The Reflector -- April 2015 -- Vol 12 Issue 3

Ponderings from the Moderator - Dana McNeil

I Will Follow Jesus

At the Peoria Church of the Brethren we are working our way through the Gospel of John during worship and bible study. A verse really jumped out at me a couple of weeks ago. A group came to Jesus saying,

“How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”

Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:24-27, NIV)

I wonder how often we do the same thing. Saying “Jesus, show us who you are”, and Jesus says “I show you who I am every day, are you looking. Seek Me and all this will be given to you”.

I wonder how often we say, “Jesus please pursue me so that I can know you love me, and Jesus says “I gave myself willingly on the cross to show you my love, what more can I do to prove it to you, and oh by the way, do you love Me”

We love the verses that talk about God pursuing us, about God desiring to be in relationship with us, but when I read my bible I much more often find the words “Follow Me” and “Seek Me”. At some point we have to let go of being chased and choose to follow. At some point in our relationship with Jesus we have to move past just being loved by Jesus and live into loving Jesus.

I want to share the words to a wonderful new song that speaks so beautifully to this idea. It speaks to the truth that it is in the following that we are truly fulfilled.

I Will Follow
by Jon Guerra

When the sea is calm and all is right,
When I feel Your favor flood my life
Even in the good, I'll follow You,
Even in the good, I'll follow You

When the boat is tossed upon the waves,
When I wonder if You'll keep me safe
Even in the storms, I'll follow You,
Even in the storms, I'll follow You

(Chorus)
I believe everything that You say You are,
I believe that I have seen Your unchanging heart
In the good things and in the hardest part
I believe and I will follow You,
I believe and I will follow You

When I see the wicked prospering,
When I feel I have no voice to sing
Even in the want, I'll follow You,
Even in the want, I'll follow You

When I find myself so far from home,
And You lead me somewhere I don't wanna go
Even in my death, I'll follow You,
Even in my death, I'll follow You

When I come to end this race I've run,
And I receive the prize that Christ has won
I will be with You in Paradise,
I will be with You in Paradise

DE Ponderings by Kevin Kessler

I am not a regular listener of contemporary Christian music but I do occasionally indulge in it, mainly because I try to keep an open mind and engage all kinds of music.

Recently, while listening to a contemporary Christian radio station, a song by Casting Crowns played that grabbed my attention. So often contemporary music of any kind feels as though it’s shouting at me. I like more subtle tones, something more contemplative, if you will. This particular song from Casting Crowns has a simple beat, almost eerie (not the best descriptive term to use but a better word doesn’t come immediately to mind). The tune alone got my attention. But then I started listening to the words, words that immediately drew me in, made me want to find out more about the song.

The song is entitled “Broken Together”. As I researched it, I found out that it was written with married couples in mind who are dealing with a rocky relationship. The words of the song make perfect sense in that context.

But I heard the words of the song in a completely different context, a context which I am presently experiencing, a context of broken relationships within the church. The words of the song caused me to immediately think, especially, about the conflict in the church over issues of human sexuality. This is a context in which I find myself squarely in the middle. I hope and pray often that this conflict can be resolved or at the very least those who are on opposite sides of the conflict can be reconciled. But the more I engage this conflict the more I understand the complexity of moving forward.

The chorus from the Casting Crowns song, Broken Together, may offer a way. The chorus of this song may be a way for us to think about all our broken relationships, may be a way forward for any of us who have trouble understanding one another. I invite you to ponder with me whether these words may help us. Here are the words to the chorus of Broken Together:

Maybe you and I were never meant to be complete
Could we just be broken together
If you can bring your shattered dreams and I’ll bring mine
Could healing still be spoken and save us
The only way we'll last forever is broken together.

It might be helpful to reflect on the above thoughts in relation to these words from Luke 22 (NKJV): “And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.”

Whenever we partake of the bread and the cup, we enter together into Christ’s brokenness...broken together.

The Casting Crowns song intimates that the only way we’ll last forever is to be broken together. Could it be that the only way we’ll last together with Jesus, with God, is to be broken together? My humble opinion is that the answer to this question is “yes.” Yes, because when we are broken together with Jesus we also then enter into the assurance of his resurrection. So when we are broken together, we also are restored together, resurrected together. I find hope in being broken together.

Prayer: God you open the door for us to enter into your brokenness, together. We come incomplete. We come bringing our shattered dreams. We come waiting for healing to be spoken. We come broken together. Broken together is the only way we can expect to be raised with you...healed...restored...made new...together. Amen.

Young Adult Conference 2015

May 22 - 24, 2015

Where: Camp Swatara in Bethel, PA
When: May 22-24, 2015
Who: All young adults are welcome (Ages 18-35)
Cost: $125 ($150 after April 30)

Go to: http://www.brethren.org/yac/ to register or for more information.

District Potluck --- April 25, 2015

Imagining the Image of God
District Potluck --- April 25, 2015

Naperville Church of the Brethren
1020 W Jefferson, Naperville, IL 60540
9:30 a.m. – 3:15 p.m.

Worship * Workshops * Fellowship * Food

Schedule
8:30 – 9:30 -------------- Registration & Fellowship
9:30 – 10:15 ------------ Opening Worship (childcare will be available during sessions)
10:15 – 11:45 ---------- Workshop Session 1 – See next page for choices
12:00 – 1:00 ----------- Potluck Lunch and Fellowship
1:00 – 2:30 ------------- Workshop Session 2 – See next page for choices
2:30 – 3:15-------------- Closing Worship

Registration Fee - $10.00, max $20 per family, but no one will be turned away. Registration deadline is April 9.
Childcare will be provided for infants and toddlers. Sessions for elementary age children will also be provided. A field trip to Fermi Lab has been arranged for Middle School Students grades 6-8. Pre registration is necessary to secure a tour.
High School youth are encouraged to participate in workshops.

Each person should bring a potluck dish to enjoy with others from across the district. Drinks and table service will be provided.

Plan now to attend this exciting event. Share this information with others in your church.

Come enjoy time with sisters and brothers from across the district!!!!!!

This one-day event has been planned by your District Deacons on behalf of the Leadership Team of the District.

Please complete the bottom portion, detach, and return with the registration fee to the District Office at 269 E. Chestnut St., Canton, IL 61520. Make checks payable to the District of IL/WI. NOTE: If you know how many are planning to attend from your congregation but are unsure of who, please return the form with the name of the congregation and the number attending. This will help us plan for the day.

Thank you.

We look forward to seeing you and visiting on Saturday, April 25, 2015, at Naperville COB

Josh Brockway

Joshua Brockway serves as director for spiritual life and discipleship for the Church of the Brethren. As part of Congregational Life Ministries, he oversees a network of around 60 spiritual directors in the Church of the Brethren and interprets the Ethics for Congregations statement of Annual Conference. The remainder of his work focuses on the practices of the Christian life, including engagement with scripture, resourcing worship, and exploring ways Brethren can minister in the world around them. He often writes for Messenger and other denominational publications and has come to be known as the guy who broke the clay pot at National Youth Conference. In his time off, Joshua is completing his doctorate in early church history. Most of all, he and his wife have four fantastic children.

Morning Session: Deacons and the Ministry of Reconciliation
Afternoon Session: Prayer and the Life of the Deacon

Mandy Garcia

Mandy Garcia holds a degree in Worship Arts from Judson University and is passionate about using her education, gifts, and communication skills to serve the Church in a variety of ways. Mandy has most recently served as associate director of Donor Communications for the Church of the Brethren where, among other duties, she revamped a popular e-newsletter, launched the COB Instagram account, and acted as an administrator for denominational Twitter and Facebook accounts. She has led workshops about different aspects of social media at National Youth Conference and Church Planting Conference, and is excited to discuss a fresh angle of this popular topic. Mandy currently works as a freelance writer and designer and writes “Simple Living,” a monthly column featured in Messenger magazine. She is an active member of Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church and lives with her husband, Dan, in Elgin, IL

Morning and Afternoon session: God's profile pic: Social media is often used to project an ideal image of ourselves into the world for others to see, but what if we re-imagined it as a tool to better imagine God--to project an image of our Creator instead of ourselves? Let’s explore how our faith might influence our use of social media and technology, and how social media might be used to bring new understanding to our faith, community, and ourselves as imagers of a beautiful God.

Peg Lehman

Peg Lehman has a long career as a folk singer, recording artist, workshop leader, and music educator. An accomplished autoharp & dulcimer player, she is known for her expressive voice and ability to engage audiences of all ages. Since 1997 she has been a featured performer at the annual Song and Story Fest. For nine years Peg was a Ravinia Festival teaching artist, partnering with teachers to create music residencies at inner city Chicago Public Schools. Peg has lived in Elgin for more than 40 years and been an active, long-time member of the Highland Avenue Church of the Brethren. In 2001 she was honored with a Partner in Peace award for her volunteer work at Elgin’s Community Crisis Center. As a native New Yorker, Peg now enjoys leading small groups of women on a unique 5-day New York Adventure, a tailor-made, cultural and educational tour of New York City.

Morning Session:The Light of Love – lively songs that engage you, make you smile, inspire you to reflect on life and faith, and invite you to sing along and even dance a peace round.

Jim Lehman

Jim Lehman has been a writer since the mid-1970s, writing the anecdotal history, The Old Brethren, which was revised and expanded in 2008, producing a Dickensian 18-installment serialized novel sold by subscription, traveling across the country and the world scripting and producing audio-visuals, doing a weekly newspaper feature in the 1980s, and writing two children’s books. For more than 15 years Jim did assemblies, workshops, and author residencies for elementary school children, visiting more than 400 schools in 13 states. Since 1997 Jim has been a featured storyteller at the annual Song & Story Fest. In November, 2013, his novel, Ties That Bind, was published, and he is at work on a collection of short stories. Jim has been an active member of the Highland Avenue Church of the Brethren for more than 40 years and just concluded six-years of service on the district leadership team.

Morning Session: Some Friends of Mine: Stories about good people—tales that are true, whether they happened or not.

Afternoon Joint Song and Story Session: Gathering of the Spirits: Jim and Peg will weave together stories and songs about matters of courage and of the heart

Samuel Sarpiya, MDiv connections

Describe your experience at Bethany Seminary in one sentence.

Using the word Journey, I would say my faith is on a path of trajectory of growth, or I would say growing and can be attributed to God using Bethany experience.

What has been your most rewarding class so far at Bethany?

All the classes here are rewarding, I can say something about each class but that is not what you are looking for. My most rewarding is understanding the Brethren Theology or Ecclessiology; Brethren Beliefs and Practices.

How has your time at Bethany impacted your faith journey?

So much happens in such a short time, like drinking from a fire hydrant, which could be daunting but yet one can be so filled quickly. I have come to appreciate seminary as it has put many things into perspective and makes following Jesus and sharing Jesus with others easier and relational.

Reprinted from Bethany Bits, Bethany Theological Seminary, Richmond, IN

Peace Essay Winners announced. Congratulations Gabriella Stocksdale

Richmond, IN - Bethany Seminary has announced the winners of the 2015 Peace Essay Contest on the theme Peacemaking, Creation Justice, and the Beloved Community. Katerina Friesen, an MDiv student at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, received first place for her essay “Planting the Church: Toward an Anabaptist Theology of Place.” Second place went to Jillian Foerster, a student at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University for her essay “Powering a Movement with Stories.” Gabriella Stocksdale from Larkin High School in Elgin, Illinois, received third place with the essay “Small Things.” Prizes of $2000, $1000, and $500 were awarded, respectively.

Explore Your Call at Bethany

Bethany will once again be holding “Explore Your Call”, a discernment event for high school students July 24-August 3 on the Bethany campus. Participants will study theology in the classroom, shadow pastors and discuss topics like faith and vocation. Classes will be taught by Bethany professors and attendees will also make congregational visits and perform service projects in the community. All qualified applicants will receive a full scholarship to “Explore Your Call”. The only cost to participants is their transportation to and from Richmond, Indiana. More information and an online application for “Explore Your Call” can be found at www.bethanyseminary.edu/eyc

Work Day - 8:00am Saturday, May 16th

The Brethren Home of Girard
Pleasant Hill Village

Come and help beautify the grounds.

“The Home” has set their Annual Work Day for Saturday May 16th starting at 8:00 am.

We plan to paint some fencing, sealcoat the gazeebo and plant lots of flowers around the grounds. Please bring your gloves. A light lunch will be provided along with refreshments and fellowship throughout.

Please call and let us know how many may be coming and confirm the week prior in case rain is predicted– by calling 217-627-2181 ask for Kyle Hood, Maintenance or email us at pleasanthillvillage@royell.org To all who have assisted in the past, a hearty Thank-You for your dedication to serve.

Pleasant Hill Village is a good opportunity to be involved in serving some of the least among us.

www.pleasanthillvillage.org
1010 W. North Street Girard, Il 62640

Anabaptism, the Next Generation

Letter from the General Secretary

“This is large work I’ve called you into, but don’t be overwhelmed by it. It’s best to start small. Give a cool cup of water to someone who is thirsty, for instance. The smallest act of giving or receiving makes you a true apprentice. You won’t lose out on a thing.”

– Matthew 10:41-42 (The Message)

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

It may come as a surprise to learn that Church of the Brethren involvement in disaster response has not always been at the core of who we are as a people. You are no doubt familiar with dates such as:

1941 – The Brethren Service Commission was established with disaster response as an integral part of its guidelines.
1960 – The Emergency Disaster Fund was created to provide funding for the church’s response to disaster projects and relief efforts.
1973 – The Annual Conference established disaster response guidelines for any formal disaster response within the districts of the church.
1979 – Children’s Disaster Services (formerly Disaster Child Care) was formed as a way to support and care for children in communities affected by disasters.

But these are not the earliest Church of the Brethren responses to disasters. In 1917, the very heart of the church was shaken by the news of the Armenian genocide. Knowledge of such atrocities was a greater burden than the Brethren could tolerate.

The 1917 Annual Conference voted to set aside existing guidelines for missions in foreign lands in order to provide funding and support for the Armenian people affected so horrifically by the violence and displacement. A temporary committee was named to lead the relief effort. In addition, delegates also approved secondment of staff to the American Committee for Relief in the Near East, to ensure that funding and support for the Armenian people would be carried out without interference.There was no intent to establish permanent missions or churches as was our practice, because the Armenian people were already a devout Christian community. From 1917-1921, our church of approximately 115,000 members contributed $267,000 to the effort–an equivalent of $4.98 million in 2015 dollars, using the Consumer Price Index computation.

In this 100th anniversary year of the Armenian Genocide, the bonds of Christian fellowship forged by our Brethren predecessors continue to influence the traditions of both the Church of the Brethren and the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church. This is evidenced in our understanding of what is good and required of us as people of God: “to do justice and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).

The fact of Brethren responding to human tragedy has not been changed by the passing of years. Last year’s abduction of the Chibok girls (most of whom are Brethren) connected the Nigerian crisis to the heart of the American Brethren. One child deeply touched by the story said, “The Chibok girls could be my sisters.” The church in earnest entered into a season of prayer and fasting. Meanwhile, the leadership of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) and our Global Mission and Service staff prepared for the Nigerian church’s response to the death, destruction, trauma, and hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons within Nigeria.

A crowd of displaced people gather to receive bags of maize (corn) and other relief goods in a distribution at an EYN church in Jos, Nigeria. Help for funding this food distribution came from the Church of the Brethren in the United States. Staff of Rebecca Dali's nonprofit aid group CCEPI purchased and prepared the sacks of grain and other materials that included buckets, mats, and blankets.
Photo by David Sollenberger

Our Mission and Ministry Board, upon hearing the plan for the EYN response, acted with courage and boldness. In October 2014, the board committed $1.5 million dollars ($1 million from denominational assets and $500,000 from the Emergency Disaster Fund) to start the relief effort in Nigeria. In the months since, individuals and congregations have given over $1 million to the Nigeria Crisis Fund, with gifts continuing to come in.

In a time when many question the relevance and vitality of the church in the United States, I want to shout from the highest hill: “Thanks be to God for the generosity, compassion, and love the Brethren have shown for the people of good faith in Nigeria–just as they did 100 years ago for and with the Armenian people!” As once again we heed Christ’s call to start out with a cup of cold water, let us join our hands together and invite others to gather on the journey as we Continue the work of Jesus. Peacefully. Simply. Together.

My thanks to each one of you for advocating, fasting, praying, and supporting our sisters and brothers in Nigeria. Your joined hands are witnessing to the world the love and the light of Christ through word, action, and deed.

May God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit be with you.

Yours sincerely,

Stanley J. Noffsinger
General Secretary

National Junior High Conference 2015

National Junior High Conference 2015
Elizabethtown College
Elizabethtown, PA
June 19 – 21, 2015

Living the Change:
Our Offering to God

So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

—Romans 12:1 – 2 (The Message)

Come join us for a weekend packed with powerful worship, fun workshops, music, and recreation!

For Junior High Youth (those who have completed grades 6 – 8) and their advisors.

Cost?

Early bird registration, from January 9 – March 31, is $160 per person
(participants and advisors).

Regular registration, on and after April 1, is $185 per person.

A non-refundable deposit of $80 is required within two weeks of submitting your online registration to hold your spot.

Travel scholarships are available to those who live west of the Mississippi River. Download the form and check registration deadlines on the NJHC website.

Registration begins online January 9, 2015 at 12 noon central time.

Check the website for frequent updates!
www.brethren.org/njhc

Contact Kristen Hoffman, NJHC Coordinator,
by phone at 847-429-4389 or
by email at khoffman@brethren.org

NOAC

Dan Poole - Named Director of Educational Technology at Bethany

Richmond, IN - Dan Poole has been named director of educational technology at Bethany Seminary, beginning July 1, 2015. Poole came to Bethany in 2007 as part-time coordinator of ministry formation and in 2009 also began serving as part-time advancement associate. He will continue in his ministry formation position along with his part-time technology role.

This new educational technology position will support distance learning as the Seminary continues to develop its Connections program. Nonresidential students now have the opportunity to take classes in real time, and last fall the Seminary launched a technology classroom that enables all persons in the classroom and offsite to see each other during class sessions. Poole will also oversee webcasting of events and assist faculty with course elements requiring technology.

I am pleased that Dan will be serving the Seminary as we expand the use of the technology room and continue to develop patterns to augment and enhance our educational program, said Jeff Carter, president.

Poole has a master of divinity degree from Bethany and is an ordained minister in the Church of the Brethren, having pastored congregations in Pennsylvania and Ohio.

Annual Conference

Tampa Bay, Florida • July 11-15,2015

• Complimentary Ice Cream Social Saturday evening.
• Special Sunday evening program with Ken Medema and Ted & Co.
• Equipping Sessions for spiritual growth Sunday afternoon and evening.
• Opportunities to meet Brethren from across the denomination and re-connect with old friends.
• Special activities for children and youth each day.
• Five inspiring worship services filled with Brethren singing.
• Check out the Exhibit Hall featuring the Church of the Brethren, Brethren Press bookstore,
  SERRV store, and much more!
• Get a taste of what the business of Annual Conference is about by sitting in on the morning
  or afternoon sessions.
• Participate in the annual Quilt Auction for world hunger relief.
• Select from a large variety of Insight Sessions for informative presentations, stimulating conversations, as well as personal and professional growth.

Go to

www.brethren.org/ac

for registration for Delegates and Non-Delegates, Hotel Information, Conference Schedule, Volunteer Opportunities, Meal Events, Children’s and Youth Activities, and More! 

Online registration ends June 10, 2015 • Onsite registration begins July 10, 2015

Questions? Email annualconference@brethren.org or call 800-323-8039 ext. 365 or 366.

Annual Conference exists to unite, strengthen, and equip the Church of the Brethren to follow Jesus.

Camp Emmaus Fall Festival

Calendar of District Events

April

Child Abuse Prevention Month
2 - Maundy Thursday
3 - Good Friday
5 - EASTER
11 - District LT Meeting - Rockford
20-21 - District Ministers Cont. Edu. Event
25 - DISTRICT POTLUCK, Naperville

May

Older Adult Month
2 - Ministerial Leadership Dev. Team
3 - National Youth Sunday
7 - National Day of Prayer
9 - Bethany Commencement
10 - Mother's Day
14 - Ascension Day
14-1 - Church Leadership Conf., Frederick, MD
22-25 - Memorial Day Family Camp - Camp Emmaus
24 - Pentecost
25 - Memorial Day
31 - Trinity Sunday

June

4-7 - Women’s Camp - Camp Emmanuel
5 - World Environment Day
6 - District LT Meeting - LaPlace
7-13 - High School Camp, Camp Emmanuel
14-20 - Middle School Camp, Camp Emmanuel
15 - Hare 50th Anniversary Celebration, Camp Emmaus
19-21 - Nat'l. Jr. High Conf, Elizabethtown College
21 - Father's Day
21-27 - Junior Camp, Camp Emmanuel
25-27 - Pre-Junior Camp, Camp Emmanuel
27 - Ministerial Leadership Dev. Team, Peru, IL

July

4 - Independence Day
5-8 - Elementary II Camp, Camp Emmaus
9 - CODE Meeting, Tampa, Fl.
9-11 - Women's Camp, Camp Emmaus
10 - Mission & Ministry Bd. Meeting, Tampa
10-11 - Minister Assoc. Cont. Edu. Event, Tampa
11-15 - ANNUAL CONFERENCE, TAMPA, FL.
17-19 - Counselor In Training Event, Camp Emmaus
18-19 - Elementary I Camp, Camp Emmaus
19-25 - Senior High Camp, Camp Emmaus
26-1 - Junior High Camp, Camp Emmaus
31-2 - Men’s Camp, Camp Emmanuel

August

1 - District LT Meeting - Polo
2 - 7 - Elementary III Camp, Camp Emmaus
7-11 - Young Adult/Young at Heart Camp, Camp Emmaus

September

4-7 - Family Camp, Camp Emmanuel
4-7 - Labor Day Family Camp, Camp Emmaus
7-11 - National Older Adult Conf., L. Junaluska, NC
12 - Camp Emmaus Fall Festival
13 - National Grandparents Day
19 - Fish Fry, Camp Emmanuel
20 - Bethany Sunday, Mission Offering
21 - International Day of Peace
23 - First Day of Autumn

October

Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Pastor Appreciation Month
3 - District LT Meeting - Oak Grove
4 - World Communion Sunday
16 - World Food Day, Peace with Justice Week
17-19 - Mission & Ministry Bd. Meeting, Elgin, IL
18 - Laity Sunday
25 - Reformation Sunday
29-31 - Bethany Theo. Sem. Presidential Forum

November

1 - All Saints Day
1 - Nat'l. Jr. High Sunday
1 - Daylight Savings Time
3 - Election Day
7-8 - DISTRICT CONFERENCE
8 - Stewardship Sunday
11 - Veteran's Day
21 - District LT Meeting - Pleasant Hill
22 - Christ the King Sunday
26 - Thanksgiving
29 - First Sunday of Advent

December

1 - Aids Awareness Day
6 - Second Sunday of Advent
10 - Human Right's Day
13 - Third Sunday of Advent
20 - Fourth Sunday of Advent
22 - First day of Winter
24 - Christmas Eve
25 - Christmas Day
31 - New Year's Eve