Tuesday, June 01, 2021

Newsline

— The Shine Vacation Bible School has been named fifth in the “Vacation Bible School Top Picks 2021” by the Building Faith ministry and Lifelong Learning department at Virginia Theological Seminary. Shine is a Christian education curriculum jointly published by Brethren Press and MennoMedia. “Lifelong Learning at Virginia Theological Seminary has offered Vacation Bible School reviews for more than 15 years,” said the announcement. “Our department has spent countless hours assessing intensive, formative curricula so that hundreds of folks can rely on an authoritative assessment. This year our “top picks” are based on our intimate knowledge of the publishing companies and information from their websites.” Find the announcement at https://buildfaith.org/vbstop- picks-2021. Find out more about Shine at www.shinecurriculum.com.

— Bobbi Dykema, pastor of Springfield (Ill.) Church of the Brethren, has written an article on “Visual Arts: Protestant” for the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Religion. A summary is online at https://oxfordre.com/religion/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199340378.001.0001/acrefore- 9780199340378-e-804. Access to the full article is available for a fee.

— The Church of the Brethren seeks to fill a fulltime hourly position of Buildings and Grounds assistant. This position provides support for the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill., and other properties in Elgin that are owned by the denomination. Responsibilities include building and equipment maintenance, warehouse operations, shipping, mail, and supplies, among others. Skills and knowledge required include ability to relate with integrity and respect within and beyond the organization, knowledge and experience of building operation and facilities management, knowledge of electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and mechanical work is helpful but not required. Also required: ability to bend, stoop, climb, lift and carry 50 pounds, work in an extreme environment in or out of doors, handle hazardous materials and exposure to hazardous situations, skills in oral and written communication, and ability to access, input, and retrieve information from a computer. At least five years of Buildings and Grounds operations experience is helpful but not required. A high school diploma or equivalent is required. Applications are received beginning immediately and will be reviewed on an ongoing basis until the position is filled. Apply by sending a resume by email to the Office of Human Resources, Church of the Brethren, at COBApply@brethren.org. The Church of the Brethren is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

— Church World Service (CWS) is hiring for three positions to work with asylum seeker “Welcome Programs,” including asylum seeker case management, Call Center management, and border shelter support. The organization seeks qualified and diverse candidates to fill these remote positions, with a “plus” for candidates living in a border state. CWS Asylum Services, part of the Immigration and Refugee Program, provides comprehensive support to asylum seekers in the United States. This includes supporting reception at US southern border shelters, providing case management services across the US, offering remote support through the CWS Call Center, and providing legal services to asylum seekers.

CWS seeks a motivated, flexible, service- and advocacy-driven individual to serve as a Call Center program manager who will develop, manage, and expand the CWS Call Center. The Call Center is a national program that provides information and referrals to migrants across the United States. Technical, coordination, and interpersonal skill sets are required. This individual must have the ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment and navigate challenging systems. Multi-tasking, customer service, and ability to navigate online research in a fast-paced environment are required. Fluency in English and Spanish required.

CWS seeks a motivated, flexible, service- and advocacy-driven individual to serve as a Call Center specialist. Technical, coordination, and interpersonal skill sets are required. Fluency in English and Spanish required. This individual must have the ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment and navigate challenging systems. Multitasking, customer service, and ability to navigate online research in a fast-paced environment are required.

CWS seeks applicants for the Monitoring and Evaluation coordinator position, with the primary role to manage the implementation of monitoring, evaluation, and research for these services. Strong technical skills are required. This individual must have the ability to work independently while coordinating regularly with a broader team remotely. Experience designing and implementing M&E systems is required.

Find out more and apply at cwsglobal.org.

— A recording of the Moderator’s Town Hall held in March with William Willimon on the topic “Peacebuilding When We’re So Divided” is now available at www.brethren.org/webcasts/archive, where a link to a study guide also is provided. “We are excited to share this resource with you, praying it will continue to bear much fruit for Christ and the Church,” said an announcement from Annual Conference moderator Paul Mundey.

— “When did you first know you were a leader in the church?” asks the Dunker Punks Podcast. In a sequel to Episode #107, “Linking Arms in Leadership,” Anna Lisa Gross shares interviews with other church leaders about this question. “Explore the kinds of leadership that our church needs and calls for as you listen!” said an announcement. Find the new episode at bit.ly/DPP_Episode113 or by subscribing to the Dunker Punks Podcast on iTunes or your favorite podcast app.

— Fabiola Fernandez has resigned as manager of Information Technology for the Church of the Brethren, effective May 21, to accept a new position with the city of Elgin, Ill. She has served in the denomination’s IT department for five years, since she was hired May 23, 2016, as systems specialist at the denomination’s General Offices in Elgin. In May 2019, she was promoted to the position of manager of IT. She holds an associate’s degree from Elgin Community College and a bachelor of science degree in operations management and information systems from Northern Illinois University.

— “What does it mean to live the peace of Jesus publicly?” asks Dunker Punks in an announcement of their next podcast. “We welcome back Naomi Yilma and introduce Angelo Olayvar from the Church of the Brethren Office of Peacebuilding and Policy as they discuss acting, organizing, and advocating for peace.” Listen to this episode by going to bit.ly/DPP_Episode114 or by subscribing on iTunes at bit.ly/DPP_iTunes.

— The Festival of Homiletics, an annual festival on preaching and a respected source for continuing education for pastors, is online this year. Registration is free to view four to five prerecorded video sessions each day May 17-21. A “recording package” may be purchased to watch sessions at a later time and gain full access to bonus material including additional speaker presentations, live workshops, and more learning opportunities. The line-up of nationally known speakers includes Craig Barnes, president and professor of Pastoral Ministry at Princeton Theological Seminary; Traci Blackmon, executive minister of Justice and Local Church Ministries for the United Church of Christ; Otis Moss III,pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ; Walter Brueggeman, professor emeritus of Old Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary; Anthea Butler, associate professor of Religious Studies and Africana Studies at the University of Pennsylvania; writers and speakers Diana Butler Bass and Brian McLaren; among many others. Find out more and register at www.festivalofhomiletics.com.

— Zechariah Houser has been hired by the Church of the Brethren as the coordinator of short-term service for Brethren Volunteer Service, working from the General Offices in Elgin, Ill. He is a graduate of Messiah College with a Bachelor of Arts in Youth Ministry and a minor in Peace and Conflict Studies; and of Duke Divinity School with a Master of Divinity degree. Zech is currently working as a part-time pastor at Crest Manor Church of the Brethren. Zech will begin his work on August 9, 2021. Lee Marsh has been hired by the Church of the Brethren as the Buildings and Grounds Assistant for Buildings and Grounds, working from the General Offices in Elgin, Ill. He is currently working as a truck driver at Nu-Way Transportation and previously worked as a warehouse manager/driver at Goodman Distribution Inc. Lee will begin his work on May 17, 2021.

Kim Gingerich has been hired as the interim program assistant for the rebuilding program of Brethren Disaster Ministries, working out of the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md. She has been serving and living full-time on the BDM Rebuilding Sites as a long-term disaster project leader covering office and household management since January 2014. Kim is from York, PA where she previously served as the district disaster coordinator for the Southern PA District and is an ordained minister in the Church of the Brethren. Kim will begin this interim work from the BDM office on May 17, 2021.

Rhonda Pittman Gingrich has been hired by the Church of the Brethren as the director of Annual Conference. She is a graduate of Bridgewater College with a Bachelor of Arts in English Education and Music; Bethany Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity degree; and of United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities with a Doctor of Ministry degree.

Rhonda has provided significant leadership for the Church of the Brethren Compelling Vision Process, which will conclude with delegate action at this year’s Annual Conference. Previous denominational leadership included coordinating National Youth Conference (1990); Church of the Brethren 300th Anniversary Committee (2000-2008); Annual Conference Revitalization Task Force (2010-2012); and Annual Conference Program and Arrangements Committee (2014-2017).

Rhonda is currently working as an adjunct faculty at the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership and as a program director at Camp Pine Lake (Northern Plains District). She will begin her work on August 23, 2021, working from her home in Minneapolis and from the General Offices in Elgin, Ill.

Erika Clary will begin her work as National Youth Conference 2022 coordinator, as part of the Discipleship Ministries team, on May 23. Erika will serve through Brethren Volunteer Service, temporarily working remotely from her home in Maryland and relocating to Elgin in late June. Erika will work with the National Youth Cabinet and a host of volunteers to shape and give life to NYC 2022, scheduled for July 23 -28 on the campus of Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado. She recently graduated from Bridgewater College with a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics.

— The Church of the Brethren seeks an Information Technology (IT) specialist to fill a fulltime, salaried position at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill. Responsibilities include supporting, maintaining, and upgrading the organization’s networks and in-house servers; installing, administering, and troubleshooting security solutions to ensure network security, protect against unauthorized access, modification, or destruction, and troubleshoot any access problems at the direction of the director of IT. Required skills and knowledge include a positive customer service attitude; ability to work collaboratively; excellent communication skills; strong analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills; strong understanding and knowledge of computers, networks, and security systems; ability to work well under pressure; working knowledge of Microsoft Azure Active Directory, current Windows operating system, Microsoft 365 Office Suite, Microsoft SharePoint, e-mail software, peripherals such as printers and scanners, network infrastructure, security infrastructure, virus protection software, desktops, laptops, tablet computers; technical troubleshooting skills; ability to provide telephone support; ability to articulate and operate out of the vision of the Church of the Brethren’s Mission and Ministry Board. A minimum of five years of significant information technology experience, including networks and security, are required. A minimum of a bachelor’s degree in information technology, computer science, cyber security, or a related field is required. Advanced training certifications may be advantageous. Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis until the position is filled. To apply, send a resume via email to COBApply@brethren.org. Contact the Human Resources Manager, Church of the Brethren, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120-1694; 800-323-8039 ext. 367. The Church of the Brethren is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

— The Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill., will host a free concert by the Chicago Brass Band on Saturday, June 19, at 3 p.m. The audience will sit on the lawn in front of the offices and are invited to bring their own lawn chairs. The concert is a “thank you” to the General Offices staff and neighbors, after the offices provided rehearsal space to the band this spring.

— The Anabaptist Disabilities Network is seeking a resource director to be responsible for print and online communications including social media, triannual Connections newsletter, and monthly Opening Doors blog. Excellent writing, networking, and project management skills are required. Familiarity with disability issues and Anabaptism is desired. This is a quarter-time position at a competitive salary. Visit http://bit.ly/ADNstaffopenings for the position description and information about applying.

— The WCC also is offering a webinar on “Remembering Past Massacres: Honoring the Legacy and Resilience of Victims” to take place June 1 with a focus on North America and the Caribbean. The webinar will remember and learn from tragic events such as the Tulsa race massacre that took place in Tulsa, Okla., a century ago in 1921, and injustices meted out to Asian-American communities including the 1871 Chinese massacre in Los Angeles and the Rock Springs Riot in Wyoming in 1885. The online discussion also will address the plight of indigenous communities in the Americas that were largely devastated through successive wars, massacres, and killings, and atrocities associated with the trans-Atlantic slave trade and the notorious “Middle Passage” in which untold people were killed. Panelists will explore questions such as “How do we recognize these tragedies, and celebrate the survival, resistance, resilience, and heroes of these communities?” Panelists include Robert Turner, pastor of the historic Vernon Chapel A.M.E. Church in Tulsa and academic dean at Jackson Theological Seminary; Michael McEachrane, co-founder and consultative member of the European Network of People of African Descent; Jennifer P. Martin, Education in Mission secretary for the Caribbean and North America Council for Mission; Daniel D. Lee, academic dean of the Centre for Asian American Theology and Ministry and assistant professor of theology and Asian American ministry at Fuller Theological Seminary; and Russel Burns, member of the National Indigenous Ministries and Justice Council of the Indigenous caucus of Western Mining Action Network, and of the Comprehensive Review Task Group of the United Church of Canada. Register at https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_qsguoT97Th2e76YIYcmNvw.

— The Church of the Brethren seeks applicants for the position of assistant coordinator of the FaithX ministry in the Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) office at the denomination’s General Offices in Elgin, Ill. FaithX (formerly the Workcamp Ministry) offers summertime short-term service events for junior and senior high youth and young adults. The assistant coordinator serves as a BVS volunteer with both administrative and practical ministry responsibilities. The first three-quarters of the year is spent preparing for FaithX events including choosing an annual theme, preparing promotional materials, writing and designing a devotional book and leaders’ resources, setting up financial spreadsheets, setting up and maintaining a registration database, sending letters to participants and leaders, making site visits, collecting forms and paperwork, and other administrative work. During the summer, the assistant coordinator travels from location to location, serving as onsite coordinator of FaithX events with responsibility for overall administration including housing, transportation, food, work assignments, and recreation, and also often responsibility for planning and leading devotional, educational, and group activities. As a BVSer, the assistant coordinator lives at the Elgin BVS Community House. Required skills, gifts, and experience include experience in youth ministry, passion for Christian service, an understanding of mutual ministry–both giving and receiving, spiritual and emotional maturity, organizational and office skills, physical stamina and the ability to travel well. Preferred skills and experience include previous FaithX or workcamp experience as a leader or participant, and computer skills including experience with Microsoft Office, Word, Excel, Access, and Publisher. For more information or to request an application, contact BVS director Emily Tyler at etyler@brethren.org or 847-429-4396.

— Bethany Theological Seminary seek applicants for the fulltime position of coordinator of Seminary Computer Services. Responsibilities include planning, leadership, and management of the use of IT services at Bethany Seminary in Richmond, Ind., including the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership and Earlham School of Religion in support of the schools’ missions; support for technology in classrooms, network infrastructure, hard-ware, software, and related services. A complete position description is available, contact deansoffice@bethanyseminary.edu. Applications are received until the position is filled, with a desired start date in June or early July. To apply, send a letter of interest, resume, and contact information for three references to Academic Dean’s Office, SCS Coordinator Search, Bethany Theological Seminary, 615 National Road West, Richmond, IN 47374; 765-983-1815; deansoffice@bethanyseminary.edu.

— The deadline is extended to June 30 for young adults to apply to volunteer as stewards for next year’s Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC). The assembly is a gathering of representatives of church bodies from around the world, which happens only every seven or eight years. The 2022 assembly, which will be the WCC’s 11th, will be held in Karlsruhe, Germany. Said an announcement: “Stewards are young people between the ages 18 and 30 years old. As a diverse community, stewards bring their faith, experiences and visions to an ecumenical experience of togetherness and friendship, with English as the working language of the program. The Stewards Program includes: an on-site ecumenical formation, participation in the Ecumenical Global Gathering of Young People, and work at the 11th Assembly. Stewards will arrive in Karlsruhe a week prior to the assembly to learn about the ecumenical movement and to participate in the pre-assembly gathering. WCC looks for young people capable of integrating their experience back in their local contexts, motivated to multiply the ecumenical enthusiasm, ready to ‘do ecumenism’ locally.” Dates for the Stewards Program are Aug. 21 to Sept. 10, 2022. Find out more and download an application form at www.oikoumene.org/events/steward-programme-2022-apply-now.

— “Experience Shalom,” invites the Lombard (Ill.) Mennonite Peace Center, which is offering a series of webinars on the theme of right relationship around issues of peace and justice. Each webinar will run from 10:30 a.m. to 12 noon (Central time). J. Denny Weaver, Mennonite scholar and author of Nonviolent Atonement, will present the first in the series on June 3 on the topic, “Being in Right Relationship with God: Why Did Jesus Have to Die?” Devon Miller, assistant director at the center, will present two webinars: “Does Our Past Really Matter?” on June 29 and “What Are the Terms of Justice?” on Aug. 10. Naomi Wenger will present on July 13 on the topic, “Are Humans Responsible for the Wellbeing of Earth?” The center’s executive director, Jay Wittmeyer– who formerly served as executive director of Global Mission and Service for the Church of the Brethren–will present “How Can We Become a Trauma-Informed Church Community?” on July 28 and “Is the Fabric of Our Society Beginning to Fray?” on Aug. 24. Register for all six sessions in the SHALOM series and pay for just five (save $30). Register via TicketSpice on the center’s website https://lmpeacecenter.org/all-events.