Whitestone and Operation Christmas Child 2013

The Whitestone church is once again joining with churches and service organizations across the globe in making Christmas boxes for Operation Christmas Child. The folks at Whitestone gathered around the tables in the Fellowship Hall on Sunday morning, November 17, and packed their boxes "full of gifts, prayers, and love." The result was 36 Christmas boxes--and countless smiles around the world.

eBrethren, November 21, 2013

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November 21, 2013   Outreach reports due Dec 2! Click here. CONTENTS One song Opening prayer Gilbert Romero leading worship at the "Great Multitude Symposium." Making joyful noise together.  "Our individual parts created a song of praise that worshiped the one God we all shared." Photos by Mandy Garcia One songBy Mandy Garcia "Play something for us," said Gilbert. "Anything at all." I was sitting at an upright piano amid several other musicians and bystanders, a first-timer with this pick-up band, and I was drawing a blank. "How about, 'This little light of mine,’" said Gilbert. "How about in C," said another, and "Isn't that a one-four-one pattern?" came from behind an amp. Suddenly they were speaking a language I understood, and they wanted me to play a song I’ve known since childhood. I could do this. The bass picked up the low end, the guitar kept the rhythm, the keys filled the middle, and many voices carried the familiar melody to the roof beams. It certainly wasn’t flawless, but it was filled with laughter and joy, and that was all that mattered. It finally sank in: I wasn't on my own. I was part of a group that had accepted me before I began. We were in it to worship God. This realization was one I recalled over and over again at the “Great Multitude Symposium," the Intercultural Ministries gathering in Virginia last month. I walked in unsure of what to expect, nervous about feeling out of place, embarrassed by my white skin and ability to speak only one language. But once again my nerves were unjustified. The group was beautifully diverse, representative of many cultures from all over the church, every member valued. My midwestern culture was different than my brothers’ and sisters’ in the east and west. Within each of our regional cultures were various ethnic heritages, and we each had our personal understandings of culture within the Church of the Brethren. But through conversation, teaching, prayer, and breaking bread, we “picked up our instruments,” so to speak. We came with unique sounds, each player with a unique part, and we played the same song, together. Sometimes one would be louder than the others, sometimes there was liberty taken with rhythm, lyrics, or chord structure, but we sure made a joyful noise. Our individual parts created a song of praise that worshiped the one God we all shared and, regardless of our background or culture, we were in it together. Read more coverage of the “Great Multitude Symposium” at www.brethren.org/intercultural . Find pictures from the event at www.brethren.org/greatmultitude . Support this important ministry of the Church of the Brethren at www.brethren.org/give . Forward to a friend Back to top www.brethren.org/adventoffering Opening prayer Giver of Life, Come to our barren places this day. Help us to quiet ourselves long enough, to move from a vision of scarcity or skepticism to discover something unexpected growing within us. Bless us this day, like Zechariah, with a new song of hope. Amen. —This prayer is one of several worship resources written by Erin Matteson for the Church of the Brethren Advent Offering. Read them all at www.brethren.org/adventoffering . www.brethren.org/messenger “Scripture is awfully clear—what matters to God isn’t what you have, it’s who you are. Since we are each created in the image of God we are expected to live our lives in the fullness of that image. And when we do, healing springs forth like a gushing stream, and we will be refreshed by God.” —Christy Waltersdorff in the November edition of  Messenger magazine. Do you have a story about how you and your congregation practice stewardship? E-mail it to mgarcia@brethren.org ! eBrethren: Stories of Brethren Stewards, is produced every other week by the Church of the Brethren's donor communications team. Send feedback to mgarcia@brethren.org or call 847-742-5100 ext. 361. Thanks for reading!  Watch for our next issue on December 4, 2013.

Deacon Update, November 2013

DEACON UPDATE

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Rethinking Hospitality

November 2013

Last week my friend Amy and I met for lunch at a relatively new place in town. It’s the sort of restaurant where you order at the counter then your food is brought to the table (this place is pretty small, so the food is often delivered by the same person who took the order). Amy paid for her sandwich and salad, put the change in her wallet, then held out her hand to the woman behind the counter with these words: "I come here pretty often and I certainly recognize you, but I don’t know your name. I’m Amy." The surprised woman offered her own hand, as well as her name—Lola. When Lola brought our food and came back to check on us periodically, I noticed that Amy used her new friend’s name each time, making it clear that this relationship was one she was taking seriously. I can’t help but think that Lola, too, will remember Amy's name the next time she comes in.

We don't often see the kind of hospitality Amy modeled so well. We expect to receive hospitality in places like restaurants and department stores (and can sometimes be quick to complain when we don't), but how often do we offer it ourselves, especially to the extent that Amy did that day? In our busy-ness, how often do we simply not see the people who serve us, people behind counters, taking our tolls as we travel, handing us a cup of coffee through a drive-up window?

We shall be known by the manner of our living. What does the manner of your living, the way you treat those who serve you, say about you? How might you serve them, as Jesus called us to do?

I have a long way to go to catch up with Amy, let alone Jesus.

"Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it." ~~Hebrews 13:2

Director of Denominational Deacon Ministry
dkline@brethren.org
847-429-4306

Church of the Brethren | 1451 Dundee Avenue, Elgin, Illinois 60120

Brethren Disaster Response to Tornado Outbreak

Newsline The Church of the Brethren e-mail news service

Nov. 20, 2013 Brethren Disaster Ministries responds to Illinois tornado outbreak  By Jane Yount Following an intense outbreak of thunderstorms and tornadoes that heavily impacted parts of Illinois and Indiana on Sunday, Nov. 17, Brethren Disaster Ministries is preparing to be involved as needed in those states. Preliminary reports indicate some 91 tornadoes resulted in six fatalities and approximately 150 to 200 injuries. In Illinois, more than 1,000 residences sustained moderate to severe damage, with the heaviest damage in the towns of Washington and Minden. Indiana fared better with 26 counties reporting damage to about 56 dwellings and 2 schools. Brethren Disaster Ministries is supporting Church World Service (CWS) efforts to provide disaster recovery training for communities hit by the tornadoes and material aid shipments such as Emergency Clean-up Buckets, Hygiene Kits, Baby Care Kits, School Kits, and CWS blankets. CWS responded to its first request for material goods by shipping 200 Clean-up Buckets to the American Red Cross Chicago Region for distribution in the Coal City area of Illinois. Illinois and Wisconsin District disaster coordinator reports Rick Koch, the Illinois and Wisconsin District disaster coordinator, is representing Brethren Disaster Ministries on daily conference calls of Illinois VOAD (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster). He reports that VOAD member organizations are assessing where to send early responders. “While Washington, Ill., was first in the news, many communities other than Washington have been hard hit,” Koch reports. “Coal City, Ill., also had deaths, and a trailer park was destroyed.” Koch shared with the Illinois VOAD that Brethren Disaster Ministries stands ready to do long-term recovery work as the affected communities become ready. In an e-mail message to Illinois and Wisconsin District churches he wrote, “First and foremost, please pray for the families who have lost loved ones, for those injured and for those who have been displaced.... Some of our Brethren families have been affected directly as well.” In an e-mail update today, Koch writes that “lists are being posted by the Red Cross on items needed. They vary, so find the one closest to your area,” he says, noting that churches in the district may begin to collect items. Three different collection sites are being opened in Illinois, at Coal City, in the community of Gillespie near Champaign, and in Washington. He recommends that interested congregations talk to their area Red Cross for more information about the need for volunteers. “Also please do not forget to give financially to Brethren Disaster Ministries,” Koch urges. Giving to the Illinois tornado response may be done online at www.brethren.org/edf or by check to Emergency Disaster Fund, Church of the Brethren, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120. Brethren Disaster Ministries is in touch with churches Zach Wolgemuth, associate director of Brethren Disaster Ministries, has spoken with Dana McNeil, pastor of Peoria (Ill.) Church of the Brethren, one of the closest churches to the worst affected areas in Illinois. McNeil said the church is planning to get involved in clean-up work and other recovery efforts. Cliff Kindy, South/Central Indiana District disaster coordinator, has reached out to several congregations in Indiana including Kokomo, Lafayette, and Logansport. They reported fallen trees and loose shingles but were spared major damage. “I’m not sensing any urgency in this state,” Kindy said. “I think the warning systems were effective.” He too plans to be in touch with his state VOAD. -- Jane Yount is coordinator for Brethren Disaster Ministries. Find out more about the work of Brethren Disaster Ministries atwww.brethren.org/bdm . The program also recently announced a challenge to raise $500,000 for disaster response following Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of News Services for the Church of the Brethren, serves as editor of Newsline. The next regularly scheduled issue of Newsline is planned for Nov. 22.

Newsline is produced by the news services of the Church of the Brethren. Contact the editor at cobnews@brethren.org. Newsline appears every other 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

Newsline, November 15, 2013

Newsline The Church of the Brethren e-mail news service

Nov. 15, 2013 "They were from every nation, tribe, people, and language...standing before the throne and before the Lamb.... He will lead them to the springs of life-giving water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes" (Revelation 7:9b and 17b). NEWS 1) Former general secretary Judy Mills Reimer is remembered for her leadership to the Church of the Brethren 2) Great Multitude Symposium considers the intercultural vision of church 3) Brethren Volunteer Service Unit 303 begins service 4) New Young Adult Steering Committee members announced 5) Church World Service issues update on Typhoon Haiyan relief efforts 6) World Hunger Auction completes its 30th year UPCOMING EVENTS 7) Progressive Brethren Gathering to be webcast live this weekend 8) National Youth Conference speakers announced, registration opens January 3 9) New video series asks, ‘Why NYC?’ 10) Bethany Seminary offers course on Dietrich Bonhoeffer 11) Brethren bits: Remembering J. Henry Long, personnel, SVMC course, Lilly clergy renewal, Nobel laureate at Juniata, Colombia peace prize, Virlina members to school boards, Christmas events, and more Read the full text of this Newsline in one document at www.brethren.org/news/2013/newsline-for-nov-15-2013.html ******************************************** TO THE READER: The editor apologizes that the full text of the Nov. 11 Newsline was not made available in full in one document. That issue is now online in full at www.brethren.org/news/2013/newsline-for-nov-11-2013.html . ******************************************** 1) Former general secretary Judy Mills Reimer is remembered for her leadership to the Church of the Brethren Judy Mills Reimer, 73, who filled a number of key leadership roles in the Church of the Brethren including service as a former general secretary and Annual Conference moderator, died the morning of Nov. 13 in a hospital in Charlottesville, Va. She had suffered a series of strokes over the past few weeks. “Her death is a loss to the whole Church of the Brethren, to which she gave so much of her life, energy, commitment, and passion,” said a statement from Church of the Brethren general secretary Stanley J. Noffsinger. Read the full story at www.brethren.org/news/2013/former-general-secretary-judy-mills-reimer.html   2) Great Multitude Symposium considers the intercultural vision of church By Gimbiya Kettering  The 50 participants at the “Great Multitude Symposium” Oct. 25-27 in Virlina District ranged from retired pastors to young adults. They traveled from California, and just a few miles down the mountain from the conference center. They spoke Hausa, German, Spanish, and English. It seems possible, then, to say that the symposium brought together people truly representative of the many tribes, peoples, and languages in the Church of the Brethren. They were diverse, yet unified in the desire to make a biblically based vision of an intercultural church a reality. Read the full story at www.brethren.org/news/2013/great-multitude-symposium.html 3) Brethren Volunteer Service Unit 303 begins service Brethren Volunteer Service Unit 303 has completed orientation and the volunteers have been sent across the US and into Europe and Latin America to begin a term of service. The volunteers, who met Sept. 22 to Oct. 11 at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md., have been assigned to the following placements: Read the full story at www.brethren.org/news/2013/BVS-unit-303.html   4) New Young Adult Steering Committee members announced Three young adults will join the Young Adult Steering Committee of the Church of the Brethren this fall. Jess Hoffert is part of Stover Memorial Church of the Brethren in Northern Plains District. Heather Landram hails from Shenandoah District and Staunton Church of the Brethren. Laura Whitman comes to the team from Palmyra Church of the Brethren in Atlantic Northeast District. Read the full story at www.brethren.org/news/2013/new-young-adult-steering-committee.html 5) Church World Service issues update on Typhoon Haiyan relief efforts Church World Service (CWS) has issued an update on relief efforts following Typhoon Haiyan. CWS is one of the ecumenical partners with which Brethren Disaster Ministries works to aid survivors of disasters. CWS has revised its initial appeal for the relief effort, with a new goal of $750,000, expanded from $250,000. Contributions to support the relief effort for Typhoon Haiyan survivors may be made at www.brethren.org/typhoonaid . Read the full story at www.brethren.org/news/2013/typhoon-haiyan-relief-update.html 6) World Hunger Auction completes its 30th year By Lynn Myers The 30th World Hunger Auction, sponsored by a number of Churches of the Brethren in Franklin County and Roanoke, Va., was held in August. Beginning with one congregation in 1984, the auction has grown steadily to a point that 10 congregations currently are involved. Read the full story at www.brethren.org/news/2013/world-hunger-auction-completes-30th-year.html UPCOMING EVENTS 7) Progressive Brethren Gathering to be webcast live this weekend By Enten Eller The Progressive Brethren Gathering happening this weekend, Nov. 15-17, in Fort Wayne, Ind., will be webcast live. Connect through either www.progressivebrethren.org or www.livingstreamcob.org . Beacon Heights Church of the Brethren is hosting the gathering, on the theme, "Holy Longing: This Is My Body." Sharon Groves, director of the Religion and Faith Program for Human Rights Campaign, will be the featured presenter. Read the full story at www.brethren.org/news/2013/progressive-brethren-gathering-webcast.html 8) National Youth Conference speakers announced, registration opens January 3 The National Youth Conference Office has announced its list of 10 speakers for NYC 2014, to be held July 19-24, 2014, in Fort Collins, Colo. The NYC Office also is encouraging all congregations to plan NYC registration parties for the evening of Jan. 3 when online registration opens at 7 p.m.(central time). Youth groups are encouraged to plan a fun evening of food and games, and register together when the clock strikes seven. Party ideas are available on the registration page of the NYC website at www.brethren.org/yya/nyc/registration-info.html . Read the full story at www.brethren.org/news/2013/nyc-speakers-and-registration.html 9) New video series asks, ‘Why NYC?’ The National Youth Conference Office has launched a weekly video series called "Why NYC Wednesdays." It features young adults from around the denomination reflecting on what their NYC experience meant to them, and sharing reasons why current youth should make NYC a priority next summer. Read the full story at www.brethren.org/news/2013/new-video-series-asks-why.html 10) Bethany Seminary offers course on Dietrich Bonhoeffer By Jenny Williams In spring 2014, Bethany Theological Seminary will make one of its popular peace studies courses available through the Susquehanna Valley Ministries Center of Elizabethtown, Pa. Interested persons are invited to enroll in “Bonhoeffer, War, and Peace,” taught by Scott Holland, professor of theology and culture and director of peace studies and cross-cultural studies. Read the full story at www.brethren.org/news/2013/bethany-seminary-offers-course-on-bonhoeffer.html 11) Brethren bits. In this issue: remembering J. Henry Long, personnel announcements from Pacific Southwest District and Juniata College, a successful course at SVMC, Lilly offers clergy renewal, updates from several districts, Nobel laureate in physics speaks at Juniata, CPT celebrates peace prize in Colombia, Virlina members elected to school boards, and Brethren churches already beginning to announce Christmas events. Read the full Brethren bits at www.brethren.org/news/2013/brethren-bits-for-nov-15.html Contributors to this issue of Newsline include Jenn Dorsch, Mary Jo Flory-Steury, Tim Harvey, Tim Heishman, Phil King, Wendy McFadden, Robert Saler, John Wall, Roy Winter, 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 Nov. 22.

Newsline is produced by the news services of the Church of the Brethren. Contact the editor at cobnews@brethren.org. Newsline appears every other 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

The NYC 5,000 Challenge!

National Youth Conference 2014 July 19–24, 2014 • Fort Collins, Colorado

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November 14, 2013 Dear friend, What if 5,000 youth registered for National Youth Conference 2014? That is our goal this year, and we'd like you to get involved! We think doubling the typical attendance of NYC would create a 'delightful problem' for the Church of the Brethren. The venue for NYC 2014 (Colorado State University) can only accommodate 5,000 people. What if we ran out of beds for everyone and had to scramble to find extra housing? Wouldn't that be exciting? The church needs more of these kinds of problems. We're inviting you to join the 5,000 Challenge and help make this happen. Here's how you can participate: find one youth to send to NYC 2014. Who can you send? Have a conversation with one youth about NYC 2014 and encourage them to participate. Don't have youth in your congregation? Send a grandchild, cousin, niece or nephew, neighbor, or other youth you know in your community! Consider sponsoring a youth financially or helping them fundraise. Contact your church or district office to see what needs you can contribute to. If everyone finds one youth to send to NYC, we can meet our goal. Will you join the5,000 Challenge? Sarah, Tim, and Katie 2014 National Youth Conference Coordinators NYC Registration opens in 50 days: January 3 at 7:00pm (CST) atwww.brethren.org/NYC

NYC Coordinators: Katie Cummings 847-429-4389, Tim Heishman 847-429-4323 & Sarah Neher 847-429-4363 E-mail: cobyouth@brethren.org Fax: 847-429-4399 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120 Follow NYC 2014!        #cobnyc

Typhoon Haiyan Response

Brethren Disaster Ministries challenges church to raise $500,000 for Typhoon Haiyan response

Church of the Brethren Newsline
November 11, 2013

Photo courtesy of ACT/Christian Aid

Damage caused by Typhoon Haiyan in Northern Iloilo, Philippines.

By Roy Winter and Jane Yount of the Brethren Disaster Ministries staff

Please pause for a moment and pray for all impacted by the widespread devastation caused by Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines and Vietnam. With extensive loss of life and destruction, our prayers are desperately needed for all who are left homeless, all who lost loved ones, and all whose lives have been terribly disrupted.

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Brethren Disaster Ministries is intent on organizing a response that will focus Brethren resources on the areas of greatest need by working with partners already active in the Philippines and Vietnam. An initial grant of $35,000 already is being sent to support emergency operations and life saving support. Our goal is to raise at least $500,000 to expand this initial work into the long-term rebuilding of homes and lives. 

This massive storm caused a path of destruction hundreds of miles wide with sustained winds reported at 195 miles per hour and gusts much higher. These winds are equivalent to a giant F4 tornado. While search and rescue efforts are still underway, the loss of life is reported to be in the thousands and may grow into the tens of thousands. The hardest hit city of Taclaban is reported to be totally flattened, while many other cities are heavily impacted and some reported still underwater. Less information is known about the destruction in Vietnam.

Please support the Brethren response to Typhoon Haiyan. Your support and prayers are needed.  Donations may be given online atwww.brethren.org/typhoonaid or sent by mail to Emergency Disaster Fund, Church of the Brethren, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120.

-- Roy Winter is associate executive director of Global Mission and Service and Brethren Disaster Ministries. Jane Yount serves as coordinator for Brethren Disaster Ministries.

Go to www.brethren.org/Newsline to subscribe to the Church of the Brethren Newsline free e-mail news service and receive church news every week.

October Glory

What a glorious October we had! This row of poplars on Barnes Grade is one of my favorite views of the season as I make my drive up to Whitestone church--as it is for everyone who drives this road. This photo was taken by Dale Devereaux on the last Sunday morning of the month when the leaves were at their peak of color. Thanks for sharing it, Dale!

eBrethren, November 7, 2013

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November 7, 2013   Register now! Click here. CONTENTS Speak: Give voice to the promise What is a ministry pioneer? Live the peace www.brethren.org/adventoffering Find theme suggestions for all four Sundays of Advent atwww.brethren.org/adventoffering .  "It is in the quiet of carols being heard... that we rediscover the story alive in us." Photo by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford Speak: Give voice to the promiseBy Erin Matteson "He could not speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He kept motioning to them and remained unable to speak"(Luke 1:22). How many of us take intentional time to be quiet each day? It is not something most people tend to do. Apparently it had to be forced on Zechariah, the New Testament priest and father of John the Baptist. But even though it wasn’t something he sought, it was a blessing. Even if it felt like a punishment, it took him to an incredible place. The irony of this gospel story is that it is Zechariah's wife, Elizabeth, who is literally pregnant, but Zechariah ends up with something growing in him as well. As Elizabeth becomes pregnant, Zechariah begins a gestation period that brings the Good News to life again in him, culminating in the birth of a new song of hope and promise, possibility, and peace. The good news for us in that, is that in our barren places where hope may seem lost, or we can no longer see or know God’s promise of a better day, God will come to us, and plant or grow a new song, within us. An important part of this story is the partnership or means of silence. Just as John is the forerunner to Jesus, silence, grounded-ness in prayer, going inward, seems to be the forerunner to rediscovering our voice, discovering a new song. Think of the Christmas season and we rediscover this ancient truth. This is so opposite of the world.  Everyone is running around crazy, shopping, worrying about gifts, noisy. But it is when we all stop, and spend simple time with family, or make time to be quiet, listen to one another. Listen, to and for God. It is in the quiet of carols being heard, or the Christmas story being told once more, that we can rediscover the story alive in us, that we can remember the power that comes from love in our midst, and be remembered, in that remembering. Stopping, to be a little more quiet, if not silent, cracks open enough space in our living for something special to be heard for the first time—or again. Something new grows in us and we discover new energy, new possibility, hope, joy, love, peace, a fresh song of life. The preparation for Christmas—The Good News—to be born in us as it was in Zechariah, is for us to be countercultural. It is for us to stop more, speak less, go inward, allow our senses to heighten, be surprised as something fresh and new rises within us until we can’t help but let it burst forth. It is for us to see ourselves in this day, as active participants in Christ being proclaimed and born into the world, just as Christ was, long ago! It is for us as Brethren, to rediscover our voice, a voice for peace and made manifest in the action of service. —Erin Matteson is a team pastor at the Modesto Church of the Brethren in California. She wrote this and several other resources for this year’s Advent Offering, available at www.brethren.org/adventoffering . To participate in the offering now, visit www.brethren.org/give . Forward to a friend Back to top www.brethren.org/webcasts What is a ministry pioneer? A pioneer minister is someone (ordained or lay) who has the vision and gifts to be a missionary entrepreneur with the capacity to form and and lead fresh expressions and new forms of church appropriate to a particular culture. Three free webinars on this subject will be hosted by Church of the Brethren Congregational Life Ministries and Anabaptist Network in the United Kingdom. November 7: Juliet Kilpin, a coordinator of Urban Expression in Britain, will discuss converting models of church or mission from one context to another. November 14: Steve Finamore, principal of Bristol Baptist College, will present on working with God to serve people in the margins—“outside the camp.” December 11, David Kerrigan, general director of BMS (Baptist Missionary Society) World Service, will lead a conversation about historical pioneers and serving in global contexts. All webinars will be held 2:30-4:00 p.m. ET. Volunteers in Europe should be sure to tune in 7:30-9:00 p.m. WET. To register or learn more, visitwww.brethren.org/webcasts , or e-mail Stan Dueck at sdueck@brethren.org . Nate Hosler running the Brethren Benefit Trust fitness challenge at Annual Conference.  Photo by Eric Thompson Heather Gentry, Amanda McLearn-Montz, and Jacob Crouse of the 2013 Youth Peace Travel Team.Photo by Marie Benner-Rhoades The Going to the Garden Initiative is partly funded through the Global Food Crisis Fund , which you can support atwww.brethren.org/gfcf . Live the peaceBy Nate Hosler This morning I went for a run. Heading down a path by the river, I could see my breath in the cold air, and in the early light I caught glimpses of steam coming off the Anacostia River. I felt a calmness that is not always characteristic of my urban life, often punctuated by violence and unrest. In the Office of Public Witness in Washington, D.C., we seek to “live the peace of Jesus publicly.” Sometimes this witness is firsthand, but other times we support from the sidelines. This summer I had the joy of supporting two Church of the Brethren ministries that daily live the peace of Jesus. The first was the Youth Peace Travel Team, a group of college-aged young adults who spend the summer traveling to church camps, teaching about the biblical basis and practice of peacemaking. The other was theGoing to the Garden Initiative, a program co-sponsored by the Global Food Crisis Fund that gives grants to congregations to begin or expand community gardens. Here in D.C., Brethren Volunteer Service worker Bryan Hangerand I will do our best to bear witness to the peace of Jesus in a city tense with political upheaval. But I will always rejoice in taking a break from that profound absence of peace to visit friends who are teaching peace in wooded camps. I will smile at pictures of Brethren sharing love and vegetables. I will thank God for stories of your congregations bearing witness to the gospel through your whole manner of living. This is the way our Brethren voice is spoken into neighborhoods, and how the Christ light is carried into the world. Thank you for your ministry, for loving others in Jesus’ name by sharing peace, love, joy—maybe even vegetables. Thank you for serving, and for participating in Church of the Brethren ministries, and for praying for others who bear witness on our behalf all over the world. Thank you for financially supporting these ministries, investing in their future growth. Thank you for believing in these ministries, and for continuing the work of Jesus through them. The Office of Public Witness, the Youth Peace Travel Team, and Brethren Volunteer Service are core ministries of the Church of the Brethren. Visitwww.brethren.org to learn more about them, and all the other life-changing ministries of the church. Forward to a friend Back to top www.brethren.org/CO “If we will live in covenant with God and live according to the plan of God, which is based on justice, mercy, and peace, we will experience all the blessings of God’s love. That is not to say that we will never suffer or that we will never experience conflict. We are prone to make many mistakes and life is finite. But to the extent that we can experience the peace God intended for the world, we, like the Bible, must reject violence, injustice, and hatred.” —From the Call of Conscience curriculum produced by the Office of Public Witness. Do you have a story about how you and your congregation practice stewardship? E-mail it to mgarcia@brethren.org ! eBrethren: Stories of Brethren Stewards, is produced every other week by the Church of the Brethren's donor communications team. Send feedback to mgarcia@brethren.org or call 847-742-5100 ext. 361. Thanks for reading!  Watch for our next issue on November 20, 2013.