Bethany Open House - February 26

A Mid-Winter Open House for college students will be held on Feb. 26 from 8:30 am to 3:00pm at Bethany Theological Seminary in Richmond, IN. There will be opportunities for conversation with faculty, staff, and students, to visit a class, as well as a campus tour.

Come join in a day of exploring theological education and its possibilities in your life. For more information please contact Kathy Royer, Director of Admissions at enroll@bethanyseminary.edu.

If you know of anyone who is thinking about Bethany, this would be a great opportunity to check them out. They are targeting college students in their advertising, however, other young adults are certainly welcome.

They have also made arrangements for overnight lodging for those traveling a distance. If overnight accommodations are needed, please contact Kathy Royer by Feb 15.

Churches begin planning for Consultation on Alternative Service.

Leaders from several Christian denominations will hold a March 4-5 consultation at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill., to make contingency plans in case of a US military draft. The consultation of church leaders—mostly from peace churches in the Anabaptist tradition—will include education on Selective Service requirements, updates on military recruiting efforts, and conversation about alternatives to military service. It also will address how to respond to an increase in military recruitment efforts and how to promote a culture of volunteerism among youth.

The Council of Moderators and Secretaries (COMS), a group of leaders from Anabaptist denominations, is sponsoring the by-invitation-only consultation of about 80 people. The planning group includes representatives from the Church of the Brethren, the Mennonite Church USA, the Brethren in Christ Church of North America, the US Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, and Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) US.

Invited participants will include church leaders, church youth and young adults, and representatives from church agencies and educational institutions. The Church of the Brethren will have a delegation of about 12 people including the Annual Conference moderator and moderator-elect, representatives of the General Board and On Earth Peace, and youth and young adults. Other denominations have asked to be included in the consultation and the planning group is considering inviting representatives of the American Friends Service Committee and the Bruderhof. In addition, an invitation is being extended to representatives of the American Baptist Churches USA.

The idea for the consultation was sparked in part by face-to-face conversations between Selective Service staff and General Board staff (see related stories in the Dec. 17 and Dec. 31, 2004, issues of Newsline). Planning for the consultation has been facilitated by staff of MCC US, which have spent ten months making contingency planning for such a meeting.

The consultation "is important to all of us as Historic Peace Churches," said Stan Noffsinger, general secretary of the General Board. "The outcome of this gathering is strengthened through the participation of each of these denominations," he said. The prospect for a military draft "is a common denominator and we are proactive in considering our next steps."

"I think it's very important that the Anabaptist churches and those of us with concerns for peace be working together," said McFadden, who represents the Church of the Brethren on the planning group. "While the political parties and leaders continue to say there will be no draft, it's time for us to prepare," he said.

Source: 01/21/2005 Newsline

National Youth Cabinet named for 2005-06.

The General Board's office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry has named a National Youth Cabinet for the years 2005-06, director Chris Douglas has announced. The first meeting of the new cabinet will be Jan. 14-17 at the denomination's General Offices in Elgin, Ill. Among other business, the group will choose a theme for the 2006 National Youth Conference (NYC).

Members of the cabinet are Leigh-Anne Enders of Mechanicsburg (Pa.) Church of the Brethren; Zac Morgan of La Verne (Calif.) Church of the Brethren; Rachel Stevens of McPherson (Kan.) Church of the Brethren; Nick Kauffman of Goshen City (Ind.) Church of the Brethren; and Erin Smith of Palmyra (Pa.) Church of the Brethren. Adult advisors serving on the cabinet are Becky Ball-Miller of Union Center Church of the Brethren in Nappanee, Ind., and Shawn Flory-Replogle of the McPherson church.

Working with the cabinet will be Douglas and the three NYC coordinators: Cindy Laprade, Beth Rhodes, and Emily Tyler.

Source: 01/07/2005 Newsline

Final NYC Coordinator Named

Emily Tyler of McPherson (Kan.) Church of the Brethren has been named as the third coordinator for the National Youth Conference (NYC) 2006. As a Brethren Volunteer Service worker, she will serve with Beth Rhodes and Cindy Laprade to give coordination to the youth conference. More than 4,500 youth and advisors are expected to attend. NYC will be held in Fort Collins, Colo., July 22-27, 2006. Tyler is a 2003 graduate of McPherson College and has spent the past year teaching elementary music in Wichita, Kan. She also appeared as an instrumentalist in the Church of the Brethren Christmas Eve service aired on CBS, playing the flute. She will begin in the position on June 1.

Source: 01/07/2005 Newsline

Youth Peace Travel Team

The deadline is approaching for those interested in applying to be on this summer's Youth Peace Travel Team. Every summer the General Board's Youth and Young Adult Ministry Office and Brethren/Witness Washington Office, the Outdoor Ministries Association, Brethren Volunteer Service, and On Earth Peace sponsor a team of high school youth and college-aged young adults to travel to Church of the Brethren camps to present peace education. Four people ages 18-22 will be selected for the 2005 team's eight-week journey. A stipend is available to team members. Deadline for applications is Feb. 4. Contact the Brethren Witness/Washington Office for applications at 800-785-3246.

Source: 01/07/2005 Newsline

Seeking Art, Poems, and Prayers for Earth Day Sunday - April 22

The National Council of Church's Eco-Justice Program seeks art, poems, and prayers for use on Earth Day Sunday. This year, Earth Day falls on April 22 and Earth Sunday falls on April 24. This year's theme is oceans and seas. The resources for use on Earth Sunday will feature art, poems, and prayers contributed by people of faith in an Earth Day Contest. "The Church of the Brethren has long been part of the National Council of Churches and urges Brethren to participate in this contest by submitting your entries by January 15," reported the General Board's Brethren Witness/Washington Office. Submit entries by e-mail to Cassandra Carmichael at Cassandra@toad.net or mail to Eco-Justice Programs, National Council of Churches, 110 Maryland Ave., NE, Washington, DC 20002. The Brethren Witness/Washington Office would like to receive copies of any Brethren submissions. E-mail washington_office_gb@brethren.org or mail to 337 North Carolina Ave., SE, Washington, DC 20003.

Source: 01/07/2005 Newsline

National Peace Essay Contest

The General Board's Brethren Witness/Washington Office is calling the attention of students grades 9-12 to the 2004-05 National Peace Essay Contest of the US Institute of Peace. "As members of the Church of the Brethren we are called to advocate Christ's message of harmony and reconciliation," the office said. "This contest provides an excellent opportunity for youth to explore means of coming to international peace and conflict resolution." The essay topic for the competition is "Transitions to Democracy," and will require students to analyze two countries' attempts at such a process. Winners at the state level will receive a college scholarship of $1,000 and can compete for the national award of a $10,000 scholarship. All state winners receive an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., for the week-long awards program in June. Visit www.usip.org/npec to register, receive a National Peace Essay guidebook, and view the question for this year's contest. Contest deadline is Feb. 2.

Source: 01/07/2005 Newsline

Youth Peace Retreat: January 21-23

How much do you know about conscientious objection?

Learn more January 22 at York Center Church of the Brethren, Lombard, IL!
9:30 am - 4:30 pm

What is the peace church tradition?    What are the scriptural roots of these beliefs?   How does Selective Service work?    What do you do if there’s a draft?

Leadership: Bob Gross, co-director of On Earth Peace

• The event itself is free of charge. Please bring money for a Subway-type lunch on Saturday.
  
• Coming from a distance? We can arrange housing for Friday night so you can avoid an early start Saturday.
  
• All groups are invited to stay for a lock-in Saturday night and for worship Sunday morning. Each group staying over should have at least one advisor present to spend the night. Please let us know in advance if you plan to stay over. Call 630-627-7411.

Brethren Agree to Revive 'Alternative Service' Draft Programs

By Kevin Eckstrom
Religion News Service

Leaders of the Church of the Brethren say they will follow through on a request from the Selective Service to have "alternative service" programs in place for conscientious objectors if a draft is reinstated.

As one of the historic "peace churches" that shun military service, Brethren officials were "cautious" after an unannounced visit by a draft official to a church center in Maryland last October. Officials were worried that the visit signaled that a draft may be at hand.

In follow-up meetings, draft officials urged the church to dust off long-standing "alternative service" programs that allow conscientious objectors to serve in two-year domestic service projects in lieu of military service.

In a meeting Dec. 10, the church's council voted to "maximize our efforts" on alternative service, as well as help "guide our youth in their choice of nonviolent service."

"We don't want to miss the part of providing resources to our youth that will help them understand and embrace the Brethren peace witness," said Chris Bowman, moderator of the church's 2004 conference.

Selective Service officials have insisted there are no plans to reinstate the draft, and said Alternative Service Director Cassandra Costley stopped by the Brethren Service Center simply because she was in the area.

Dick Flahavan, a spokesman for Selective Service, said officials did their best to convince church leaders there is no draft on the horizon. "We answered every one of their questions and they didn't leave with anything hanging," he said. "What we were telling them was what we tell everyone. The story hasn't varied."

Brethren leaders also agreed to meet in March with other Anabaptist churches that oppose military service. The meeting in Elgin, Ill., will bring together six Brethren and Mennonite groups to discuss "how to prepare for alternative service opportunities."

Source: BeliefNet

Council endorses Selective Service conversations, alternative service consultation.

The Annual Conference Council has given its endorsement to continued conversations between the General Board and Selective Service in a telephone conference call Dec. 10. The endorsement was given in response to the invitation by Selective Service for the Church of the Brethren, as a historic peace church, to develop a plan for alternative service opportunities. The council also endorsed Church of the Brethren participation in an Anabaptist meeting on alternative service opportunities.

Earl K. Ziegler, chair of the council, called the group together to discuss the matter at the request of Stan Noffsinger, general secretary of the General Board. Noffsinger turned to the council in its capacity as executive committee of the Conference, reported Conference secretary Fred Swartz. Noffsinger told the council that he considered the opportunity and call to be larger than a General Board program, and an invitation to the entire denomination to be involved in a positive witness to its heritage and faith.

"The council understood from the background material given that Selective Service, or the Bush administration, have no plans in the offing to institute a new draft," Swartz reported. "There have been discussions during the past two presidential administrations of the eventual possibility of some kind of general national service. Selective Service officials explained to General Board staff that they want alternative service opportunities to be in place if and when such a program would be launched."

The council unanimously agreed to "give the general secretary our encouragement to maximize our efforts to have alternative service opportunities in place" and "to continue to explore the relationship with Selective Service." The council added a strong urging for all Annual Conference agencies "to renew the task of resourcing the church with tools to guide our youth in their choice of nonviolent service." Noffsinger reported that he will give On Earth Peace a full report of the conversations with Selective Service and will make sure that agency is a participant in the discussion. "We don't want to miss the part of providing resources to our youth that will help them understand and embrace the Brethren peace witness," commented Chris Bowman, moderator of the 2004 Conference.

Noffsinger and Jim Hardenbrook, 2005 Annual Conference moderator, also reported to the council their participation in a recent meeting of executives and moderators of Anabaptist communions. Although this fellowship has met annually, the Church of the Brethren has not been involved for six years. The meeting also included officers of the Mennonite Church US, the Brethren in Christ, the Conservative Mennonite Church, Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) US, and the Mennonite Brethren USA.

At the Anabaptist meeting, the MCC's executive director Rolando Santiago brought a proposal urging Anabaptist churches to intensify their witness to service. After Church of the Brethren representatives disclosed the contacts with Selective Service, the group made plans for a consultation of representatives of Anabaptist communions to discuss the tradition's understanding of service and how to prepare for alternative service opportunities. At Noffsinger's invitation the consultation will be held at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill.

After hearing the report, the Annual Conference Council took action to support "our denomination's participation in a consultation on alternative service March 4-6, 2005, to be held in Elgin, Ill., as proposed by the council of moderators and secretaries of the Anabaptist churches, and in which the Annual Conference moderator and General Board general secretary will participate on behalf of the Church of the Brethren." Council members participating in the meeting were Ziegler, Bowman, Hardenbrook, Swartz, Ron Beachley, Joan Daggett, and Lerry Fogle.

Source: 12/31/2004 Newsline

Church staff meet with Selective Service.

Three staff directors of the General Board met with staff of Selective Service at the agency's office in Arlington, Va., Dec. 2. The meeting followed up on an unannounced visit to the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md., on Oct. 8 by Cassandra Costley, director of the Alternative Service Division of Selective Service.

New Windsor has a long history of being a site where Brethren have organized and gathered around issues of conscience and military service, most notably hosting Civilian Public Service workers from 1944-46. Selective Service is the federal agency that registers and maintains a database of young men as they reach their eighteenth birthday in order to maintain an accounting of those available for military service in the event of a military draft.

"We went into this meeting with a clear agenda of opening a conversation with Selective Service in an effort to better understand why this visit to New Windsor occurred, and how we as a church could make clear our historic and active voice as a people of peace and nonviolence," reported Phil Jones, director of Brethren Witness/Washington Office. Also in the meeting were Brethren Volunteer Service director Dan McFadden and Brethren Service Center executive director Roy Winter.

The meeting lasted well into three hours, Jones reported. Was the New Windsor visit an indication that Selective Service was gearing up for a military conscription program, the group asked. "The answer is no, according to Costley, and her immediate supervisor, Richard Flahavan," Jones said. Costley, Flahavan, and the newly installed Director of Selective Service William Chatfield, who joined the meeting briefly, all indicated that their work was in regards to preparedness only. The New Windsor visit was made because Costley was in the area for other business and took the opportunity to make an outreach visit.

Flahavan went on to explain that there is no draft and that none is coming as indicated by statements from the White House and Pentagon in recent months, Jones reported. "He also pointed to the late October vote of Congress that overwhelmingly defeated a proposed draft bill" (HR 163), Jones said. "The gearing up for a draft and the sheer amount of funding and staff increases that would be necessary are reasons enough to indicate there will be no draft," Flahavan stated, indicating that a draft would cost in excess of one half billion dollars to initiate. Most of the meeting was spent in learning more about Selective Service and how its Alternative Service program would operate if there were a draft.

"The fact that they were asking us a lot of questions shows that one of the things we have developed as a peace church is a lot of respect for our position," commented Stan Noffsinger, general secretary of the General Board. Within a week of the meeting with Selective Service, Noffsinger and Annual Conference moderator Jim Hardenbrook reported on the meeting to the Council of Moderators and Secretaries of the Anabaptist Churches. The council also includes officers of the Mennonite Church US, the Brethren in Christ, the Conservative Mennonite Church, Mennonite Central Committee US, and the Mennonite Brethren USA.

Planning is underway for an Anabaptist churches' Consultation on Alternative Service, to be held at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill. Details will be announced after the first of the year. McFadden will represent the Church of the Brethren on the planning committee along with Noffsinger.

"Now's the time to talk about the issues of alternative service and its future," Noffsinger said. "To me that's the value" of the conversation with Selective Service, he added.

Source: 12/17/2004 Newsline

Begin the year with the Bible

How long does it take to read the Bible cover to cover—nonstop? It took us 81 hours!

Beginning the first minute of 2003, the sound of scripture echoed through the halls of our church. Each person took a 15-minute assignment, reading from wherever the previous person left off. The marathon concluded with a unison reading of the last chapter of Revelation shortly after 9 a.m. on Jan. 4. Almost 150 people participated in the reading, with approximately 75 people present for the conclusion. News coverage was provided by area television stations and newspapers.

The senior high youth planned and led the project. The church newsletter and bulletin were used to explain and promote the idea. A few weeks before the reading began, youth were available before and after worship to sign up readers. When a snow storm made it difficult for some readers to come to the event, youth camped out in the church overnight to make sure the reading didn’t stop.

Most importantly, the marathon had a surprising and wonderful spiritual impact on those who participated. Many were blessed not only by the time they spent reading, but also by the time they spent listening. A sense of reverence filled the sanctuary and church building as voices of young and old gave sound to the ancient, yet living texts. A spirit of community emerged as readers greeted and encouraged one another throughout the marathon. Those who risked a night-time reading quickly signed up to come in a second or third night, indicating that the sacrifice gave the experience extra meaning. The boundaries of the church expanded as members welcomed friends and relatives to participate in the project.

When the last verse was read an overwhelming feeling of joy broke forth—joy not so much over having finished, but over having made the journey simply… peacefully… together. What is difficult to accomplish as an individual, is more easily done in community.

For more details or resources, contact me at dlohr@palmyracob.org.

Dennis Lohr is pastor of Christian nurture at Palmyra (Pa.) Church of the Brethren.

Source: The Seed Packet – Winter 2004

Workcamp Registration Opens

Registration for the 2005 youth and young adult workcamps sponsored by the General Board took off in the first half-hour after it opened online, at midnight on Nov. 30, reported coordinators Cindy Laprade and Beth Rhodes. In the first 30 minutes of registration 118 people signed up, and by the next morning at 8 a.m. a total of 203 people had registered. "We were quite overwhelmed," Laprade said. Already four of the workcamps are completely full. For more information on the workcamps see www.brethren.org, click on "General Board," go to keyword "Youth/young adults."

Source: Newsline 12/3/2004

Manchester College

Manchester College, a Church of the Brethren school in North Manchester, Ind., is among the "Best Midwestern Colleges," says the "Princeton Review." Rankings released by the review put the college in the company of 170 colleges and universities recognized as outstanding in the region, the college reported in a press release. The review ranks colleges and universities nationwide and offers school selection advice on its website, along with comments from students and college officials. Learn more about the rankings at www.princetonreview.com. For more information about the college visit www.manchester.edu.

Source: Newsline 12/3/2004

Senior High Fall Retreat -- November 5-7, 2004

What: Fall Senior High Retreat and District Conference When: November 5-7, 2004 WHO: Everyone currently in 9th through 12th grades. Friends are welcome! Where: Registration and some events at Dixon Church of the Brethren, Dixon, Ill.; main retreat will be at Camp Emmaus, Mt. Morris.

Leadership:
Our keynote speaker will be Matt Guynn, coordinator of peace witness for On Earth Peace. Matt lives in Richmond, Ind., and attends the Richmond Church of the Brethren. He has led numerous workshops and other events all across the denomination. Students from Manchester College will assist in music leadership for the weekend.



Theme:
"Prepare, God's People!" The Brethren love feast includes a time of preparation, in which Brethren historically were asked whether all was "right" between them and their neighbors. Did any conflict exist? How do we get ourselves "right" with God, or with one another? The weekend will look at ways of dealing with conflict in healthy ways that can transform relationships.

Other Activities:
Worship, games and recreation, an ice cream social, a service project, and lots of fun, food, and fellowship.

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Manchester Scholarships

Manchester College, North Manchester, Ind., has tripled its Connections scholarship to $3,000 for new Church of the Brethren students entering in the fall of 2005. Brethren students will receive the award on top of all other financial aid for which they qualify, up to full tuition. "Our Brethren students are consistently among our top students academically and are leaders on campus," noted Dave McFadden, vice president for Enrollment and Planning, in a release from the college. "They are a key part of what makes us a distinctive college." The release reported that 11 Fulbright Scholars from Manchester have been Church of the Brethren. Visit www.manchester.edu or call 800-852-3648.

source: Newsline 11/05/2004

Youth Resources

The December Source mailing, sent to church pastors, includes ideas for congregations to use the unique opportunity of the Church of the Brethren Christmas Eve Service on CBS. Ideas are given for how congregations may use the national television broadcast to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with their communities. The Source packet, a monthly mailing of resources for congregations, will arrive at church offices by mid-November. Also in this Source packet: A letter from Annual Conference moderator Jim Hardenbrook; information from the 300th Anniversary Committee; order forms for a Lent devotional by Glenn Mitchell; a Christmas catalogue from Brethren Press; a youth essay contest by "Messenger" magazine; bulletin inserts on stewardship; brochures for the 2005 National Workcamps for youth and young adults; an invitation to send Christmas cards to Brethren Volunteer Service workers; a flier from A Greater Gift/SERRV; "The Seed Packet" newsletter for Christian educators; and the "Tapestry" newsletter.

source: Newsline 11/05/2004

Workcamps

"Disaster response, caring for children, environmental preservation, confronting racial barriers, experiencing new cultures, exploring urban poverty and rural development issues--all of these opportunities and more are available to youth and young adults through the 2005 National Workcamps," said coordinators Cindy Laprade, Beth Rhodes, and Steve Van Houten in a note inviting youth and young adults to participate in workcamps next summer. The theme will be "Rivers of Life" based on John 7:38. Workcampers will be invited to "step into the flow of other people's lives and experiences, and to affect change in the people and places that have been washed away by the currents of our society," the coordinators said. Brochures are available from district offices, congregations, or the General Board's Youth and Young Adult Ministry Office at 800-323-8039. A website also provides information and registration materials, see www.brethren.org/genbd/yya/workcamps. Registration begins Dec. 1. Contact the coordinators at 800-323-8039 or by e-mail at cobyouth_gb@brethren.org.

source: Newsline 10/29/2004

Diferent Drummers

The Chicago-based CBS show "Different Drummers" featured the General Board's youth and young adult workcamp program with coordinators Cindy Laprade and Beth Rhodes. Agata Zalewski, a youth workcamp participant from York Center Church of the Brethren, Lombard, Ill., was interviewed as were several other Brethren members in the audience including youth and advisors from Chicago-area congregations. The show aired Oct. 23 at 5 a.m.

source: Newsline 10/29/2004

Jubilee Troupe

Sick of the choke of political messages being thrown around these days? Me too! Feel a little disempowered? Sometimes, me too. Want to do something...something BEYOND politics, something practical and yet intensely creative and deeply spiritual? I am about to share something that is maybe the craziest serious invitation you've had since... well, since a long time.

Ready? Here goes...

The Jubilee Troupe. We are a group of fairly young adults (23-31), mostly Anabaptist, mostly Brethren, seeking to introduce new forms of sacred arts to churches, church-related events and colleges with themes of reconciliation in the year 2005. Jubilee. According to Leviticus, it only happens once every 49 years. So this is your once-in-a-generation chance to be part of something, well, on the edge. Curious? Read on...

Several years ago, a few young adults in the Church of the Brethren had an idea to take groups like JOYA and the Youth Peace Travel Team once step further. What would it be like if we developed and incorporated some radically new forms of interactive drama and dance into worship? What would it look like if we shared that with others? How could the church be changed with this kind of infusion of creative energy? How could WE be tranformed in the process of creating our own little creating-community?

We first came together a year after this first sprouted, at the Organizing for Peace Conference (of On Earth Peace) this past March: Shalom Black, Christina Cruz, Myra Martin Adkins, Gloria Newton, Chris Palsgrove and me. Since then we've performed or led worship at four four events from Washington, DC to California. We've explored a theater improvisation form called Playback Theater, with sharing and stories from an audience, and we've used a simple, powerful form of sacred "dance" based on improvising simple movement and physical contact. At the heart of our work and play has been a central theme - expressing the creating, renewing, reconciling Spirit of God through our bodies.

Since March we have changed personalities a few times. New folks have joined, shared their gifts, explored creative work and play together...others have tended to other pastures. And that's one of the reasons i am writing you. We are looking for new blood, searching, passionate, gifted, creative, curious, questioning folks with presense...not necessarily an opportunity for professional actors or dancers...i consider it more of a CALL, a call to share of yourself, express the raw Spirit in you and ultimately perform in that Spirit.

So i have a few invitations for you and your community...if you've read this far:

CONSIDER inviting the Jubilee Troupe to your church, your community, your college. We are seeking invitations for this wandering band of neo-minstrels beginning February 2005. The Troupe offers several exciting workshops alongside worship-full performances and contributions to worship services. We consider ourselves in the ancient tradition essentially, "Revival." Would you or your community be interested in that kind of energy? See more on the program page of the Jubilee Troupe website.

CONSIDER also attending our first training on the weekend of January 7-9, 2005 in New Windsor, MD. It is open to all interested - young and old, committed or just curious, from any background or artistic persuasion. We are shaping a weekend for getting in touch with our joyful and quiet selves, playing with drama and movement, sharing stories and devotional time together. Consider coming - whether or not you would consider being part of an ongoing "troupe." And even if you'd like to come but can't make this one, email a response or register your interest here.

FINALLY, CONSIDER being part of the Troupe itself. Could that be in your calling? Want to know more about it? Write back or call me up and let's talk! Our various members have various commitments - from traveling half the spring and summer, to only occasional, more convenient involvement for those of us with other jobs, studies and commitments.

And as a postscript, maybe someone you know is searching for that call, someone open, eager, curious, expressive, passionate about Life... so pass this on! This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity!

Blessings,
chris fitz


Jubilee Troupe primary sponsor: On Earth Peace Assembly

Other sponsors:

Church of the Brethren Witness Office
New Community Project
Brethren Peace Fellowship

Advisory Group:

• Barb Sayler, co-director of On Earth Peace, Inc. (MD)
  
• David Radcliff, director of the New Community Project (IL)
  
• Lee Krähenbühl, theater coach, professor of communications, Manchester College (IN)
  
• Arlene Kiely, director of the Dumbarton Playback company (MD/DC)
  
• Phil Jones, director of the Brethren Witness Office (DC)
  
• Matt Guynn, trainer, program associate, On Earth Peace (IN)
  
• Paul Grout, visual artist, former pastor of Genesis Church of the Brethren (VT)
  
• Chris Fitze, improvisational actor, technical theater director (ME)
  
• Jessica Eller, activist, mediator, Portland Friends Meeting (ME)
  
• Ruth Aukerman, visual artist, teacher and activist (MD)

Jubilee Troupe 2004-2005

• Shalom Black, Catholic University PhD candidate (DC)
  
• Christina Cruz, poet, Goshen College graduate (PA)
  
• Christopher Fitz, dancer, actor, Troupe director (PA)
  
• Rachel Koontz, actor, dancer, Goshen College graduate (IN)
  
• Myra Martin-Adkins, actor, student, Manchester College (IN)
  
• Gloria Newton, artist in residence, Center for Anabaptist Leadership (CA)
  
• Chris Palsgrove, actor, technician at McDaniels College (MD)
  
• Tabea Steinbeisser, spiritual midwife, musician (Germany)

--
Christopher Fitz
http://chrisfitz.net
cfitz@hampshire.edu

The Jubilee Troupe
http://jubileetroupe.org
888-228-4491 tel.