—\u00a0Tina Rieman will end her tenure with the Brethren Leadership Institute<\/strong>\u00a0(BLI) of South Central Indiana District this month. \u201cMany thanks to Tina for her administrative skills that have been integral to launching BLI in our district,\u201d said an announcement in the district newsletter. \u201cBLI\u2019s approval by the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership as a credentialed program is almost complete,\u201d the announcement continued. \u201cOngoing BLI task force members are Marie Willoughby, Erin Huiras, Larry Fourman, and Beth Sollenberger.\u201d<\/p>\n —\u00a0The Church of the Brethren seeks to fill a full-time salaried position of Donor Relations specialist.<\/strong>\u00a0This position is part of the Donor Relations team and reports to the director of Donor Relations. The major responsibility is to strengthen and nurture the individual and congregational stewardship, direct gift, planned giving, and enlistment programs of the Church of the Brethren through face-to-face visits with individuals and congregations. Primary focus will be on positively impacting individual giving in support of denominational ministries. Required skills and knowledge include grounding in Church of the Brethren heritage, theology, and polity; ability to articulate and operate out of the vision of the Church of the Brethren; at least three years of experience in planned\/deferred giving and\/or five years in development-related activities in the not-for-profit sector, or other comparable experience; ability to relate with individuals and groups; basic computer skills working with Microsoft Word, Excel, e-mail, Internet access; a bachelor\u2019s degree or equivalent work experience. Location is flexible; the candidate must be willing to travel to the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill., for individual and department meetings as needed. Applications are received beginning immediately and will be reviewed on an ongoing basis until the position is filled. Send a resume to\u00a0COBApply@brethren.org<\/a>\u00a0or to the Human Resources Manager, Church of the Brethren, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120; 800-323-8039 ext. 367.<\/p>\n —\u00a0Bethany Theological Seminary is seeking a full-time executive director of finance and administration<\/strong>\u00a0who is entrepreneurial, is able to multitask, seeks collaborative solutions, and provides a positive and productive impact with both strategic and tactical initiatives. A successful candidate will be invited to join the seminary\u2019s leadership team starting no later than March 2018. The position reports to the president. Bethany Theological Seminary is located in Richmond, Ind. The executive director will oversee short- and long-term financial planning, accounting, payroll, facilities management, and human resources and will supervise the Business Services Office staff. This person will advise the president and Leadership Team on financial planning, budgeting, cash flow, investment priorities, and policy matters. In all matters, this person will employ clear and continuous lines of communication, keeping the president informed of all critical issues. Salary is commensurate with qualifications. A master\u2019s degree in business administration and\/or qualification as a certified public accountant is preferred; a bachelor\u2019s degree in business or accounting with finance experience is acceptable. This person must have a proven track record of excellent judgment; skills in administration, leadership, and interpersonal communication; and demonstrate a commitment to personal and professional growth. Affinity with the values and mission of the seminary is required. For a complete job description, visit\u00a0www.bethanyseminary.edu\/about\/employment<\/a>\u00a0. Application review will begin immediately and will continue until an appointment is made. To apply, send a letter of interest, resume, and contact information for three references to\u00a0president@bethanyseminary.edu<\/a>\u00a0or Attn: President Jeff Carter, Bethany Theological Seminary, 615 National Road West, Richmond, IN 47374. Bethany Theological Seminary\u2019s policy prohibits discrimination in employment opportunities or practices with regard to race, gender, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, or religion.<\/p>\n —\u00a0Brethren Benefit Trust (BBT) seeks a production coordinator<\/strong>\u00a0to fill a full-time position located in Elgin, Ill. The primary function is to serve as the desktop publishing\/graphic design staff person, as well as follow-through production for publications, departmental resources, and special projects. Additional function would involve website management, organization of communication materials and inventory, and coordination of mailings. Duties include layout and design, scanning, photo manipulation, printing or replication, website content maintenance, and distribution tasks. This position works with consultants\/vendors in producing departmental resources and on other special projects, including both traditional print and electronic media. The ideal candidate will have an undergraduate degree in graphic design and a working knowledge of production and copy editing. Must have experience with Adobe Creative Suite; knowledge of QuarkXPress is a plus, and proficiency in Microsoft Office as well. This position requires a person who is very deadline-oriented and has strong organizational skills, with the ability to prioritize workloads and juggle projects; knowledge of website management is a must. BBT seeks candidates with strong verbal and written communications skills, the ability to design materials, review and update website content, and manage mailing list data. Current and active membership in the Church of the Brethren is preferred; current and active membership in a faith community is required. Salary and benefits are competitive with Church Benefits Association agencies of comparable size and scope of services. A full benefits package is included. Send a letter of interest, r\u00e9sum\u00e9, three professional references, and salary-range expectation to Donna March at 1505 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120, or\u00a0dmarch@cobbt.org<\/a>\u00a0. For more information about Brethren Benefit Trust, visit\u00a0www.cobbt.org<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n —\u00a0The Workcamp Ministry invites young adults in the Church of the Brethren to apply<\/strong>\u00a0for the Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) position of assistant coordinator. Assistant coordinators of the Workcamp Ministry serve at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill., from the end of August 2018 to May 2019, preparing for summer workcamps. They travel throughout the summer of 2019, coordinating the workcamps. The workcamps are week-long service projects both in and outside of the United States. The position description and online application are available at\u00a0www.brethren.org\/workcamps<\/a>\u00a0. Direct questions to Emily Tyler, coordinator of Workcamps and BVS Recruitment, at\u00a0etyler@brethren.org<\/a>\u00a0or 847-429-4396.<\/p>\n —\u00a0Ministry Summer Service is looking for young adult interns, ministry sites, and mentors<\/strong>\u00a0to join this Church of the Brethren program. Applications for the summer of 2018, available at\u00a0www.brethren.org\/mss<\/a>\u00a0, are due Jan. 5, 2018. This program is open to Church of the Brethren students, regardless of which college\/university they are attending. MSS challenges Church of the Brethren college students and congregations\/ministry sites to consider God\u2019s call on their lives. MSS partners with ministry sites and mentors to offer interns the opportunity to engage the questions of call, vocation, and discernment in the context of a deeply rooted faith. The Youth Peace Travel Team is also a part of MSS. Interns find space to do deep discernment in the context of a faith community, and mentors\/communities find new opportunities to consider how God is moving in their ministry setting. Interns attend a week of orientation in Elgin, Ill., before serving for nine weeks in a ministry setting, developing leadership skills and exploring their sense of God\u2019s call on their lives. In exchange for their leadership and work, interns receive a $2,500 college scholarship, as well as food, housing, a $100 monthly stipend, and transportation for the summer. Mentors and ministry sites will be able to welcome an intern into their life and the work of their communities for nine weeks, being open to their new perspectives, challenging questions and God-given gifts. They will help to create an atmosphere for learning, reflection and discernment for the intern. Together, interns, mentors and ministry sites explore the ways that working in and for the church can be a way to address the world\u2019s deep need. For more information or to receive some brochures, please contact Becky Ullom Naugle, director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the Church of the Brethren, at\u00a0bullumnaugle@brethren.org<\/a>\u00a0or contact Dana Cassell at\u00a0dcassell@brethren.org<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n —\u00a0The Church of the Brethren workcamp office is offering sample 2018 registrations<\/strong>\u00a0for Junior High, Senior High, Young Adult, Adult, Advisor, and We Are Able participants. The office hopes that these sample forms will give registrants the ability to familiarize themselves with the information need in the form, as well as contact the workcamp office with any questions they may have before registration opens on Jan. 11, 2018, at 7 p.m. (central time). The sample registrations can be found at\u00a0www.brethren.org\/workcamps<\/a>\u00a0. Any questions or comments concerning the 2018 workcamps schedule and registration can be sent to\u00a0cobworkcamp@brethren.org<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n —\u00a0The World Council of Churches (WCC) invites young adults to be stewards<\/strong>\u00a0at the 2018 Central Committee in Geneva, Switzerland. The application deadline is Jan. 31, 2018. The Stewards Program aims to bring together a dynamic and diverse group of 20 young people from all over the world, to serve from June 5-23, 2018. The invitation is open to people from a variety of backgrounds, churches, and regions. \u201cAs a diverse community, stewards bring their faith, experiences and visions to an ecumenical experience of togetherness and friendship,\u201d explains Joy Eva Bohol, WCC program executive for Youth Engagement. Bohol, a former steward herself, highlights the value such an experience can give to those interested in engaging in the ecumenical movement. \u201dThis is both an opportunity to listen, learn, and experience the work of the WCC and its efforts towards Christian unity, and a chance to contribute your own experience, and to dive into the work hands-on. Although the work is often done under tight deadlines and high pressure, it is an opportunity not to be missed,\u201d Bohol says. Stewards are young people between the ages of 18 and 30. English is the working language of the program, and patience, ability to work with people from other countries and cultures, as well as a willingness to work together as a team, are key. Application guidelines for the WCC Stewards Program for Central Committee 2018 are online at\u00a0www.oikoumene.org\/en\/press-centre\/events\/wcc-invites-applications-to-central-committee-stewards-programme<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n —\u00a0Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) invites church members and friends to send Christmas cards<\/strong>\u00a0to BVS volunteers this December. \u201cIf you, your family, congregation, or small group would like to send Christmas greetings to the current volunteers in BVS, please contact the BVS office at\u00a0bvs@brethren.org<\/a>\u00a0for the mailing list. Our volunteers love receiving cards and greetings from Brethren congregations!\u201d said an invitation.<\/p>\n —\u00a0Thursday was Bethany Day on the Seminaries that Change the World\u2019s \u201cAdvent Calendar<\/strong>\u00a0for Hope, Justice, and Joy.\u201d Bethany Seminary has been named to the list of \u201cSeminaries that Change the World\u201d again this year, in a program of the Center for Faith and Service based out of McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago, Ill. The theme for the day was \u201cServing Where You\u2019re Needed,\u201d from Matthew 25:31-46. Find out more at\u00a0www.stctw.org\/december-7.html<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n —\u00a0\u201cJoin us for this informational and instructive seminar!\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0invites the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership. The next Clergy Tax Seminar is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 27, 2018, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a break for lunch. Deb Oskin returns as the leader for this event. Students, pastors, and other church leaders are invited to attend either in person at Bethany Theological Seminary in Richmond, Ind., or online. Participants will learn how to file clergy taxes correctly and legally, and how to comply with regulations while maximizing tax deductions. Participants may earn .3 continuing education credit. This seminar is highly recommended for all pastors and all other church leaders who wish to understand clergy taxes including treasurers, steward commission chairs, and church board chairs. Sponsors include the Brethren Academy, the Church of the Brethren Office of Ministry, and Bethany Theological Seminary. Registration costs $30 per person. Current Bethany, TRIM\/EFSM\/SeBAH, and Earlham School of Religion students may attend at no cost, although registration is still required. Registrations are not complete until payment is received. The registration deadline is Jan. 19, 2018. Register at\u00a0https:\/\/bethanyseminary.edu\/brethren-academy\/clergy-tax-seminar<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —\u00a0Each year, \u201cBrethren Voices\u201d features alternative giving ideas<\/strong>\u00a0for the holiday season. \u201cBrethren Voices\u201d is a Brethren-made community television show, produced by Peace Church of the Brethren in Portland, Ore. \u201cThis year we are grateful that they have chosen to feature Brethren Disaster Ministries,\u201d said a note from the denomination\u2019s disaster staff. Brent Carlson hosts the show, as the district disaster coordinator for Pacific Northwest District. Watch this episode of \u201cBrethren Voices\u201d on YouTube at\u00a0www.youtube.com\/watch?v=LQPeF4erAnQ<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n —\u00a0Mohrsville (Pa.) Church of the Brethren<\/strong>\u00a0celebrated its 150th anniversary with a homecoming on Nov. 12. Jeff Bach of the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown (Pa.) College was the guest preacher. Worship was followed by a lunch with church family and friends.<\/p>\n —\u00a0Many Church of the Brethren congregations<\/strong>\u00a0are hosting Christmas festivities during this Advent season. Among them, Elizabethtown (Pa.) Church of the Brethren is hosting a performance by the Susquehanna Chorale, which will present its annual Candlelight Christmas concert at the church at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 16. The group will perform Benjamin Britten\u2019s \u201cA Ceremony of Carol\u201d and other new and traditional carols arranged by contemporary composers. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door for adults, $5 for students. For more information go to\u00a0http:\/\/cumberlink.com\/entertainment\/local-scene\/music-susquehanna-chorale-to-perform-annual-christmas-concert\/article_f1eb43d1-d4be-5342-a5fb-945d6b711f9e.html<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n —\u00a0South Waterloo (Iowa) Church of the Brethren<\/strong>\u00a0is one of the congregations planning a live nativity this Advent season. The South Waterloo church is hosting its 27th annual live nativity tomorrow evening, Saturday, Dec. 9, from 6-8 p.m., according to \u201cThe Courier\u201d newspaper. The free event includes refreshments and fellowship time in the church\u2019s Family Life Center.<\/p>\n —\u00a0Kevin Kessler, district executive minister for Illinois and Wisconsin District,<\/strong>\u00a0has been announced as the preacher for the opening of the 2018 Illinois Conference of Churches Annual Assembly. The theme for the event to be held in Champaign, Ill., next Sept. 28 will be \u201cChristian Healing in a Fractured World: An Ecumenical Perspective on Polarization in the USA 2018.\u201d<\/p>\n —\u00a0Virlina District continues to receive a disaster response offering for hurricane relief.<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cAs of November 30, 2017 we have received $52,230 from forty-five congregations and twenty-four households. We will continue to receive offerings from our congregations to underwrite denominational efforts in response to the hurricanes that have devastated the Gulf Coast of the United States and the entire Caribbean basin,\u201d said the district newsletter. \u201cThus far, we have sent $40,000 to assist our brothers and sisters in Puerto Rico. We expect to send the remainder to other affected areas soon.\u201d<\/p>\n —\u00a0Southern Ohio District is working on a new venture called the \u201cTogether\u201d magazine.<\/strong>\u00a0The Connections Commission and the District Board are working on the new magazine, according to a notice in the district newsletter. \u201cThis magazine will feature inspirational and informational articles and other items from members of our district. The magazine will be sent twice a year as an insert in Messenger magazine, the official magazine of the Church of the Brethren,\u201d the newsletter said. The publication will be sent to all the addresses in the district data base including those who do not currently subscribe to \u201cMessenger.\u201d<\/p>\n —\u00a0Also from Southern Ohio District, the Connections Commission is sponsoring a fun experience<\/strong>\u00a0called the Great Southern Ohio\/Kentucky Passport Adventure. \u201cThe purpose of this experience is to get acquainted with sisters and brothers in our district who attend church at some other congregation,\u201d the newsletter said. \u201cThe Passport Commission has assembled a book of our churches, their location, and their worship times.\u201d Participants download the book from a website, then choose a church to visit. They make themselves known once they arrive at the church they are visiting, or visit incognito. \u201cEnjoy yourself, then share your experience on Facebook in the group that has been created for this purpose,\u201d the announcement said.<\/p>\n —\u00a0A group of student athletes at Bridgewater (Va.) College<\/strong>\u00a0dedicated to promoting a safer, healthier campus environment has won one of only five national awards for its education of high-risk students about alcohol and making responsible decisions in the presence of alcohol. According to a release from the college, STEP UP was presented the Outstanding Peer Education Group award from Boosting Alcohol Consciousness Concerning the Health of University Students (BACCHUS), a student organization founded in 1975 at the University of Florida. BACCHUS operates under the auspices of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators. The award, which was given to the Bridgewater group for its work during the 2016-17 academic year, acknowledged STEP UP Bridgewater\u2019s creativity and overall effectiveness in campus awareness and education. The vision of STEP UP Bridgewater is to see fewer incidents of negative consequences associated with consuming alcohol.<\/p>\n —\u00a0A project that combines branding, outreach, and a commercial<\/strong>\u00a0to raise awareness of the plight of the Ecuadorian rainforest was the winning proposal in this year\u2019s Global Enterprise Challenge at McPherson (Kan.) College. A proposal by Jaden Hilgers, a junior from Wichita, was selected from a field of six entries and earned Hilgers a week-long learning tour in Ecuador, according to a release from the college. The Global Enterprise Challenge is a competition that encourages students to address significant global issues through entrepreneurial thinking. This year\u2019s competition challenged students to take on the issue of globalization, specifically in the Amazon rainforest in Ecuador. The students were asked to plan a project that would help give voice to the marginalized populations that depend on the rainforest for a variety of resources. McPherson College worked with the New Community Project to provide a platform of this year\u2019s challenge.\u00a0 The winning student project could become a tangible product used by The New Community Project to share the Ecuadorian people\u2019s story.<\/p>\n —\u00a0Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) and the National Council of Churches<\/strong>\u00a0(NCC)–both ecumenical partners of the Church of the Brethren–are among the Christian organizations opposing the US decision to declare Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. \u201cIn 1980, the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA adopted a policy statement on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,\u201d said an NCC release, in part. \u201cIn that statement, the NCC said, \u2018Unilateral actions by any one group in relation to Jerusalem will only perpetuate antagonisms that will threaten the peace of the city and possibly of the region.\u2019 In 2007, the NCC again affirmed a shared Jerusalem. We reiterate those statements today…. The status of Jerusalem has long been at the center of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. While West Jerusalem serves as the de facto capital of Israel, East Jerusalem has always been considered the capital of the future state of Palestine.\u201d<\/p>\n —\u00a0In a global campaign called \u201cA Light of Peace,\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0the World Council of Churches (WCC) invites people across the globe to unite in prayer for the Korean Peninsula and for a world free from nuclear weapons. \u201cThe candle of the first week of Advent reminds us of the coming light of Christ,\u201d says one of the prayers, shared in a WCC release. \u201cTogether with sisters and brothers in North and South Korea, and people around the world campaigning to abolish nuclear weapons, we are waiting for the days when the nations will no longer be divided and the nations will beat their weapons into ploughshares.\u201d On the first week of Advent, the WCC invited the global Christian fellowship to express solidarity for the Korean people and to support efforts to ease tensions and sustain hope. On the second Sunday in Advent, Dec. 10, one of WCC\u2019s partners, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, will receive the Nobel Peace Prize at an award ceremony in Oslo, Norway. \u201cBy lighting candles during special prayers and worship services two Sundays in a row, people in many nations from many faith traditions can unify and amplify voices of peace,\u201d the release said. Prayer resources are online at\u00a0www.oikoumene.org\/en\/press-centre\/events\/a-light-of-peace-for-the-korean-peninsula-and-a-world-free-from-nuclear-weapons<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n —\u00a0The 2018 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity<\/strong>\u00a0is scheduled for Jan. 18-25. The theme for the 2018 observance: \u201cYour Right Hand, O Lord, Glorious in Power,\u201d inspired by Exodus 15:6. The resources for the week have been prepared by members of different churches in the Caribbean. Find resources and more information at\u00a0www.oikoumene.org\/en\/resources\/documents\/commissions\/faith-and-order\/xi-week-of-prayer-for-christian-unity\/2018\/2018<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/10\/bvs-application-deadline-dec-300x300.png\")
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