \u201cThis is a new online learning platform for anyone wrestling with what faith asks of us in a warming world, what the church’s role is in this moment, and what it truly means to be called to steward creation,\u201d said an announcement. \u201cRooted in the wisdom of Black, Indigenous, and other often marginalized traditions, we are building a home to explore perspectives, deepen understanding, and help contextualize the road ahead.\u201d The first featured course in the series, titled \u201cIs a River Sacred?\u201d uses the book \u201cIs a River Alive?\u201d by Robert Macfarlane<\/strong> and will be led by Derrick Weston, director of Theological Education and Formation, and Father Pete Nunnally, of Water and Wilderness Church. The online course is offered on Sept. 21 and 28 at 7 p.m. (Eastern time) with an Oct. 5 screening of the documentary Riverkeepers, on the fight for environmental justice for Atlanta\u2019s South River. Participants choose the pricing level most comfortable for them. Learn more and register<\/a> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

— \u201cThis week we added more than 240 names to the Lives Honored page<\/a> on our website,\u201d<\/strong> announced Heeding God\u2019s Call to End Gun Violence, an organization based in Pennsylvania that got its start with help from the three historic peace churches including the Church of the Brethren. Under the title, \u201cEvery name. Every age. Every date,\u201d the announcement reported that the new online listing includes \u201cevery known victim of gun murder in Bucks, Chester, and Montgomery Counties [of Pennsylvania], listed with their ages and the dates they were taken from us. Some entries simply read \u2018Minor\u2019s Name Withheld.\u2019 They were children. They are counted too.\u201d The organization invites visits to the page, and requests, \u201cPray over these names. Every one of them was somebody\u2019s whole world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

— \u201cPeace cannot be built on an economy that runs on war,\u201d<\/strong> said a release from the World Council of Churches (WCC) on a late August consultation in Panama City with NIFEA, the churches\u2019 campaign for a New International Financial and Economic Architecture. At the consultation, \u201cchurches set out an economy of peace for a militarized world\u201d with the release of a theological communique that \u201casks governments to redirect military spending toward poverty and climate, and it asks the churches to move their own money first.\u201d The communique addresses \u201cwhat the churches see, what they affirm, and what they commit to do.\u201d The release reported, in part, that the churches \u201csee first that the war economy is not an accident. \u2018The economy we inherit was designed to extract, and it does so with precision, producing profits for the already-powerful and losses for the already-vulnerable.\u2019\u201d The report cited staggering statistics including that military expenditure reached $2.887 trillion in 2025, the 11th consecutive year of growth and the highest on record, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. And military activity accounts for up to 6 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to Scientists for Global Responsibility and the Conflict and Environment Observatory. The communique also asserts that \u201cfossil fuelled, financialised capitalism is not a neutral economic arrangement but an ethical, moral, and theological problem.\u201d The communique also affirms that what churches want \u201cis a just peace \u2018built from the ground up rather than imposed from above.\u2019\u201d Churches are asked to move their money out of the war economy and into renewable energy and community-rooted vehicles such as local currencies, community banks, and debt-for-social-investment swaps, and to press for a global 2 percent tax on billionaires, a 25 percent minimum corporate tax, debt cancellation, and living or peace wages. Read the communique<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

— Also new from the WCC are a liturgy, reflection, and prayers for the World Week for Peace in Palestine Israel 2026<\/strong>, which runs from Sept. 20-26. With a focus on protecting children, the theme this year is from Psalms 127:3, \u201cBehold, children are a heritage from the Lord.\u201d The resources are adaptable to diverse church contexts. The WCC is encouraging church organizations, congregations, and people of faith to bear a common witness by participating in prayer services, educational events, and acts of support for children lost in the war, left without parents, traumatized, and afraid. Find links to the worship resources<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

— A historical review of the former Walhalla Civilian Public Service (CPS) Camp<\/strong> has been published by the Ludington (Mich.) Daily News and Shoreline Media<\/em>, written by Shanna Avery. Originally built in 1934 as a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Camp for young men planting trees in the Manistee National Forest, during World War II it was turned into CPS Camp 30 to house conscientious objectors, and eventually German prisoners of war, Avery reported. \u201cThe camp was operated by the Brethren Service Committee (created by the Church of the Brethren, which emphasised peace, simplicity and involvement in humanitarian relief.) By 1942, it was one of 12 camps operated by the Brethren Service Committee…one of 42 camps operated by the Selective Service Board at Washington. CPS camps were a joint operation between Church of the Brethren, the Mennonites and Society of Friends (each traditionally peace churches) fulfilling the Selective Service and Training act of the 1940s requiring those rejecting military service to complete other national service.\u201d Read the full article<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

— Canton (Ill.) Church of the Brethren member and professional storm chaser Colin Davis <\/strong>will present \u201cStorm Chasing: Or Why I Am the Way I Am\u201d on Sept. 22 at 6 p.m. at the Farmington Area Public Library. The announcement in the Illinois and Wisconsin District newsletter reported that \u201che will look at the history of storm chasing, what it\u2019s actually like to spend days on the road following storms, and share about some of the best (and craziest) storms he\u2019s had the chance to witness and document over the years, \u2018from Tornado Alley to right here at home.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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