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Date: March 30, 2005
Contact: Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford
V: 847/742-5100 F:  847/742-6103
E-MAIL: _CoBNews@AOL.Com_ (mailto:CoBNews@AOL.Com) 
 

CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN NEWSLINE 
March 30, 2005
 
CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN CONGREGATIONS ADDRESS ISSUE OF GLOBAL HUNGER
 
March 30, 2005 (Elgin, IL) -- Growing projects are taking off in several  
Church of the Brethren congregations, reports Howard Royer, manager of the  
Church of the Brethren General Board's Global Food Crisis Fund. For most of
the  
congregations, 2005 marks the first year of engagement in a growing project, 

made possible by the Foods Resource Bank. Through the Global Food Crisis
Fund,  
in 2004 the Church of the Brethren became the 16th member of the Foods 
Resource  Bank.
 
A growing project is initiated by a congregation starting with donated or  
rented acreage, using donated seed and materials. The congregation plants and
 
tills the crop--usually corn, soybeans, or wheat. The harvest is sold and the
 
income designated to the Foods Resource Bank for development of food 
production  overseas. Rural and urban churches may team up as partners. A
dollar 
invested in  the spring generally "grows" into $2.50 by fall, Royer said.
Through a  
one-to-one matching grant from the Foods Resource Bank, funded by a $1 
million  grant from the US Agency for International Development, the initial 
investment  expands to $5.
 
At South Waterloo (Iowa) Church of the Brethren, Joan Fumetti of the Foods  
Resource Bank made a presentation in Sunday school March 6 and asked members
of 
 Ivester Church of the Brethren in Grundy Center, Iowa, and the Conrad 
community  to help out. South Waterloo has 12 acres lined up for a growing
project. 
The  Ivester church will join the Conrad growing project again this year, 
where a  crop of 147 acres is to be planted at four sites, one of which is
owned
by  Ivester's Keith and Dorothy Sheller. Ivester's Lois Kruse is chairing the

Conrad	planning committee. A field blessing is set for April 17.
 
At Decatur, Ind., the Pleasant Dale congregation heard from several of its  
farmers who plan to cultivate a 20-25 acre growing project this season.
Pastor	
Jay Carter indicated the group already has been pledged enough seed corn and 

chemicals to care for the acreage.
 
Several other congregations also will be involved in growing projects in  
2005. In Illinois, Mount Morris Church of the Brethren and Highland Avenue  
Church of the Brethren will "twin" on a growing project of eight acres. The
Polo  
congregation has invited Tinley Park United Presbyterian Church to be its  
partner in cultivating 10-20 acres as part of Polo's centennial observance.
In  
Lanark, Cherry Grove Church of the Brethren member Penny Lauritzen is
inviting  
each landowner of farms she manages to donate one or more acres for a growing
 
project. An Episcopal church in Dixon has been invited to twin with the 15-20

 acre project, which has the endorsement of Agriwomen of Illinois.
 
The McPherson and Monitor congregations in Kansas may join together in a  
growing project in 2005 or 2006. Brad White of the Rockingham Church of the  
Brethren in Hardin, Mo., is launching a 25-acre project, and nearby Bethany  
church may be invited in as a partner. The Eel River church in Indiana is  
exploring a growing project for 2006.
 
In a signal act of generosity, the "Brethren account" at the Foods Resource  
Bank from which the Church of the Brethren may designate specific foods 
security  support, was bolstered by $10,483 given by Norm and Carol Braksick
of 
Portage,  Mich. The gift represents the 2004 income from the Braksick family
farm, 
a  growing project in Napoleon, Mo. Norm Braksick retired early this year 
after  four years as volunteer executive of Foods Resource Bank.
 
At the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference in Peoria, Ill., the Foods  
Resource Bank will have an exhibit and an insight session July 5 will focus
on  
growing projects with Lois Kruse, Joan Fumetti, and Jay Carter as 
presenters.
 
Only two Brethren congregations have indicated they will apply for growing  
projects start-up grants from the Global Food Crisis Fund: Mount Morris and  
Pleasant Dale. Ten such grants are available. For more information call
Howard	
Royer at 800-323-8039 or e-mail _hroyer_gb@brethren.org_ 
(mailto:hroyer_gb@brethren.org) .
 
The Church of the Brethren is a Christian denomination committed to  
continuing the work of Jesus peacefully and simply, and to living out its
faith  in 
community. The denomination is based in the Anabaptist and Pietist faith  
traditions and is one of the three Historic Peace Churches. It celebrates its
 300th 
anniversary in 2008. It counts about 130,000 members across the United	
States and Puerto Rico, and has missions and sister churches in Brazil, the  
Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Nigeria.
 
# # #
 
For more information contact:
 
Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford
Director of News Services
Church of the  Brethren General Board
1451 Dundee Ave.
Elgin, IL 60120
847-742-5100  ext. 260
 
*****************************************************************
 
The Church of the Brethren Newsline is produced by Cheryl  Brumbaugh-Cayford,

director of news services for the Church of the Brethren  General Board. 
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