Bridgewater College Recognized by CNCS

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) has recognized Bridgewater (Va.) College as a leader among institutions of higher education for its support of volunteering, service-learning, and civic engagement. Bridgewater was named to the 2012 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for engaging its students, faculty, and staff in meaningful service that achieves measurable results in the community.

Source:3/22/2012 Newsline

Kepple to Retire as President of Juniata College

After serving 14 years at Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pa., president Tom Kepple will retire following the 2012-13 school year, according to an announcement on the school’s website. A presidential search committee has started the search for his replacement and hired search consultant R. Stanton Hales of Academic-Search, Inc. The committee also has provided students, faculty, administrators, and the community with opportunities to voice their opinions and say what they want to see in the next president. For periodic updates on Juniata’s presidential search see www.juniata.edu/president/search.

Source:3/22/2012 Newsline

Registration for Mission Alive 2012 opens April 1.

“Sign up early for your spot at the Church of the Brethren missions conference, Mission Alive 2012!” invites the church’s Global Mission and Service office.

Global Mission and Service along with Brethren World Mission and the Brethren Mission Fund, are co-sponsoring Mission Alive 2012. The conference takes place Nov. 16-18 hosted at Lititz (Pa.) Church of the Brethren.

“As we are ‘Entrusted with the Message’ in 2 Corinthians 5:19-20, this conference aims to encourage, inspire, and ignite passion in each participant to become an advocate for Christ through Church of the Brethren mission and service in whatever way they’re able--through local congregational efforts or perhaps through a term of service abroad,” said the invitation. “Come prepared to be challenged, equipped, and commissioned to continue the mission of reconciling the people of our nation and world to Christ in this generation.”

Cost to attend the full conference is $65, with a daily fee of $40. Students in high school, college, or seminary will pay only $50 to attend the full conference. Register a family for the full conference for $150. Online and paper registration open April 1. Register at www.brethren.org/missionalive2012. Contact 800-323-8039 ext. 363 or mission@brethren.org with questions.

Source:3/22/2012 Newsline

NYAC 2012: Humble Yet Bold: Being the Church

NYAC 2012
Humble Yet Bold: Being the Church
June 18-22, 2012
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Registration opens January 6, 2012 at 8:00pm Central Time
Young Adults ages 18-35

Tyler to serve as coordinator of workcamps and volunteer recruitment.

Emily Tyler will begin June 27 as coordinator of workcamps and volunteer recruitment for the Church of the Brethren. The job combines oversight and administration of the youth and young adult workcamps with recruitment of volunteers for Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS).

This new coordinator position is located within the Global Mission and Service program, reports to the director of BVS, and also works closely with the director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry.

Tyler has been teaching music and choir at the elementary school level in Peoria, Ariz., where she is a member of Circle of Peace Church of the Brethren. In previous teaching positions she was an elementary music teacher in Wichita, Kan., where she received the Kansas State Teacher of Promise Award in 2004.

Her volunteer work for the Church of the Brethren has included serving as a co-coordinator of National Youth Conference in 2006, working as a BVS volunteer. She also was a coordinator for Young Adult Conference in 2006. She was a member of the National Young Adult Steering Committee 2003-05. In recent years she has been a volunteer director for some of the workcamps that are held across the country through the Workcamp Ministry, and in 2009 co-coordinated youth activities at Annual Conference. She is a graduate of McPherson (Kan.) College.

Source:3/7/2012 Newsline

Crain hired by McPherson College as new campus minister.

McPherson (Kan.) College has chosen a new campus minister with deep roots in both the spiritual and the scientific--Steve Crain.

The campus minister is responsible for the spiritual life of the McPherson College campus. Among the responsibilities are creating spiritual formation programs, supporting students of faith, and connecting students in need to available resources. The campus minister helps create the connection between the intellectual and spiritual at the college.

Crain comes to McPherson College from Fort Wayne, Ind., where he has served as director of Christian formation at Trinity Episcopal Church; co-chaplain for Timbercrest Senior Living Community, a Church of the Brethren retirement community; and adjunct faculty at the Department of Philosophy and Theology at the University of Saint Francis. He also has previous experience as a campus pastor at Manchester College in North Manchester, Ind.

Ordained in the Church of the Brethren, he holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from Stanford, a master’s degree in theology from Fuller Theological Seminary, and a master’s in history and philosophy of science from the University of Notre Dame from which he also received his doctorate in theology. His academic focus has been on the relationship between theology and natural science. In his spare time, he is a passionate reader and outdoorsman.

-- Adam Pracht is coordinator of development communications for McPherson College.

Source:3/7/2012 Newsline

Bridgewater College announces change in leadership.

The Board of Trustees of Bridgewater (Va.) College accepted a request by George Cornelius to allow his contract as president to expire at the end of the current academic year. The Board of Trustees has appointed executive vice president Roy W. Ferguson, Jr. as interim president to succeed Cornelius, with the transition to be completed on May 14.

“After significant reflection I have decided not to pursue an extension of my contract as president of the college,” Cornelius stated. “I would like to conclude the efforts I’ve started on campus and then focus my efforts elsewhere. I look forward to partnering with my friend and colleague Roy Ferguson to ensure a smooth transition.”

“We thank George and Susan, his wife, for their service to Bridgewater and wish them the best in their future endeavors,” Nathan H. Miller, chair of the Board of Trustees, affirmed. “The college has benefited from George’s broad business experience across an array of industries during its current strategic planning efforts. And we are pleased to have a leader of Roy Ferguson’s caliber to maintain the college’s momentum and history of providing a valuable education to our students.”

“Today the board invites the campus community to join its leaders in the next chapter of our strong story,” Miller continued. “Together, we are a campus that is keeping pace with change and embracing our robust future. Bridgewater College has and will continue to be a home for students, faculty, staff, and alumni who believe in our values and the college’s approach of educating the whole person.”

“I am honored to be asked to serve in the vital role of interim president of Bridgewater College,” stated Ferguson. “As begun by my predecessors, I look forward to leading the transition of a strong campus with a bright future.”

A search for the ninth president of the college will commence after discussion by the board at its regularly scheduled meeting in April. Under the board’s leadership, the search will progress with input and involvement from the campus community.

For more about Bridgewater College go to www.bridgewater.edu.

-- Mary Kay Heatwole is editorial assistant for Media Relations for Bridgewater College.

Source:3/7/2012 Newsline

University of La Verne Students Offer Tax Services

This Spring students at the University of La Verne, Calif., will offer free tax services for local taxpayers. Several students are part of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, an IRS-sponsored program that helps low-to-moderate income families and individuals. “Our students have all been trained and will be supervised by our adjunct faculty...who are also IRS employees. Students had to pass an exam to participate in this volunteer program,” said professor of Accounting Renee Miller in a release. “They will be providing free tax filing services to eligible taxpayers as part of the university’s efforts to help the communities we serve.” Approximately 35 students are participating and donating about 40 work hours of their time. For more information on the VITA program contact 909-593-3511 ext. 4432 or VITA@laverne.edu.

Source:3/7/2012 Newsline

Bridgewater College - Habitat’s Collegiate Challenge

Eighteen students and two staff of Bridgewater (Va.) College are volunteering with Habitat’s Collegiate Challenge Spring Break 2012, according to a release from the school. The group, accompanied by Jarret and Whitney Smith, director of admissions and director of student activities respectively, left for Maryville, Tenn., on March 4 and return to campus March 10. The group is working in partnership with the Blount County Habitat for Humanity affiliate in the Great Smoky Mountains. To raise money for the trip, they held a chili cook-off and sponsored an evening of childcare for Parents’ Night Out. This makes the 20th year that Bridgewater students have used their Spring break to work in various Habitat projects.

Source:3/7/2012 Newsline

McPherson College Service Opportunities

McPherson (Kan.) College is offering students at least three service opportunities with Church of the Brethren organizations during Spring break: in Lybrook, N.M., at a mission site related to Western Plains District; at the district’s Camp Mount Hermon in Kansas; and at a Brethren Disaster Ministries rebuilding project in Arab, Ala. The college’s Spring break is March 17-24.

Source:3/7/2012 Newsline

Manchester College Academic Scholarships

Manchester College in N. Manchester, Ind., is awarding a record $14.4 million in academic scholarships to 228 top high school seniors, according to a release from the school. The four-year scholarships for the baccalaureate program range from $56,000 Dean’s Scholarships to two full-tuition Honors Scholarships valued at $103,400 each. All are competitive, awarded for academic achievement and impressive presentation at Scholarship Day last month. “A record number of top students participated in our Scholarship Days this year,” said Dave McFadden, executive vice president. “It was exciting to see such a positive response. We responded to their enthusiasm with record scholarships.” For more about Manchester go to www.manchester.edu.

Source:3/7/2012 Newsline

National Young Adult Conference

A March 31 deadline is quickly approaching for young adults who would like to request a scholarship to attend this year’s National Young Adult Conference. The conference is June 18-22 at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. March 31 is the deadline for attendees to contact the Youth and Young Adult Office requesting staff to send a letter to their home church requesting a scholarship. More information and online registration are at www.brethren.org/yac . For questions contact Carol Fike, NYAC coordinator, at 800-323-8039 or cfike@brethren.org.

Source:3/7/2012 Newsline

Regional Youth Conference at McPherson College - 3/30 - 4/1

Regional Youth Conference will be held at McPherson (Kan.) College on March 30-April 1 on the theme “For All of You Are One” (Galatians 3:26-28). For more information and to register, go to www.mcpherson.edu/ryc . Registration is due by March 19. For questions, call McPherson College dean of students LaMonte Rothrock at 620-242-0501.

Source:3/7/2012 Newsline

Youth Peace Travel Team is named for 2012

The 2012 Youth Peace Travel Team has been named. As they spend time with junior and senior high youth this summer at camps across the Church of the Brethren, the team will teach about peace, justice, and reconciliation, all core values throughout the Church of the Brethren’s more than 300-year history.

The Youth Peace Travel Team is sponsored by the Church of the Brethren’s Youth and Young Adult Ministry, Advocacy and Peace Witness Office, Brethren Volunteer Service, On Earth Peace, and the Outdoor Ministries Association.

Members of the 2012 team are

• Katie Furrow of Boones Mill, Va., whose home congregation is Monte Vista Church of the Brethren in Callaway, Va.
• Hunter Keith of Kokomo, Ind., and Mexico (Ind.) Church of the Brethren
• Kyle Riege of Wakarusa, Ind., and Camp Creek Church of the Brethren in Etna Green, Ind.
• Molly Walmer of Myerstown, Pa., and Meyerstown Church of the Brethren

source: 2/16/2012 Newsline

New Fire: Youth and Young Adults and the Ecumenical Movement

“New Fire: Youth and Young Adults and the Ecumenical Movement” is the presentation by Jennifer Leath for the Ecumenical Luncheon at Annual Conference on July 10. Leath is an ordained minister and itinerant elder in the First Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, and a doctoral candidate at Yale University in African-American studies and religious studies with an emphasis in religious ethics. She serves as co-moderator of the Joint Consultative Group between the World Council of Churches and the Pentecostal churches, and is a member of the WCC youth commission. Tickets are $17. See www.cobannualconference.org/StLouis/EcumenicalLuncheon.pdf.

Source:2/8/2012 Newsline

On Earth Peace is sponsoring a Peace Vigil and Drum Circle

On Earth Peace is sponsoring a Peace Vigil and Drum Circle to close out the young adult experience of Annual Conference. The event is to “bring God’s Shalom and Christ’s peace in a quiet, peaceful, spiritual event in downtown St. Louis.” Young adults are invited to bring their voices, prayers, stringed instruments, and drums when they gather at 10 p.m. on July 10.

Source:2/8/2012 Newsline

Young Adult “Night at the Museum”

The young adults and singles/night owls join together for a night-time, by flashlight experience of the City Museum of St. Louis on July 7. This “Night at the Museum” is offered at a greatly reduced entrance fee of only $6 per person. “Housed in the 600,000 square foot former Shoe Company, the museum is an eclectic mixture of playground, funhouse, surrealistic pavilion, and architectural marvel,” says the flier. See the Information Packet at www.brethren.org/ac.

Source:2/8/2012 Newsline

Annual Conference - Junior High Youth

The junior high youth will have a unique opportunity to spend the morning of July 10 at St. Louis’ Old Courthouse learning about the Dred Scott case and 19th century slavery, and considering the issues of modern-day slavery and human trafficking. Daily rate for July 10 is $35. Cost to attend junior high activities for the entire Conference is $85, which includes a visit to the Gateway Arch, a Mississippi River cruise, and the St. Louis Zoo, among other events. Other groups planning to visit St. Louis’ Gateway Arch include the middlers (grades 3-5) and senior high. See the Information Packet at www.brethren.org/ac for more age group activities and fees.

Source:2/8/2012 Newsline

World Council of Churches Stewards Program

Young Christians are invited to apply to the World Council of Churches Stewards Program for a learning experience at the WCC Central Committee meeting, Aug. 23-Sept. 7 in Crete. Applicants must be age 18-30. During the meetings stewards will work in the areas of worship, conference room, documentation, press office, sound, and other administrative and support tasks. Before the meetings, stewards follow an ecumenical learning program which exposes them to key issues of the ecumenical movement. The last phase of the program focuses on designing projects that stewards will implement back home. Send in completed application forms to the WCC youth desk no later than March 15. Brethren who apply are requested to copy Becky Ullom, director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries, at bullom@brethren.org . More information is at www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=e9b4ef2f38d10aabdd7f .

Source:2/8/2012 Newsline

The Senior High Roundtable at Bridgewater College

The Senior High Roundtable at Bridgewater (Va.) College is scheduled for March 16-18. The theme is "Following Christ: Step by Step...Remember, Rejoice, Repeat" (1 Peter 2:21). Guest speaker is Shawn Flory Replogle, former Annual Conference moderator and a speaker at National Youth Conference 2010. Register at www.bridgewater.edu/orgs/iyc.

Source:2/8/2012 Newsline