NEWSLINE, March 4, 2014

Newsline The Church of the Brethren e-mail news service

March 4, 2014 "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me" (Mark 8:34b). 1) On Earth Peace co-sponsors new Stop Recruiting Kids Campaign 2) Bethany Seminary announces results of essay contest 3) Applications are due soon for nursing scholarships RESOURCES 4) Workbook on physical loss and disability is published in Vietnam FEATURE 5) The building of a shared society: The work of one BVS project site in Northern Ireland 6) Brethren bits: Northern Ohio District loss, job openings, early registration for church planting conference, Shine training, Gun Violence Prevention Sabbath, ecumenical calls for peace with Iran and in the Ukraine, Lent initiatives and resources, and much more. Find the full text of this Newsline in one document at www.brethren.org/news/2014/newsline-for-march-4-2014.html ******************************************** A note to readers: With the shift of Newsline to a weekly publication, we are experimenting with the right time to distribute. It will be sent out on Tuesdays on a trial basis. Reader feedback and comments are welcomed, please contact editor Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford at cobnews@brethren.org . ******************************************** 1) On Earth Peace co-sponsors new Stop Recruiting Kids Campaign By Marie Benner-Rhoades Did you know that No Child Left Behind requires high schools to divulge students' personal information to military recruiters, without their parents' consent? Science tells us that "the adolescent brain is not equipped to make accurate risk calculations" in life choices, like deciding to join the military before they reach adulthood (American Public Health Association, "Cessation of Military Recruiting in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools," www.apha.org/advocacy/policy/policysearch/default.htm?id=1445 ). On Earth Peace is a national sponsor of the new Stop Recruiting Kids campaign, along with the National Network Opposing Militarization of Youth. Read the On Earth Peace release at http://onearthpeace.org/about/sign/peacebuilder 2) Bethany Seminary announces results of essay contest The three top essays of the 2014 Bethany Peace Essay Contest have been announced. Out of 32 entries submitted, the following placed first, second, and third, respectively: Anita Hooley Yoder, senior MDiv student at Bethany Seminary: “I’ve Read Too Much Poetry for That: Poetry, Personal Transformation, and Peace”; Charles Northrop, PhD student at Cambridge University, and a resident of Richmond, Ind.: “Hard Rock Pacifism”; Gabriella Stocksdale, student at Larkin High School in Elgin, Ill.: “Colors of Peace.” Read the Bethany release at www.bethanyseminary.edu/news/essaywin 3) Applications are due soon for nursing scholarships The Church of the Brethren awards a limited number of scholarships each year to individuals enrolled in a nursing program. Candidates for the scholarships must be enrolled in an LPN, RN, or nursing graduate program and must be members of the Church of the Brethren. The scholarships are awarded from the Health Education and Research Endowment. Read the full story at www.brethren.org/news/2014/nursing-scholarships-applications-are-due-soon.html RESOURCES 4) Workbook on physical loss and disability is published in Vietnam By Nguyen Vu Cat Tien On Sept. 3, 2013, the Ho Chi Minh City University of Social Sciences and Humanities (USSH) Faculty of Social Work received boxes containing the first 1,000 copies of the Vietnamese translation of “Coping with Physical Loss and Disability Workbook,” written by Rick Ritter, M.S.W., who has been part of Lincolnshire Church of the Brethren in Indiana. This workbook is for people with losses to reflect on themselves and find the resources from outside, as well as inner strength, to motivate them and move toward self-recovery. Read the full story at www.brethren.org/news/2014/workbook-on-physical-loss-published-in-vietnam.html FEATURE 5) The building of a shared society: The work of one BVS project site in Northern Ireland East Belfast Mission, one of the project sites in Northern Ireland where Brethren Volunteer Service workers are placed, was in the news early this year when a peacebuilding event it hosted was met with violent protests. Here, BVS volunteer Megan Miller explains the groundbreaking work of the mission, which is related to the Methodist Church. Its extensive social service center is located in a traditionally Protestant area of East Belfast near the shipyards made famous for building the Titanic. As Miller reports in this interview conducted over Skype, EBM’s combination of practical social work, community development, support for local life and culture, collaborative efforts with others, and strategic and grassroots peacebuilding, makes for an amazing story. Read the full story at www.brethren.org/news/2014/the-building-of-a-shared-society.html 6) Brethren bits In this issue: Northern Ohio District loss, job openings, early registration for church planting conference, Shine training, Gun Violence Prevention Sabbath, ecumenical calls for peace with Iran and in the Ukraine, Lent initiatives and resources, and much more. Read the full Brethren bits at www.brethren.org/news/2014/brethren-bits-for-march-4.html Contributors to this issue of Newsline include Jan Fischer Bachman, Marie Benner-Rhoades, Deborah Brehm, Katie Day, Kendal W. Elmore, Rachel Gross, Mary Kay Heatwole, Julie Hostetter, Jeff Lennard, Becky Motley, David Radcliff, Robert Shank, Jonathan Shively, Nguyen Vu Cat Tien, Jenny Williams, David Young, and editor Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of News Services for the Church of the Brethren. The next regularly scheduled issue of Newsline is planned for Tuesday, March 11.

Newsline is produced by the news services of the Church of the Brethren. Contact the editor at cobnews@brethren.org. Newsline appears every week, with special issues as needed. Stories may be reprinted if Newsline is cited as the source. Forward Newsline to a friend    Subscribe to Newsline