Newsline: Church of the Brethren News Service -- June 21, 2007 Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, News Director 800-323-8039 ext. 260 -- cobnews@brethren.org
CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN HOLDS FIRST NATIONAL JUNIOR HIGH CONFERENCE
(June 21, 2007) Elgin, IL -- A first-ever National Junior High Conference in the Church of the Brethren attracted 800 participants to the campus of Elizabethtown (Pa.) College from June 15-18. Youth and advisors engaged the theme, "The Amazing Race: Continuing the Work of Jesus," based on Luke 9:24, as they worshiped, learned, played, and fellowshiped.
Turn-out for this inaugural event more than met the expectations of the organizers, who had been planning for an attendance of around 400. The size of the conference was finally determined when registration outpaced capacity at Elizabethtown College.
"It exceeded all of my expectations for this first gathering of the National Junior High Conference!" said Chris Douglas, director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the Church of the Brethren. "It has also made me look forward to doing it again in the summer of 2009, hopefully in a place that could accommodate more participants."
Belita Mitchell, moderator of the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference, greeted the conference, as did Stanley J. Noffsinger, general secretary of the Church of the Brethren General Board. Worship leaders included Christian musician Ken Medema, Baptist preacher Tony Campolo, and David Radcliff of the New Community Project.
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 Nigeria, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and India.
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For more information contact:
Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford Director of News Services Church of the Brethren General Board 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120 800-323-8039 ext. 260 cobnews@brethren.org
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