Minute for Mission

"that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” —2 Corinthians 5:19-20
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Minute for Mission  Issue 9 March 15, 2013   The Growth of the Church of the Brethren in Spain Jovita, 94, accepted Christ as her Lord and Savior a few years ago and, though wheelchair-bound, requested she be taken to all services at Una Luz En Las Tinieblas, a local church led by Dominican-born Brethren pastor Pablo Terrero. The loud singing, drums, dramas, heart-felt preaching, and strong sense of welcoming community presented a very different interpretation of Christianity than she had experienced growing up in northern Spain. Four months before her death last October, she requested to be emerged in believer's baptism. She died an Anabaptist. The Church of the Brethren seeks, is attentive to, and engages in opportunities to develop new holistic global mission partnerships to grow the body of Christ. It is doing so in Spain with leadership from Fausto Carrasco, pastor of Nuevo Amanecer Church of the Brethren in Atlantic Northeast District. Fausto has done a tremendous job to deepen the relationship between the US and the Brethren in Spain, including organizing a visit for Tim Harvey when he was serving as moderator of Annual Conference. Fausto also initiated the formal process to have the church in Spain recognized as Church of the Brethren. The proposal, having been prayerfully, openly, and cooperatively considered at various levels of the denomination, wasapproved by the Mission and Ministry Board early this week. It will be sent to the Annual Conference delegate body in Charlotte. The process of formal recognition for the community in Spain has taken years to work its way through the bureaucratic layers of the church, but that is all right. No one enters a marriage or an adoption lightly. The process requires broad ownership and a broad commitment. The testimony of Jovita, a true Anabaptist, reminds us of the importance of having a witness in Spain. Praise God! On February 6, L'Eglise des Freres Haitiens (the Church of the Brethren in Haiti) became a legally recognized entity. With this legal status, the church in Haiti can function as a denomination, and can ordain ministers and perform official ceremonies. This new legal status has broad implications for the Haiti Medical Project as well. Global Mission and Service will host a workcamp in South Sudan on April 19-28. Work will include digging foundations and clearing brush in preparation for the building of a Brethren Ministry Center. Another possible project will be construction work at a school in Lohila village. Cost of the workcamp is $2,500 per person, which includes roundtrip airfare, visa fees, overseas travel insurance, and all in-country expenses (lodging, food, and transportation). Visit www.brethren.org/partners/workcamp for more information. Meet Carol Mason, Coordinator for the Global Mission Advocate Network Purpose: Carol is helping the Global Missions Office find one person in every congregation and one person in every district who has a passion for Church of the Brethren missions. Carol will occasionally contact advocates to offer support and brainstorm how to better promote Church of the Brethren missions. Quick facts: Carol served in India with her late husband, Ralph, in 1975, and prepared to go to Sudan in 1982. They served together in Garkida, Nigeria, beginning in 1983 and opened the EYN Technical School in 1991. Carol directed the school until Ralph’s death in Nigeria in 1994. "No matter how many churches [Ralph and I] visited doing itineration work, there were many who never heard about the work!" writes Carol. "We sent quarterly letters home to a huge mailing list, but still many congregations never heard the news. "These days the news is easily spread through the web, but it still takes an advocate in each congregation to read the updates and share the Minute for Mission and other resources. Otherwise, the local church member still may not know what is going on in mission, especially if they don't own a computer. "I want to thank each advocate who has already volunteered. I challenge each of you to keep thinking about how to widen your circle of influence. Tell one more person than you did last week about some aspect of mission work that inspires you, and keep on widening that circle until you see 2 Corinthians 5:19-20 resounding throughout your congregation. Some of us are able to go and serve, but all of us are able to be ambassadors for Christ by supporting those who serve. "This idea of having somebody in each congregation who speaks up for the global mission work and keeps it active before the congregation—this is what I love about a network of mission advocates." Contact Carol with questions, for resources, or if you have a story to share about the mission work your congregation supports: 360-736-7311 or 360-807-8615 misnetco23@gmail.com Carol Mason, c/o Lacey Community Church, 4501 19th Avenue SE, Lacey, WA 98503-7072 Equipment Appeal Honduras Chet Thomas, executive director of Proyecto Aldea Global (PAG) in Honduras, has sent an appeal for the donation oftwo hay binder units in fairly good condition to help power a ferry boat (see photos above). The ferry functions near a large hydroelectric dam called El Cajon, or “the box,” in an area where several PAG programs work. Two decades ago an access road between two rivers was cut off by the dam, greatly increasing the length and hardship of the trip between peoples’ homes and markets in northern Honduras. The connection of this area to the north is very important economically and politically, but the dam is too wide and deep to support a bridge. Volunteers built the first ferry in 2000, "Miss Pamela," using out-of-date steel propane tanks, steel girders, etc. In order to move the 40- by 60-foot boat, a power unit was installed using motorized hay binders. The hydraulic component drive capacity and the pilot cab were connected to the paddle wheels of the ferry. The system has worked for 12 years, moving people, vehicles, heavy equipment, and cattle across a three-mile stretch of water 11 hours a day, 7 days a week. PAG supervises maintenance and operations for quality control and security reasons. The original hay binder units are now in need of replacement. Thomas states, "Almost any hay binder can be adapted by us for use on the ferry." Once donated, PAG staff will prepare units for shipment to Honduras. Contact Chet Thomas with information or questions by email or at 305-433-2947. Print and distribute the April 2013 missions prayer guide. The Church of the Brethren Annual Conference will take place June 29-July 3, 2013, in Charlotte, N.C. The Global Ministries dinner (scroll down) will take place in Charlotte on Monday, July 1, beginning at 5 p.m. If you are an advocate and would like one complimentary ticket to the Global Ministries dinner, e-mailmission@brethren.org. Other Global Mission and Service events at the Conference include several Insight Sessions: Monday, July 1 9 p.m. A Voice for Peace in a Time of Violence, a session on the church and violence in Nigeria Called to Serve: Brethren Disaster Ministries . . . Past, Present, and Future Tuesday, July 2 12:30 p.m. The Inside Story on North Korea Building Bridges from Volunteers to Disciples Tuesday, July 2 9 p.m. Deeply Rooted In a Life of Service Community Gardens: The “Going to the Garden” Initiative of Peace Witness Ministries and the Global Food Crisis Fund From Disaster to Development, a session on the church in Haiti We hope to see you in Charlotte!
"Minute for Mission" is published by Global Mission and Service, Church of the Brethren, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120; 800-323-8039 ext. 363;www.brethren.org/partners © Church of the Brethren Church of the Brethren is a non-profit religious and educational organization recognized by the Federal and State governments. Donations are tax deductible as allowed by law. Share this message with a friend Unsubscribe or change the messages you receive Contact us or change your e-mail address