DENOMINATIONAL NEWS/NEWSLINE

Mennonite Health Service Association and Anabaptist Disabilities Network recently received a grant of $1.2 million from Lilly Endowment’s Nurturing Children Through Worship and Prayer Initiative, which aims to support faith-based organizations as they help children grow in faith and deepen their relationships with God. As a result, ADN is launching an exciting new opportunity for Anabaptist congregations through a five-year project, All In: Immersive Worship for Everybody. This collaborative project invites congregations on a journey of creating accessible, intergenerational worship through a five-year collaborative project. All In will emphasize the importance of congregational worship in children’s faith formation. Church leaders will have the opportunity to receive in-person and virtual training and coaching, participate in in-person retreats and online forums, and receive $2,000 annually for supplies to expand ministries. Applications are now open through October. For more information, email All In Project Director, Keli Boyer at KeliB@anabaptistdisabilities.net.

Brethren Disaster Ministries has directed large grants from the Church of the Brethren’s Emergency Disaster Fund to support Eglise des Freres au Congo (Church of the Brethren in the DRC) in providing a six-month emergency humanitarian aid program for families affected by war, and to a program being developed by the Church of the Brethren Mission in South Sudan. Also among recent grants, funding was provided for the Hurricane Helene response of Brethren Disaster Ministries.

The Eder Retirement Plan memorial tribute shared at Annual Conference is available online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRHw9EP_klM&feature=youtu.be.

Erica Leeds, director of Camp Carmel in North Carolina, received this year’s Staff Member/Camp Director of the Year Award from the Outdoor Ministries Association (OMA) at an annual breakfast event at Annual Conference. OMA also presented a special “Four Horsemen” award to Doug and Sally Ruby of Camp Swatara. The award is named after four Brethren who decades earlier had traveled from church to church promoting camp ministries when those ministries were in their infancies.

McPherson (Kan.) College officially opened its new student center, the Campus Commons, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 24. “As part of the event, a rare 1972 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona was lifted to the ceiling of the atrium, where it will serve as a striking centerpiece of this landmark building,” said a release. “The multi-level, 55,000-square-foot building features new dining options, a coffee shop, campus store, student collaboration and lounge spaces.

The Global Church of the Brethren Communion met June 6 via Zoom with delegates from member denominations attending. Among top agenda items, the group elected two new officers of the board of the communion: Santos Terrero of Spain as president, and Sharon Brugger Norton of the United States as treasurer. The countries represented at the meeting included Brazil, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Honduras, India, Rwanda, Spain, Uganda, the United States, and Venezuela.

Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) Unit 337, the 2025 summer unit, completed orientation at Camp Colorado on July 27 through Aug. 4. The nine new volunteers include five from EIRENE, a long-term partner organization based in Germany.

The latest Covenant Bible Studies series issue from Brethren Press is a powerful study on Sabbath: God’s Call to Peace written by Angela Finet, pastor of Mountville (Pa.) Church of the Brethren. Order 10 or more to get 20 percent off. Order at www.brethrenpress.com/product_p/9780871783769.htm.

The Church of the Brethren Intercultural Ministries Jubilee Celebration will take place Nov. 18-21 in Gotha, Fla., at Camp Ithiel. Find more information at www.brethren.org/intercultural/#jubilee. Intercultural Ministries will also be holding several events at Annual Conference this summer.

The L.E.A.D. Planning Team has scheduled the next in-person denominational L.E.A.D. Conference for May 1-3, 2026, again hosted by Ephrata (Pa.) Church of the Brethren. Between now and then, the team is planning quarterly virtual events as four free webinars focused on one of the four leadership components: Listen, Equip, Adapt, Disciple. The first webinar is scheduled for Thursday, June 19, at 6 p.m. Central Time featuring Dennis Edwards, the keynote speaker at the L.E.A.D. Conference held last fall, presenting material on listening as a leadership skill from his book Humility Illuminated. Others will follow on Oct. 16, Jan. 15, and March 19.

CEU’s are available for clergy. For more information and to register go to www.brethren.org/thirdthursday.