The Brethren Church

We welcome a new ministry ‘page’ to our website:

Cross Bars Ministries

(click the image below to visit the new page)

Brethren Church National Office Updates
Oct. 13, 2008

Pastors and Leaders,

We want you to know what’s happening around our denomination! To keep all of our ministries up to date on what is going on in the Brethren Church, this bi-weekly “National Office Update” will inform pastors and leaders of the current events in our denomination.

We hope that by offering these updates, we will strengthen our communication as well as join together, so we may move forward in the mission of the Brethren Church. Please feel free to pass along this information to all of those in your church who are interested in staying up to date with the ministry of the Brethren Church.

Please click on any photo / icon to access direct links.

Notes from Executive Director Ken Hunn

Ken’s upcoming schedule …

10/23-26 — Executive Board and Council meetings in Ashland, OH
11/2 — 90th Anniversary Celebration at Ardmore Brethren Church, South Bend, IN
11/9 — Speaking at Tucson, AZ First Brethren Church in AM
Dan Acker ordination in PM at Northwest Chapel Brethren Church, Tucson, AZ
Nov. — tentative trip to South America and Argentina for South American Theological Seminary Board meeting on 11/14 and STS graduation on 11/15. Ken would really appreciate your prayers in travel, and as he shares with our churches and leaders throughout the denomination. Thanks!

Is it a NEW DAY in your neighborhood? Seems like each week we hear a new story of how God is breaking through in our ministries to see lives transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit. But we want to hear more! Take a moment to call or email us your story of how you are doing things differently and seeing a new, missional attitude taking hold and as a result seeing lives touched by the love of Christ in you.

India … We currently have a dozen who are confirmed for the short-term missions trip to India on February 8-20, 2009, led by Executive Director Ken & Nancy Hunn. Cost is in the $3000 range inclusive per/person. We will be celebrating forty years of the Brethren Mission with the Kumar families in Rajahmundry, India. This is a highly transformational experience, especially designed for pastors and other church leaders. Want to join us? Let us hear from you by Emailing Ken at ken@brethrenchurch.org

Are you next? Our Brethren Church National Office staff continues to work with a growing list of congregations that are beginning “crucial conversations” among their leadership about next steps toward becoming a more missional church. Those conversations inevitably focus on a church’s unique gifting as a body and how that gifting can be utilized to meet the needs in a community for the purpose of building natural bridges whereby the Gospel can be communicated. Simply, “Who are we?” and “What are we here for?” Some congregations begin with a consultation, some by jumping in with the Natural Church Development tool, some with a more comprehensive assessment process, and others with a commitment to coaching for greater transformative potential, and still others with a combination of these things and more. Ultimately only the Holy Spirit can change us, but we find that the Spirit works mightily when we position ourselves for change. Are you next? Do you have questions about how this applies to your ministry? Want to know more? Maybe you simply want to dialogue and pray with someone who is already helping others. Let us hear from you at brethren@brethrenchurch.org and we can chat.

Executive Board and Ministries Councils meet next week on Thursday through Sunday. Keep your leadership in prayer as they work on both budget issues and 09 conference planning to bring both of these items into a greater alignment with our NEW DAY vision in the Brethren Church!

Coaching Network
We are taking measurable steps toward creating a culture of coaching in the Brethren Church. Would you like to know more about how to transform your ministry through coaching? The next event is scheduled for May 13-14, 2009. Contact Gary Diehl at the BCNO for more information.

Church Planting Coordinator Bill Ludwig is currently in Galveston and other hurricane affected areas of Texas, working with God’s Kitchen personnel to lay plans for new areas of Brethren short-terms missions emphasis. On the return trip a connection will be made with yet another possible Brethren Church planting pastor. Already several opportunities are in process. Pray for Bill’s journeys and for the NEW DAY of church planting in the Brethren Church.

Pastors & Spouses Retreat (Feb. 27- Mar. 2, 2009) for more information visit
http://brethrenchurch.org/events/
www.starwoodhotels.com/fourpoints to view the accommodations and area.

2008 Richmond, VA General Conference & BYIC Convention Reviews
Now that conference has come and gone we would like to hear your testimonies.
1. How did the 300th Anniversary General Conference or BYIC Convention impact you?
2. How were the visits of our International Leaders in your churches?
3. Can you send us Pictures of their visit?
We would like to hear your NEW DAY stories. Please send your stories to Jenn Pinto at jenn@brethrenchurch.org so we can celebrate together what God has done through these amazing events and our faithful international servants

Pastor/Church Updates…
Pastor Fred Miller is currently on a work team from the Mt. Olive, VA congregation, in Puerto Maldanado, Peru. Pray for the team as they continue work on the orphanage there.

Pastor Gene Oburn will conclude his service at Berlin Brethren Church, October 26. He will begin his new ministry at Loree, Indiana, November 2.

Welcome to the Albion St. John’s congregation near Ashland, Ohio as our newest Brethren congregation. This church has benefited from Brethren seminary student pastors for many years. The church is currently seeing a renewed sense of purpose and identity under the leadership of Pastor Paul and Traci Cherry. This church was recognized as a Brethren congregation upon recommendation from the Ohio District. Welcome!

Park Street Brethren Church, Ashland, OH
Dr. Arden Gilmer, lead pastor of Park Street Brethren Church in Ashland, Ohio, announced his retirement effective June 30, 2009. He has served the church as the senior pastor for 29 years. A Transition Task Force has been appointed to oversee the process of the pastoral transition. The task force is open to the reception of any questions or resumes related to the position of senior pastor of the church. Please send any inquiries to Dale Stoffer, Chair of the Transition Task Force, 2217 Oakcrest Lane, Ashland, Ohio 44805 or to his email: dstoffer@ashland.edu . The pastoral search process will remain open until the position is filled. A Formal Job Description is located at: Park Street Lead Pastor Job Description -pdf .

Churches Looking for Pastors
Please be in prayer for these churches as they seek new pastors:

Park Street Brethren Church, OH
Garber Brethren Church, OH
Lanark First Brethren, IL
Elkhart First Brethren Church, IN
North Georgetown First Breth., OH
Winding Waters Brethren Church, IN
Wabash First Brethren Church, IN
County Line Brethren Church, IN

The Brethren Home Mission Revolving Fund
The Brethren Home Mission Revolving Fund was created to plant new Brethren Churches and to help existing Brethren Churches grow. Money from this fund is available for low interest loans for various building programs of Brethren Churches.

We gratefully accept gifts to the Revolving Fund. Your tax-deductible gifts not only become available to help Brethren Churches, but they also reduce the cost of the loans issued to Brethren Church plant and existing churches for their building and expansion programs.

You can donate to the Revolving Fund through gifts, financial or estate planning, or through deferred gifts. If you’d like to know more, or if you’d like to receive free information pamphlets, please call or Email Stan Gentle at the National Office stan@brethrenchurch.org or 1-877-289-1708.

Website Updates: We are now making much needed updates on the website thank you for your patience. Please visit regularly www.brethrenchurch.org check out the new Missions pictures and Richmond, VA Conference & BYIC Convention reviews which are coming soon.

Directory Updates: There have been several updates made to the directory. We now have it available on line http://brethrenchurch.org/about/2008-brethren-church-directory
It is password protected. User Name: directory
Password: brethrenchurch1708

BRETHREN PEACE INITIATIVE For more information please click on link
http://brethrenchurch.org/missions/brethren-peace-initiative/

All the wonderful work God accomplished through our International Leaders hasn’t yet fully manifested.

We’re certain that we’ll continue to hear many more moving testimonies of how Christ’s powerful love was shared through our International Leaders during the 2008 Brethren Church General Conference.

If you have a testimony concerning how God moved in your life through these meetings, please send your story to:
Jenn Pinto at the Brethren Church National Office.

To view the latest photos and prayer requests from our International Leaders,
please visit our Missions Page and click on the links to each country in the sidebar at the right.

For information about the upcoming Missions Trip to India - CLICK HERE