![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/10\/no-more-war-a-photo-taken.png\")
NEWS
\n1) Brethren Academy launches EFSM program in Spanish
\n2) La Academia Hermanos lanza el programa de EPMC
\n3) New urban ministry experience is offered by Bethany Seminary
\n4) Minister\u2019s manual project will not continue
\n5) UN holds hearing on Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons<\/p>\n
PERSONNEL
\n6) William Wenger to serve as executive minister for Western Pennsylvania District<\/p>\n
UPCOMING EVENTS
\n7) Children\u2019s Disaster Services offers volunteer training workshops
\n8) SVMC offers continuing education on Christology and ministry with older and younger people
\n9) Annual Dunker Church Service will be 47th held at Antietam
\n10) Springs initiative offers new class designed for laity<\/p>\n
11) Brethren bits: Updated remembrance for Florence Dat\u00e9 Smith, personnel, jobs, Rebecca Dali honored by UN, Nigerian Brethren report Boko Haram attacks, Material Resources shipments, BVS newsletter, and more news by, for, and about Brethren<\/p>\n
Quotes of the week:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cPray for the Yazidi people of Iraq whose genocide began three years ago. Pray for freedom and restoration of life for several thousand women and children still in the hands of ISIL.\u201d<\/p>\n —\u00a0From the Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) \u201cPrayers for Peacemakers\u201d for Aug. 3. Find the full prayer request at\u00a0https:\/\/cpt.org\/cptnet\/2017\/08\/03\/prayers-peacemakers-3-august-2017<\/a>\u00a0.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cThe world can find hope in a new treaty, the text of which has been negotiated and agreed by a large majority of the world\u2019s governments, to outlaw nuclear weapons.\u201d<\/p>\n —\u00a0From a World Council of Churches (WCC) release noting this weekend\u2019s 72nd anniversary of the atomic bombings of the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. \u201cFor the survivors of the atomic bombings in 1945, and for all who seek the complete elimination of nuclear weapons on humanitarian, ethical and moral grounds, the new draft Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons agreed at the United Nations on 7 July 2017 is cause for thanksgiving and a catalyst for renewed resolve,\u201d said WCC general secretary Olav Fykse Tveit, in the release. \u201cThis new development in international law is best understood against the mass destruction of the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 and 9 August 1945 and the suffering and abiding sorrow that ensued.\u201d A WCC release about the treaty is at\u00a0www.oikoumene.org\/en\/press-centre\/news\/banning-nuclear-weapons-122-governments-take-leadership-where-nuclear-powers-have-failed<\/a>\u00a0.<\/em><\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n 1) Brethren Academy launches EFSM program in Spanish<\/strong><\/p>\n by Nancy Sollenberger Heishman<\/p>\n For over 30 years, the Education for Shared Ministry (EFSM) program has been nurturing and equipping ministers and laity together in small Anglo churches. Now the program is being made available to Spanish-speaking congregations. The unique design of EFSM offers opportunities for ministers in training and lay leaders to discern goals and objectives together and to encourage one another in sharpening their skills while learning about the Christian faith and ministries of the church. The program\u2019s strength is in equipping the entire congregation as they support their set-apart ministers in meeting the educational and theological requirements for credentialing.<\/p>\n In the Pacific Southwest District, pastors David and Rita Flores of the Cristo Sion congregation chose to finish the ministry training they had begun through SeBAH-CoB by participating in EFSM. Six lay leaders joined the couple in a March weekend orientation in which they familiarized themselves with the program, set goals for their first learning unit, and dedicated themselves as a congregation to the process. During these past few months, they have explored Brethren beliefs and theology in greater depth through book studies, heritage-focused congregational outreach projects in the neighborhood, and by enriching their congregational life through giving and finding new meaning in the practice of Brethren ordinances such as love feast. If all goes according to schedule, they will graduate from the program in the summer of 2018.<\/p>\n In the Shenandoah District, a congregation with almost a decade of informal relationship with the district was recently welcomed officially and is exploring participation in the EFSM program. Pastors Julio and Sonia Argueta of Iglesia Pentecostal Buenas Nuevas Church of the Brethren in Waynesboro, Va., lead a warm and vibrant fellowship that shares the building with the Anglo Brethren of Waynesboro. The Church Planting Team of the district is giving support as together they explore the prospect of participating in the EFSM program.<\/p>\n SeBAH-CoB classes continue as the alfa cohort finishes a preaching course with Mennonite professor, Byron Pellecer. The beta cohort is studying the Theology of Pastoral Ministry with Tony Brun. Both courses are totally online. Additionally, video conference technology gives students in the preaching course opportunity to discuss in more depth the fundamental principles of sermon preparation. It is obvious that all the students greatly enjoy the interaction between Californian, Pennsylvanian, and Puerto Rican Brethren and the Colombian Mennonite students in the course.<\/p>\n This year as part of satisfying the program requirements for attendance at Annual Conference, three SeBAH-CoB students were present in Grand Rapids.<\/p>\n —\u00a0Nancy Sollenberger Heishman is coordinator of the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership\u2019s Seminario Biblico Anabautista Hispano–de la Iglesia de los Hermanos (SeBAH-CoB).<\/em><\/p>\n 2) La Academia Hermanos lanza el programa de EPMC<\/strong><\/p>\n Nancy Sollenberger Heishman<\/p>\n Durante m\u00e1s de treinta a\u00f1os, el programa de Educaci\u00f3n para un Ministerio Compartido (EPMC) ha estado nutriendo y equipando ministros y laicos en peque\u00f1as iglesias angloamericanas. Ahora, el programa est\u00e1 siendo puesto a disposici\u00f3n de las congregaciones en cual se habla espa\u00f1ol. El dise\u00f1o \u00fanico de EPMC ofrece oportunidades para que los ministros en formaci\u00f3n y l\u00edderes laicos disciernen objetivos y metas juntos y se animen mutuamente a afilar sus habilidades mientras aprenden sobre la fe cristiana y los ministerios de la iglesia. La fuerza del programa es enfocarse en el equipamiento de toda la congregaci\u00f3n, ya que apoyan a sus ministros apartados en el cumplimiento de los requisitos educativos y teol\u00f3gicas para sus credenciales.<\/p>\n En el Distrito del Suroeste del Pac\u00edfico, los pastores David y Rita Flores de la congregaci\u00f3n Cristo Sion eligieron terminar la capacitaci\u00f3n ministerial que hab\u00edan comenzado a trav\u00e9s de SeBAH-CoB por participar en EPMC. Seis l\u00edderes laicos se unieron a los Flores en una orientaci\u00f3n de fin de semana en el que se familiarizaron con el programa, establecieron metas para su primera unidad de aprendizaje, y se dedicaron como congregaci\u00f3n al proceso. Durante estos \u00faltimos meses, han explorado las creencias y la teolog\u00eda de la Iglesia de los Hermanos en mayor profundidad. Ellos han estudiado libros y llevaron a cabo proyectos de alcance congregacional al vecindario. La vida congregacional ha sido enriquecida tambi\u00e9n a trav\u00e9s de dar y encontrar un nuevo significado en la pr\u00e1ctica de las ordenanzas tales como el lavado de los pies. Si todo va de acuerdo al horario, se graduar\u00e1n del programa el pr\u00f3ximo verano de 2018.<\/p>\n En el distrito de Shenandoah, una congregaci\u00f3n con casi una d\u00e9cada de relaci\u00f3n informal con el distrito fue recibida oficialmente recientemente y est\u00e1 explorando la participaci\u00f3n en el programa EPMC. Pastores Julio y Sonia Argueta de la Iglesia Pentecostal Buenas Nuevas Iglesia de los Hermanos en Waynesboro, Virginia est\u00e1n dirigiendo una comunidad c\u00e1lida y vibrante que comparte el edificio con los Hermanos Anglo de Waynesboro. El Equipo de Plantaci\u00f3n de Iglesias del distrito est\u00e1 dando su apoyo ya que juntos exploran la perspectiva de participar en el programa EPMC.<\/p>\n Las clases de SeBAH-CoB contin\u00faan mientras el grupo Alfa termina un curso de predicaci\u00f3n con el profesor menonita Byron Pellecer. El grupo Beta est\u00e1 estudiando la Teolog\u00eda del Ministerio Pastoral con el Dr. Tony Brun. Ambos cursos son totalmente en l\u00ednea. Adem\u00e1s, la tecnolog\u00eda de videoconferencia ofrece a los estudiantes del curso de predicaci\u00f3n la oportunidad para discutir en profundidad los principios fundamentales de la preparaci\u00f3n del serm\u00f3n. Es obvio que todos los estudiantes disfrutan mucho de la interacci\u00f3n entre estudiantes de California, Pensilvania y Puerto Rico y los estudiantes menonitas colombianos en el curso.<\/p>\n Este a\u00f1o como parte de satisfacer los requisitos del programa para la asistencia a una conferencia anual, tres estudiantes de SeBAH-CoB estar\u00e1n en Grand Rapids.<\/p>\n 3) New urban ministry experience is offered by Bethany Seminary<\/strong><\/p>\n by Jenny Williams<\/p>\n A new partnership with a nonprofit in Atlanta, Ga., is giving Bethany Theological Seminary students a unique ministry opportunity. From Jan. 2-12, 2018, the new course titled \u201cA Place of Refuge: Ministry in an Urban Context\u201d will take students to Atlanta to explore both the complexities of ministry with marginalized communities in urban areas and options for addressing the issues.<\/p>\n Designed as an immersion experience, the course includes both practical engagement and reflection. City of Refuge Ministries, located in one of Atlanta\u2019s most impoverished neighborhoods, is the primary partner organization and will involve the students directly in its various programs, giving them hands-on experience. The group also will work with other faith-based ministries, exposing them to a variety of styles, strategies, and ministry niches employed in working with marginalized populations.<\/p>\n In studying various approaches to urban ministry, students will be introduced to networking structures and processes that make ministry partnerships possible. This will include exploring the collective impact when three major sectors of society–nonprofit, public, and government–collaborate to support and assist the voiceless and, more specifically, how the church can have an effective role.<\/p>\n \u201cThis course combines evangelical gospel witness with a deep concern for social justice in an urban context,\u201d says Steven Schweitzer, academic dean at Bethany. \u201cWe desire to bring together students and practitioners for diverse perspectives on effective urban ministry.\u201d<\/p>\n The partnership began when Jeff Carter, president of Bethany, made the acquaintance of former pastor Bruce Deel, founder and CEO of City of Refuge. When representatives from Bethany visited the organization to explore connections with the seminary, Church of the Brethren staff David Steele, general secretary, and Josh Brockway, director of spiritual life and discipleship, joined them by invitation. From vocational training to care for trafficking victims, the varied programs at City of Refuge became the foundation for a Bethany Seminary course and a Brethren Academy course. Information about the organization can be found at\u00a0www.cityofrefugeatl.org<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n Anyone with a passion for urban ministry and a desire to impact their community is encouraged to enroll. Room and board and a voucher for travel to Atlanta are included in the cost of registration for both course levels. Students currently in the TRIM program can enroll for ministry studies, Bethany experience, or ecumenical event credit.<\/p>\n Graduate-level course: Instructor Dan Poole, coordinator of ministry formation at Bethany Seminary – 3.0 CEUs – application deadline Nov. 21. For information and to enroll contact\u00a0admissions@bethanyseminary.edu<\/a>\u00a0or 800-287-8822.<\/p>\n Academy-level course: Instructor: Josh Brockway, director of spiritual life and discipleship for the Church of the Brethren – 2.0 CEUs – application deadline Nov. 1. For information and to enroll contact\u00a0academy@bethanyseminary.edu<\/a>\u00a0or 800-287-8822.<\/p>\n —\u00a0Jenny Williams is director of Communications for Bethany Theological Seminary in Richmond, Ind.<\/em><\/p>\n 4) Minister\u2019s manual project will not continue<\/strong><\/p>\n by Dana Cassell<\/p>\n Staff from the Office of Ministry and Brethren Press have announced the decision to conclude work on the new minister\u2019s manual resource. This project has stretched over several years, in which transitions in the make up of the volunteer team and the staff in the Office of Ministry have brought significant challenges.<\/p>\n After evaluating the submissions received, it became clear that the work still needed to complete the project as envisioned is too great to continue. This decision is due in large part to the quantity and quality of the submissions and the significant gaps in the manual\u2019s expected outline. At this time, there will not be a new resource published in the vein of \u201cFor All Who Minister.\u201d<\/p>\n Staff encourage ministers and others leading in worship to utilize the Anabaptist Worship Exchange (AWE), an online platform for sharing worship resources with others. This Church of the Brethren ministry makes it easy to download resources others have written and to upload and share your own. Visit\u00a0www.anabaptistworshipexchange.org<\/a>\u00a0to learn more.<\/p>\n We also are looking into ways to make available in digital form some of the most frequently used sections (such as wedding and funeral services) of \u201cFor All Who Minister.\u201d Two possible online avenues for distributing these resources would be\u00a0www.brethren.org<\/a>\u00a0and AWE.<\/p>\n —\u00a0Dana Cassell is pastor of Peace Covenant Church of the Brethren in Durham, N.C., and served on the committee that worked on a new minister\u2019s manual resource.<\/em><\/p>\n 5) UN holds hearing on Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons<\/strong><\/p>\n by Doris Abdullah<\/p>\n While we rightly call attention to the awful atrocities of Boko Haram in Nigeria, we often overlook the other great tragedy of trafficking in girls and women from Nigeria. The Central Mediterranean Route report show that nearly 80 percent of Nigerian girls and women, between the ages of 13-24, arriving in Europe are victims of sex trafficking.<\/p>\n Trafficking in persons is a transnational crime that devastates lives and causes untold suffering around the globe. All too many of the trafficked are children. The United Nations on June 23 held a hearing titled \u201cThe Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons,\u201d addressing trafficking from the perspectives of human rights, armed conflicts, and prosecutions in the context of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda (STG).<\/p>\n The informal and interactive multi-stakeholders hearing was opened by the president of the General Assembly, Peter Thomson, followed by statements from the co-facilitators–representatives from Qatar, Alya Al-Thani, and Belgium, Marc Pecsteen de Buytswerve, of the intergovernmental negotiation of the Global Plan of Action. The introductory statements came from trafficking survivor Withelma \u201cT\u201d Ortiz Walker Pettigrew, and UNODC executive director Yury Fedotov and UN High Commissioner Zeid Ra\u2019ad Al Hussein.<\/p>\n United Nations office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) data on human trafficking, which is also known as modern-day slavery, lists four main forms of trafficking:<\/p>\n 1. Forced servitude or forced labor of young men and women.<\/strong>\u00a0Usually these persons come from rural areas to work in urban manufacturing jobs. Many work on mega farms in India, Malaysia, and Bangladesh as well as the Americas and Europe. We use words like work or jobs, but these persons are usually coerced with the promise of a better life, sold outright by poor families, or stolen from their villages or neighborhoods.<\/p>\n 2. Organ transplants usage.<\/strong>\u00a0Persons from poor countries are either forcibly or volunteer to have taken from them their body parts. These parts are usually sold to the highest bidders in rich countries like the US.<\/p>\n 3. Child soldiers usually young boys.<\/strong>\u00a0Raids are conducted by terrorists in the war-ravished areas of the Middle East and in large swaths of Africa, and by gangs in Central and South America.<\/p>\n 4. Trafficking in girls and women.<\/strong>\u00a0Seventy-two percent of all trafficking is for sex. It is the most profitable of the slave trades.<\/p>\n Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) #5 calls for \u201cGender Equality and Empowerment of all Girls and Women.\u201d Goal 5.2 calls for eliminating all forms of violence against girls and women in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation. SDG #8 calls on states to \u201cPromote Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Growth, Employment and Decent Work for All.\u201d Goal #8.7 calls for immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labor, modern-day slavery, and human trafficking, and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labor, including recruitment and use of child soldiers by 2025 and end child labor in all its forms. The 193 nations of the United Nations signed onto these goals on the behalf of their citizens. It is up to all of us to carry them forward–or let them just be beautifully written words.<\/p>\n \u201cT\u201d as she is known, hails from Oakland, Calif. She was trafficked from the age of 10-17. It was the shock of her story that raised my awareness of the horrors of trafficking across America. This is a topic of moral imperative. It is far easier to speak about trafficking \u201cover there,\u201d in another land, than it is to own up to it in our own back yards. It is a fact that large numbers of missing children are trafficked children, and thousands of men in the US buy children for sex. I ask us in the church to see the girl child called \u201cT\u201d from California as our child, and not as a stranger. See her as our daughter, sister, niece, or mother.<\/p>\n \u201cT\u201d was trafficked throughout the western states of America for seven years. Through her voice, and with the aid of pictures, I became an eye witness to her story, to girls younger than 10 put out naked in the street to attract men. Some were using their crayons to draw clothing on themselves. These girls wanted to cover their nakedness with crayons. I wanted to divert my eyes from the shame of not being able to protect them from such horror.<\/p>\n The kidnapping of Brethren girls in Nigeria has made all Brethren more aware of what happens to young women caught by terrorists in armed conflict zones. A panel member also called attention to the findings of raped girls and women in 40 mass graves left by ISIL (Da\u2019esh) and alarm about girls being sold for $10 in some refugee camps. Some girls in the refugee camps even commit suicide, rather than risk being raped.<\/p>\n One panel spoke on the legal matters of criminal investigations, convictions, and sentences. We are all aware that some societies punish the victims and let the perpetrators go free. The legal becomes wrapped up in social norms, culturally acceptable behavior, and so forth .<\/p>\n Ruchira Gupta, founder and president of Apne Aap Women Worldwide, was on one of the panels. She reminded the meeting that the trafficked girl child is used until she is deemed useless. Useless trafficked girls are thrown out with the trash to die, as \u201cT\u201d was. She has no worker\u2019s rights, because forced prostitution is not a job. \u201cT\u201d was abused as a child, denied an education, and never negotiated for any wages. One could say that she was worse off than a prisoner, because she could be denied food, shelter, and clothing by her owners.<\/p>\n Trafficking is a moral issue for the church, and deviant behavior for those who take part in it. What will we do about it? That is work for us to face up to.<\/p>\n —\u00a0Doris Abdullah is the Church of the Brethren representative to the United Nations.<\/em><\/p>\n PERSONNEL<\/strong><\/p>\n 6) William Wenger to serve as executive minister for Western Pennsylvania District<\/strong><\/p>\n Western Pennsylvania District has called William Wenger to serve as district executive minister beginning Sept. 1. He has served as interim district executive since January.<\/p>\n He began his pastoral work in 1982 at Denton (Md.) Church of the Brethren. He was ordained in 1990 at Mount Zion Road Church of the Brethren in Atlantic Northeast District, and also pastored other congregations. From 1997-2001, he was the chaplain at Peter Becker Community, a Church of the Brethren-related retirement community in Harleysville, Pa.<\/p>\n Wenger holds a bachelor\u2019s degree in religion from Messiah College and a master of divinity degree from Evangelical Seminary in Myerstown, Pa. Over the past 15 years, he has taught courses in Old Testament, Biblical hermeneutics, and church history for the Susquehanna Valley Ministry Center, and currently serves there as a board member.<\/p>\n UPCOMING EVENTS<\/strong><\/p>\n by Kathleen Fry-Miller<\/p>\n Children\u2019s Disaster Services (CDS) workshops are scheduled for this fall. The website link for registrations is\u00a0www.brethren.org\/cds\/training\/dates.html<\/a>\u00a0. CDS and its trained and certified volunteers provide care for children and families following disasters.<\/p>\n The 27-hour overnight workshops provide required training for volunteers who wish to serve in the program. Anyone age 18 or over is welcome to attend and become a certified CDS caregiver. References and background checks are also required for certification. Once caregivers complete certification, all expenses are paid for disaster responses.<\/p>\n The training is an overnight experience, simulating a shelter situation, and includes an overview of our work, understanding phases of disaster and how we fit in, working with disaster partners and children and family needs following disaster, supporting resilience in children, setting up a children\u2019s center with a Kit of Comfort, ethical guidelines, and the certification process.<\/p>\n Here are the fall 2017 locations, dates, and contact information:<\/strong><\/p>\n Bridgewater (Va.) Church of the Brethren, Sept. 22-23, contact Gladys Remnant at 540-810-4999 or\u00a0gremnant@aol.com<\/a><\/p>\n Florida Christian Church in Jacksonville, Fla., Sept. 29-30, contact Tina Christian, CDS Gulf Coast Coordinator, at 561-889-2323 or\u00a0cdsgulfcoast@gmail.com<\/a><\/p>\n Ward Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Northville, Mich., Nov. 10-11, contact Jen Pifer at 734-776-1667 or\u00a0cakegirl680@gmail.com<\/a><\/p>\n Little Swatara Church of the Brethren in Bethel, Pa., Nov. 17-18, contact Jean Myers at 610- 678-5247 or\u00a0Jean@aol.com<\/a><\/p>\n In addition, a training workshop is scheduled specifically for Child Life Specialists (CLS) in New York, N.Y., on Sept. 16, 2017. For more information regarding the details of this child life specialized training, visit\u00a0http:\/\/cldisasterrelief.org\/childrens-disaster-services-training<\/a>\u00a0. To register and send payment, use this link:\u00a0http:\/\/cldisasterrelief.org\/new-york-new-york-registration<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n —\u00a0Kathleen Fry-Miller is associate director of Children’s Disaster Services, a program of the Church of the Brethren Global Mission and Service. For more information go to\u00a0www.brethren.org\/cds<\/a>\u00a0.<\/em><\/p>\n 8) SVMC offers continuing education on Christology and ministry with older and younger people<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cGo and Do Likewise: The Practices of Christology\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0is offered on Nov. 2 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pa., led by Nate Inglis, assistant professor of Theological Studies at Bethany Theological Seminary. This symposium will consider Jesus by starting with the practices that he taught his disciples. Presentations and discussion groups will consider how Christology is first and foremost \u201cshowing who Christ is,\u201d and will reflect on what it means to practice Christology today. Cost is $60 and includes a light breakfast, lunch, and 0.6 continuing education credit.<\/p>\n \u201cEnriching the Lives of Older Adults\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0is offered on Oct. 23 at Cross Keys Village in New Oxford, Pa., from 9 a.m.-3 p.m., led by Linda Titzell, Jenn Holcomb, and team. This event will explore spiritual nurturing of older adults, the impact of loneliness and boredom in the older adult, and what aging in place means to the older adult and what available resources support aging in place. Cost is $60 and includes a light breakfast, lunch, and 0.5 continuing education credit. 9) Annual Dunker Church Service will be 47th held at Antietam<\/strong><\/p>\n by Audrey Hollenberg-Duffey<\/p>\n The 47th Annual Dunker Church Service will be held in the restored Dunker Church at the Antietam National Battlefield in Sharpsburg, Md., on Sunday, Sept. 17, at 3 p.m. This service will take place on the 155th anniversary of the Battle of Antietam, and commemorates the peace witness of the Brethren during the Civil War.<\/p>\n Nick Patler, from Staunton, Va., will bring the message titled \u201cEscaping the Civil War: The Brethren-Mennonite Underground Railroad in Rockingham County, Virginia.\u201d He has received masters degrees from both Harvard University Extension School and Bethany Theological Seminary, and has served as an adjunct professor for both Elizabeth City State University and West Virginia State University. He is published on topics relating to African-American history, war and nonviolence, and politics.<\/p>\n The Annual Dunker Church Service is sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic District and is open to the public. For more information, call Eddie Edmonds at 304-267-4135; Audrey Hollenberg-Duffe at 301-733-3565, or Ed Poling at 301-766-9005.<\/p>\n —\u00a0Audrey Hollenberg-Duffey is co-pastor of Hagerstown (Md.) Church of the Brethren.<\/em><\/p>\n 10) Springs initiative offers new class designed for laity<\/strong><\/p>\n by David Young<\/p>\n The Springs Academy for the Saints is the newest addition to the Springs Academy and is designed for laity. Its format is similar to the Springs Academy for Pastors, introduced in 2013. The Springs Academy for the Saints enables laity to discover their gifts and train for ministry as saints, as Paul says in Ephesians 4:12, \u201cto equip the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ.\u201d<\/p>\n Saints Academy participants experience a guided course on learning and practicing spiritual disciplines that lead them in a closer walk with Christ. They study servant leadership from scripture and learn a renewal process that builds on the strengths of a church. They practice dialogue and spiritual discernment and to learn how to apply it in discovering a biblical text that will center and lead them into to a vision and plan.<\/p>\n Two special guest speakers will be featured: Elwood Hipkins, who served in Brethren Volunteer Service in Falfurrias, Texas, who will speak about his witness as a Christian farmer; and Musa Adziba Mambula, a leader in Ekklesiyar Yan\u2019uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria), currently an international scholar at Bethany Theological Seminary, who will speak on the importance of discipling and understanding the concept and conditions for discipleship in the church.<\/p>\n Classes are held via telephone conference call on the following Sundays from 4-6 p.m. (Eastern time): Sept. 17, Oct. 8, Oct. 29, Nov. 19, and Dec.10. The registration deadline is Aug. 31. Those who register by Aug. 15 will receive a CD of Anna Mow speaking on anointing. A \u201cno church left behind\u201d policy applies. Through one church\u2019s generosity, scholarships are available. Tuition is $80. If more than one person from a church takes the course, a group discount applies.<\/p>\n In addition to and concurrent with the Academy for the Saints are five sessions of the Springs Academy for Pastors, held via telephone conference on the following Tuesday mornings from 8-10 a.m. (Eastern time): Sept. 12, Oct. 3, Oct. 24, Nov. 14, and Dec. 5. They are designed for both full-time and bi-vocational ministers. Classes will follow similar topics as the Saints. A team from their church will walk along with each pastor to have dialogue during the period of study.<\/p>\n Along with the Bible, the two needed books for both classes are \u201cCelebration of Discipline\u201d by Richard Foster and \u201cSprings of Living Water, Christ-centered Church Renewal\u201d by David Young. Both books are available from Brethren Press. Additional resources, such as videos produced by David Sollenberger and essential background articles, are on the Springs website at\u00a0www.churchrenewalservant.org<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n A Springs Certificate of Achievement will be awarded to the laity who participate, and ministers may earn 1.0 continuing education credit. Subsequent classes on implementation are anticipated in the winter or spring.<\/p>\n —\u00a0David and Joan Young are leaders of the Springs of Living Water, a Brethren-related initiative for church renewal. Contact\u00a0davidyoung@churchrenewalservant.org<\/a>\u00a0or call 717-615-4515.<\/em><\/p>\n 11) Brethren bits<\/strong><\/p>\n —\u00a0Remembrance (updated): Florence Dat\u00e9 Smith<\/strong>\u00a0(96) of Eugene, Ore., died peacefully on June 26 at Sacred Heart Hospital University District with family and friends at her side. She was a survivor of internment at the Topaz Internment Camp during World War II, and was a prominent Church of the Brethren peace activist. She was born in San Francisco, Calif., raised in Berkeley, Calif., and attended the University of California\/Berkeley. Just prior to graduation she was interned at the Topaz Internment Camp from 1942-44. She began her 70 years as an active educator teaching 4th and 5th grade children there. Upon being released, she worked at the Presbyterian Christopher Settlement House in Chicago, where she met and married her husband, Russel. She graduated from the University of Chicago. Together the couple raised their family in the inter-racial, intercultural, and interfaith York Center Co-operative Community in Lombard, Ill., which had ties to the Church of the Brethren and Bethany Theological Seminary. There she helped found a nursery school and a co-op buying club. She worked as a Learning Specialist teacher at Elmhurst District 205 in Illinois and obtained her master\u2019s degree in Special Education from the University of Oregon. The couple moved to Eugene, Ore., in 1978, and she began teaching in the Springfield Oregon Public Schools. In December 2009 she was given an honorary degree from UCAL\/Berkeley. She was active in local and international projects of the Church of the Brethren including serving on the board of the Global Women\u2019s Project. Her ecumenical involvements included service on the National Council of the Fellowship of Reconciliation and the Oregon Bach Festival\/War and Reconciliation. She participated in the Historic Peace Church Teacher Exchange with the World Friendship Center Hiroshima, Japan. As a lifetime educator, she continued to share her personal internment experiences with youth and adults until her death. Her Topaz Internment Story is viewable at\u00a0https:\/\/youtu.be\/64a-3RYR3K8<\/a>\u00a0. Her husband, Russel, preceded her in death in 2008. She is survived by her children Barbara, Norman, and Roger, and grandchildren. A celebration of her life will be held on Friday, Aug. 25, at 2 p.m. at the First Congregational Church in Eugene, Ore. The family will hold a private gathering sometime at a future date. A multimedia memorial website for the community will be available at\u00a0https:\/\/florencedatesmith.wordpress.com<\/a>\u00a0. Memorial gifts are received to On Earth Peace, the Fellowship of Reconciliation, and CALC in Eugene, Ore.<\/p>\n —\u00a0Emmy Goering\u2019s last day as a Peacebuilding and Policy Associate<\/strong>\u00a0at the Church of the Brethren Office of Public Witness in Washington, D.C., was Aug. 4. She began serving in the office as a Brethren Volunteer Service worker on Aug. 8, 2016.<\/p>\n —\u00a0Chasity Gunn has resigned as conference and event assistant<\/strong>\u00a0for Congregational Life Ministries, serving at the General Offices in Elgin, Ill. She began in the position on Dec. 14, 2016.<\/p>\n —\u00a0Church World Service (CWS) is seeking to fill two positions:<\/strong> —\u00a0The National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT) seeks a full-time director of US Prisons Program<\/strong>\u00a0to coordinate national interfaith organizing and strategic state and federal advocacy for its interfaith members working to end the torture of solitary confinement in US prisons, jails, and detention centers. NRCAT has a strong preference for the position to be based in its Washington, D.C., office, although it is open to possibility of remote work. To learn more go to\u00a0http:\/\/nrcat.org\/about-us\/leadership-aamp-staff\/job-openings<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n —\u00a0Material Resources has reported making several shipments<\/strong>\u00a0of relief goods and materials in recent weeks. Material Resources is a Church of the Brethren program housed in warehouse space at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md. A Church World Service (CWS) shipment was made to Illinois for flood response in Lake and McHenry Counties, containing 229 clean-up buckets for the American Red Cross in Round Lake, Ill. On behalf of Lutheran World Relief, five 40-foot containers were loaded for shipment to Burkina Faso, containing 80 bales of blankets, 800 bales of quilts, 600 cartons of\u00a0 personal care kits, 100 cartons of school kits, 600 cartons of baby care kits, 60 cartons of fabric kits, and 100 cartons of soap. These nonfood items are donated by American Lutheran supporters to help meet vulnerable families\u2019 most urgent needs.<\/p>\n —\u00a0The summer 2017 edition of the Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) newsletter,<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cThe Volunteer,\u201d includes articles by Sarah Uhl, Andrew Bollinger, Pat Krabacher, Gillian Miller, and Greg Davidson Laszakovits on the topic of \u201cResiliency.\u201d Find the newsletter online at\u00a0www.brethren.org\/bvs\/files\/newsletter\/bvs-volunteer-newsletter-2017-7.pdf<\/a>\u00a0. —\u00a0Volunteer groups from two Church of the Brethren congregations<\/strong>\u00a0have been serving in the Caribbean: volunteers from Frederick (Md.) Church of the Brethren have been serving with Eglise des Freres Haitiens (the Church of the Brethren in Haiti), assisting with a mobile medical clinic and a children\u2019s program for around 125 children from various Eglise des Freres congregations; and some 25 volunteers from Chiques Church of the Brethren in Manheim, Pa., have been serving with Iglesia de los Hermanos (the Church of the Brethren in the Dominican Republic), helping with construction projects and assisting with a youth conference where 200 Brethren youth from the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Puerto Rico were expected.<\/p>\n —\u00a0Antelope Park Church of the Brethren<\/strong>\u00a0is one of the sponsors of the 34th annual Lincoln (Neb.) Lantern Float from 7-9 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 6, Hiroshima Day. The event is held on the northeast side of Holmes Lake. The theme will be \u201cHiroshima-Nagasaki: the Past, Present, and Future of Nuclear Weapons.\u201d A report in the Lincoln Journal Star noted that \u201crecently, the lantern float has been used across the world to remember the souls inflamed in nuclear holocaust in 1945, later nuclear tests, and some nuclear plant accidents. This year\u2019s event will contemplate the history and future of the use and control of nuclear weapons because the United Nations on July 7, at the urging of the first victims of nuclear war–the Japanese hibakusha–passed a ban on nuclear weapons, making their possession and use a violation of international law. However, the US and other nuclear-armed nations rejected this ban, and President Trump has said he might use nuclear weapons in future situations.\u201d Star. Read more at\u00a0http:\/\/journalstar.com\/niche\/neighborhood-extra\/lantern-float-to-contemplate-un-nuclear-ban\/article_71e660cf-dab8-5a53-a8cb-4b6b3ae22a42.html<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n —\u00a0On Saturday, Aug. 12, Dranesville Church of the Brethren<\/strong>\u00a0in Herndon, Va., is hosting a presentation by Roxane Hill, coordinator of the Nigeria Crisis Response, and a yard sale to benefit the families of the Nigerian Brethren girls kidnapped by Boko Haram. The Nigeria Crisis Response is a joint effort of the Church of the Brethren and Ekklesiyar Yan\u2019uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria). The presentation starts at 6 p.m. The yard sale takes place from 8 a.m.-1 p.m.<\/p>\n —\u00a0Frederick (Md.) Church of the Brethren<\/strong>\u00a0holds its Annual Missions Golf Tournament at the Maryland National Golf Course on Aug. 27. Sign up at FCOB.net . Shotgun start is at 1 p.m., registration begins at 11:30 a.m.<\/p>\n —\u00a0Rocky Mount (Va.) First Church of the Brethren<\/strong>\u00a0collected close to $1,000 for the Franklin County Perinatal Education Center as part of its Baby Bottle Campaign, reports the Franklin News-Post. \u201cThe members of the church spent six weeks soliciting donations with baby bottles used as money collection containers. In all, they raised $966.50,\u201d the newspaper reported. Read the article and see a picture of the congregation at\u00a0www.thefranklinnewspost.com\/news\/church-donates-nearly-in-baby-bottle-drive\/article_20101b4a-7395-11e7-bcf8-177af56a960c.html<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n —\u00a0South Waterloo (Iowa) Church of the Brethren<\/strong>\u00a0partnered with Orange Elementary School in a summer bookmobile project in which the book mobile traveled to different sites every week on Wednesdays. The church provided ice cream and other treats at the park shelter during a visit by the book mobile to Lichty Park, said a newspaper report. Read more at\u00a0http:\/\/wcfcourier.com\/news\/local\/education\/bookmobile-keeping-kids-reading-across-orange-attendance-area\/article_ec9bac5e-6891-56cb-abdf-fc969299508f.html<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n —\u00a0The Mt. Morris Loaves and Fish Food Pantry<\/strong>\u00a0hosted at Mt. Morris (Ill.) Church of the Brethren received a gold rating in an assessment conducted by an education representative from the University of Illinois Extension Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. \u201cThe gold rating was awarded for implementing many best practices identified for food pantries. The report noted the large garden maintained by volunteers to provide fresh produce to pantry guests, the use of shopping style distribution, well-stocked pantry shelves and the use of the food pyramid as a nutritional guide for pantry guests,\u201d said a report on RRStar.com . Find the news report at\u00a0www.rrstar.com\/news\/20170725\/mt-morris-loaves-amp-fish-food-pantry-receives-gold-rating<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n —\u00a0July saw the start of district conference \u201cseason\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0in the Church of the Brethren. Southeastern District met in Mars Hill, N.C., on July 21-23; Northern Ohio District met at Hartville (Ohio) Church of the Brethren on July 28-29; and Western Plains District met at McPherson (Kan.) Church of the Brethren and McPherson College on July 28-30. This weekend, the plains districts hold their annual meetings: Southern Plains District meets at Cushing (Okla.) Church of the Brethren on Aug. 3-4, and Northern Plains District meets at South Waterloo (Iowa) Church of the Brethren on Aug. 4-6.<\/p>\n —\u00a0\u201cLeadership and Anxiety in the Church\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0is the topic for a workshop sponsored by Pacific Southwest District\u2019s Ministry Commission on Sept. 27 in Woodland Hills, Calif. The workshop is led by the Lombard (Ill.) Mennonite Peace Center. Contact the district office at P.O. Box 219, LaVerne, CA 91750 no later than Sept. 5 to register.<\/p>\n —\u00a0Mark Flory Steury will be the guest speaker<\/strong>\u00a0on the topic of 500 years of the Reformation, at Camp Mardela\u2019s Family Camp 2017 held over Labor Day weekend Sept. 1-3. The camp is located near Denton, Md.<\/p>\n —\u00a0A report on Camp Bethel\u2019s celebration of 90 years<\/strong>\u00a0was published by WDBJ Channel 7. The camp is located near Fincastle, Va. \u201cHundreds, even thousands of people, might have called a special place home during a summer or two while growing up,\u201d said the report, which interviews camp director Barry LeNoir. Go to\u00a0www.wdbj7.com\/content\/news\/Camp-Bethel-in-Botetourt-County-celebrates-90-years–436391333.html<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n —\u00a0A Prayer Service for the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria<\/strong>\u00a0will be held at Camp Bethel near Fincastle, Va., on Sunday, Sept. 3, at 6:15 p.m. An annual Labor Day potluck will follow. \u201cPrayers will be offered for the Chibok girls who have returned home, those who are still missing, and the ongoing threat of violence experienced by the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria and the trauma it causes,\u201d said an announcement from Virlina District. The service will be led by members of the district\u2019s Peace Affairs Committee.<\/p>\n —\u00a0Brethren Woods is sponsoring a weekend conference<\/strong>\u00a0on the historic Brethren value of simple living. \u201cSimplify: A Simple Living Weekend\u201d will be held Nov. 10-11, beginning after dinner on Friday and continuing through late afternoon on Saturday. The weekend registration fee of $35 covers housing, food, and all activities. The Saturday-only fee is $20. Students may attend for $10. Find a letter of information with more details at\u00a0http:\/\/files.constantcontact.com\/071f413a201\/ea6e4326-301d-4027-b13c-99cdfb4b56bf.pdf<\/a>\u00a0. To register, go to\u00a0www.brethrenwoods.org\/simplify<\/a>\u00a0. The camp and retreat center is located near Keezletown, Va.<\/p>\n —\u00a0Bridgewater (Va.) College has received a significant gift,<\/strong>\u00a0according to a release published by the August Free Press. \u201cFive Smith family members and the Smith-Midland Corporation have donated $1 million toward the expansion and renovation of the college\u2019s library,\u201d the report said. \u201cTheir donation is the third seven-figure gift in Bridgewater\u2019s march toward what will become the John Kenny Forrer Learning Commons. The $1 million gift of Rodney Smith, his four sons Ashley, Roderick, Matthew, and Jeremy and the Smith-Midland Corp. will name the first-floor caf\u00e9 in the building the Smith Family Learning Commons Caf\u00e9.\u201d Rodney Smith has served on the college board of trustees since 1980 and was named a life trustee in 2011. Read more at\u00a0http:\/\/augustafreepress.com\/bridgewater-college-secures-third-seven-figure-gift-learning-commons<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n —\u00a0The first offering in the 2017-18 Ventures in Christian Discipleship<\/strong>\u00a0webinar series from McPherson (Kan.) College will be Saturday, Sept. 16, from 9 a.m.-12 noon (central time). The presenter will be Kirk MacGregor, assistant professor of philosophy and religion at McPherson College, speaking on the topic \u201cWelcoming Muslims: Understanding the Differences Between 98 Percent of the World\u2019s Muslims, Islamists, and Jihadists.\u201d Continuing education credit is available for ministers, go to\u00a0www.mcpherson.edu\/ventures<\/a>.<\/p>\n —\u00a0The August episode of \u201cBrethren Voices,\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0a community television program produced by Portland (Ore.) Peace Church of the Brethren, features \u201cStories of Survival by the Nigerian Brethren\u201d as told to Carol Mason of Centralia, Wash. Mason served as a Church of the Brethren mission worker in Nigeria for 10 years, and recently returned to Nigeria to compile 300 stories and photographs of Nigerians who have survived the violence of the Boko Haram insurgency for a book to be published by Brethren Press. —\u00a0The Bittersweet Gospel Band will tour in Maryland and Virginia in August.<\/strong>\u00a0Church of the Brethren members Gilbert Romero, Scott Duffey, Leah Hileman, Dan Shaffer, David Sollenberger, Trey Curry, Andy Duffey, and Kevin Walsh will all participate in various parts of the tour. Several Church of the Brethren congregations will host concerts including Hagerstown (Md.) Church of the Brethren, Aug. 23, 7 p.m., benefiting the Hagerstown Area Religious Council which works locally on issues of food security, education readiness, and poverty alleviation; and at Wakeman\u2019s Grove Church of the Brethren in Edinburg, Va., Aug. 24, 7 p.m. Mt. Zion-Linville Church of the Brethren, Aug. 26, 6 p.m.; Staunton (Va.) Church of the Brethren, Aug. 27, leading an outdoor worship service at 10:30 a.m., followed by an annual all church picnic; Summerdean and Renacer Churches of the Brethren in Roanoke, Va., Aug. 27, 5 p.m. On Aug. 25 the band will visit the Staunton (Va.) Juvenile Detention Center during day, and then participate in the \u201cSing Me High\u201d Music Festival in Harrisonburg, Va., beginning at 5 p.m. The band will give their festival concert on Saturday, Aug. 26, at 1 p.m. at \u201cSing Me High\u201d benefiting the Brethren-Mennonite Heritage Center in Harrisonburg, Va. Tickets for the event can be purchased online. The public is invited to any and all worship concerts.<\/p>\n —\u00a0Aug. 13 is the date of a joint north-south prayer service<\/strong>\u00a0sponsored by the councils of churches in North Korea and South Korea. A memorial worship service will be held at a church in Seoul recognizing the anniversary of the division of the Korean Peninsula that took place on Aug. 15, 1945. The prayer service is jointly written by Christians in both countries. Find out more about the Christian ecumenical effort for a peace treaty on the Korean peninsula at\u00a0www.kncc.or.kr\/eng\/sub04\/sub03.php?ptype=view&idx=18389&page=1&code=eng_board_04_2<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n —\u00a0In June, 97-year-old George Etzweiler became the oldest person<\/strong>\u00a0to make it to the peak of Mount Washington in the annual race up the 6,288-foot mountain. Bonnie Kline Smeltzer, pastor of University Baptist and Brethren Church in State College, Pa., where Etzweiler is a member, shared his accomplishment with Newsline. She commented that it is \u201camazing news about one of UBBC\u2019s saints!\u201d Etzweiler was the subject of an article published by the Centre Daily, which reported that \u201cit is the 12th time he has finished the race, which follows the 7.6-mile road up the peak in northern New Hampshire, with an elevation gain of 4,727 feet.\u201d Read the article at\u00a0www.centredaily.com\/sports\/article156810234.html<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n **********![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/10\/cristo-sion-group.png\")
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The Susquehanna Valley Ministry Center on the campus of Elizabethtown (Pa.) College announces three upcoming continuing education events: \u201cGo and Do Likewise: The Practices of Christology,\u201d \u201cEnriching the Lives of Older Adults,\u201d and \u201cScience, Theology, and the Church Today–Ministry with Youth and Young Adults.\u201d Registration forms are available at\u00a0www.etown.edu\/programs\/svmc\/continuing-education<\/a>\u00a0or by contacting Karen Hodges at 717-361-1450 or\u00a0svmc@etown.edu<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n
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\n\u201cScience, Theology, and the Church Today–Ministry with Youth and Young Adults\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0is offered on March 24, 2018, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at Elizabethtown College\u2019s Susquehanna Room, led by Russell Haitch, professor of Christian Education at Bethany Theological Seminary. By focusing mainly on ministry with youth and young adults–the church of the future, which is also the church today–this seminar offers information and insights into key areas of science and theology, including what neuroscience is discovering about adolescent brain development and what it means for parenting and pastoring; evolution, the anthropic principle, biblical creation and how to help young people form a coherent understanding of human origins; what social science is really saying about the \u201cnones\u201d and why churches have been getting the wrong message; the challenge of rising atheism and scientism and how Christians can respond in word and deed; the proliferation of social media technology and how it can help or hinder young people longing for community. Cost is $60 and includes a light breakfast, lunch, and 0.6 continuing education credit.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/10\/the-interior-of-the-dunker.png\")
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\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 CWS seeks a creative and visionary leader to fill the position of media associate.<\/strong>\u00a0The ideal candidate will live and breathe a commitment to immigrants\u2019 rights and a coalition approach to advocacy, and thrive in a creative environment in which no day is the same. This team member will join and be at the intersection of the CWS Advocacy, Communications, and Immigration and Refugee Program staff teams. To learn more go to\u00a0https:\/\/cwsglobal.org\/1295-media-associate-washington-dc<\/a>\u00a0.
\nCWS seeks a savvy digital media intern<\/strong>\u00a0to support its communications work. This internship offers valuable real-world experience in digital media outreach, online organizing, and graphic design. To learn more go to\u00a0https:\/\/cwsglobal.org\/digital-media-intern<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cBVS is always looking for volunteers!\u201d the announcement of the newsletter added. \u201cPlease call Jocelyn Snyder, BVS Orientation Coordinator, if you\u2019re interested in beginning a year or two or service.\u201d She can be reached at 847-429-4384.<\/p>\n
\nThe September episode will feature Katie Schreckengast, a member of Palmyra (Pa.) Church of the Brethren who will be Miss Pennsylvania in the Miss America Pageant to be held in Atlantic City on Sept. 10. Also, Church of the Brethren general secretary David Steele is featured as he tours the Church of the Brethren districts in a \u201cListening Tour.\u201d
\nDVD copies of the program are available from producer Ed Groff at\u00a0Groffprod1@msn.com<\/a>\u00a0. Programs also may be viewed at\u00a0www.youtube.com\/brethrenvoices<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n
\nContributors to this issue of Newsline include Doris Abdullah, Scott Duffey, Kathleen Fry-Miller, Kendra Harbeck, Nancy Sollenberger Heishman, Audrey Hollenberg-Duffey, Bonnie Kline Smeltzer, Glenna Thompson, Jenny Williams, David Young, and Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of News Services for the Church of the Brethren. Newsline stories may be reprinted if Newsline is cited as the source. Over the summer, Newsline will go to an every-other-week schedule, to allow for vacation time for staff. Please continue to send news tips and submissions to the editor at\u00a0cobnews@brethren.org<\/a>\u00a0.<\/em><\/p>\n