wfn.org | Brethren leader calls for prayer for hurricane survivors

[COBNews@aol.com]

Date: Sept. 2, 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 2, 2005
 
Church of the Brethren Annual Conference moderator calls for prayer and  
action to care for hurricane survivors
 
Sept. 2, 2005 (Elgin, IL) -- The Church of the Brethren was called to  prayer

for those affected by Hurricane Katrina as the situation in New Orleans  
seemed to fall into chaos and anarchy, survivors in other areas of the Gulf 
Coast 
waited for relief, and thousands more National Guardsmen were called in to  
the disaster area.
 
"First and foremost, keep the families and individuals in prayer, who have  
needs we can't even begin to fathom," said Ronald Beachley, moderator of the 

Church of the Brethren Annual Conference. "Think of those people," he urged, 

"and allow the Spirit to minister through the people who are helping on the  
ground."
 
In addition to prayer, Beachley encouraged the Brethren to "contribute	
financially. Take up a collection," he said. "Also I encourage them to make
the  
Gift of the Heart kits. Certainly we can
do those few things right now. We  can't volunteer because of the conditions 
of the moment," he said, calling on  Brethren to remain alert to volunteer 
opportunities as they become available in  the future.
 
In a new service, put in place this afternoon, donations to the Church of  
the Brethren General Board's Emergency Disaster Fund can now be made online
at  
_www.brethren.org_ (http://www.brethren.org) , click on "Responding to	
Hurricane Katrina." The fund supports the work of Disaster Child Care and 
Emergency 
Response/Service Ministries. Checks also may be mailed to 1451 Dundee  Ave., 
Elgin, IL 60120 (payable to "Emergency Disaster Fund," write "Hurricane  
Katrina" on the memo line).
 
Gift of the Heart Health, Baby, School, and Kids Kits will help survivors  
with necessary items for personal hygiene, infant care, return to school, and
 
play items for individuals, families, and
children who have lost everything.  Kits are distributed from the Brethren 
Service Center in New Windsor on behalf  of Church World Service. For 
information about making Gift of the Heart Kits see 
_www.churchworldservice.org_ 
(http://www.churchworldservice.org) ,  click on "Tools, Blankets, and Kits."
 
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) 
 
*****************************************************************
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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