Newsline, July 24, 2013

Newsline The Church of the Brethren e-mail news service

July 24, 2013 "And when they could not bring [the paralyzed man] to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him" (Mark 2:4). NEWS 1) Four congregations receive the 2013 Open Roof Award. 2) Brethren volunteers assemble 1,700 Emergency Clean-Up Buckets in two hours. 3) Brethren Disaster Ministries continues to bless SALT with skilled volunteers. 4) Christian Peacemaker Team activists reveal radioactive pollution. PERSONNEL 5) Kendra Johnson to be manager of Global Mission and Service office. UPCOMING EVENTS 6) Peace Day 2013: With whom will you make peace? RESOURCES 7) Covenant study on women in Luke and Acts, Guide for Biblical Studies on ‘First Things’ new from Brethren Press. 8) August issue of ‘Basin and Towel’ to focus on peace. 9) Brethren bits: Volunteer needed at New Windsor, BVS/BRF Unit, Ohio ice cream social benefits disaster relief, Brethren colleges that are great places to work, and more. Read the full text of this Newsline in one document at www.brethren.org/news/2013/newsline-for-july-24-2013.html ******************************************** 1) Four congregations receive the 2013 Open Roof Award. The Open Roof Award is presented each year to congregations who have made specific efforts to “ensure that all may worship, serve, be served, learn, and grow in the presence of God, as valued members of the Christian community.” During the Mission and Ministry Board meeting prior to the 2013 Annual Conference, four congregations were honored for their work. Read the full story at www.brethren.org/news/2013/four-congregations-receive-open-roof-award.html 2) Brethren volunteers assemble 1,700 Emergency Clean-Up Buckets in two hours. Why would anyone want to work on a hot summer day? On a Saturday? As a volunteer? For free? Well, 150 people from the Church of the Brethren districts of Atlantic Northeast and Southern Pennsylvania did on June 29 at Florin Church of the Brethren in Mount Joy, Pa. Read the full story at www.brethren.org/news/2013/brethren-volunteers-assemble.html 3) Brethren Disaster Ministries continues to bless SALT with skilled volunteers. As we approach the two year anniversary of Hurricane Irene, it is hard to believe that there are still those who have yet to move back into their homes. Though many homeowners still have their work cut out for them, organizations like Brethren Disaster Ministries (BDM) are helping in a big way. Since this past April, Brethren Disaster Ministries has been sending volunteer groups to Schoharie County to help rebuild homes. Read the full release from SALT at www.brethren.org/news/2013/brethren-disaster-ministries-blesses-salt.html 4) Christian Peacemaker Team activists reveal radioactive pollution. Christian Peacemaker Teams and the Appalachian Peace Education Center held a press conference on July 15 announcing the findings of a recent study revealing uranium contamination in the area surrounding Aerojet Ordnance Tennessee (AOT) in Jonesborough, Tenn. Ken Edwards, an ordained minister in the Church of the Brethren and a resident of Jonesborough, is involved with the CPT and APEC project. Read the full CPT release at www.cpt.org/cptnet/2013/07/21/jonesborough-tn-usa-activists-reveal-radioactive-pollution 5) Kendra Johnson to be manager of Global Mission and Service office. Kendra N. Johnson has accepted the position of manager in the office of Global Mission and Service for the Church of the Brethren. Her start date will be Sept. 1. She will work at the denomination’s General Offices in Elgin, Ill. Read the full story at www.brethren.org/news/2013/johnson-to-manage-global-mission-office.html 6) Peace Day 2013: With whom will you make peace? Peace Day is coming up soon on Sept. 21, and this year’s theme asks one simple question: With whom will you make peace? Peace Day (formerly called the International Day of Prayer for Peace) is a rallying call to bring people together to think about how this peace can transform relationships and communities. Sometimes it feels like violence is all around, and that peace is unattainable, but Jesus gives us peace and calls us to be peacemakers who build up our world and our communities. "My peace I leave with you" (John 14:27). Read the full story at www.brethren.org/news/2013/peace-day-2013.html 7) Covenant study on women in Luke and Acts, Guide for Biblical Studies on ‘First Things’ new from Brethren Press. A new Covenant Bible Study from Brethren Press titled “Women in Luke and Acts” is among the new resources from the Church of the Brethren publishing house. “First Things” is the theme of the fall quarter of A Guide for Biblical Studies, written by Michael Hostetter. Order these resources by calling 800-441-3712 or online at www.brethrenpress.com . Read the full story at www.brethren.org/news/2013/covenant-study-on-the-women.html 8) August issue of ‘Basin and Towel’ to focus on peace. The August issue of “Basin and Towel,” a magazine produced by the Congregational Life Ministries of the Church of the Brethren, focuses on "The Issue of Peace." The staff hope to encourage a new congregational focus on “something that often is overlooked as a basic tenet of the Church of the Brethren,” said editor and Deacon Ministry director Donna Kline. “I'm particularly excited about this issue not just because of the theme, but also because of the type of articles.” Read the full story at www.brethren.org/news/2013/august-issue-of-basin-and-towel-on-peace.html 9) Brethren bits. In this issue: A kitchen volunteer is needed at New Windsor, BVS/BRF Unit to start, Ohio ice cream social benefits disaster relief, Brethren colleges that are great places to work, and much much more. Read the full Brethren bits at www.brethren.org/news/2013/brethren-bits-for-july-24.html Contributors to this issue of Newsline include Deborah Brehm, Jeri S. Kornegay, Frank Ramirez, Glen Sargent, John Wall, and editor Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of News Services for the Church of the Brethren. The next regularly scheduled Newsline is planned for Aug. 8.