Newsline: Annual Conference 'Witness to Host City' will be school collection

[CoBNews <CoBNews@brethren.org>]

Newsline: Church of the Brethren News Service, News Director Cheryl 
Brumbaugh-Cayford, 800-323-8039 ext. 260, cobnews@brethren.org

Annual Conference 'Witness to Host City' will be school collection

(May 24, 2012) Elgin, IL --Delegates to the 2008 Annual Conference in Richmond, 
Va., processed an item of business entitled "Query: Conference Witness to the 
Host City." The query acknowledges that because Annual Conference is held in 
various cities, it would be good to give witness to a shared faith in Jesus 
Christ in these places.

In July 2012, the Annual Conference witness to the city of St. Louis, Mo., will 
involve the collection of school supplies for the St. Louis Public School 
system. During the 2012-13 school year, the St. Louis Public Schools will serve 
approximately 28,000 students in 72 different schools.

Several Church of the Brethren congregations have learned recently that a 
significant part of urban revitalization involves a strong public school 
support system. Churches, including Churches of the Brethren, are providing 
leadership in their local communities through their involvement with the local 
school system. Through these ministries, the churches are finding renewed life 
in Christ as well.

The list of school supplies was provided by the St. Louis Public Schools, and 
includes the following: 2 pocket letter size portfolios, glue sticks, ball 
point pens--medium tip, highlighters, washable markers--10 pack, 
rulers--12-inch plastic, colored pencils--12 pack, protractors--6-inch plastic, 
pencils #2, crayons--16 pack, paper filler--3 hole college rule, erasers, 
primary writing paper, backpacks (black only). (This list also is posted online 
at www.cobannualconference.org/StLouis/ConferenceWitnessToTheHostCity.pdf .)

Annual Conference moderator Tim Harvey recently went to a local store and 
purchased the entire list of supplies--not including the backpack--for under 
$18.

Conference attendees who participate in this outreach are invited to bring 
their donations of supplies to the Sunday morning worship service at Annual 
Conference on July 8, where they will be received during the offering. 
Representatives from the St. Louis Public Schools will receive the supplies 
during the afternoon business session on July 10.

The latest "Moments with the Moderator" video highlights the school collection. 
Go to www.cobannualconference.org/StLouis/ModeratorMoments.html .

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 celebrated its 
300th anniversary in 2008. It counts some 123,000 members across the United 
States and Puerto Rico, and has missions and sister churches in Nigeria, 
Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and India.

># # #

>For more information contact:

>Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford
>Director of News Services
>Church of the Brethren
>1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120
>800-323-8039 ext. 260
>cobnews@brethren.org