NEWSLINE, April 29, 2014

Newsline The Church of the Brethren e-mail news service

April 29, 2014 “I urge you now to keep up your courage” (Acts 27:22a). Quote of the week: "We are on alert for responses in several states."  -- Kathy Fry-Miller, associate director of Children's Disaster Services, in a brief update about the possibility of CDS helping to respond to the tornados and storms that have hit several southern states. Fry-Miller is currently waiting to find out where CDS volunteers may be requested to serve. NEWS 1) Nigerian churches urge global prayer for 230 missing girls, most from EYN 2) Bethany Seminary to hold commencement ANNUAL CONFERENCE UPDATE 3) Revision to Ministerial Leadership Polity heads up Annual Conference business agenda 4) New Annual Conference App designed to aid Conference-goers 5) Congregations are invited to join in Annual Conference Sunday OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS 6) National Youth Conference registration fee to increase May 1 7) May is Older Adult Month: Celebrate the gift of aging 8) Mission across margins is topic for webinars in May and June FEATURE 9) Protests reveal a country’s struggle: A BVSer reports from Bosnia 10) Brethren bits: Christian response to waterboarding comment, Warrensburg Church to celebrate its 100th, a Caregiver’s Day in Southern Ohio, Mutual Kumquat asks, ‘Are you still glowing like we are?!’ and much more news by and for Brethren Find the full text of this Newsline in one document at www.brethren.org/news/2014/newsline-for-april-29-2014.html ****************************************************** Registration deadline reminders:  June 3 is the closing date for online registration for Annual Conference in Columbus, Ohio, on July 2-6. After June 3, registration will only be available onsite in Columbus, and the registration fees go up. See the “Annual Conference Update” section below for more news about the Conference. Register at www.brethren.org/ac . April 30 is the last day to register for National Youth Conference before the fee increases to $500 on May 1. NYC will be held in Fort Collins, Colo., on July 19-24. See the story below or go to www.brethren.org/nyc to register . ****************************************************** 1) Nigerian churches urge global prayer for 230 missing girls, most from EYN Church of the Brethren leaders in the US are joining Nigeria’s largest church network, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), to call for prayer and fasting for the safe release of hundreds of teenage school girls abducted April 14. The girls were kidnapped from a school in Chibok, Nigeria, by Boko Haram, an extremist Islamic sect in northern Nigeria violently seeking a “pure” Islamic state. Most of the affected families are part of the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria (EYN--Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria). In related news, Church of the Brethren Global Mission and Service executive Jay Wittmeyer has written to Illinois Senator Dick Durbin about the kidnapping of the girls in order to raise awareness of the situation in Nigeria among US government officials. Chibok is in Borno State in northeastern Nigeria, and in past decades was a mission station of the Church of the Brethren. Here are excerpts from a report by World Watch Monitor, which exists to report the under-reported story of Christians worldwide under pressure for their faith: Read the full story at www.brethren.org/news/2014/nigerian-churches-urge-global-prayer-and-fasting.html 2) Bethany Seminary to hold commencement By Jenny Williams Bethany Theological Seminary will hold its 109th commencement in Nicarry Chapel on the Bethany campus in Richmond, Ind., at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 10. Eight master of divinity degrees will be conferred. Admittance to the academic ceremony is by ticket only. The public is invited to attend a worship service that afternoon at 2:30 p.m., also in Nicarry Chapel. Following tradition, it will be written, planned, and led by graduates and will center around the stories of biblical characters who received new, God-given names. Read the Bethany release at www.bethanyseminary.edu/news/precommence14 ANNUAL CONFERENCE UPDATE 3) Revision to Ministerial Leadership Polity heads up Annual Conference business agenda The business agenda for the Church of the Brethren’s 2014 Annual Conference in Columbus, Ohio, on July 2-6 includes proposed revisions to the Ministerial Leadership Polity, along with other returning business items that deal with guidelines for implementing the Congregational Ethics Paper, guidance for responding to the changing of Earth’s climate, a Vision of Ecumenism for the 21st century, and more equitable representation on the Mission and Ministry Board. New business items on the docket include a proposed revision to the Special Response Process “A Structural Framework for Dealing with Strongly Controversial Issues,” as well as amendments to the bylaws of the Church of the Brethren Inc. and the Brethren Benefit Trust Articles of Organization. The delegate body also will hold elections and receive reports from the Conference agencies and representatives to ecumenical bodies. Read the full story at www.brethren.org/news/2014/business-items-to-come-to-2014-annual-conference.html 4) New Annual Conference App designed to aid Conference-goers A new Annual Conference App has been created to aid Conference-goers and delegates as they attend the Church of the Brethren annual meeting this year on July 2-6 in Columbus, Ohio. Created primarily by Russ Otto of the Church of the Brethren web staff, in cooperation with the Conference Office and other staff, the app is intended to enhance the Conference experience and will provide detailed guidance for attendees. Read the full story at www.brethren.org/news/2014/new-annual-conference-app.html 5) Congregations are invited to join in Annual Conference Sunday Church of the Brethren congregations and individuals are invited to join in a special Annual Conference Sunday worship service from around the country on July 6. The Conference Office is inviting churches to join in the webcast of worship that Sunday, in order “to worship together as one virtual church.” Read the full story at www.brethren.org/news/2014/congregations-invited-to-annual-conference-sunday.html OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS 6) National Youth Conference registration fee to increase May 1 Youth and advisors have a day to register for this summer’s National Youth Conference (NYC) before the price goes up to $500 on May 1. All participants are encouraged to register as soon as possible to avoid a late fee. For all information regarding the conference, visitwww.brethren.org/NYC . Read the full story at www.brethren.org/news/2014/national-youth-conference-registration-deadline.html 7) May is Older Adult Month: Celebrate the gift of aging By Kim Ebersole Each May, the Church of the Brethren observes Older Adult Month, an opportunity to celebrate God’s gift of aging and the contributions of older adults to our lives and our congregations. This year, the denomination’s Older Adult Ministry invites the church to consider the “Rhythms of Life: For Everything There Is a Season…” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8). Read the full story at www.brethren.org/news/2014/may-is-older-adult-month.html 8) Mission across margins is topic for webinars in May and June Two webinars with Mike Pears will explore the theme of mission in marginal places. They are sponsored by the Church of the Brethren and its Congregational Life Ministries, with partners in the UK: Urban Expression, Bristol Baptist College, and BMS World Mission. On May 21, a webinar will be offered on the theme “Mission in Marginal Places: Engaging with Power.” A June 10webinar is titled “Researching Neighborhoods: Practical Tools for a Prophetic Community.” Read the full story at www.brethren.org/news/2014/mission-across-margins-webinars.html FEATURE 9) Protests reveal a country’s struggle: A BVSer reports from Bosnia Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) worker Stephanie Barras provided this report from Mostar, Bosnia-Herzegovina, where she has been living since Sept. 2013. She is working at OKC Abrasevic, a youth cultural center: “I will do my best to explain what has been happening here after the Feb. 7 protests....” Read the full story at www.brethren.org/news/2014/protests-reveal-a-countrys-struggle.html 10) Brethren bits In this issue: Christian response to waterboarding comment, Warrensburg Church to celebrate its 100th, a Caregiver’s Day in Southern Ohio, Mutual Kumquat asks, ‘Are you still glowing like we are?!’ and much more news by and for Brethren. Read the full Brethren bits at www.brethren.org/news/2014/brethren-bits-for-april-29.html Contributors to this issue of Newsline include Stephanie Barras, Becky Crouse, Chris Douglas, Stan Dueck, Kim Ebersole, Christopher Fitz, Kristin Flory, Tim Heishman, Jon Kobel, Michael Leiter, Glen Sargent, Jenny Williams, Jay Wittmeyer, 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, May 6.

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