The Brethren Church

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Brethren Church National Office Updates

April 3, 2008

Pastors and Leaders,

A major role of the National Office is to maintain communication with our denomination. To keep all of our ministries up to date on what is going on in the Brethren Church, this “National Office Update” is a bi-weekly letter to inform pastors and leaders of the current events in our denomination.

It is our 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.

April, May, June Spotlights

Are coming in the mail they should be arriving this week! It is also available on the website at:

www.brethrenchurch.org/publications/missions-spotlights

We are going to focusing on:

April is the NEW DAY Vision

May is the ministry in Argentina

June is the ministry in Spain

Brethren Pastors’ Conference

The conference held in Belleville, Ohio was a terrific time of fellowship, great food and accommodations, and was a truly stretching and learning experience of understanding how God has equipped each one of us as leaders for the purpose of transforming our congregations and our communities. Gary Diehl, our Church Health and Resource Specialist did a wonderful job of helping us grasp the Natural Church Development process as a model for health and growth. Lots of great discussion was a part of the whole experience with many great questions and dialogue about how this all fits with the NEW DAY vision of the Brethren Church. Color Your World With NCD books are still available from Gary Diehl at a greatly reduced price, and those of us at the BCNO continue to offer our assistance, coaching, and collaboration to plan for transformation in your ministry and your congregation. Call or email today for more information on how to get caught up with all of the happenings at Pastors’ Conference! A big thanks to Pastor Lynn Mercer and the Ohio pastors for hosting this event!

Information on General Conference in Richmond, VA

International Leaders coming to Richmond, VA for General Conference

For more information on how you or your Church can get involved contact Jenn@brethrenchurch.org at The Brethren Church National Office or visit the website for more information: www.brethrencuurch.org/missions

General Conference registration began March 7^th. Registration and hotel reservations can be done on-line. Please go to: www.brethrenchurch.org and follow the General Conference registration & Housing links. For mail or fax registrations and hotels reservations, please have your pastor go to our website by clicking on the Brethren Church web address listed above. Click on the word “housing” on the main page conference information. This will take you to information about each hotel available. At the bottom of that page you may click on “(Hotel Reservation Form (For Mail or Fax)” and print a paper form to use in this way. Hotel rooms are going fast so if you have not made your reservations we encourage you to do so quickly. You can find more information in the March/ April Issue of the Evangelist. For more Richmond, Virginia tourist information visit www.visit.richmond.com and www.richmondcenter.com. Also you can find attached to this email, copies of the Housing instructions and Form if you need them.

2008 BYIC Convention:

Visit our website www.brethrenchurch.org for updated information and registration.

Traveling 300^th Anniversary Display: Dr. James Hollinger has been traveling across the country with the 300^th Anniversary Traveling Display that will eventually be present in all districts.

In addition we want you to pray for Jim Hollinger, who has not been feeling well. He has been negotiating this journey with the truck and long trailer carrying all of the displays. This is an ambitious schedule, and it would be of tremendous help if we could locate an extra driver or two for the remainder of the schedule. Anyone who could help with this venture should contact Tim Garner at tgarner57@msn.com . Drivers are needed for the remainder of the journey.

Dates Location

Apr. 5 Eagles Nest, IN

Apr. 12 Brethren Heritage Center, OH

Apr. 18-19 Berlin Borough Bldg., PA

**Driver needed from Berlin, PA to Harrisonburg, VA**

Apr. 26 Cross Keys, VA

**Driver needed from VA to Sarasota, FL**

May 3-4 Sarasota First, FL

**Driver needed from Sarasota, FL to Richmond, VA area**

July 12

** Driver needed for Richmond, VA **

** Help Set – up in Richmond, VA**

July 16

** Driver needed from Richmond, VA to Ashland, OH**

**Help tear down in Richmond, VA & unpack in Ashland, OH**

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

Evangelist Mailing lists updates:

The BCNO needs your help. It has been a long time since our Evangelist mailing list has been updated. We want to be sure all your church members are receiving “The Evangelist”. Could you please send us a copy of your church mailing list so we can update our Evangelist Mailing List? Simply e-mail your church’s mailing list to: brenda@brethrenchurch.org and we will make all changes to our data base. Thank you so much for helping the Brethren Church Office to have better communication as we walk into a NEW DAY together.

Email mailing lists:
To help pastors and districts communicate more effectively we have made available to you a district contacts mailing list. This will allow you to communicate to all pastors and church moderators in a district. PLEASE NOTE…If you are sending information out on this service, anything that is sent after 5pm (Ohio Time) will not be sent by the moderator of this service (Jenn Pinto) until the next business day. Our Service is set up this way to cut down on any Spam that may be sent.

Below are the Emails:

mailto:centraldistrictcontacts@brethrenchurch.org

mailto:floridadistrictcontacts@brethrenchurch.org

mailto:indianadistrictcontacts@brethrenchurch.org

mailto:midwestdistrictcontacts@brethrenchurch.org

mailto:northcaliforniadistrictcontacts@brethrenchurch.org

mailto:northeastdistrictcontacts@brethrenchurch.org

mailto:ohiodistrictcontacts@brethrenchurch.org

mailto:southeastdistrictcontacts@brethrenchurch.org

mailto:southwestdistrictcontacts@brethrenchurch.org

We are still missing a couple of E-mail addresses in the BCNO database. If you have information on the churches listed below please contact Jenn Pinto at jenn@brethrenchurch.org

We are still missing email addresses for:

Northeast – Mainstreet & Mt. Pleasant

Ohio – Newark

Indiana – Mexico

Winding Waters Brethren Church Update:

Pastor Ron Walters was recently called to Active Service in Iraq. Pastor Ron is now busy getting the Winding Waters Church ready for yet another change. Pastor Ron asks for prayer for the health of the church. He also asks for prayer and for his wife and 2 daughters. The Walters are in the process of trying to sell their house before he goes off to training (hopefully in Ft. Lewis, WA around April 19^th) then he will be deployed to Iraq in May 2008 for at least a year. Please pray that their home in Elkhart, IN sells quickly and his wife and kids can relocate to California to be close to family as soon as possible. Also pray for their 2 young girls who are 8 and 9 years old. We pray protection over the Walter family and pray that peace will come quickly to bring many solders home to their families.

Northeast District Conference Update:

Reservations are already coming in for the meal which coincides with the tri-centennial display on Friday evening, April 18th. Reservations ($8.50/person) must be into me by April 9. The display will also be available for perusal on Sat, April 19, from 10:00-3:00.

The Berlin Brethren ladies will serve a light lunch ($5.00) on Friday. If you can and would, please email me or call me with an approximate # of those from your church attending the Friday noon meal.

Gene Oburn- Moderator, NE District, eoburn@wpia.net

Here are 3 Opportunities to help Riverside Christian School, KY

We use to sing the commercial, “um…um…good, um… um… good, Campbell’s Soup is um… um … good”. The Campbell labels are redeemable for a variety of tools for helping increase the literacy level of children. The goal at Riverside Christian is for labels looking like coupons being removed and mailed to us. It will be “um… um… good.”

“Box Tops for Education” is labels looking like coupons redeemable for supplies for students use in the classroom. You can join others in cutting out these labels and sending them to Riverside Christian for providing children with tools for education.

The canceled stamps on envelopes seems to be of no value, but read on for a way to help at Riverside Christian continue its nutritional food ministry to children. You and others you invite cut 1/4” borders around canceled stamps and send them to Riverside Christian School. The canceled stamps are worth $6.00 a pound and do add up making nickels for nutrition.

Please begin removing and saving “Labels for Education”, “Box Tops for Education”, and canceled stamps and send to: Riverside Christian School, Labels for Literacy, General Delivery, Lost Creek, Kentucky 41348

Miss Beverly Burroughs, Principal

Churches Looking for Pastors

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

Lanark First Brethren, IL

Wabash First Brethren, IN Elkhart First Brethren Church, IN

Roann First Brethren Church, IN Winding Waters Brethren Church, IN

Eagle’s Nest Christian Fellowship, IN Peru First Brethren Church, IN

North Georgetown First Breth., OH Roanoke First Brethren Church, IN

County Line Breth. Ch., Lakeville, IN Sarver Brethren Church, PA

Ministry Opportunities:

Hammond Avenue Brethren Church, Waterloo, IA

Hammond Avenue Brethren Church is searching for a second pastor for its pastoral team. This pastor will give primary leadership to young adult and senior high youth ministries, including outreach and assimilation/discipleship ministries among persons from high school age through 40-something.

This is a full-time position, not part-time. For more information, contact Ron W. Waters, write to Search@HammondAvenueBrethren.com, or visit the church website at http://www.HammondAvenueBrethren.com/search .

New Song Community Church, Union, MI is seeking a part-time worship director. For further details and a full job description, contact Pastor Steve Ganger at steve.ganger@mma-online.org.

Keep praying for NEW DAY activities in local congregations, in districts, among pastoral and leadership and around the denomination!

The National Office Update is a publication sent out to the pastor’s mail group and

also published on our website: www.brethrenchurch.org under “About.”

Pastors and Leaders,

We would like to extend a very Happy New Year to all of you! We hope your time over the Christmas Season was a Blessed and refreshing time for everyone!

A major role of the National Office is to maintain communication with our denomination. To keep all of our ministries up to date on what is going on in the Brethren Church, this “National Office Update” is a bi-weekly letter to inform pastors and leaders of the current events in our denomination.

It is our 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.

Statistical Reports & Certification of Elders: Please be patient with us! With all of the transitions here in the office there is still a lot to learn. We are working hard to get all of this information out to you by this week. Thank you for your patience!

Opportunity to help Riverside Christian School, KY
“Riverside Christian is now collecting canceled stamps for redeeming at $6.00 per pound.
Carolyn and I have a number of churches and individuals sending us canceled stamps, that we take to a broker in Fort Wayne, Indiana and sell them.

All the proceeds are used for ‘Nickels for Nutrition’ here in the food service ministry with over 60% of the student body on complimentary lunches. The meals are intentionally planned for being well-balanced, fun with clever naming, and nutritional.

I write to inquire about the promoting of this effort through the Brethren communication channels (magazine, newsletters, emails, etc.). I did not know the denominational policy on such promotions by individual mission sites.

We are rejoicing in the challenge of being here and the comfort of feeling welcomed and included by the school staff and community. We have been surprised with the quickness of the assimilation that is somewhat guarded, but welcoming.

Please advice or give counsel on the above request.” - Terry Shumaker

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

Mathias Brethren, WV
Lanark First Brethren, IL
Wabash First Brethren, IN
Elkhart First Brethren Church, IN
Roann First Brethren Church, IN
Winding Waters Brethren Church, IN
Eagle’s Nest Christian Fellowship, IN
Peru First Brethren Church, IN
North Georgetown First Breth., OH
Roanoke First Brethren Church, IN
County Line Breth. Ch., Lakeville, IN
Sarver Brethren Church, PA

Part Time Opportunities:
Park Street Brethren Church, Ashland, OH is seeking a Part Time Director of Children’s Ministry

The Winding Waters Brethren Church in Elkhart, IN is looking for a short-term interim pastor who will provide Bible teaching on Sundays and perhaps be available one other day of the week to assist with pastoral care. For more information contact District Pastor Tim Garner at 1-877-768-9185

Larry Hanson will conclude his ministry at the County Line Brethren Church around the first week of March.

Tim DeLaughter has concluded his ministry at Grace Community Church in Winchester, VA. He has joined an old classmate for a church plant with the C & MA church in New Jersey. We’ll list more contact info later, but for now Tim can be reached at tim@gracealliancechapel.org

Luke Kelley is the new pastor at Cornerstone Brethren Church in Muncie, IN. Luke is an Ashland, OH native and will begin part-time in January. Welcome Luke!

CONGRATULATIONS!!
To Chris & Leigh Ann Rufener, of St. College, PA, on the birth of their son Luke Robert!

More information on Richmond, VA and the Conference Center
Registration information will be coming soon!
Visit Richmond, VA websites at:
www.visit.richmond.com and www.richmondcenter.com

Resource Materials:
Here are some great materials available to help cast the NEW DAY vision
“The Present Future” by, Reggie McNeal
This is the book that was given out at the Leaders Luncheon at General Conf.

Willow Creek’s Reveal Now Video!

To order the “Reveal - Where Are You?” Book
Be sure to review the videos and get the book! The results of this Willow Creek self-study
have many implications for our NEW DAY journey. Be sure to note the kinds of strategies
transform people into mature disciples.

And also keep praying for NEW DAY activities in local congregations, in districts, among pastoral and leadership and around the denomination:

Brethren Pastors Conference “Color Your World” is set for March 25-27, 2008 in Belleville, OH, just down the road from Ashland. A Natural Church Development/NEW DAY agenda is planned. The cost is very reasonable; the topic is essential and transformational. Spouses are encouraged to attend if possible. Pastors, be sure to get this on your calendar now and seek congregational support for your attendance. We expect that all Brethren pastors will be there.

If you would like to order the “Color Your World…” book: Please contact us at the Brethren Church National Office. We have books available here at the BCNO for $12.00 plus $5.00 shipping. Books are normally $18- $20 plus shipping through Amazon.com or ChurchSmart.com.