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1) Preachers are announced for Annual Conference 2016<\/span> PERSONNEL<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n 8) Don Knieriem resigns as database administrator for Church of the Brethren<\/span><\/p>\n UPCOMING EVENTS<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n 9) Registration opens for church planting event in May<\/span> 12) Brethren bits: Correction, remembrance, updates on district leadership, BBT seeks member services representative among other job openings including searches for executives in Atlantic Southeast and Missouri\/Arkansas Districts, situation for COs after military opens combat to women, Ministry Summer Service applications are due, registration opens for NYAC, more <\/span><\/p>\n Quote of the week:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cPeace is at the heart of the gospel. As followers of Jesus in a divided and violent world, we are committed to finding non-violent alternatives and to learning how to make peace between individuals, within and among churches, in society and between nations.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n — Core Conviction #7 of the Anabaptist Network in the UK. One of the four webinars announced in the \u201cHeart of Anabaptism\u201d series for 2016 focuses on this core conviction. Find more information below and at www.brethren.org\/webcasts<\/a> .<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1) Preachers are announced for Annual Conference 2016<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The line-up of preachers for the 2016 Annual Conference of the Church of the Brethren has been announced. The Annual Conference takes place at the Koury Convention Center and Sheraton Hotel in Greensboro, N.C., on June 29-July 3. Registration opens online on Feb. 17 for both delegates and nondelegates. The Conference theme is \u201cCarry the Light\u201d (John 1:1-5).<\/p>\n Preaching the opening sermon will be Annual Conference moderator Andy Murray. He will speak on Wednesday evening, June 29. Murray is retired from the faculty of Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pa., where he was founding director of the Baker Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies and also served as a college professor, administrator, and chaplain. He is a member of Stone Church of the Brethren in Huntingdon, and is well known in Brethren circles as a popular singer and songwriter.<\/p>\n Kurt Borgmann, pastor of Manchester Church of the Brethren in North Manchester, Ind., will preach for the Thursday evening service on June 30.<\/p>\n Dennis Webb, pastor of Naperville (Ill.) Church of the Brethren, and a member of the denomination\u2019s Mission and Ministry Board, will bring the message on Friday evening, July 1.<\/p>\n Dawn Ottoni-Wilhelm, Brightbill Professor of Preaching and Worship at Bethany Theological Seminary in Richmond, Ind., will preach on Saturday evening, July 2.<\/p>\n Preaching for the Sunday morning service and the closing event of the Conference is J. Eric Brubaker, who is an ordained minister serving at Middle Creek Church of the Brethren in Lititz, Pa.<\/p>\n For more information about the 2016 Annual Conference go to www.brethren.org\/ac<\/a> .<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n 2) CDS volunteers work in Oregon over holidays, deploy to area flooded by Mississippi<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Volunteers from Children\u2019s Disaster Services (CDS), a program of the Church of the Brethren and its Brethren Disaster Ministries, were deployed to a Red Cross shelter in Oregon City, Ore., after an apartment building was evacuated. The evacuation was carried out because of concerns about landslides in the aftermath of strong storms on the Pacific coast.<\/p>\n More recently, CDS was put on alert that childcare is needed in areas along the Mississippi River affected by flooding. \u201cWe are deploying a team of six CDS volunteers Monday and Tuesday of next week (Jan. 11-12) to a MARC, Multi Agency Resource Center, in Pacific, Mo., in response to the floods,\u201d reported associate director Kathleen Fry-Miller.<\/p>\n Since 1980 Children\u2019s Disaster Services has been meeting the needs of children by setting up child care centers in shelters and disaster assistance centers across the nation. Specially trained to respond to traumatized children, CDS volunteers provide a calm, safe, and reassuring presence in the midst of the chaos created by disasters.<\/p>\n The Red Cross in the Cascades Region communicated a need for childcare for families evacuated from the apartment building, noting that there were several children at the shelter. Although the shelter population was in flux through the time of the CDS response, from Dec. 26-31, the volunteers cared for a total of 45 children. Carol Elms was project manager, leading a team of six CDS volunteers.<\/p>\n A Facebook post by CDS expressed gratitude for volunteers willing to set aside their own holiday plans: \u201cThe holidays are a time of celebration and get-togethers with family and friends for many people. However, this Christmas, many people across the United States were affected by winter weather, mudslides, flooding, and other disasters. We are especially grateful for volunteers in Oregon and Washington States that responded to a call to set up a child care center in Oregon City, December 26. Thank you to everyone who responded and were willing to serve during such a meaningful season for so many!\u201d<\/p>\n For more information about the work of CDS go to www.childrensdisasterservices.org<\/a> .<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 3) Global Mission and Service worker honored in Vietnam<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n On Nov. 8, 2015, Grace Mishler, a Church of the Brethren member and a Global Mission and Service worker in Ho Chi Minh City, was honored for her work with disabled persons by Vietnamese government officials. Selected individuals from the southern region of Vietnam were recognized for their contributions to the disabled community including blind and partially sighted persons, the area of Mishler\u2019s expertise.<\/p>\n Since Sept. 2000, Mishler has been working with the Department of Sociology and Social Work at Ho Chi Minh City University of Social Sciences and Humanities, where she consults with the staff and provides educational and eye care support for students with visual impairment. Additionally, she facilitates services, monitors, and provides support at the Thien An and Nhat Hong Blind Schools with specified project development including a Student Eye Care Project and International Cane Awareness Day.<\/p>\n At the Disability Conference held by the Disabilities Federation Association of Vietnam, she was awarded a Medal of Honor, two certificates of\u00a0 \u201cexcellent activities in caring and supporting persons with disabilities within the frame time of 2011-2015,\u201d and a bouquet of flowers in appreciation for her many contributions to disabled persons in Ho Chi Minh City.<\/p>\n Mishler was nominated by Thien An Blind School for the awards. The certificates she received included a certificate from the Ho Chi Minh Association for Protection of People with Disabilities and Orphans, and another from the Vietnam Fatherland Front Socialist Republic Peoples\u2019 Committee of Ho Chi Minh City.<\/p>\n To know more about the work of Grace Mishler and Global Mission and Service in Vietnam, go to www.brethren.org\/partners\/vietnam<\/a> . Find a a 26 minute documentary about Mishler from Hanoi VCT-10, titled \u201cThe Silent American,\u201d at www.youtube.com\/watch?v=NMQHiX-Qk_k<\/a> .<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 4) Vietnam blind school holds training with slogan \u2018Understanding Eliminates Darkness\u2019<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n By Nguyen Thi My Huyen<\/em><\/p>\n On Nov. 18, 2015, Thien An Blind School of Ho Chi Minn City, Vietnam, hosted a one-day training for 30 sociology students as a part of Service Learning at the University of Humanities and Social Sciences. Participating in this training day were Grace Mishler, a Church of the Brethren member who serves in Vietnam with Global Mission and Service; her program assistant Nguyen Xuan; and program trainee Nguyen Thi My Huyen.<\/p>\n Through this workshop training, students gained knowledge about blindness. The dean of the Department of Sociology supports Service Learning to educate students in how to approach marginalized persons in the society. Mishler provided the network link to make this Service Learning happen. The LIN Center of Ho Chi Minh City provided support money to Thien An School in the effort of raising the social awareness of students with visual disabilities. The instruction followed the Hadley School for the Blind in the USA.<\/p>\n The headmaster of the school was the primary trainer and instructor. He is blind and had a powerful way of transforming blindness into a spiritual connection between the training group and Thien An Blind students. He gave a wonderful, meaningful, practical presentation.<\/p>\n The headmaster taught seven steps in adapting to losing vision, the causes of losing vision, and how to communicate with blind people. He shared some examples of perceptions, cultural beliefs, and misunderstandings about blindness, which made many students realize how much they did not know before attending this training.<\/p>\n The participants also were required to write a two-page, self-reflective journal for their sociology class. Below are some reflections from students, about what they felt after the training. Overall, it was a fantastic experience for them.<\/p>\n For many students, having lunch in the dark was the most interesting part of the training day. The dishes were put on the trays according to the structure of 12-3-6-9 positions on a clock. The participants were instructed about the locations of the food, so that they knew how to visualize it. \u201cIt was the most unforgettable meal ever in my life,\u201d reflected Thi Huyen (Class K18 – USSH). \u201cI couldn’t eat all of the food in my tray because it was so hard to eat without knowing where the food was located, even though we were instructed before the meal.\u201d<\/p>\n Another student reflected, \u201cThe room seemed to be ten times bigger because it was just too dark. I found fear in each step I made. And when somebody held my hand and led me to the dining room, I felt so safe and extremely happy\u201d (Hoang Minh Tri of Class K18 – USSH).<\/p>\n \u201cI was scared,\u201d wrote another. \u2018It was simply scared of falling, scared of getting hurt. But I always knew that I still can see again after this training. My fear was not even comparable to the fear of blind people knowing the loss of their body parts and they will live their whole life without light. But looking at what blind people do, we all know that they can live their lives as normal as sighted people do and accomplish great things. I really admire the strength of those people\u201d (Bui Thi Thu of Class K18 – USSH).<\/p>\n Braille training and practice: Six magic dots<\/strong><\/p>\n The students were introduced to the Braille system, from basics to details. Then they played a game of translating poems from Braille to Vietnamese, and the opposite. Because Braille is not easy for beginners, they translated the poems to different meanings, which allowed them to have so much fun with the game.<\/p>\n \u201cThe game has brought valuable lessons for students on how to use the Braille system and feel the initial difficulties of the visually impaired students,\u201d said a quote from a reflection book report from the Pandora group of Class K18 – USSH.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter the training day, I have learned a lot for myself about blindness, and it changed the way I see people with physical difficulties,\u201d reflected Minh Tri of Class K18 – USSH. \u201cThey are born with blindness, not that they are blinded, and we are all equal as human being. I see myself as a lucky one to be born as an able-bodied person. [That] does not mean that blind people are unlucky. I feel the necessity to be more responsible to my own self and society.\u201d<\/p>\n — Nguyen Thi My Huyen is a trainee serving with Grace Mishler and the Global Mission and Service project in Vietnam, which works with people living with disabilities. Mi Huyen recently spent a year in a Service Learning experience with Elizabethtown (Pa.) College, under the leadership of Dr. Peg McFarland and college’s School of Social Work.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 5) WCC leaders express concern over situation on the Korean peninsula<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n From a World Council of Churches release:<\/em><\/p>\n Following the recent nuclear test conducted by North Korea, the World Council of Churches (WCC) is calling on all parties involved in the current situation on the Korean peninsula–especially South Korea, North Korea, the US, Japan, and China–to \u201cinvest in initiatives to reduce tensions, to promote dialogue, and to encourage negotiations for an end to the suspended state of war, and for peaceful co-existence on the Korean peninsula, rather than measures that increase the risk of catastrophic conflict,\u201d according to WCC general secretary Olav Fykse Tveit.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a global fellowship of churches committed to a pilgrimage of justice and peace, we seek hope-inspiring alternatives to the deadly cycle of provocation and military confrontation,\u201d he stressed.<\/p>\n For more than 30 years the World Council of Churches has been engaged in opening doors for encounter and dialogue between North and South Koreans, and in promoting international ecumenical accompaniment of this relationship. The WCC\u2019s 10th Assembly–held in Busan, Republic of Korea, in 2013–affirmed that: \u201cIt is our prayer that the vision and dream of all Koreans, their common aspiration for healing, reconciliation, peace, and reunification may be fulfilled.\u201d But, as described by Peter Prove, director of the WCC\u2019s Commission of the Churches on International Affairs (CCIA), \u201cmore than 70 years after the division of the peninsula, Korean people continue to be separated by the most highly militarized confrontation in the world. The vision and dream of peace is threatened by any and all measures that heighten rather than reduce tensions in this dangerous situation.\u201d<\/p>\n Tveit observed, \u201cThe WCC also has a long history of principled opposition to nuclear arms, and supports the recent \u2018humanitarian initiative\u2019 towards a global legal ban on such unconscionable weapons of mass destruction.\u201d<\/p>\n In the context of the Korean peninsula, the threat of nuclear conflict jeopardizes the lives and future not only of the people of the peninsula but of the wider region and the globe.<\/p>\n \u201cTherefore,\u201d stressed Tveit, \u201cthe WCC condemns initiatives to scale up the destructive potential of nuclear weapons on or in the vicinity of the Korean peninsula,\u201d noting that WCC governing bodies repeatedly have called for a nuclear-free Korean peninsula, for the complete, verifiable and irreversible elimination of all nuclear weapons in northeast Asia, and for a global humanitarian ban on nuclear weapons.<\/p>\n \u201cWe note with dismay and great concern,\u201d added CCIA director Prove, \u201cthat current or envisaged responses to the recent nuclear test by North Korea do not lead in the direction of de-escalation and dialogue. Such troubling responses include today\u2019s resumption of loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts by South Korea, the possible strengthening of economic sanctions, and increased international military presence (including nuclear-armed forces) in the region.\u201d<\/p>\n General secretary Tveit stressed that \u201cprovocation does not offer a path to peace. In this situation, dialogue is more important and more urgently required than ever. I invite all churches and all people of good will to pray with and for the people of both Koreas, and to redouble our efforts for peace and reconciliation on the Korean peninsula and throughout the world.\u201d<\/p>\n The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 345 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 550 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The Church of the Brethren is a founding member of the WCC.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 6) Update is available for Church of the Brethren \u2018Manual of Organization and Polity\u2019<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n By James M. Beckwith<\/em><\/p>\n The Church of the Brethren \u201cManual of Organization and Polity\u201d has been updated to incorporate polity decisions adopted by Annual Conference since the last edition of the manual, and to review and update endnotes to ensure that the manual reflects as much as possible the exact wording of the Annual Conference decisions which established or updated the polity. Go to www.brethren.org\/ac\/ppg<\/a> to find the updated files.<\/p>\n An effort has been made in the endnotes to identify the few statements in the manual that are not polity–i.e., statements that describe organizational patterns or standard practices which have not been defined by Annual Conference polity decisions. Those who use the manual are urged to consult the endnotes.<\/p>\n Each chapter file now has a title page with bookmark hyperlinks to help users move easily to and from that chapter\u2019s sections. The Preface in the Overview file explains further changes. Significant changes have been made to update the Conference Rules in Chapter 1 and to identify in Chapter 2 that each Annual Conference agency has its own history and guidelines for its status as an official Annual Conference agency.<\/p>\n The Leadership Team of the denomination, which includes the general secretary and the Annual Conference officers, is responsible for interpreting denominational polity and has reviewed all of the updating, together with Chris Douglas, director of the Conference Office. The Leadership Team celebrates the completion of this work and acknowledges with gratitude the efforts of all who have worked on the manual over the years. It is good to have the manual up to date as the official guide by which the church seeks to live out its purpose at Annual Conference: to unite, strengthen, and equip the Church of the Brethren to follow Jesus together.<\/p>\n — James M. Beckwith serves as Annual Conference secretary.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n 7) Sustaining Ministerial Excellence Advanced Seminar brings together cohort of camp leaders<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n By Julie Hostetter<\/em><\/p>\n The first retreat for the SMEAS (Sustaining Ministerial Excellence Advanced Seminar) Camp Leaders Cohort took place Nov. 19-21, 2015, at Shepherd\u2019s Spring Outdoor Ministry and Retreat Center in Mid-Atlantic District. Participants had completed their annual Outdoor Ministries Association Retreat and stayed onsite for this new continuing education program.<\/p>\n Content for SMEAS includes components from the Sustaining Pastoral Excellence Vital Pastors and Advanced Foundations for Church Leadership tracks administered by the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership and the Advanced Pastoral Seminar offered by Bethany Seminary in the past.<\/p>\n Participants will meet bi-annually for two years to:<\/strong><\/p>\n — integrate the spiritual, academic, emotional, relational, and physical components of a healthy lifestyle, Between in-person sessions, the camp leaders will interact via Moodle and Skype.<\/p>\n A SMEAS cohort for bi-vocational pastors is being formed now. Contact Julie Hostetter, executive director of the Brethren Academy, at hosteju@bethanyseminary.edu<\/a> or 800-287-8822 ext. 1820 for information and to register for this continuing education program.<\/p>\n — Julie Hostetter is executive director of the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership, which is jointly affiliated with the Church of the Brethren and Bethany Theological Seminary in Richmond, Ind.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n PERSONNEL<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n 8) Don Knieriem resigns as database administrator for Church of the Brethren<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Don Knieriem has tendered his resignation as database administrator for the Church of the Brethren. His last day of work at the denomination\u2019s General Offices in Elgin, Ill., will be Jan. 20.<\/p>\n He has been employed with the Church of the Brethren since Nov. 2011, when he was hired as a data analyst and registration specialist. The position evolved into web programmer and data analyst by Aug. 2013. In April 2015 he transitioned to the salaried position of database administrator.<\/p>\n Previously, Knieriem\u2019s service to the church also included volunteer terms with Brethren Volunteer Service. He spent time as a BVSer serving with Brethren Disaster Ministries, and then volunteered for two years in the BVS office in Elgin, Ill.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n UPCOMING EVENTS<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n 9) Registration opens for church planting event in May<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The event is for church planters, anyone considering becoming a church planter, planting teams, and leaders eager to explore a vision of the church that includes vital established congregations and dynamic emerging mission points. The conference is sponsored by the Congregational Life Ministries of the Church of the Brethren and hosted by Bethany Theological Seminary.<\/p>\n Register by April 15 to take advantage of early registration discounts. Workshop proposals also are being accepted, with a Feb. 29 submission deadline.<\/p>\n For more information and online registration go to www.brethren.org\/churchplanting<\/a> .<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 10) Brethren Academy announces upcoming courses<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership has announced is upcoming course schedule. Courses are open to students in TRIM (Training in Ministry) and EFSM (Education for Shared Ministry) as well as pastors and all interested persons.<\/p>\n While students will continue to be accepted into courses beyond the registration deadline, on that date the academy determines whether there are enough students to offer a course. Many courses have required pre-course readings, so students need to allow enough time to complete reading prior to the start of the course. Students are requested not to purchase texts or make travel plans until the registration deadline has passed, and a course confirmation is received.<\/p>\n To register for courses, contact academy@bethanyseminary.edu<\/a> or 765-983-1824. Register for courses noted \u201cSVMC\u201d through the Susquehanna Valley Ministry Center, forms are at www.etown.edu\/svmc<\/a> or contact svmc@etown.edu<\/a> or 717-361-1450.<\/p>\n \u201cChurch of the Brethren Polity and Practice,\u201d<\/strong> a weekend intensive at McPherson (Kan.) College with instructor Jim Tomlonson, held from March 10-13. The registration deadline is Feb. 10.<\/p>\n \u201cChronicles,\u201d<\/strong> an online course with instructor Steve Schweitzer, is held from April 4-May 27. The registration deadline is March 4.<\/p>\n \u201cWalking to Peace,\u201d<\/strong> an Annual Conference directed independent study unit (DISU) with Father John Dear and instructor Debbie Roberts, will be held June 28-29 in Greensboro, N.C. The registration deadline is May 28.<\/p>\n \u201cNeighboring Faiths: A Christian-Muslim Encounter in the US,\u201d<\/strong> (SVMC), is a weekend intensive held at Mechanicsburg (Pa.) Church of the Brethren with instructor George Pickens, from Aug. 11-13. The registration deadline is July 11.<\/p>\n \u201cChurch of the Brethren History,\u201d<\/strong> an online course with instructor Denise Kettering-Lane, is offered from Sept. 5-Oct. 28. The registration deadline is Aug. 5.<\/p>\n \u201cIntroduction to Theology,\u201d<\/strong> an online course with instructor Nate Inglis, is offered Oct. 10-Dec. 2. The registration deadline is Sept. 10.<\/p>\n \u201cIntroduction to Old Testament,\u201d<\/strong> an online course with instructor Matt Boersma, is offered on Oct. 16-Dec. 10. The registration deadline is Sept. 16.<\/p>\n \u201cFaith and Finances,\u201d<\/strong> a weekend intensive with instructor Beryl Jantzi, is held in November (final dates to be announced). The registration deadline will be in October.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 11) \u2018Heart of Anabaptism\u2019 webinars continue in 2016<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Four new webinars continue the theme, \u201cThe Heart of Anabaptism,\u201d in 2016, announces the Congregational Life Ministies staff. The webinar presenters will explore the core convictions of the Anabaptist Network in the United Kingdom.<\/p>\n Webinar dates and times and themes follow:<\/p>\n Thursday, Jan. 14, 2:30 p.m. (eastern time): \u201cThe Church\u2019s Witness at its Best.\u201d<\/strong> An announcement explained the focus of this webinar: \u201cThe frequent association of the church with status, wealth, and force is inappropriate for followers of Jesus and damages our witness. We are committed to vulnerability and to exploring ways of being good news to the poor, powerless, and persecuted, aware that such discipleship may attract opposition, resulting in suffering and sometimes ultimately martyrdom.\u201d Presenter Juliet Kilpin helps coordinate Urban Expression, an urban mission agency pioneering creative and relevant forms of church in inner cities in the UK. She has been an urban mission advocate and activist for almost 25 years, and is also a freelance consultant and trainer.<\/p>\n Thursday, Feb. 11, 2:30 p.m. (eastern time): \u201cSpirituality and Economics.\u201d<\/strong> This webinar will address the network\u2019s Core Conviction #6, \u201cSpirituality and economics are inter-connected. In an individualist and consumerist culture and a world where economic injustice is rife, we are committed to finding ways of living simply, sharing generously, caring for creation and working for justice.\u201d Presenter Joanna (Jo) Frew lives and works in a house of hospitality that she and her partner run for destitute asylum seekers. For many years, she worked with the SPEAK Network on social justice campaigns and is now active in nonviolent direct action against an arms fair and Trident renewal in the UK. She holds a doctorate in the history of the British Empire in India.<\/p>\n Thursday, March 31, 2:30 p.m. (eastern time): \u201cJesus and God\u2019s Revelation.\u201d<\/strong> This event addressed Core Conviction #2, \u201cJesus is the focal point of God\u2019s revelation. We are committed to a Jesus-centered approach to the Bible, and to the community of faith as the primary context in which we read the Bible and discern and apply its implications for discipleship.\u201d Presenter Dennis Edwards is senior pastor of Sanctuary Covenant Church in Minneapolis, Minn., and is an Anabaptist scholar and practitioner, pioneer of racial reconciliation and multi-ethnic ministry, and an urban church planter. He has planted two urban, multi-ethnic churches, one in Brooklyn, N.Y., and one in Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n Thursday, April 28, 2:30 p.m. (eastern time): \u201cPeace, the Heart of the Gospel.\u201d<\/strong> This event addresses Core Conviction #7, \u201cPeace is at the heart of the gospel. As followers of Jesus in a divided and violent world, we are committed to finding non-violent alternatives and to learning how to make peace between individuals, within and among churches, in society and between nations.\u201d Presenters Mark and Mary Hurst pastor Avalon Baptist Peace Memorial Church and are pastoral workers for the Anabaptist Association of Australia and New Zealand. Together they have led peacemaking workshops and been involved in peace activism since the late 1970s. Both are graduates of Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary with degrees in Peace Studies and Christian Formation.<\/p>\n Each webinar is 60 minutes in length and consist of a presentation and discussion. Recordings of these webinars are available following the event at the Church of the Brethren website. For more information go to www.brethren.org\/webcasts<\/a> . To join the webinar on the day of the event, click on the link at http:\/\/brethren.adobeconnect.com\/transformation<\/a> . There is no charge for the webinars. Continuing education credit of .1 is available to ministers through the Brethren Academy for those who attend the live event. The webinars are sponsored by the Church of the Brethren, Urban Expression UK, Center for Anabaptist Studies, Bristol Baptist College, and Mennonite Trust.<\/p>\n 12) Brethren bits<\/p>\n
\n2) CDS volunteers work in Oregon over holidays, deploy to area flooded by Mississippi<\/span>
\n3) Global Mission and Service worker honored in Vietnam <\/span>
\n4) Vietnam blind school holds training with slogan \u2018Understanding Eliminates Darkness\u2019<\/span>
\n5) WCC leaders express concern over situation on the Korean peninsula<\/span>
\n6) Update is available for Church of the Brethren \u2018Manual of Organization and Polity\u2019<\/span>
\n7) Sustaining Ministerial Excellence Advanced Seminar brings together cohort of camp leaders<\/span><\/p>\n
\n10) Brethren Academy announces upcoming courses<\/span>
\n11) \u2018Heart of Anabaptism\u2019 webinars continue in 2016<\/span><\/p>\n
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Children’s Disaster Services volunteers care for children evacuated from an apartment building threatened by landslides in Oregon, over the week between Christmas 2015 and New Year’s.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/09\/sociology-students-with-grace.jpg\")
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Thien An Blind School students sing a welcoming song for the visiting class of university students. Thien An’s welcoming song included these words: “In our own home, the sadness disappeared. In our home, happiness is doubled. Because we cry, we laugh with all of our hearts. We share love and our own lives. Thien An–our own home forever…”<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/09\/the-first-cohort-in-the-smeas.jpg\")
The first cohort in the SMEAS (Sustaining Ministerial Excellence Advanced Seminar) was a group of camp leaders: (from left) Tara Hornbacker, Bethany Seminary professor; Joel Ballew of Camp Swatara, Karen Neff of Camp Ithiel (on screen), Jerri Heiser Wenger of Camp Blue Diamond, Barbara Wise Lewczak of Camp Pine Lake, Linetta Ballew of Camp Swatara. and Wallace Cole of Camp Carmel.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n— develop a greater self-understanding of themselves and their ministries,
\n— re-examine the church and its mission in today\u2019s culture,
\n— explore theological topics through presentations and dialogue with seminary faculty, denominational leaders, and seminar members,
\n— participate in community with other ministers,
\n— create strategies for personal and professional change.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/09\/don-knieriem.jpg\")
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Registration is now open for the new church development conference, @HIM #Hope #Imagination #Mission, scheduled for May 19-21 in Richmond, Ind. The conference will feature Efrem Smith and Mandy Smith as keynote speakers, and will be marked by passionate worship, informative workshops, valuable networking, and prayerful support.<\/p>\n
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