wfn.org | Newsline - Church of the Brethren weekly news update

[Church of the Brethren News Services]

Date:      June 30, 2000
Contact:  Walt Wiltschek
V:  847/742-5100   F:  847/742-6103
E-MAIL:   CoBNews@AOL.Com

"Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweet to the soul." Prov.
16:24a

NEWS
 1) The Washington Office joins ecumenical efforts related to
disarmament.
 2) Nigerian church leader Patrick Bugu shares his story with US
Brethren.
 3) On Earth Peace board makes fund-raising a personal challenge.
 4) Workcamps make connections in the Dominican Republic.
 5) ER/SM continues long-term Hurricane Floyd cleanup efforts.
 6) Brethren bits: NYC, Yearbook, New Windsor needs, BVS Europe,
and more.

RESOURCES
 7) Brethren Press prepares to release a love feast treasury and
membership curriculum.
 8) The 2000 Stewardship Resource Packet invites people to "Share
the Gift."
 9) Two authors seek short stories for a book on values from
Matthew 18.

COMING EVENTS
10) Brethren Colleges Abroad prepares for future while marking a
milestone.

FEATURES
11) Three districts put energy into church development and
revitalization.
12) A Virginia congregation uses investment gains to invest in
people's lives.

****************************************************************

 1) The Church of the Brethren Washington Office has been closely
involved with two recent efforts speaking out against the buildup
of US armaments. 

The office was among 20 signatories of a letter to President Bill
Clinton urging him to decide against deployment of a National
Missile Defense system. The letter cites five "fundamental
problems" with the proposal, including jeopardizing treaties and
provoking other nations by making them feel threatened. It goes on
to list several alternatives, such as ratification of the
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.

The Washington Office also participated in activities related to a
Joint Nuclear Reduction/Disarmament Statement issued by the
National Cathedral. Washington Office coordinator Greg Laszakovits
attended a press conference and worship service related to the
effort, and General Board executive director Judy Mills Reimer
signed on to the statement. 

The statement said that "... a peace based upon threats of
inflicting annihilation and genocide upon whole populations is a
peace that is corrupting, a peace that is unworthy of
civilization." Eighteen retired military officials joined nearly
two dozen religious leaders, including National Council of Churches
general secretary Bob Edgar, in issuing the statement.

Laszakovits said the program "reminded us in whose name we serve
and work for this peace--God. It gives us a chance as Brethren to
once again remind our country and ourselves that we have no
interest in making war. Nuclear arms serve no purpose other than
war and the threat of war."

Annville (Pa.) Church of the Brethren member Karin Davidson is
serving as coordinator for the educational outreach program of the
ecumenical intiative, which is providing a kit to help in
explaining and interpreting. It is currently available at
www.cathedral.org/cathedral and will be available in print next
month.

 2) If Bethany Theological Seminary asks students to give a "How I
Spent My Summer Vacation" report, Nigerian church leader Patrick
Bugu will have an interesting story to tell.

Bugu has served as a pastor and seminary librarian in the
Ekklesiyar Yan'uwa a Nigeria (The Church of the Brethren in
Nigeria). He has been studying at Bethany this past year through
funding from the seminary and the Church of the Brethren General
Board, and this summer the two agencies are sending him across the
denomination to talk about his home.

"I have enjoyed the fellowship of every church," Bugu said during
a stop in Virginia. "We have shared our different cultural
experiences, and people are interested in knowing about the EYN. .
. . People are happy to hear of the growth of the church in
Nigeria." He's also challenged the Church of the Brethren to tap
its own potential to grow.

His journeys, which began May 20, have so far covered 11 districts
in eight states, moving to a new church almost daily. He's met
hundreds of people, and several newspapers have done stories on
him. While he admits he'll be glad for a break in his own bed in
mid-July, before heading to Annual Conference and then resuming
congregational visits, he says the trip has been exciting and
energizing. The churches he's visited have felt the same way.

"We were delighted to have him," said Johnnie Neterer, church board
chair at West Goshen (Ind.), where Bugu traveled Memorial Day
weekend for worship and a question-and-answer Sunday school
session. "It was good for us to hear about the mission there and
what they're doing. Some of us were just amazed at the danger with
what he's doing there."

Several EYN churches have been burned down or damaged during
Muslim-Christian clashes in northern Nigeria, where Bugu is from.
He admits that hearing that news while in the US is "disturbing,"
especially seeing a political situation take on religious
overtones.

He will return home to see his family for the first time in a year
in August, when he flies back to Africa before resuming studies at
Bethany this fall. Neterer said West Goshen has taken up voluntary
offerings to help pay for Bugu's visit home, and several other
congregations have made similar efforts.

 3) At its April meeting, the On Earth Peace Assembly Board of
Directors accepted the personal "Challenge for Peace" effort to
give $50,000 during Phase I of the Board's fund-raising project. To
date, donations and pledges from board members and staff have
totaled close to $40,000, with 100 percent participation.

The donated amount represents a substantial increase from last
year. The Board Advancement Committee, led by chair Eugene Lichty,
spearheaded this new fund-raising effort. 

During Phase II, board members and staff will be contacting other
people who believe in peace education and witness and asking them
to consider joining them in making a contribution to On Earth
Peace. Board members are also expected to encourage their own local
churches, as well as neighboring churches, to include On Earth
Peace in their outreach or witness budgets.

 4) The first of the 2000 National Workcamps offered by the General
Board's Youth/Young Adult Office this year took a group of young
adults to the Dominican Republic, assisting with ongoing Church of
the Brethren global mission work in the Caribbean nation.

Mariana Bariga, who worked in the General Board's Latin
America/Caribbean office in the past and now serves as secretary
for the Youth/Young Adult office, went on the trip as an advisor
earlier this month. Here, she offers some reflections:

"The Dominican Republic venture was indeed a great experience.
Connecting with the Dominican brothers and sisters I knew and
meeting new members of the San Juan la Maguana congregation was
enlightening. Their enthusiasm and fervor when worshipping was
contagious.

"The group of young adults worked very hard during the workcamp
week. The church and parsonage house was sanded and painted inside
and out. A partition was built inside the church to create space
for a church office.

"Pastor Miguel expressed his thanks to the group for the hard
physical work and reminded us that for the Dominican Brethren the
interaction with the families, young adults, and children -- and
the fact that the workcamp participants were staying with members
of the congregation and sharing time with them -- was even more
valuable."

Another workcamp, this one a senior high youth experience
co-sponsored by Brethren Revival Fellowship, is currently in the
Dominican Republic working on other projects.

 5) Church of the Brethren Emergency Response/Service Ministries
continues to aid with recovery efforts from Hurricane Floyd, which
pummeled the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern coast last fall.

A new project is expected to open in July, working in cooperation
with Twin County Interfaith Disaster Response in the Tar River area
of eastern North Carolina where many homes were destroyed. Ken and
LouElla Imhoff of Ohio will be working on details. Meanwhile, a
project continues in Vanceboro, N.C., working on repair and
construction of homes.
 

 6) Brethren bits: Other brief news notes from around the
denomination and elsewhere:
 *Some information is available on the next National Youth
Conference: It will be July 16-21, 2002, back at Colorado State
University in Fort Collins, Colo. It will be the fourth straight
NYC in Fort Collins. The theme and other details will be set by the
next National Youth Cabinet, which will begin meeting in 2001.

 *The Church of the Brethren Yearbook Y2K edition is in the mail.
This annual compilation of addresses and information for churches,
organizations, and ministers, and statistics for congregations,
colleges, and homes, was mailed this week to those who have
standing orders for the book. New in this year's edition is e-mail
information for churches, ministers, and other leaders who provided
this information on their update form. The Yearbook (#2202, $18.50)
is available from Brethren Press at Annual Conference, or by
calling 800 441-3712.

 *The New Windsor Conference Center, located at the Brethren
Service Center in Maryland, needs hosts and hostesses for several
periods coming up. Current needs are for July 7-30, Aug. 1-30, Dec.
1-31, and most of 2001. People can serve for a weekend, several
weeks, or longer. Training, furnished apartment, and meals are
provided, and a small stipend is available. For more information,
contact Elaine Hyde, conference coordinator, at Box 188, New
Windsor, MD, 21776-0188, or call 800 766-1553.

 *Brethren Volunteer Service workers in Europe will gather for
their annual retreat July 28-Aug. 3, meeting at Haus Kreisau in
Berlin, Germany. Seventeen BVSers at projects in countries
throughout Europe will be attending.

 *The board of directors of Palms Estates, a Brethren retirement
community in Lorida, Fla., has called Dick and Verna Forney of
Myerstown, Pa., to serve as executive directors beginning Sept. 1.
In 1988-90 the Forneys were Brethren Volunteer Service members of
the Palms Estates maintenance staff. They succeed Harry and Agatha
Johnson.

 *The July edition of Messenger, on its way to mailboxes across the
denomination, features a new look with some new features. It's the
first redesign of the magazine since 1990.

 *Linda Richer of the Skyridge Church of the Brethren (Kalamazoo,
Mich.) has co-produced a new children's hymnal called "Chatter with
the Angels: An Illustrated Songbook for Children." The 160-page,
hardcover songbook contains 90 hymns from a wide variety of time
periods, styles, and cultures. It will be available through
Brethren Press at Annual Conference.

 *A new initiative at the Black Rock Church of the Brethren
(Glenville, Pa.) brought together representatives from 14 varied
Church of the Brethren and community agencies to share about their
work and activities in a "Missions Exposition Sunday." Regular
Sunday school classes were cancelled, and everyone from junior high
through adults was invited to browse displays and hear from the
representatives, who were also introduced during worship.

 *Roman Catholic Bishop Macram Max Gassis of El Obeid diocese in
central Sudan, hailed as the voice of Sudan's ethnic and religious
minorities, is paying a month-long visit to the US to alert
political and religious leaders to the plight of his country's
war-ravaged millions.

 *The Reformed Church in America has voted to become the first
denomination to seek membership in both the National Council of
Churches and the National Association of Evangelicals, according to
Religion News Service, signaling what the NAE hopes will be a new
era in ecumenical cooperation. Until a decision earlier this year,
the NAE had prohibited its members from also holding membership in
the NCC.

 *The number of refugees worldwide climbed by 600,000 last year to
14 million, according to a report by the US Committee for Refugees.
Ten nations accounted for 70 percent of all refugees: Sierra Leone,
Somalia, Sudan, Yugoslavia, Angola, Croatia, Eritrea, Palestine,
Afghanistan, and Iraq, with the last three accounting for at least
50 percent of all refugees.

 7) Brethren Press has announced the publication of two new items
that will be available beginning at Annual Conference. "The Love
Feast" (#8208, $19.95) is a glimpse into the corporate memory of
this central ritual of our faith. Compiled by Frank Ramirez, the
book uses stories, memories, scriptures, and photographs to remind
readers of the power of God at work in the love feast. A
limited-edition hardcover version (#8240, $49.95) of the book will
be available in August.

"Heart, Soul, and Mind: Becoming a Member of the Church of the
Brethren" will also make its debut at Annual Conference. This new
curriculum consists of four units of five sessions each. Written by
Rhonda Pittman Gingrich, the four study units explore what Brethren
believe about the Bible, church history, living the faith, and
church membership. Written with tracks for younger youth and older
youth, the curriculum can also be used by adults exploring
membership.

The leader's guide (#9922, $24.95) includes reproducible handouts,
ideas for a mentor program, and an apprenticeship program. The
membership handbook (#9923, $9.95) for students, a keepsake and
benchmark of faith development, contains readings, exercises, and
journal starters. The leader's guide will be available for sale at
Conference; the membership handbook can be ordered there and will
be shipped to customers in late July.

 8) Resources for stewardship education went out this week in the
2000 packet called "Share the Gift," a joint effort of the General
Board's Congregational Life and Funding offices.

The packet contains a plethora of materials, including a free copy
of "Giving" magazine; a copy of the book "Putting God First: The
Tithe"; samples of 2000 theme materials like bulletin inserts, a
poster, and commitment cards; and a collection of alternative
Christmas celebration ideas called "Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway?".
Additional copies of the theme materials and related books can be
purchased by calling Brethren Press at 800 441-3712.

The "Giving" magazine includes a center pull-out section on the
theme written by Dale Minnich, chief financial officer at McPherson
(Kan.) College. It includes sample announcement letters, ideas for
love gifts, and other strategies for a financial enlistment
campaign.

 9) Authors Daniel Ulrich and Janice Fairchild are inviting
contributions to their book in progress, tentatively titled "Two or
Three with Jesus: Stories of Discipleship according to Matthew 18."

A flyer states they are seeking "stories about ordinary Christians
and congregations who have tried to live out the values Jesus
taught in Matthew 18." It is designed to be a practical book, with
chapters on the values of humility, hospitality, self-examination,
compassionate searching, direct communication, agreement in prayer,
and forgiveness. The book's main purpose is stated as "to affirm
and strengthen congregational life."

The short stories (250 words maximum) are being accepted through
Aug. 15. Ulrich and Fairchild will be at the Bethany Theological
Seminary booth at next month's Annual Conference in Kansas City to
talk with interested people, or call 888 223-3443.

 
 10) Brethren Colleges Abroad will hold the final installment in a
series of three Strategic Planning Committee meetings Sept. 29-Oct.
1 in Chicago. The organization, which sends several hundred
students to international study programs each year, is charting its
future as its approaches its 40th anniversary. The second meeting
was held in Marburg, Germany, where BCA began.

Members of the planning team include representatives from each of
the seven institutions of higher education in the Church of the
Brethren (five colleges, a university, and Bethany Theological
Seminary). It involves a variety of personnel, including faculty
members, deans, a president, a treasurer, a student life officer,
an overseas BCA director from France, plus outside consultants.

BCA recently celebrated another landmark -- the 5,000th student to
participate in one of its exchange programs. Gregory Glidden of
Messiah College in Grantham, Pa., was honored at
Philipps-University in Marburg last month. Fifteen BCA students are
studying at Marburg this term.

 11) Church development and revitalization has been on district
agendas throughout the denomination. Strong efforts to raise money
through capital campaigns and investing endowments have given
several districts opportunities to provide support for new
ministries in this area. Here are the stories of three of them.

 *Since 1996 Forward in Faith: Continuing the Work of Jesus has
been the mission resourcing effort of the Virlina District. New
church starts and Camp Bethel will be the largest recipients of the
funds raised for this effort. The district recently gave $40,000
toward the purchase of property for the Smith Mountain Lake
Community Church (Moneta, Va.), a church fellowship that has been
meeting for the last five years.

Forward in Faith has also been used to support a summer missionary
and building improvements for smaller membership congregations,
calling and training for ministry, and spiritual development. The
district has underwritten scholarships for seminary and college
students as well as two spiritual development programs for youth
and adults. Not only have these programs challenged individuals to
grow spiritually, they have been an aid to a number of people in
discovering their calls to ministry.

"Brethren in the Southland are on the threshold of a great
opportunity, and we want to take advantage of everyone that we
have," said David Shumate, Virlina District executive. "We need to
put our resources behind the effort. We can't think small."

Having met and surpassed its initial victory goal of $500,000, the
Virlina District is now closing in on its $250,000 challenge goal,
of which only $100 more in pledges is needed and $6,100 needs to be
donated.

 *The Atlantic Northeast District is in the beginning stages of
forming its "Seeds of Faith" Endowment Fund, which was approved by
the district conference last fall. Soon to begin a capital
campaign, the district hopes to reach $300,000 to $500,000 to start
the fund. 

Craig Smith, Atlantic Northeast District executive, said the
program will create a broad base of financial leadership and will
"provide a creative pool of resources for the district." New church
starts will be funded by a partnership of the district and three or
four churches, each covering an equal percentage of the cost.

According to Aaron Martin, "Seeds of Faith" project manager, a main
goal of the program is to help get new churches started. "It's not
intended to pay for the `bricks and mortar' but to help with new
leadership and to help with funding for a set period of time," he
said. "We're feeling good about the program. Contributions are
coming in, and we haven't even started yet."

 *Also using its growing resources to expand ministry options, the
Oregon/Washington District gives congregations the opportunity to
apply for grants funded by the revenue from the district's Klamath
Falls Church Endowment Fund. In addition to new church starts, the
district has helped support new areas of ministry. For example, the
Ellisforde (Wash.) church has started a newsletter that provides an
alternative form of news--good news--for the community. The
Wenatchee (Wash.) Brethren-Baptist Church United invited the
Bittersweet Gospel Band to its church for a week to help reach out
to the rapidly growing Hispanic community.

"These funds have allowed us to look at things we haven't been able
to in the past because of funds," said Steve Gregory,
Oregon/Washington District executive. "Churches are catching on to
the excitement and are looking at new ways they can minister."

 12) Over the past few years, outreach potential has expanded for
the Mount Vernon Church of the Brethren, located near Waynesboro,
Va.

The church received numerous endowments and invested them in
Brethren Foundation stock funds, which by the end of the 1990s had
earned a 19.1 percent return. In 2 1/2 years, Mount Vernon's
$100,000 mission and education endowment fund grew nearly 50
percent. Revenue from the fund, all available for unrestricted
giving, has opened up opportunities for the congregation to serve
its community and church in ways that reach above and beyond the
confines of the church budget. 

The congregation purchased nearly $7,000 in appliances and donated
them to flood victims in Franklin, Va.; donated $2,000 for a
Habitat for Humanity construction project; gave $4,000 for its
local Weekday Religious Education program; sent two community
children to attend Camp Brethren Woods; and gave nearly $3,000 in
scholarships to the church's college students. The church has also
given money toward cancer research in memory of a member of its
congregation, and to Bridgewater College, disaster relief projects,
and local charities.          

Donating their time as well, several members of the congregation
worked with a Brethren disaster response project for a week, making
the experience of giving more real.

"We try to be good stewards with what the good Lord gives us," said
Bob Johnson, pastor at Mount Vernon. "We have the means to help, so
when the need arises, we give it out. We're glad we can share."
Johnson said that the congregation has not gone in search of
recognition for its generosity but has served quietly and humbly.

Using earnings from its other endowment funds, the church has also
been able to start a youth ministry program and pay for needed
improvements on its building by installing central air
conditioning, a disability ramp, and a computer upgrade.

Newsline is produced by Walt Wiltschek, manager of news services
for the Church of the Brethren General Board, on the first, third
and fifth Friday of each month. Newsline stories may be reprinted
provided that Newsline is cited as the source and the publication
date is included. Kendra Flory contributed to this report.

To receive Newsline by e-mail or fax, call 1-800-323-8039, ext.
263, or write CoBNews@AOL.Com. Newsline is available at
www.brethren.org and is archived with an index at
http://www.wfn.org.