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Date: Sept. 1, 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
September 1, 2005
 
Annual Conference theme will be `TOGETHER: Exercising Daily in God'
 
Sept. 1, 2005 (Elgin, IL) --  The Annual Conference Program and  Arrangements

Committee has announced the theme for the 2006 Conference in Des  Moines, 
Iowa. The "TOGETHER: Conversations on Being the Church" event will be 
launched 
at Des Moines next summer, and so moderator Ronald D. Beachley	suggested the

theme, "TOGETHER: Exercising Daily in God." 
 
Church of the Brethren congregations and individuals are invited to explore  
the theme scriptures and how they apply to our faith journey, reported Lerry 

Fogle, executive director of the Conference. Moderator Beachley will issue a 

challenge related to the theme each month preceding Conference. Those theme  
challenges will be available at _www.brethren.org/ac/_ 
(http://www.brethren.org/ac/) . 
 
The complete theme statement from the moderator follows:
 
"Discipline was a hallmark of the early faith community. It appeared to be  a

natural part of commitment, because of the persecution faced by Jesus'	
followers. Dedication and commitment seem to be lacking from our lives and
faith  
vocabulary today. The church needs to be encouraged and challenged to a 
stronger  commitment. This will be significant for the denomination as we
begin the  
conversation about being the church during the next year. 
 
"The scriptures, especially Paul's letters, remind us often of the merit  and

blessings of spiritual discipline. Certainly, the example of Jesus is the  
model for us to imitate. The early faith community was persecuted and that  
appeared to produce discipline. The church needs to be challenged to value  
spiritual discipline. Discipline could strengthen our commitment and
dedication  to 
the Lord and the faith community. We need to be reminded over and over again 

of the value and blessings of spiritual discipline and sharing Christ's love 

with others.
 
"Traveling and listening during this past year has been a new adventure. I  
have encountered many dedicated persons in our denomination. However, I have 

heard some of these same persons lament the lack of commitment and outreach
in  
the local faith communities.
 
"Therefore, I'm going to challenge us to a new level of discipline and	
commitment. Part of the discipline will be to read a chapter a day in the New
 
Testament. Secondly, pray daily for an individual who needs to know Christ as
 
Lord and Savior. I would also encourage you to join a cell group in your  
congregation to pray with on a regular basis.
 
"I'm proposing the theme, TOGETHER: EXERCISE DAILY IN GOD, as the theme for  
the 2006 Annual Conference, using 1 Timothy 4:6-8 as the primary text. The  
actual wording comes from `The Message.' "
 
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
_cbrumbaugh-cayford_gb@brethren.org_ 
(mailto:cbrumbaugh-cayford_gb@brethren.org) 
 
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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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