Newsline, December 6, 1023

Newsline The Church of the Brethren e-mail news service

Dec. 6, 2013 "The Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood" (John 1:14, The Message). NEWS 1) Royer Family Charitable Foundation offers major support to Haiti Medical Project 2) Brethren Disaster Ministries opens rebuilding site in New Jersey, Illinois tornado clean up 3) Ministry Office offers information on clergy housing ruling, BBT involved in appeal through the Church Alliance 4) Seminary receives Lilly Endowment grant to improve economic well-being of future ministers 5) Crop breeding success in North Korea 6) Powerhouse 2013 gathers youth from the midwest region UPCOMING EVENT 7) ‘Pioneering in a Global Context’ webinar set for Dec. 11 PERSONNEL 8) Gather ’Round staff complete employment with Brethren Press and MennoMedia 9) Michigan, Atlantic Southeast Districts announce staffing changes FEATURE 10) Reflecting on the anniversary of Newtown 11) Brethren bits: Remembering missionary Rolland Smith, NCC general secretary, Camp Mack retirement, Workcamp Ministry seeks assistant, Ministry Summer Service applications, live nativities, dinners at John Kline Homestead, and more. Find the full text of this Newsline in one document at www.brethren.org/news/2013/newsline-for-dec-6-2013.html ******************************************** Quotes of the week “We will remember Nelson Mandela for his forgiveness he extended to his enemies and the perpetrators of apartheid, a quality very rare among many world leaders today.”  --  Agnes Abuom, moderator of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Central Committee, in a release remembering the life of South Africa’s first black president, and leader of the anti-apartheid struggle. Mandela died yesterday at the age of 95. “Leader: Today we light the first candle of Advent, the candle of peace. All: We pray for peace to surround our relatives and friends. We will pray for peace in God's house.” -- From a Gather ’Round student book for Middlers, a prayer for the first Sunday of Advent. Gather ’Round is a Christian education curriculum from Brethren Press and MennoMedia. Students were invited to participate in a candle lighting and reading to mark the start of Advent. “How about using these readings in your regular congregational worship as well, inviting a child from your Middler group to be the leader each week?” suggests the Roundabout newsletter. Find candle readings for the four Sundays of Advent in the November Roundabout at www.gatherround.org/roundabout.html . On the Gather ’Round Music CD are songs for Advent and Christmas performed by Mutual Kumquat. Listen to "Get Ready" and "Go Tell It on the Mountain" via the link for the December Roundabout at www.gatherround.org/roundabout.html . “Order your copy today, and sing along this Advent,” invites Gather ’Round. Order from Brethren Press at800-441-3712. ******************************************** ANNUAL CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENT: Nominations are still needed for six offices to be elected at next summer’s Annual Conference: moderator-elect, Program and Arrangements Committee member, On Earth Peace Board member, Brethren Benefit Trust Board member, Bethany Seminary trustee representing colleges, Pastoral Compensation and Benefits Advisory Committee member representing district executives. The Nominating Committee meets in early January, and the deadline to make nominations has been extended to Jan. 2. The Nominating Committee does not consider a nomination unless the person who is nominated agrees and fills out the Nominee Information Form. Nomination forms are online. To make nominations, go to www.brethren.org/ac . Information about open positions is at www.brethren.org/ac/elected-positions . ******************************************** 1) Royer Family Charitable Foundation offers major support to Haiti Medical Project The Haiti Medical Project is receiving a major multi-year grant from the Royer Family Charitable Foundation that will enable a doubling of the number of communities in Haiti that are served by mobile clinics. The grant in addition will help the project purchase a truck and will contribute to an endowment fund. Read the full story at www.brethren.org/news/2013/royer-family-charitable-foundation-grant-to-haiti-medical-project-1.html 2) Brethren Disaster Ministries opens rebuilding site in New Jersey, Illinois tornado clean up At the same time that Brethren Disaster Ministries is closing out project sites following Hurricane Irene in Schoharie and Binghamton, N.Y., the program is opening a new project site in Spotswood, N.J. In other disaster relief news, Illinois and Wisconsin District disaster coordinator Rick Koch has called for volunteers to help in the clean up of tornado destruction in Illinois. Read the full story at www.brethren.org/news/2013/brethren-disaster-ministries-opens-new-site.html 3) Ministry Office offers information on clergy housing ruling, BBT involved in appeal through the Church Alliance On Nov. 22, a judge of the US District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin ruled that the housing allowance that is made available to clergy by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is unconstitutional. The decision has no immediate impact because it is not yet effective, and the ruling is on hold until all appeals are exhausted. Read the full story at www.brethren.org/news/2013/clergy-housing-allowance-court-ruling.html 4) Seminary receives Lilly Endowment grant to improve economic well-being of future ministers By Jenny Williams Bethany Theological Seminary has received a grant of $259,954 as part of Indianapolis-based Lilly Endowment Inc.’s Theological School Initiative to Address Economic Issues Facing Future Ministers. Bethany is one of 67 theological schools across the country to receive this funding. Read the release from Bethany Seminary at www.bethanyseminary.edu/news/LillyGrant 5) Crop breeding success in North Korea Global Mission and Service staff in North Korea, Robert Shank, reports important strides in the rice, soybean, and corn breeding research at Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (PUST), where he and his wife Linda are teaching. A new crop, barley, has been added to this work in 2014, and a Global Food Crisis Fund grant is helping expand the work to include small fruits. Read the full story at www.brethren.org/news/2013/crop-breeding-success-in-n-korea.html 6) Powerhouse 2013 gathers youth from the midwest region By Walt Wiltschek More than 70 people took part in Powerhouse 2013, the Church of the Brethren Midwest regional youth conference, held at Camp Mack (Milford, Ind.) for the first time this year. It marked the fourth year for the event since it was restarted in a new fall format. Audrey and Tim Hollenberg-Duffey, third-year students at Bethany Theological Seminary, served as the main speakers. Read the full story at www.brethren.org/news/2013/youth-powerhouse-2013.html UPCOMING EVENTS 7) ‘Pioneering in a Global Context’ webinar set for Dec. 11 “Pioneering in a Global Context,” a webinar co-sponsored by the Congregational Life Ministries of the Church of the Brethren, BMS World Mission, Bristol Baptist College, and Urban Expression U.K., takes place Dec. 11 at 2:3-4 p.m. (Eastern). Register at www.brethren.org/webcasts . Read the full story at www.brethren.org/news/2013/pioneering-in-a-global-context.html PERSONNEL 8) Gather ’Round staff complete employment with Brethren Press and MennoMedia Anna Speicher and Cyndi Fecher are completing their employment with Gather ’Round, the Christian education curriculum produced jointly by Brethren Press and MennoMedia. Gather ’Round is in its final year of production and will be available through the summer of 2014. The successor curriculum, Shine, will be available beginning next fall. Read the full story at www.brethren.org/news/2013/gather-round-staff-complete-work.html 9) Michigan, Atlantic Southeast Districts announce staffing changes Nathan (Nate) Polzin has been called to serve as district executive minister for Michigan District, and Héctor Pérez-Borges has announced his plans to retire as associate executive for Atlantic Southeast District, in staffing changes for Church of the Brethren districts. Read the full story at www.brethren.org/news/2013/michigan-atlantic-southeast.html FEATURE 10) Reflecting on the anniversary of Newtown By Bryan Hanger Dec. 14 marks the one-year anniversary of the deadly mass shooting that occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Conn. As we take time to reflect on the anniversary of this terrible loss of life, Faiths United to Prevent Gun Violence has organized a letter signed by over 50 national religious leaders, including Church of the Brethren general secretary Stan Noffsinger. Read the full story at www.brethren.org/news/2013/reflecting-on-anniversary-of-newtown.html 11) Brethren bits In this issue: Remembering former missionary Rolland Smith, NCC hires general secretary/president, Leininger retires from Camp Mack, Workcamp Ministry seeks assistant coordinator for 2015, Ministry Summer Service applications, congregations host live nativities, candlelight dinners at the John Kline Homestead, and much much more. Read the full Brethren bits at www.brethren.org/news/2013/brethren-bits-for-dec-6.html Contributors to this issue of Newsline include Colleen M. Algeo, Jeff Boshart, Chris Douglas, Mary Jo Flory-Steury, Ed Groff, Rick Koch, Wendy McFadden, Becky Ullom Naugle, David McKellip, Dale Minnich, Paul Roth, Janine Schwab, Anna Speicher, David S. Young, Jane Yount, 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 Dec. 13.