DENOMINATIONAL NEWS/NEWSLINE
The Church of the Brethren Office of Ministry has created an online video resource of six segments featuring congregations that are creatively practicing the priesthood of all believers and thereby meeting their needs for pastoral leadership. At a time when congregations are struggling to find pastors to serve their needs, this series produced by videographer David Sollenberger is offered as a reminder that God places abundant spiritual gifts within congregations, just waiting to be discovered, affirmed, and nurtured. The series features three congregations, Warrensburg and Cabool in Missouri and Arkansas District, and Clover Creek in Middle Pennsylvania District. Their pastoral teams consist of as few as two to as many as five people. The series is a testimony to the effectiveness of the Brethren practice of the priesthood of all believers in fostering a culture of calling set-apart ministers. Find the new resource at www.brethren.org/ministryoffice/shared-ministry-model.
The Part-time Pastor, Full-time Church program of the Church of the Brethren’s Office of Ministry is offering two virtual events under the umbrella, “Sacred Connections: Lenten Soul Tending for Spiritual Leaders.” They will be led by one of the program’s “circuit riders,” Erin Matteson, an ordained minister and spiritual director, on Friday, March 10, and Monday, March 27. The March 10 session, “Listening with the Ear of the Heart; Looking with the Eyes of Faith,” will feature a fusion of the prayer practices of lectio and visio divina using Matthew 16:13-20. The March 27 session, “Music as a Gateway to the Sacred,” will feature experiencing vibration and other short musical pieces of varied languages and styles to carry us further into the heart of God and connect us to the hearts of one another. The times for each date will be 11 a.m. Central and again at 7 p.m. Spanish translation will be available both time offerings on both dates. Zoom information will be forthcoming. For questions contact Erin Matteson at 209-484-5937 or erin@soultending.net. Email adminptpftc@brethren.org by March 1 to register.
For the last several months a group of local, district, and agency leaders in the Church of the Brethren have been working on the 2022 Annual Conference’s call to study and act against the violence of racism. This committee, facilitated by On Earth Peace, comprises members of the Southern Ohio and Kentucky District joined by Church of the Brethren denominational staff. On March 14, 6-7:30 p.m. Central, a special online event will provide space to build relationships and learn more about the work of this two-year study/action process to help the Church of the Brethren to stand with people of color. Participants will explore the committee’s objectives and consider how we can all work together in 2023 and 2024. Join at at www.onearthpeace.org/2023_03_14_standing_with_people_of_color_welcome_session.
New resources offered through Brethren Press include several new Bible study resources for children and adults, as well as a new Vacation Bible School curriculum for this summer. Among the new titles: Jesus Calls Us, the spring issue of A Guide for Biblical Studies; Life of Peter and Day of the Lord: Judgment that Restores, the latest books in Brethren Press’ Covenant Bible Studies series; and Changemakers Lab, the 2023 Vacation Bible School from the Shine curriculum that is jointly produced by Brethren Press and MennoMedia. Available to pre-order, The Peace Table: A Storybook Bible, also from Shine. Purchase these resources and more at www.brethrenpress.com.
“A Small World: Building Resiliency and Hope after Childhood Trauma” is the title of an upcoming webinar sponsored by Church of the Brethren Discipleship Ministries and the Anabaptist Disabilities Network. The online event takes place on Feb. 28, at 7 p.m. Central. Participants may earn 0.1 CEU. Presenter Jon-Erik (J.E.) Misz, currently secretary for the Anabaptist Disabilities Network board, works in Goshen, Ind., as a licensed clinical social worker and clinical supervisor in a community health center. His interests integrate mental health, faith, and spoken word poetry, and he has led discussions both locally and nationally on subjects such as trauma-informed care, anxiety, depression, and adolescent mental health. Register at https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZctdeuqrzMuHNae7ATuDzJM4yj9OAYs0ZK9. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information about how to join the webinar.
The 67th TEKAN General Assembly has elected Joel S. Billi, president of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) as the TEKAN president. Three other executive committee members also were elected on Jan. 14 at Takum, Taraba State, Nigeria. Billi, who served as the TEKAN vice president, succeeds his former boss Caleb S. O. Ahima, who served two terms of six years. TEKAN stands for the Fellowship of Christian Churches in Nigeria and is the largest Christian ecumenical body in Nigeria. TEKAN was established on Feb. 15, 1955, by six denominations; EYN, COCIN, LCCN, ERCC, UMCN, CRCN. Today, the fellowship has 15 denominations and two associates, blessed with over 30 million members.
The seventh Brethren World Assembly will take place July 26-29 at Elizabethtown (Pa.) College and at Germantown Church of the Brethren in Philadelphia on the final day, July 29. The theme of the assembly is “Brethren Faithfulness: Priorities in Perspective.” The gathering marks 300 years of the Brethren in America and the 300th anniversary of the Germantown Church. The event also marks the centennial of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria). The scheduled sessions relate to the history and developments of the Brethren in America from 1723 up to the Civil War, with an additional session about EYN. Opening devotions and evening worship services will open and close each day. For the entire Assembly, July 26-29, including the day at Germantown, fees are $310 (early bird cost, registered by May 15) or $370 (tegular cost, registered between May 16 and June 15). For the days in Elizabethtown only, July 26-28, fees are $190 (early bird, registered by May 15) or $225 (regular cost, registered between May 16 and June 15). One-day options are also available. Lodging is additional. Registration closes June 15. For more information, contact BWA23@etown.edu or call 717-327-8188.
Creation Justice Ministries, which is a partner organization for the Church of the Brethren’s Office of Peacebuilding and Policy is relaunching a “52 Ways to Care for Creation” bulletin insert series. Each week’s bulletin insert highlights a creation justice idea for action or reflection that corresponds with the season or the church calendar. Find out more at www.creationjustice.org/resource-hub/category/bulletin-insert.
The Church of the Brethren offers nursing scholarships of $1,000 to $2,000 for church members who are enrolled in LPN, RN, or nursing graduate programs. A limited number of scholarships are awarded each year. Scholarships of up to $2,000 for RN and graduate nurse candidates, and up to $1,000 for LPN candidates, will be awarded. A preference is given to new applications. Also, preference is given to nursing students who are in their second year of an associate’s degree or third year of a baccalaureate program. Scholarship recipients are eligible for only one scholarship per degree. Nominees must be members of the Church of the Brethren. Applications and supporting documentation must be submitted by April 1. Candidates awarded scholarships will be notified in July and funds will be sent directly to the appropriate school for the fall term. Find the application form and more information at www.brethren.org/discipleshipmin/nursingscholarships.
The Part-time Pastor, Full-time Church program of the Church of the Brethren’s Office of Ministry is offering two virtual events under the umbrella, “Sacred Connections: Lenten Soul Tending for Spiritual Leaders.” They will be led by one of the program’s “circuit riders,” Erin Matteson, an ordained minister and spiritual director, on Friday, March 10, and Monday, March 27. The March 10 session, “Listening with the Ear of the Heart; Looking with the Eyes of Faith,” will feature a fusion of the prayer practices of lectio and visio divina using Matthew 16:13-20. The March 27 session, “Music as a Gateway to the Sacred,” will feature experiencing vibration and other short musical pieces of varied languages and styles to carry us further into the heart of God and connect us to the hearts of one another. The times for each date will be 11 a.m. Central and again at 7 p.m. Spanish translation will be available both time offerings on both dates. Zoom information will be forthcoming. For questions contact Erin Matteson at 209-484-5937 or erin@soultending.net. Email adminptpftc@brethren.org by March 1 to register.
For the last several months a group of local, district, and agency leaders in the Church of the Brethren have been working on the 2022 Annual Conference’s call to study and act against the violence of racism. This committee, facilitated by On Earth Peace, comprises members of the Southern Ohio and Kentucky District joined by Church of the Brethren denominational staff. On March 14, 6-7:30 p.m. Central, a special online event will provide space to build relationships and learn more about the work of this two-year study/action process to help the Church of the Brethren to stand with people of color. Participants will explore the committee’s objectives and consider how we can all work together in 2023 and 2024. Join at at www.onearthpeace.org/2023_03_14_standing_with_people_of_color_welcome_session.
New resources offered through Brethren Press include several new Bible study resources for children and adults, as well as a new Vacation Bible School curriculum for this summer. Among the new titles: Jesus Calls Us, the spring issue of A Guide for Biblical Studies; Life of Peter and Day of the Lord: Judgment that Restores, the latest books in Brethren Press’ Covenant Bible Studies series; and Changemakers Lab, the 2023 Vacation Bible School from the Shine curriculum that is jointly produced by Brethren Press and MennoMedia. Available to pre-order, The Peace Table: A Storybook Bible, also from Shine. Purchase these resources and more at www.brethrenpress.com.
“A Small World: Building Resiliency and Hope after Childhood Trauma” is the title of an upcoming webinar sponsored by Church of the Brethren Discipleship Ministries and the Anabaptist Disabilities Network. The online event takes place on Feb. 28, at 7 p.m. Central. Participants may earn 0.1 CEU. Presenter Jon-Erik (J.E.) Misz, currently secretary for the Anabaptist Disabilities Network board, works in Goshen, Ind., as a licensed clinical social worker and clinical supervisor in a community health center. His interests integrate mental health, faith, and spoken word poetry, and he has led discussions both locally and nationally on subjects such as trauma-informed care, anxiety, depression, and adolescent mental health. Register at https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZctdeuqrzMuHNae7ATuDzJM4yj9OAYs0ZK9. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information about how to join the webinar.
The 67th TEKAN General Assembly has elected Joel S. Billi, president of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) as the TEKAN president. Three other executive committee members also were elected on Jan. 14 at Takum, Taraba State, Nigeria. Billi, who served as the TEKAN vice president, succeeds his former boss Caleb S. O. Ahima, who served two terms of six years. TEKAN stands for the Fellowship of Christian Churches in Nigeria and is the largest Christian ecumenical body in Nigeria. TEKAN was established on Feb. 15, 1955, by six denominations; EYN, COCIN, LCCN, ERCC, UMCN, CRCN. Today, the fellowship has 15 denominations and two associates, blessed with over 30 million members.
The seventh Brethren World Assembly will take place July 26-29 at Elizabethtown (Pa.) College and at Germantown Church of the Brethren in Philadelphia on the final day, July 29. The theme of the assembly is “Brethren Faithfulness: Priorities in Perspective.” The gathering marks 300 years of the Brethren in America and the 300th anniversary of the Germantown Church. The event also marks the centennial of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria). The scheduled sessions relate to the history and developments of the Brethren in America from 1723 up to the Civil War, with an additional session about EYN. Opening devotions and evening worship services will open and close each day. For the entire Assembly, July 26-29, including the day at Germantown, fees are $310 (early bird cost, registered by May 15) or $370 (tegular cost, registered between May 16 and June 15). For the days in Elizabethtown only, July 26-28, fees are $190 (early bird, registered by May 15) or $225 (regular cost, registered between May 16 and June 15). One-day options are also available. Lodging is additional. Registration closes June 15. For more information, contact BWA23@etown.edu or call 717-327-8188.
Creation Justice Ministries, which is a partner organization for the Church of the Brethren’s Office of Peacebuilding and Policy is relaunching a “52 Ways to Care for Creation” bulletin insert series. Each week’s bulletin insert highlights a creation justice idea for action or reflection that corresponds with the season or the church calendar. Find out more at www.creationjustice.org/resource-hub/category/bulletin-insert.
The Church of the Brethren offers nursing scholarships of $1,000 to $2,000 for church members who are enrolled in LPN, RN, or nursing graduate programs. A limited number of scholarships are awarded each year. Scholarships of up to $2,000 for RN and graduate nurse candidates, and up to $1,000 for LPN candidates, will be awarded. A preference is given to new applications. Also, preference is given to nursing students who are in their second year of an associate’s degree or third year of a baccalaureate program. Scholarship recipients are eligible for only one scholarship per degree. Nominees must be members of the Church of the Brethren. Applications and supporting documentation must be submitted by April 1. Candidates awarded scholarships will be notified in July and funds will be sent directly to the appropriate school for the fall term. Find the application form and more information at www.brethren.org/discipleshipmin/nursingscholarships.
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