Friday, March 19, 2004

Committee plans for the 300th anniversary of the Brethren movement, chooses logo.

Meeting in Elgin, Ill., Feb. 29-Mar. 2, the Annual Conference Anniversary Committee continued to plan for the 300th Anniversary of the Church of the Brethren, to be celebrated in 2008. A highlight of the meeting was the selection of a logo to illustrate the anniversary theme, "Surrendered to God, Transformed in Christ, Empowered by the Spirit." The logo, designed by Becky Goldstein of Boise, Idaho, will be unveiled at Annual Conference this summer.

In other business, the committee continued collaboration with Brethren Press about anniversary publications; met with Chris Douglas, the General Board's director of youth and young adult ministry, to discuss ways in which youth might be engaged in celebrating the anniversary; and began designing an anniversary website. Brethren Benefit Trust is offering technical assistance and funding the development of the site.

A call was issued earlier this year for musical submissions (hymns, anthems, folk songs, children's songs, etc.) based on the anniversary theme. The deadline for submissions is June 30, 2005. Calls for other types of resources will be forthcoming.

The committee's next meeting is scheduled for October in Ashland, Ohio, with the Tercentennial Committee of the Brethren Church to further define cooperative efforts, including some joint events at the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference in 2008. Members of the committee are Jeff Bach, Don Durnbaugh, Dean Garrett, Leslie Lake, Rhonda Pittman Gingrich, and Lorele Yager, with Lerry Fogle, Annual Conference executive director, serving ex-officio.


Source: Newsline 3/19/2004

Wednesday, March 17, 2004

Chocolate that is absolutely Divine!

According to Food in America 2002's Food and Wine poll, 46% of Americans said they “couldn’t live without chocolate.” Are you a part of that 46% we lovingly call chocoholics? At NYAC this summer, you can satisfy your craving for chocolate while participating in a service project and supporting fair trade. In the NYAC Coffee Shop, you will be able to sample Divine Chocolate for a free will donation. (The free will donations will be divided and given to designated charitable organizations.)

Divine Chocolate products are manufactured by the Day Chocolate Company, one third of which is owned by a cooperative of Ghanaian cocoa farmers. Divine Chocolate is Fair Trade Certified, which means (among other things) that the farmers received a fair price and that there was no child exploitation during production. For more information about Divine Chocolate, please visit www.serrv.org/divine.

Only 29 days left to register
What are you waiting for? Register! As of today, there are 210 participants registered for NYAC. Registration closes on April 15! Visit www.nyac2004.org today and register. (Remember that all forms and fees are due on April 15 as well.)

What a mug…
Don’t forget to bring your own coffee mug to NYAC. In the coffee shop, you can laugh during Open Mic times, have a great conversation with peers, check out the bookstore, or simply grab a cup of joe. Let’s save a few trees by sipping from reusable mugs!

Friday, March 05, 2004

More participants sought for youth and young adult workcamps.

Although the majority of the 2004 Church of the Brethren junior high, senior high, and young adult workcamps are filled or nearly filled, the General Board’s Youth and Young Adult Office reports that some locations do not seem to be generating as much interest as others.

"Despite their non-exotic setting, each of these camps would be an amazing experience for all participants," said Beth Rhodes, workcamp co-coordinator. "We want to alert all youth and young adults of the opportunities they have available to them."

Openings are in the Washington, D.C., senior high workcamp July 26-Aug. 1, with space for 14; the young adult trip to Taize, France, and Geneva, Switzerland, May 28-June 10, with space for 10; a senior high workcamp at Gould Farm in Massachusetts Aug. 9-15, with space for eight; a senior high workcamp in Keyser, W.Va., Aug. 9-15, with space for seven; the Disaster Response senior high workcamp July 25-31, with space for five; and the Brethren Revival Fellowship senior high workcamp in the Dominican Republic June 20-30, also with space for five. A junior high workcamp in New Windsor, Md., July 19-23, has openings for three participants. For more information contact the Youth and Young Adult Ministry Office, 800-323-8039.

Source: Newsline 3/05/2004
Senior High Spring Retreat -- March 5-7, 2004


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