{"id":8412,"date":"2014-05-07T00:00:45","date_gmt":"2014-05-07T00:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/new.brethren.org\/news\/?p=8412"},"modified":"2018-11-05T19:42:32","modified_gmt":"2018-11-05T19:42:32","slug":"brethren-bits-for-may-7-2014","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/2014\/brethren-bits-for-may-7-2014\/","title":{"rendered":"Brethren Bits for May 7, 2014"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Olympic View Church of the Brethren in Seattle, Wash., and Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) co-hosted a dinner this past Thursday, May 1. BVS alumni were invited to come and share their stories, during a visit by BVS assistant for recruitment Ben Bear. Shown above: some of the area youth who joined in the meal, along with youth program coordinator Bobbi Dykema. Two BVS alumni–Ryan Richards and Frosty Wilkinson–shared their stories of what they did during their BVS terms. Pastor Ken Rieman, also a former BVSer, was at the event. \u201cWe had spaghetti, bread, salad, and cookies for the meal,\u201d reported Bear. \u201cBobbi\u2019s friend, J. Scott, made a delicious homemade sauce for the pasta. There were about 30 people who attended.\u201d For more about BVS go to www.brethrenvolunteerservice.org . Photo by Ben Bear.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

— Correction:<\/strong> an incorrect link was given for more information about Brethren Housing Association 25th Anniversary events. The correct link is http:\/\/bha-pa.org\/events<\/a> .<\/p>\n

— Washington City Church of the Brethren<\/strong> in Washington, D.C., seeks a food ministries coordinator<\/strong> to direct overall operations of the Brethren Nutrition Program, a lunch program for people who are homeless and in need on Capitol Hill. The coordinator will supervise day-to-day functions, and lead communications, public relations, and fundraising; utilize faith and skills of administration, organization, development, and public speaking. Some experience with social work, social justice ministries, or working with marginalized people is required. The position begins July 1 and is a full-time 40-hour stipend position with benefits, including housing at Brethren House, a community house on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. To view the complete position description go to http:\/\/washingtoncitycob.files.wordpress.com\/2014\/04\/washington-city-cob-food-ministries-coordinator.pdf<\/a> . To apply, apply send a cover letter and a resume to bnpposition@gmail.com<\/a> .<\/p>\n

— Bethany Theological Seminary has announced new alumni\/ae in leadership.<\/strong> Following on an Alumni\/ae Association ballot this spring, Brian Flory (MDiv ’99), and Becky Baile Crouse (MDiv ’88), were selected to represent alumni\/ae at Bethany as a trustee and on the Alumni\/ae Coordinating Council, respectively. Flory has been pastor of Beacon Heights Church of the Brethren in Fort Wayne, Ind., since 2007 and previously pastored Ambler (Pa.) Church of the Brethren. He was a member of the Atlantic Northeast District board from 2001-06, including two years as vice chair of the Nurture Commission, and directed workcamps for Brethren junior high and high school youth from 2001-05. Other church involvement has included serving as an Annual and District Conference delegate and on planning committees for the Supportive Communities Network Pastor’s Retreat and the Progressive Brethren Gathering. Crouse has been a member of the pastoral team at Warrensburg (Mo.) Church of the Brethren since 2004, and works full-time as a pediatric chaplain at Children\u2019s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Mo. She completed a doctor of ministry in children and poverty in 2013 from Saint Paul School of Theology. In 2005-06 she was on the denominational Review and Evaluation Committee, and she has preached at both National Youth Conference and Annual Conference.<\/p>\n

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Photo courtesy of BVS<\/small>
BVS Coast to Coast sets off from the Atlantic Coast of Virginia on May 1<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

— \u201cWheels in Each Ocean’: Grads Trek Cross-Country\u201d<\/strong> is the title of an article about the BVS Coast to Coast bicycle ride posted by the \u201cDaily News-Record\u201d of Harrisonburg, Va. Reporter Candace Sipos interviewed the two Brethren Volunteer Service workers who began their nation-wide trek on May 1 from the Atlantic coast of Virginia: Chelsea Goss and Rebekah Maldonado-Nofziger. \u201cHopefully, we’ll have our wheels in each ocean,\u201d Goss told the paper. BVS director Dan McFadden commented, \u201cOver the years, people have said, \u2018They ought to have a team of volunteers going around to churches … [to] promote BVS,\u2019\u201d so when Goss had the idea for this trip, \u201cWe very much jumped on the bandwagon.\u201d Read the full newspaper story at http:\/\/nl.newsbank.com\/nl-search\/we\/Archives?p_action=doc&p_docid=14D958C0218A78B8&p_docnum=1<\/a> .<\/p>\n

— New online resources available at the denominational website Brethren.org<\/strong> include a sample article from the May issue of \u201cMessenger\u201d magazine. \u201cColors of Peace\u201d by Gabriella Stocksdale<\/strong>, a high school student from Highland Avenue Church of the Brethren in Elgin, Ill., took third-place honors in Bethany Theological Seminary\u2019s 2014 Peace Essay Contest. \u201cIn an atmosphere where police roam the hallways and violent fights erupt without notice, what–if anything–can one Brethren high school student do to foster peace and understanding?\u201d says a preview of the piece. Find it at www.brethren.org\/messenger<\/a> .<\/p>\n

— Also new at Brethren.org, additional online content from \u201cBasin and Towel,\u201d<\/strong> which is published by Congregational Life Ministries. Sample articles have been posted from an issue on \u201cThe Calling Community,\u201d the second in a series focused on congregational vitality. \u201cCalling communities are communities of power,\u201d said the introductory reflection, in part. \u201cNot power over one another, to make someone do what we want, but power with–with God through the work of the Holy Spirit, with one another for the release of gifts and passions, with the world for transformation.\u201d Also posted are documents showing how the Peoria (Ill.) congregation shared sabbath time during the pastor\u2019s sabbatical, and a video interview with Josh Brockway about the new spiritual gifts resource \u201cVital Passions, Holy Practices: Exploring Spiritual Gifts.\u201d Go to www.brethren.org\/basinandtowel<\/a> to find these resources and more. Purchase \u201cVital Passions, Holy Practices\u201d from Brethren Press for $7 per copy plus shipping and handling at www.brethrenpress.com\/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=1987<\/a> or call 800-441-3712 to order.<\/p>\n

— With the help of David Sollenberger and many others, the Office of Public Witness<\/strong> has put together a new video about the Going to the Garden initiative<\/strong> that is being implemented in coordination with the Global Food Crisis Fund (GFCF). \u201cCheck out how churches are using their grant money to cultivate gardens and community,\u201d said an announcement. \u201cAnd make sure to \u2018Like\u2019 the new Going to the Garden [Facebook] page for future updates about what congregations are doing and how you can get your congregation involved!\u201d View the video at www.youtube.com\/watch?v=g4bvP7pR2NE&feature=youtu.be<\/a> . Find Going to the Garden on Facebook at www.facebook.com\/GoingToTheGarden<\/a> .<\/p>\n

\"\"— A Shine Training Event<\/strong> will be held on Thursday, May 8, from 7- 9 p.m. at 3145 Benham Ave., Elkhart, Ind. Shine is the new curriculum published by Brethren Press and MennoMedia for use in Christian education and Sunday school classes. \u201cWho should attend?\u201d said an invitation from South Central Indiana District. \u201cAnyone interested in learning more about the Shine children\u2019s Sunday school curriculum and how to use it in your congregation. All nearby Church of the Brethren and Mennonite churches are invited.\u201d For more information visit www.ShineCurriculum.com<\/a> .<\/p>\n

— A new issue of \u201cRoundabout Online,\u201d<\/strong> the newsletter for the Gather \u2019Round curriculum published by Brethren Press and MennoMedia, is posted at http:\/\/myemail.constantcontact.com\/A-simple-miracle.html?soid=1102248020043&aid=Gi1Qaj8spiM<\/a> . This issue features a reflection on the \u201cbig miracle\u201d in John 21 and the \u201csimple miracle\u201d of sharing food with Jesus, as well as links to a freshly redesigned website for Gather \u2019Round and to preview materials from successor curriculum Shine, which begins this fall.<\/p>\n

— \u201cTractor Sunday draws 368 farmers to church in E-town\u201d<\/strong> said a Lancaster Online news article about the Sunday, May 4, service at West Green Tree Church of the Brethren in Elizabethtown, Pa. The event in which two other churches participate, Chiques Church of the Brethren whose pastor Nathan Myer was the speaker, and Mount Pleasant Church of the Brethren whose men\u2019s quartet sang, includes a morning service and a lunch for farmers. It is \u201ca thank you to our farmer friends for the job they do and thanking the Lord for the harvest,\u201d organizer Doug Breneman told the reporter. He is a deacon at the church and has organized Tractor Sunday since it started in 2011. Read the article at http:\/\/lancasteronline.com\/tractor-sunday-draws-farmers-to-church-in-e-town\/article_6765c082-d3c8-11e3-9685-001a4bcf6878.html<\/a> .<\/p>\n

— Cedar Grove Church of the Brethren<\/strong> at Ruckersville, Va., held a special service of blessing for bikers and bikes on Sunday, April 13, according to the Shenandoah District newsletter. \u201cReceiving blessing for safety and traveling mercies were 42 bikes and approximately 60 bikers. Two people came forward during the altar call for healing and laying on of hands. After that, another visitor asked to be saved and accepted Christ as Lord and Savior.\u201d<\/p>\n

— The 2014 Shenandoah District Disaster Ministries Auction<\/strong> will get under way at the Rockingham County (Va.) Fairgrounds the weekend of May 16-17. A bulletin insert about the auction, which benefits Church of the Brethren disaster ministries, is online at http:\/\/origin.library.constantcontact.com\/download\/get\/file\/1110837621104-282\/2014AuctionbulletinInsert.pdf<\/a> . An invitation to the auction golf tournament on May 16 (rain date May 23) in Harrisonburg, Va., is at http:\/\/origin.library.constantcontact.com\/download\/get\/file\/1110837621104-284\/AuctionGolf+Tournament.pdf<\/a> . \u201cIt’s going to be a great weekend,\u201d said the Shenandoah District newsletter.<\/p>\n

— The Global Women\u2019s Project<\/strong> has again held its annual Mother\u2019s Day Gratitude Project. The annual event \u201ccelebrates not only the important women in our lives but helps women and girls in our Partner Projects throughout the world!\u201d said an announcement. Supporters send in a note with the name and address of women they would like to honor on Mother\u2019s Day, enclosed with a check for the ministry, and the women who are being honored receive a note back from the project noting how women in Partner Projects in places like South Sudan, Rwanda, Nepal, Uganda, and Wabash, Ind., are receiving support. For more information go to http:\/\/globalwomensproject.wordpress.com<\/a> .<\/p>\n

— The 2014 Brethren Bible Institute<\/strong> sponsored by the Brethren Revival Fellowship (BRF) will be held July 21-25 at Elizabethtown (Pa.) College. Classes meet from 8:50 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Total cost including room, board, and tuition is $200. Find an application form including a roster of instructors and course offerings at http:\/\/origin.library.constantcontact.com\/download\/get\/file\/1110837621104-292\/2014+BBI.pdf<\/a> . Application forms also may be requested from Brethren Bible Institute, 155 Denver Road, Denver, Pa. 17517.<\/p>\n

— The World Council of Churches (WCC) is encouraging \u201cswift and peaceful\u201d action<\/strong> to restore Nigeria\u2019s missing girls, in a release dated May 6. The abduction has prompted \u201cprofound concern\u201d the release said. In his letter to Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan, WCC general secretary Olav Fykse Tveit wrote, \u201cThis tragic situation is devastating not only to the immediate community, but also to all Nigerians praying and working for peace. It touches the World Council of Churches directly, as many who have lost their daughters are members of our church families in Nigeria,\u201d said Tveit. He said the WCC\u2019s concern is \u201cintensified in the face of increasing global sexual exploitation of girls and women, and the possibility that these abducted students may become victims of just such injustice and violence…. Following the rescue of these children for which we pray, the impact of exploitation may require long-term accompaniment of the young women and their families by the Nigerian government, faith communities and local networks of care and support.\u201d Tveit said the WCC is ready to assist in \u201cmobilizing the inter-religious and international communities to seek effective and peaceful means towards safely restoring these students to their homes, loved ones and communities.\u201d Read full text of the letter at www.oikoumene.org\/en\/resources\/documents\/general-secretary\/messages-and-letters\/letter-to-goodluck-jonathan-on-nigerias-missing-girls<\/a> . A list of the WCC member churches in Nigeria is at www.oikoumene.org\/en\/member-churches\/africa\/nigeria<\/a> .<\/p>\n

— In more news from the World Council of Churches, an ecumenical delegation has visited South Sudan,<\/strong> where fighting has culminated in a humanitarian crisis. \u201cThe senseless war in South Sudan must end now,\u201d said WCC general secretary Olav Fykse Tveit, in a release. \u201cIt is shocking to see how leaders in both parties involved in the conflict have led their own people to such pain and suffering,\u201d Tveit said. \u201cFrom the stories I was told, it is impossible to comprehend the scale of killings and atrocities taking place.\u201d Tveit stressed the need for leaders on both sides to use the negotiations resuming this week as an opportunity to agree and implement a ceasefire immediately. \u201cThis will enable aid groups, including ACT Alliance, to respond effectively to the humanitarian crisis resulting from the violence,\u201d the release said. The high-level delegation was led by WCC Central Committee moderator Agnes Abuom, and included ACT Alliance general secretary John Nduna, general secretary of the World YWCA Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, former WCC general secretary and ecumenical special envoy for South Sudan and Sudan Samuel Kobia, who also represented the All Africa Conference of Churches, and WCC program executive for advocacy for Africa, Nigussu Legesse. The group expressed solidarity with local churches, met with the South Sudan vice-president James Wani Igga and UN representative to South Sudan Hilde Frafjord Johnson, and with political detainees from the opposition in Juba, released recently by the South Sudanese government. One goal of the pastoral visit was to encourage the churches in Sudan to keep pressing for an end to the violence. The delegation also brought the message that there are churches around the world who stand in solidarity with them.<\/p>\n

— Bread for the World will celebrate its 40th anniversary<\/strong> during a National Gathering on June 9 in Washington, D.C., followed by the organization\u2019s annual Lobby Day June 10. Bread\u2019s mission is to be \u201ca collective voice urging our nation\u2019s decision-makers to end hunger at home and abroad.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Brethren bits: Correction, job opening at Brethren Nutrition Program in Washington, D.C., BVS Coast to Coast in the news, new alumni\/ae leadership at Bethany Seminary, and more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"wf_post_folders":[],"class_list":["post-8412","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8412","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8412"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8412\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12385,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8412\/revisions\/12385"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8412"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8412"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8412"},{"taxonomy":"wf_post_folders","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wf_post_folders?post=8412"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}