The Reflector -- June 2014 -- Vol 11 Issue 5

Moderator’s Notes by Stan Rodabaugh

John 21:17-19, New International Version (NIV)

The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?”He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”

This scripture in John has piqued my interest for many years. I know when Jesus said, “When you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” He is indicating the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. But, these words ring true to me for all who live this life into old age. I have told many people that I believe one of the last spiritual disciplines we are challenged with is growing old and dying gracefully and graciously, and, Jesus words, in a way that will “Glorify God.”

I am rapidly living into that stage of life. I was 33 yrs. old when I first entered full time pastoral ministry. Since then I have continually accompanied many people on this journey of life as they lived into the situation Jesus describes. Aging is the process of dying slowly. Bodies function less well year by year; things we were able to do comfortably when we were young become more difficult and eventually impossible for us to do. Jesus talks about the issue of dressing ourselves , I have seen many faithful followers of Jesus get to the point where they are no longer able to attend worship services on Sunday because they just can’t get ready in time. We are all familiar with the crisis our loved ones experience in our culture when they can no longer drive. Discerning when one can no longer live alone safely is often not simple or easy, especially when the children believe that they must intervene. As Jesus told Peter “Someone else will lead you where you do not want to go.”

You might think that I am writing this article for the elderly in our congregations. I am not! I am writing to those who are not yet experiencing what Jesus described to Peter. Jesus told Peter in time for him to prepare for what was ahead. I have seen people move through the aging and dying process with such grace and beauty and love that I consider them my heroes, my mentors. They were amazing and wonderful people who clearly were strengthened by the Spirit of God, the Father and the Son. I have also witnessed people who became angry and ill-tempered, who made their families and everyone around them miserable. They were shocked that their bodies were aging. Apparently, they have lived their entire lives in denial about the inevitability of this process for everyone. The only alternative is dying young. The most powerful witness for Christ in our entire life may very well be the way we deal with aging and death. Just like all of the Christian martyrs who lived and died before us, we want our living and our dying to glorify God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. I believe we need teaching and training when we are younger to realize this stage of life is one of our greatest challenges. The rest of our journey needs to prepare us for this most difficult stage. Jesus says to us, “Follow me!”

No July Newsletter

There will be no Newsletter in July. Because Annual Conference will be in session the first week of July. We will resume publishing at the beginning of August. Please keep your articles coming in with NEWS of what’s happening at your Church.

DE Ponderings by Kevin Kessler

The District Leadership Team has graciously extended to me the opportunity to take a period of Sabbath rest beginning July 7 and ending September 7 this year. It is important that I communicate to the district that I will be absent from my responsibilities during this period of time.

A plan and people are in place to care for duties that I regularly attend to. The detailed plan is on file in the district office and the Leadership Team is aware of and supportive of the plan. I will in this brief article provide information from the plan that will be helpful to the district, such as who to contact for specific purposes, what boundaries are in place, and a few of my goals during this time.

The District Office will continue to be in operation under the capable leadership of Administrative Assistant Beth Carpentier. Her hours remain the same, Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 12:00pm. Beth will be monitoring my email account, although I will set my email to provide an automatic response indicating my brief absence from district related work.

All matters of pastoral placement and ministry transition are being handled by Mark Flory Steury and Gil Crosby. Mark will cover the Northeast and Northwest regions of our district and Gil will cover the South/Central region. Mark can be reached by phone at 630-701-5348 or email at mflorysteu@aol.com and Gil by phone at 309-694- 4569 or email at crosbygm@juno.com.

Boundaries I have set during the sabbatical are as follows:

• I will not worship in any district congregations.
• I will not receive district related communication except in the case of crisis or emergency.

In case of crisis or emergency, Beth Carpentier and Mandy Rahn, Leadership Team Chair, should be the first contact. There contact information is as follows:

• Mandy Rahn (Ph: 815-499-0133; Email: waaupau@gmail.com)
• Beth Carpentier (Ph: 309-649-6008; Email: bethc.iwdcob@att.net)

For matters related to various district teams, please contact team chairpersons. This information can be obtained from the District Directory, which every congregation has received, or calling the District Office (309-649-6008).

Sabbatical is a time for rest and renewal and also for growth and development. To achieve these things, I have set some goals, a few of which are listed here:

• Focus on patterns, disciplines, and practices of prayer
• Spend one week on a Brethren Disaster Ministries work site
• Worship in a variety of Christian traditions, possibly other faith traditions
• Work on writing a drama based on the Apocryphal book of Susanna
• Read a series of books authored by Eugene Peterson on pastoral work
• Spend time with family
• Rest (includes travel, hobbies, hiking, biking, etc)

I am grateful to have this opportunity for renewal. I look forward to sharing about my sabbatical experiences and returning with renewed energy for the ministry and work that lies ahead.

Collections at Annual Conference benefit YWCA shelter, express concern for Nigeria

The Church of the Brethren Annual Conference partners this year with the YWCA/YMCA of Columbus, Ohio, for an annual Witness to the Host City. An offering of donations of items needed by the YWCA shelter for women will be received at the Thursday night worship service on July 3. In another collection at the Conference, cards expressing concern and prayerful encouragement for the Nigerian Brethren will be received on the afternoon of July 5.

Annual Conference 2014 takes place in Columbus on July 2-6, led by moderator Nancy Sollenberger Heishman.

Church of the Brethren Newsline, June 10, 2014

Witness to the host city

Each year, the Witness to the Host City service project invites Brethren to aid the city that hosts the denomination’s annual meeting. The YWCA shelter for women in Columbus, called Rebecca’s Place, works with women and children in a significant ministry providing educational opportunities, job training, employment services, and more to equip women and families for a better future.

Below are some of the most pressing needs that Brethren may respond to. An offering of these donations will be taken at the Thursday night worship service on July 3. Conferencegoers are invited to bring one or all of the following items:

• Socks, both men’s and women’s are needed

• Disposable baby diapers, any size

• Hygiene kits. Each kit should include 1 hand towel (not a finger tip or bath towel), 1 wash cloth, 1 one-gallon zipped plastic bag that is filled with 1 bath-size bar of soap, 1 bottle of shampoo, 1 container of deodorant, 1 nail clipper, 1 widetooth comb, 1 container of dental floss, 6 bandaids.

Cards for Nigeria

Cards for Nigeria also will be collected at the Annual Conference, during a time on Saturday afternoon, July 5. All congregations are invited to send with their Conference delegate a card of encouragement and prayerful concern for Ekklesiyar Yan'uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria).

Cards will be gathered on July 5, at the beginning of the afternoon business session during a time of remembrance and prayer for EYN. The cards will be delivered to EYN by staff at the next available opportunity. For the latest Brethren news go to the on-line Brethren Newsline page.

ACTION ALERT

Bring Back Our Girls:
Praying and Advocating for Peace in Nigeria

As many of you know,several weeks ago, over 200 girls (many of them EYN Brethren) were kidnapped from their school in Chibok, Nigeria, by Boko Haram, an Islamic sect in northern Nigeria violently seeking a 'pure' Islamic state.

It has been reported that around 40 girls escaped a few days after their kidnapping but subsequent news stories about the remaining girls' conditions or whereabouts have been incomplete at best.

ADVOCACY ACTION: Contact your Senators E-mail or call your Senators today and tell them to co-sponsor Senate Resolution 433 and to ask Secretary of State Kerry to put pressure on Nigeria to:

• Peacefully work for the release of all of the kidnapped girls, give heed to the calls of their
  families for help, and work with neighboring countries to bring the girls back home,
• Put in place measures to protect schools and students from becoming victims of violence and
  human trafficking
• Begin "just policing" practices that would help address some of the security concerns of both
  Christian and Muslim communities
• Support efforts of moderate Muslim leaders and concerned Christians to work together toward
  peace and renew good relations between neighbors of different backgrounds.

Update on National Youth Conference

A group of forty four (44) youth and advisers have registered for the District Bus to National Youth Conference We will be leaving from Naperville on July 18th with a pick up in Milledgeville for our journey to Fort Collins Colorado. The pick up spot in Peoria was cancelled due to lack of registrations. We will be returning on July 25th. Additional youth will be attending the conference. As of April 63 youth, advisers, and staff people will be attending National Youth Conference representing our district. At this point we only have a couple of seats remaining on the Bus, so be sure to contact Ralph Miner at rminer151@earthlink.net if you have any questions.

National Youth Conference at Fort Collins, Colorado
July 19 - 24, 2014
www.brethren.org/yya/nyc

Along the paths of Camp Emmaus…..

• On May 3, 6 camp directors for this summer, 7 board members, and manager Bill Hare, worked with program director Lisa Fike in enjoying a model Day at Camp, at Camp Emmaus. The group had a morning watch by the lake, enjoyed discussion time over scripture, did crafts, ate a picnic lunch, and had a devotional “campfire”. It was a great way for the board and directors to get to know each other better and share ideas. Another Day of Camp, open to area camp supporters, will be held in September.

• The spring-fed lake at camp withstood the long and bitter winter well, and all the fish survived. Many other lakes had much fish loss. So come on out and throw in a line! The pool is in a lovely open setting, has a lifeguard on duty, with hours of 1-3 p.m., and a cost of $2 per person. Open swim dates are June 22 and 29; July 6, 13, 20, 27, and Aug. 3.

• Camp Emmaus is offering restricted and unrestricted scholarships to potential campers again this summer. To learn more, contact campemmaus@live.com or call Camp at 815-734- 4268. Potential campers should contact the camp rep. from their congregation to coordinate all financial assistance.

Camp schedule for the summer:

• Senior High Camp (completed grades 9-12): July 6-12
• Elementary II Camp (completed grades 3 or 4): July 13-16
• Adventure Camp (for special needs and disabled young adults): July 16-18
• Elementary I Camp (completed grades 1 or 2): July 19-20
• Elementary III Camp (completed grades 5 or 6): July 20-25
• Junior High Camp (completed grades 7 or 8): July 27-Aug. 2
• Women’s Camp (for all ages): August 8-10

Visit our website at www.campemmaus.org for registration forms, more information about camps, great photos, and just a taste of the fun at Camp Emmaus.

Silent & Live Auctions 2014 District Conference to benefit District Ministries

Last year at District Conference the themed baskets went over so well that we are going to do the same again this year! We are asking each church to provide a basket or two of goodies with a theme, such as kitchen, movie night and so on. We are also asking for baked goods for the Silent Auction. For the Live Auction we are asking people to provide nice Arts and Crafts items, such as woodworking, paintings, maybe pottery, and, of course, it would be nice to have a few quilts! We would like to have a dozen or so items in the Live Auction. If you would like to provide an item, please let me know ahead of time what you are planning to bring.

For more information please contact Rick Koch @ 815-499-3012 or at revrick-dutchtown@jcwifi.com

Calendar of District Events

June

5 - World Environment Day
7 - District Leadership Team Meeting
8 - Pentecost
8-14 - Youth Camp, Camp Emmanuel
14 - Ministerial Leadership Dev. Team - Peru
15 - Trinity Sunday
15 - Father’s Day
15-21 - Junior High Camp - Camp Emmanuel
21 - Program and Arrangements Comm. Mtg.
21 - First Day of Summer
22-28 - Junior Camp, Camp Emmanuel
26-28 - Pre-Junior Camp, Camp Emmanuel
30 - CODE Meeting, Columbus, Ohio

July

1 - Mission and Ministry board, Columbus, Ohio
1-2 - Minister's Assoc. Continuing Edu. Event
2-6 - Annual Conference, Columbus, Ohio
4 - Independence Day
6-12 - Senior High Camp - Camp Emmaus
6-12 - Song and Story Fest, Camp Inspiration Hills
7 - District Executive Sabbatical Begins
13-16 - Elementary II Camp - Camp Emmaus
16-18 - Adventure Camp - Camp Emmaus
19-20 - Elementary I Camp - Camp Emmaus
19-24 - National Youth Conference, Fort Collins, CO
20-25 - Elementary III Camp - Camp Emmaus
27-August 2 - Junior High Camp - Camp Emmaus

August

1-3 - Men’s Camp, Camp Emmanuel
2 - District Leadership Team Meeting
6 - IL Conf. of Churches LT Meet, Champaign
8-10 - Women's Camp, Camp Emmaus
15-17 - Camp Emmaus Time Capsule Weekend
29-September 1 - Family Camp, Camp Emmanuel
29-September 1 - Family Camp, Camp Emmaus

September

1 - Labor Day
7 - Grandparent’s Day
8 - District Executive Sabbatical Ends
20 - 10th Annual Fish Fry, Camp Emmanuel
21 - Bethany Sunday
21 - Int’l Day of Peace
21 - Mission Offering Emphasis
22 - First Day of Autumn

October

Domestic Violence Awareness Month
4 - Ministerial Leadership Dev. Team - Peru

5 - World Communion Sunday
6 - Child Health Day
11 - District Leadership Team Meeting
12 - Laity Sunday
14-16 - Interim Ministers Trng. - Camp Mack, IN
16 - World Food Day
16-18 - Midwest DE's Gathering - Camp Mack, IN
16-24 - Peace with Justice Week
24 - World Disarmament Day
25 - Camp Closing, Camp Emmanuel
26 - Reformation Sunday

November

1 - All Saints Day
2 - National Jr. High Sunday
2 - Daylight Time Ends
7-8 - District Conference, Highland Ave., Elgin
9 - Stewardship Sunday
23 - Christ the King Sunday
27 - Thanksgiving
30 - First Sunday of Advent

December

1 - Aids Awareness Day
6 - Ministerial Leadership Dev. Team - Peru
10 - Human Rights Day
21 - First Day of Winter
24 - Christmas Eve
25 - Christmas Day
31 - New Year’s Eve