DENOMINATIONAL NEWS/NEWSLINE

Registration for the 2026 Song and Story Fest taking place July 5-11 at Inspiration Hills in Ohio is now open. You can access all the info about this coming year's Song and Story Fest at: On Earth Peace Event Page for Song and Story Fest. The organizers note that have added more detail to the online registration form about which meals and nights participants will be present for. Also, if any members of a family will have different arrival and departure times and therefore different numbers of meals and/or nights at the camp, please have those individuals register separately.

A new Reach curriculum for youth in grades 9-12 is now available from Brethren Press through the Shine curriculum, a joint effort of Brethren Press and MennoMedia. Reach is an interactive           faith formation curriculum for high school youth with a flexible format of six-week units. Reach offers both biblical and topical explorations that invite young people to engage deeply with God, scripture, their peers, and the faith community. The curriculum is appropriate for Sunday school, midweek gatherings, or retreat settings, inviting youth to grow in faith that is active, rooted, and responsive. Reach is available in digital format. Two units are available for purchase now, with additional units expected to be released each quarter in 2026 through 2027. Find out more and purchase Reach curriculum at www.brethrenpress.com/category_s/230.htm

The deadline to apply for the Church of the Brethren’s Health Care Education Scholarship in 2026 has been changed to May 22. This scholarship, made possible by the Health Education and Research Endowment, is available to members of the Church of the Brethren enrolled in degree programs for nursing, medicine, dentistry, physical and occupational therapy, and other health professions. Scholarships of between $5,000 and $10,000 are awarded to a limited number of applicants each year. For more information and to apply, go to www.brethren.org/healthcarescholarship

Brethren Disaster Ministries made the last grants for 2025 from the Church of the Brethren’s Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF), headed by a large grant of $120,000 to support the Hurricane Melissa recovery program of Églises des Frères d’Haïti (the Church of the Brethren in Haiti) and $5,000 to support emergency relief in Cuba after Hurricane Melissa via ASIGLEH (the Church of the Brethren in Venezuela). Also in this round of grants, $20,000 aids children in Gaza, $19,850 helps repair of a school in Uganda, $8,500 helps purchase a vehicle to support disaster and crisis response in Burundi, and $5,000 supports the response by Fundación Brethren y Unida to the humanitarian crisis in Ecuador.

Elizabethtown (Pa.) Church of the Brethren gained media attention in a report on the area school board meeting held Nov. 25. It was announced that the congregation would spearhead a new campaign, kicking off at the community Thanksgiving Eve service hosted by the church, to help pay off the debt of students who owe money for school lunches. School district staff said the debt totals around $34,000. Elizabethtown Church board chair Amy Karr is quoted as saying that 328 students were carrying lunch debt ranging from 10 cents to just over $900. Read the full report at https://lancasteronline.com/news/regional/elizabethtown-church-launches-fundraiser-to-pay-off-student-lunch-debt/article_eeae0437-92da-456b-addf-a6ae0e19c5b9.html

FaithX is hosting a special service trip for adults ages 50-plus at Camp Ithiel in Gotha, Fla., Feb. 22-27. Previous trips included camp projects of painting a cabin, tree trimming, invasive species removal, deep cleaning, and kitchen assistance as well as Bible study, games, bird watching, puzzles, rocking chair relaxation, and recreational trips away from camp. Registration is open at www.brethren.org/faithx. For questions, please reach out to Marissa Witkovsky-Eldred in the FaithX Office at faithx@brethren.org or 847-429-4337.

Brethren Press is offering the opportunity for congregations and individuals to pre-order next year’s Lenten devotional. The Wondrous Works of God: 2026 Devotional for Ash Wednesday Through Easter written by our own Carol Davis (Canton) is available for $5 each for the regular print edition. Pre-order at www.brethrenpress.com/product_p/lentendev-0001.htm.

Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) is accepting applications for 2026-2027. Before embarking on a service year, volunteers first attend an orientation. In 2026, the summer orientation will be July 27 to Aug. 4 at Inspiration Hills Camp in Burbank, Ohio. The fall orientation will be Sept. 15-23 at Camp Emmaus in Mt. Morris, Ill. For more information, go to www.brethren.org/bvs. BVS also recently announced two new project sites: Food for Greater Elgin (Ill.) and East Belfast Mission/The Larder in Northern Ireland. Also from BVS comes a new initiative called BVS Early Enrollment Program. This pilot program is for applicants who apply by Feb. 26, allowing them to apply for specific placements, know their placement in advance, and have earlier access to limited international placements. Early enrollment volunteers will still attend orientation and start their volunteer year in August or September 2026. For any questions about volunteering or the application process, email bvs@brethren.org.

The L.E.A.D. Planning Team has scheduled the next in-person denominational L.E.A.D. Conference for May 1-3, again hosted by Ephrata (Pa.) Church of the Brethren. Keynote leader will be Tod Bolsinger of Sloan Leadership Inc. and executive director of Fuller’s De Pree Center Church Leadership Institute. Learn more at The L.E.A.D. Conference – Discipleship and Leadership Formation.