{"id":8989,"date":"2014-07-20T00:00:27","date_gmt":"2014-07-20T00:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/new.brethren.org\/news\/?p=8989"},"modified":"2018-11-03T20:22:20","modified_gmt":"2018-11-03T20:22:20","slug":"nyc-brethren-block-party","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/2014\/nyc-brethren-block-party\/","title":{"rendered":"NYC Enjoys a Brethren Block Party"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Photo by Glenn Riegel<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWe were all brainstorming with the coordinators,\u201d said Rhonda Pittman Gingrich, a former NYC coordinator herself, \u201cto think of an event that would help people mix together, get to know each other while having a great time, while letting the agencies tell a little of their story.\u201d<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s what led to Sunday\u2019s first NYC Brethren Block Party.<\/p>\n

There were many popular activities, chief among them the Dunk Tank\u2014labelled appropriately \u201cThe Easy Dunker.\u201d Prominent (but not pompous) agency heads and denominational leaders as well as NYC coordinators were dunked. Many were willing to wait in a long line to throw three balls at a metal button. Most missed, resulting in a dull thunk, but every now and then a solid \u201cthwack\u201d preceded a scream, then a splash!<\/p>\n

\"\"
Photo by Nevin Dulabaum<\/small>
Bethany Seminary president Jeff Carter in the dunk tank<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Brethren Benefit Trust sponsored a photo booth, where individuals and groups could don Viking outfits, Hulk Hands, oversized glasses, and extravagant hats for pictures. Within seconds, every participant received three copies of the photo.<\/p>\n

At a Brethren Voice table the NYC News Team invited passersby to \u201cPaint Your Story\u201d on sheets laid out on the sidewalk. Some took a painstaking approach, recreating the NYC logo, or painting trees, hearts, and peace signs. Others dug in to make handprints and even footprints.<\/p>\n

There was a beanbag toss celebrating Heifer International, as well as GaGa Ball played in an oval created by overturned tables\u2014seemingly a cross between handball and cage fighting. Also popular: a rubber chicken toss, and apple butter tasting.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Photo courtesy of BBT\/ Patrice Nightingale<\/small>
A group dressing up for fun photos at BBT’s booth includes NYC coordinator Sarah Neher.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Bethany Theological Seminary sponsored a \u201cselfie\u201d scavenger hunt which resulted in youth asking anyone with a Bethany t-shirt to pose with them for a cell phone picture.<\/p>\n

Not all was fun and games. Another booth with long lines was sponsored by Global Mission and Service, involving the serious task of filling out postcards to Secretary of State John Kerry encouraging him to act more proactively on the crisis in Nigeria. The cards bring attention to the mass abductions of schoolgirls who are the same age as the NYC participants.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it is very important to be involved,\u201d said one youth who carefully filled out a postcard. Another said, \u201cI met Beatrice from the EYN when she was here with her mother. I became her friend. This is very personal.\u201d A third said, \u201cI just think it\u2019s a terrible thing. I can\u2019t imagine how it would feel to have no freedom to come and go as I pleased.\u201d<\/p>\n

Their advisor said she hadn\u2019t had to ask twice if they wished to be involved. \u201cWe do important work in our youth group,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Photo by Glenn Riegel<\/small>
A. Mack fist bumps a McPherson contingent in body suits<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Another opportunity for an in depth activity was offered by the Spiritual Direction Team, which posed two questions: \u201cWhat do you pray for?\u201d and \u201cWhat gives you hope?\u201d Samples of responses: \u201cMy church family,\u201d \u201cHomeless people,\u201d and \u201cMy friends and relations I do not know.\u201d Hope was found in \u201cMy family,\u201d \u201cOur youth,\u201d and \u201cReassurance.\u201d<\/p>\n

— Frank Ramirez is a volunteer writer on the NYC News Team.<\/em><\/p>\n

NYC News Team:<\/strong> Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of News Services. Eddie Edmonds, Tribune editor. Photography: Glenn Riegel, Nevin Dulabaum.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Writers: Frank Ramirez, Mandy Garcia. Question of the Day: Britnee Harbaugh, Maddie Dulabaum. Web and app support: Don Knieriem, Russ Otto.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cWe were all brainstorming with the coordinators,\u201d said Rhonda Pittman Gingrich, a former NYC coordinator herself, \u201cto think of an event that would help people mix together, get to know each other while having a great time, while letting the agencies tell a little of their story.\u201d<\/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":[806,1320,1283],"wf_post_folders":[],"class_list":["post-8989","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-congregational-life-ministries","tag-nyc","tag-youth-and-young-adults"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8989","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=8989"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8989\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8994,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8989\/revisions\/8994"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8989"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8989"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8989"},{"taxonomy":"wf_post_folders","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wf_post_folders?post=8989"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}