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 From nobody@wfn.org  Fri Oct  6 00:00:00 2000
V: 847/742-5100   F:  847/742-6103
Contact: Walt Wiltschek
Date: Oct. 6, 2000
E-MAIL: CoBNews@AOL.Com

"...a word in season, how good it is!" Prov. 15:23b

NEWS
 1) A $2 million grant will enable Brethren educational
institutions to explore vocation and ministry.
 2) A Cuban delegation schedules a visit to the denominational
offices.
 3) The NCC continues to face financial challenges.
 4) Brethren Colleges Abroad targets a strategic plan.
 5) Seminary, two colleges report upswing in enrollment.
 6) An Emergency Disaster Fund grant aids fire victims in Oklahoma.
 7) Sister church congregation representatives will gather in Elgin
Oct. 8-9.
 8) Global Women's Project holds its biannual meeting.
 9) The Brethren Disaster Relief Auction marks another successful
year.
10) Christian Peacemaker Teams continues witness in Vieques.
11) Brethren bits: Brethren Service Center, district youth, hymnal
supplements, and more.
 
PERSONNEL
12) Rose Steffens is named Annual Conference assistant.

RESOURCES
13) On Earth Peace rolls out its Peace Basket program.

FEATURES 
14) A glimpse into the ministry of Congregational Life Teams.

****************************************************************
 
 1) A major effort related to vocations and ministry has borne
fruit: The Lilly Endowment last week awarded Manchester College
(North Manchester, Ind.) a $2 million grant to "help identify and
cultivate a new generation of highly talented and religiously
committed leaders," according to the college.

Manchester is one of 20 colleges and universities to earn a grant
from Lilly as part of Lilly's Theological Vocational Exploration
Programs Initiative, allowing recipients to start or enhance
programs that encourage young people to consider the ministry as a
career or to consider their faith commitments in other career
choices. The Manchester grant is a collaboration with the other
five Church of the Brethren colleges, Brethren Colleges Abroad, and
Bethany Theological Seminary.

"We are especially excited and pleased with this grant--far beyond
being stunned by the size of Lilly Endowment's generous gift,"
Manchester College president Parker G. Marden said in a release.
"Their support will help our group of colleges and the denomination
that has nurtured us to prepare students for religious vocations of
all kinds. Society will be well served."

Marden led an effort to develop an extensive proposal for the
grant, resulting in a 65-page document plus a thick notebook of
essays on vocation by college and seminary faculty members,
students, denomination leaders, and others. Elizabethtown (Pa.)
College president Ted Long called it "first-class." Manchester and
30 other schools received planning grants last spring to work at
such a proposal. 

College officials said the collaborative program will help students
discern possible calls to ministry, enhance campus culture based on
religious values and tradition, and encourage joint efforts to
identify and encourage talented young people to consider the
ministry. Students of all vocations will be urged to understand
their work choices with a sense of calling.

"It's a very exciting piece of news for us and all the colleges,"
Long said. "It will enable us to do some wonderful things the next
few years."

The project will also examine the specific needs of the Church of
the Brethren and look at things within the Church of the Brethren
tradition that are distinctive in educating leaders.

"I am delighted with the project and with its potential for helping
our college students, regardless of their major, to think
theologically about life ... and about their ethical and moral
lives as citizens," said Allen Hansell, director of ministry for
the Church of the Brethren General Board. "I also hope this will
generate some new enthusiasm in our colleges for ministry as a
vocation."

General Board Youth/Young Adult Ministries coordinator Chris
Douglas said a day at the 2002 National Youth Conference will be
planned in cooperation with the project, focusing on vocational
choices with an emphasis to "live out our Christian discipleship in
whatever field we choose," Douglas said. A keynote speaker and
workshops through the day will center on the topic.

 2) A delegation from the Cuban Council of Churches will visit the
Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill., on Oct. 19.
The visit comes as part of a 10-day trip through the United States,
visiting several major cities and other sites.

The delegation is seeking to make contact with US churches and
church organizations of different denominational backgrounds, as
well as to worship and to share their faith experiences.

Church of the Brethren General Board executive director Judy Mills
Reimer, Global Mission Partnerships director Merv Keeney, and Latin
America/Caribbean staff Nadine Monn will host the delegation during
the Elgin visit. Plans include a dinner with the delegates and a
discussion of Brethren support for the Cuban Council of Churches.

Scheduled delegation members are: Dr. Reinero Arce (Presbyterian),
president of the council; Rev. Miguel Marcial Hernandez
(Pentecostal), general secretary; and Mrs. Ormara Nolla (Baptist),
vice-president.

 3) From Religion News Service: The National Council of Churches
may need to lay off at least 11 more people and scale back some
programs if the "fiscally challenged" ecumenical agency is to stay
on budget for next year, a report said.

The NCC, a 51-year-old body representing 35 Protestant and Orthodox
churches--including the Church of the Brethren, has been struggling
with staggering debts and a bloated infrastructure as it tries to
reinvent itself and redefine its mission. The NCC's executive board
wrapped up a three-day meeting in New York Oct. 3 in preparation
for the council's November general assembly meeting in Atlanta.
While a financial report showed significant progress, it indicated
that problems may continue for the NCC.

According to NCC spokeswoman Carol Fouke, the report showed the NCC
has balanced its budget for the first six months of 2000 and
expects a balanced budget for the rest of the year. However, the
council will have only $137,000 in available cash on Jan. 1.
Additionally, if current expenses and revenues continue at their
current level, the NCC could face a $1.7 million shortfall by next
June. That could mean that the NCC would have to lay off at least
11 more people, in addition to the 13 positions that have already
been cut.

Barbara Ellen Black, the NCC's new general manager, said she will
report a balanced budget proposal in November that will find ways
to reconcile the $1.7 million projected shortfall, but could not
say whether that would mean staffing cutbacks, program cutbacks, or
something else. The NCC has mostly been able to recover from a $6
million debt in its reserve funds, and many of its largest member
churches have contributed nearly $2 million to help recoup those
losses.

The Rev. Bob Edgar, the NCC's general secretary, told Religion News
Service that the agency is on the road to recovery, although some
difficult times may lie ahead. Edgar said it is still too early to
say how many, if any, positions will need to be cut, but said most
people will not see a difference in the programs to which the NCC
is committed.

 4) When a guide at the Terra Museum of American Art asked a group
of Brethren Colleges Abroad representatives, "So, what does your
organization do?" she was greeted with laughter. After all, it was
the very question they had come to Chicago to figure out.

The Sept. 29-Oct. 1 meetings were the third in a series of
strategic planning summits that have pulled in people from all
levels of those who relate to BCA: college presidents, academic
officers, professors, international staff, treasurers, and others.
Guided by professional consultants, the group is working to
determine the mission of the 38-year-old program and its direction
for the next decade and beyond.

BCA president Dr. Karen Jenkins admitted that she was reluctant to
embark upon such a massive undertaking when she assumed that role
last year, but she's been glad to see it happening despite the
extra work it brings. She even began interviewing strategic
planning consultants before she began as president.

"I had so much on my plate, but then I realized that even though
it's been extra work for us, it's been enormously helpful to think
about our future in an intentional way," Jenkins said. She said the
plan will be a "guide for how we move forward."

The Chicago meeting gave members of the planning committee an
opportunity to look at a rough draft of the strategic plan,
examining mission statements, visions, and specific objectives for
the future. Much conversation and discussion surrounded the various
points. "This is hard, but it feels great," as one participant put
it. The group planned to take a proposal to the BCA board meeting
in November.

Nearly 400 US students and about 50 foreign students are studying
this year through the program, which has 11 programs in 10
countries. It is sponsored by the six Church of the Brethren
colleges and has offices in North Manchester, Ind.

 5) Bethany Theological Seminary welcomed 26 new students to its
Richmond, Ind., campus this year--the largest fall enrollment in
five years.

President Eugene Roop credits the upswing to increased
encouragement by congregations and individuals as people respond to
God's call, to the personal faith commitment of the students, and
to the work of Bethany's recruitment staff. David Shetler, director
of admissions and student development, and admissions secretary
Angela Lakes are joined each year by four to five seminary
students, known as the Bethany Admissions Team, to work at
recruiting students.

"This group of staff and students allows Bethany to take a
personal, relational approach to student recruitment," Roop says.
"Many incoming students remark that their positive experiences with
seminary faculty, staff, and students influenced their decision to
matriculate."

In addition, 29 people began training this fall through the
Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership, jointly sponsored by
Bethany and the Church of the Brethren General Board, in the
Training for Ministry (TRIM) and Education for Shared Ministry
(EFSM) programs. The academy also began the year with new staff,
coordinator Jonathan Shively and secretary Judy Brun.

At least two Church of the Brethren colleges are also reporting
high enrollment this fall. Enrollment at Bridgewater (Va.) College
hit a record 1,201full-time students, reaching a goal of 1,200
full-timers by the year 2000. Enrollment at Manchester College
(North Manchester, Ind.) reached its highest level in nine years at
1,132, up from 1,101 in fall 1999.

 6) A new allocation of $5,000 from the General Board's Emergency
Disaster Fund will support a relief effort to fire victims of 40
homes in Logan County, Oklahoma. The funds will provide for the
immediate needs of victims, feed for livestock, and long-term needs
of families.

The relief effort is being organized through the Big Creek Church
of the Brethren (Cushing, Okla.), located near the wildfires that
burned through the area last month, with the support of the
Southern Plains District.

 7) Members of congregations with international sister churches
will gather Oct. 8-9 at the denominational offices in Elgin, Ill.,
for an event hosted by the General Board's Global Mission
Partnerships office.

The sister church gathering will be attended by about 20 people,
including members of the Ivester (Grundy Center, Iowa), Manchester
(North Manchester, Ind.), Beacon Heights (Fort Wayne, Ind.), Wabash
(Ind.), and Modesto (Calif.) congregations. Guest speakers will
include Dennis Mudderman of Sister Parish in Indiana and Marian
Mollman of NISGUA, a Washington, D.C.-based group that monitors the
current socio-politcal situation in Guatemala.

Participants will have the opportunity to discuss topics related to
life in the Central American communities of their congregation's
sister church, such as the historical context of US relationships
with Central America and the dynamics of material aid, as well as
time to share experiences. Latin American/Caribbean staff members
Nadine Monn and Tom Benevento planned the event in conjunction with
Global Mission Partnerships director Merv Keeney.

 8) The Global Women's Project of the Church of the Brethren, which
supports projects for wome in need around the world, held its
biannual meeting at the Modesto (Calif.) Church of the Brethren on
Sept. 30.

A fund-raising dinner, highlighted by the music of Shawn Kirchner
of the La Verne (Calif.) Church of the Brethren, raised $2,200.
About 55 people attended, and one check came in for $1,000.

On the Sunday following the dinner, members of the Global Women's
Project steering committee led the worship service for World
Communion Sunday, with Joy Struble preaching from the book of Job
on "The Direction of God's Path." Steering committee members are:
Struble (New York, N.Y.), Valentina Satvedi (Redondo Beach,
Calif.), Karen Carter (Roanoke, Va.), and Doris Coppock (McPherson,
Kan.).

 9) This year’s Brethren Disaster Relief Auction, an effort of the
Atlantic Northeast and Southern Pennsylvania districts held in
Lebanon, Pa., Sept. 22-23, drew more than 7,500 people and raised
nearly half a million dollars, according to an article in the
Sunday News in Lancaster, Pa.

The figure of $485,000 does not include the sale of a house built
for the auction in Lebanon County or the sale of flower bulbs in
Southern Pennsylvania District. Money raised will go to support
Church of the Brethren disaster relief.

Topping the fund-raising was $72,280 raised in the auction of 56
heifers and cows. Other major items included $54,535 from the
auction of quilts and wall hangings and thousands more from other
special quilts; $18,000 from an annual kickoff banquet that drew
more than 600 people; $14,250 from a pair of golf tournaments;
$11,348.50 from a livestock auction; and $11,000 from the sale of
fresh produce.

It was the 24th year for the annual auction, the oldest and largest
of several such events in the denomination.

 10) Six members of a Christian Peacemaker Teams delegation joined
with residents of the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico, for a
demonstration Oct. 1, coming at the invitation of Puerto Rican
church leaders. They demanded an end to US Navy training maneuvers
and bomb tests on the small island. An estimated 5,000 people
attended the march and nonviolent witness.

Cliff Kindy, a member of the Manchester Church of the Brethren
(North Manchester, Ind.), was arrested after entering the US Naval
Ammunition Storage Depot in a civil disobedience action. He and 54
others were being detained at Guaynabo Federal Prison in San Juan
this week.

"We're going in because human presence stops the bombing," Kindy
said.

Kindy was also among those arrested in May, when US forces removed
protesters who had stopped bomb tests on the island for more than
a year with encampments on the base.

 11) Brethren bits: News and notes from around the denomination and
elsewhere:
 *The Brethren Service Center (New Windsor, Md.) recognized 12
employees for their tenure at an annual recognition event held
Sept. 28. Honored were Jane Bankert, Barbara Fogel, Samsudin
Moledina, and Ed Palsgrove (25 years each); Randy Koontz and
Christine Watson (20 years); Judy Gilbert and Felix Hill (15
years); Sheila Law and Margaret Nichols (10 years); and Patty
Ditzel and Kellie Jones (5 years).

 *The Southern Pennsylvania District is selling a book written and
illustrated Annual Conference moderator-elect Paul Grout called
"The God-Centered Life." The book, which describes seven symptoms
of wellness, is available for $4 plus shipping. Call the district
office at 717 624-8636 or e-mail gmarkey_ds@brethren.org.

 *The Shenandoah District's senior high youth cabinet has issued a
special challenge this year: to have youth in the district perform
1,000 Acts of Kindness by May of 2001, the end of the school year.
The motto is "to help us spread Christ's Light throughout the
Shenandoah Valley and beyond."

 *The Northern Indiana District will hold a men's retreat on
"Claiming the Stories: Genesis in Our Lives Today" Feb. 2-3, 2001,
at Camp Alexander Mack. Manchester College faculty Bob Bowman and
Lee Krahenbuhl are providing leadership.

 *The Bridgewater (Va.) College Pinion Players's production of "The
Paper Chase" this weekend will include two Church of the Brethren
cast members: Sara Huffman of Mill Creek Church of the Brethren,
Harrisonburg, Va., and Daniel House of Nokesville, Va., a member of
the Manassas congregation.

 *The Bassett (Va.) congregation is celebrating its 75th
anniversary this fall.

 *A new flyer provides information on supplements to Hymnal: A
Worship Book that will be available next year from Brethren Press.
A total of nine supplements are planned over the next three years;
Three will be released in 2001, in January (Lent/Easter/Pentecost),
May (Praise/Adoration), and September (Advent/Christmas/Epiphany).
Cost is $1.50 each or $3 for the year's series of three. Call 800
441-3712 for more information.

 12) Rose Steffens has been named Annual Conference assistant,
beginning Oct. 9.

Steffens has served at the General Offices in Elgin, Ill.,
previously, as secretary in the ministry training office, secretary
for General Board human resources and the executive director, and
administrative assistant to the director of ministry, along with
part-time work in the Annual Conference office in 1997.

 13) With the closing of The Peace Place bookstore and resource
center in New Windsor, Md., as a retail space last weekend, On
Earth Peace Assembly will continue to carry out the center's
mission by offering a new venture called "The Peace Basket."

The Peace Basket will enable On Earth Peace to lend peace resources
to groups and congregations. The basket contains resources on
peacemaking appropriate for all ages, including materials on
conflict resolution, the Brethren heritage of peacemaking, peace
resources for Sunday school teachers, conflict assessment tools for
congregations, and hands-on items like peace songs, skits, stories,
crafts, and games. 

Baskets are available for grades K-6, for grades 7-12, and for
adults to engage in peace exploration. Baskets can be reserved by
calling On Earth Peace at 410 635-8704.

 14) Much of the work of the General Board's Congregational Life
Teams is done behind the scenes, as staff members work with
congregations on a variety of projects. A recent project with the
Washington (D.C.) City Church of the Brethren, however, gives a
glimpse into their work:

As part of the Area 1 Congregational Life Team's ongoing
transformational process with the church, the congregation was
invited to design and carry out walking and driving tours of its
Capitol Hill neighborhood.

That occurred on Sept. 24, beginning with a pot-luck lunch for
members and guests after the morning worship service. Under the
direction of strategic planning team coordinator Heather Nolen, the
group then toured the church building, where a soup kitchen,
nursery school, Church of the Brethren Washington Office, and other
leased spaces are housed. Notes were made on rooms and spaces
needing repair and/or renovation.

The group then divided into smaller groups of 3-5, and each was
assigned a different area of the neighborhood to observe needs of
the church's most immediate neighbors. The 20-plus walkers spread
out across the area, while others took a driving tour.

Afterwards, the group reassembled at the church for debriefing and
discernment. It led to numerous new ideas for vision and mission by
the congregation and a sense of excitement in anticipation of
offering new ministry in a regenerated neighborhood.

The event comes as part of a nine-month process occurring with Area
1 staff Jan Kensinger and Stan Dueck as consultants and coaches. In
all, 11 churches in Area 1's five districts are currently involved
in an in-depth process of self-evaluation for church growth and
renewal, seeking to infuse more "life" into congregational life.

 

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. Marcia Shetler,
Michael Schug, and James Costello contributed to this report.

To receive Newsline by e-mail or fax, call 800 323-8039, ext. 263,
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