YOUTH CABINET ISSUES 300th ANNIVERSARY CHALLENGE TO YOUTH GROUPS
The 2007-08 National Youth Cabinet held its first meeting Aug. 1-3 in Elgin, Ill., giving input for the Church of the Brethren’s denominational youth program, selecting a 2008 youth ministry theme, developing resources for the 2008 National Youth Sunday, and preparing for the denomination's 300th anniversary.
Elizabeth Willis of Tryon, N.C., Tricia Ziegler of Sebring, Fla., Joel Rhodes of Huntingdon, Pa., Seth Keller of Dover, Pa., Turner Ritchie of Richmond, Ind., and Heather Popielarz of Prescott, Mich., are serving on the cabinet. Dena Gilbert of La Verne, Calif., is serving as advisor to the group, along with Chris Douglas, Youth/Young Adult Ministries director for the Church of the Brethren General Board.
The cabinet settled on "By the Manner of Their Living" for next year's youth ministry theme, drawing on a familiar quote attributed to Alexander Mack Sr. for the denomination's 300th anniversary year. Mack is considered the founder of the Church of the Brethren. The theme scripture is Colossians 3:12-15. Resources will be drawn on this theme for the National Youth Sunday scheduled for May 4, 2008.
In addition, the group issued a 300th anniversary challenge to youth groups across the denomination, following up on a General Board challenge to do something in multiples of 300 for the anniversary year, such as rebuilding 300 homes in disaster areas or having 300 more people participate in summer workcamps. Suggestions to youth groups include giving 300 hours of service, preparing 300 school kits for disaster relief, giving 300 cans of food to a local food pantry, or offering 300 prayers of peace.
The meeting also included conversations about Brethren Volunteer Service, a tour of the offices, and several times of worship. The cabinet next meets July 31-Aug. 3, 2008, in Elgin.
--Walt Wiltschek is editor of “Messenger” magazine for the Church of the Brethren General Board.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
District Senior High Fall Retreat -- November 2-4, 2007
"Encountering God On the Way"
It will feature special leadership by Seth Hendricks, music leader for the 2006 National Youth Conference, along with great worship, incredible people, and good food.
Here's what you need to know:
Click here for a flyer that you can post in your church.
"Encountering God On the Way"
- Do you long for a closer connection to your faith?
- Do you feel uncertain about the 'right' way to talk to God?
- Do you want some new tools to help you on your journey?
It will feature special leadership by Seth Hendricks, music leader for the 2006 National Youth Conference, along with great worship, incredible people, and good food.
Here's what you need to know:
| Where: | Freeport Church of the Brethren and the nearby Masonic Auditorium, Walnut & West Stephenson St., Freeport, IL. |
| When: | November 2-4, 2007 (the 1st weekend in November). Registration will begin at 7pm Friday at Freeport. We'll stay for opening worship, then head to our retreat. We finish by noon on Sunday. |
| Who: | Everyone currently in 9th through 12th grades, and advisors. |
| What: | Worship, music, learning about God and yourself, food, fun, games and recreation, a possible service project, time with friends, and much more. |
| Cost: | $30 (advisors can come for free!) Register using forms in the district conference packet or... Click Here |
Click here for a flyer that you can post in your church.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Teens Visit to Perform Service, Gain in Spirit
by Steve Matrazzo
It's not every teen-ager who would give up a week of summer vacation to travel to a strange town to perform public service. Fewer still would be likely to pay $300 for the privilege.
Yet 12 teens from at least five states were doing just that last week here in Dundalk.
They came as participants in the Church of the Brethren's Workcamp Ministry program at the invitation of Dundalk Church of the Brethren and its pastor, the Rev. Andrew Sampson.
Founded in 1988, the Elgin, Ill.-based program is designed to bring young churchgoers into the Church of the Brethren's tradition of community service.
This year, according to Church of the Brethren national workshop coordinator the Rev. Steve van Houten, more than 900 youths will participate in 37 locations across the U.S. and in a handful of foreign countries.
Church of the Brethren parishes suggest projects for each summer's program. This year, Sampson thought his church and the Dundalk area might benefit from hosting a youth work camp.
“We started the process about a year and a half ago,” he recalled, “and just threw our name out there. “Since most of these kids come from very small towns, Dundalk is just the kind of place the program is looking for to expose the kids to something different.”
A dozen teens from states including Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina and Indiana were sent to work in the August heat at the church and with the Community Assistance Network (CAN) and the Family Crisis Center, two organizations with which the local parish has worked closely.
Work at the church included the restoration of 26 pews that took hours each to sand and refinish. According to Mike Hoppe, who supervised the group working at the church, the pews “hadn't been touched since the church was built in 1951.”
Other teens worked in local homes, performing repairs and other tasks for residents designated by CAN and the Family Crisis Center.
One beneficiary of the group's work was a wheelchair-bound Loganview Drive resident whose backyard shed needed roof repairs. On a rainy Thursday, three teens under van Houten's supervision ascended ladders to remove and replace the old roof.
“Part of the emphasis of the Church of the Brethren is service,” van Houten told The Eagle, “and these kids chose to give up a week of their summer to come work and serve.”
All three of the teens working at the residence seemed focused less on their own service than on the personal and spiritual growth they have experienced through the work camp program.
Asked why she chose to take part, 14-year-old Carissa Doody of Union Bridge, Md., said simply, “I just wanted to try it, just as something new.”
When describing what she gained from the experience, however, she was ebullient.
“It was so great to meet [the Loganview Drive woman]. She was so nice and she told us her whole life story. You can learn so much from an older person like that.”
Another plus, she said, was the experience of making new friends who shared her faith.
“It's so nice to be with people you have something in common with,” she said.
Workmate Perry Ellwood, 17, who came to Dundalk from Saluda, N.C., agreed that the fellowship aspect of the camp was gratifying.
“The group setting really uplifts your spirit,” he said.
He also noted the educational benefit of his trip, which included a stop at the U.S. Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C., gave him and others a sense of perspective regarding hardship.
“After seeing the museum and learning what people went through [during the Holocaust], I'm not going to complain because my hand hurts from this work,” he said.
The third member of the team that worked at the Loganview Drive residence was Rachel Sain, a 16-year-old from Tryon, N.C., who like Ellwood said the camp experience had given her a new outlook.
“I've always thought, Oh, I can't do this and I can't do that, it's too hard,” she said. “Now I'm here actually doing things I never thought I could. “It makes me feel a lot stronger in myself and in my faith.”
Sampson praised both the teens and the adult leaders who accompanied them to Dundalk.
“They didn't come here as a group,” he said. “They came as small groups or individuals, and by the end of the week they came together as a group.
“They're great kids, and I think the leaders did a great job with them.
“The stuff that they did around here was phenomenal for just a week. They worked around the church and at three different homes that CAN suggested, and they helped the Family Crisis Center with the temporary move they've been making.
“It's great to see young people who are not only going to church but who are actually doing service. What's really amazing is that they were willing to pay money to be here. They can serve as a model for so many others.”
Sampson was so impressed that he allowed the Workcamp Ministry individuals to lead the Sunday worship service that concluded their stay.
“It was just a small way of recognizing how grateful we are,” he said.
Source: Dundalk Eagle
by Steve Matrazzo
It's not every teen-ager who would give up a week of summer vacation to travel to a strange town to perform public service. Fewer still would be likely to pay $300 for the privilege.
Yet 12 teens from at least five states were doing just that last week here in Dundalk.
They came as participants in the Church of the Brethren's Workcamp Ministry program at the invitation of Dundalk Church of the Brethren and its pastor, the Rev. Andrew Sampson.
Founded in 1988, the Elgin, Ill.-based program is designed to bring young churchgoers into the Church of the Brethren's tradition of community service.
This year, according to Church of the Brethren national workshop coordinator the Rev. Steve van Houten, more than 900 youths will participate in 37 locations across the U.S. and in a handful of foreign countries.
Church of the Brethren parishes suggest projects for each summer's program. This year, Sampson thought his church and the Dundalk area might benefit from hosting a youth work camp.
“We started the process about a year and a half ago,” he recalled, “and just threw our name out there. “Since most of these kids come from very small towns, Dundalk is just the kind of place the program is looking for to expose the kids to something different.”
A dozen teens from states including Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina and Indiana were sent to work in the August heat at the church and with the Community Assistance Network (CAN) and the Family Crisis Center, two organizations with which the local parish has worked closely.
Work at the church included the restoration of 26 pews that took hours each to sand and refinish. According to Mike Hoppe, who supervised the group working at the church, the pews “hadn't been touched since the church was built in 1951.”
Other teens worked in local homes, performing repairs and other tasks for residents designated by CAN and the Family Crisis Center.
One beneficiary of the group's work was a wheelchair-bound Loganview Drive resident whose backyard shed needed roof repairs. On a rainy Thursday, three teens under van Houten's supervision ascended ladders to remove and replace the old roof.
“Part of the emphasis of the Church of the Brethren is service,” van Houten told The Eagle, “and these kids chose to give up a week of their summer to come work and serve.”
All three of the teens working at the residence seemed focused less on their own service than on the personal and spiritual growth they have experienced through the work camp program.
Asked why she chose to take part, 14-year-old Carissa Doody of Union Bridge, Md., said simply, “I just wanted to try it, just as something new.”
When describing what she gained from the experience, however, she was ebullient.
“It was so great to meet [the Loganview Drive woman]. She was so nice and she told us her whole life story. You can learn so much from an older person like that.”
Another plus, she said, was the experience of making new friends who shared her faith.
“It's so nice to be with people you have something in common with,” she said.
Workmate Perry Ellwood, 17, who came to Dundalk from Saluda, N.C., agreed that the fellowship aspect of the camp was gratifying.
“The group setting really uplifts your spirit,” he said.
He also noted the educational benefit of his trip, which included a stop at the U.S. Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C., gave him and others a sense of perspective regarding hardship.
“After seeing the museum and learning what people went through [during the Holocaust], I'm not going to complain because my hand hurts from this work,” he said.
The third member of the team that worked at the Loganview Drive residence was Rachel Sain, a 16-year-old from Tryon, N.C., who like Ellwood said the camp experience had given her a new outlook.
“I've always thought, Oh, I can't do this and I can't do that, it's too hard,” she said. “Now I'm here actually doing things I never thought I could. “It makes me feel a lot stronger in myself and in my faith.”
Sampson praised both the teens and the adult leaders who accompanied them to Dundalk.
“They didn't come here as a group,” he said. “They came as small groups or individuals, and by the end of the week they came together as a group.
“They're great kids, and I think the leaders did a great job with them.
“The stuff that they did around here was phenomenal for just a week. They worked around the church and at three different homes that CAN suggested, and they helped the Family Crisis Center with the temporary move they've been making.
“It's great to see young people who are not only going to church but who are actually doing service. What's really amazing is that they were willing to pay money to be here. They can serve as a model for so many others.”
Sampson was so impressed that he allowed the Workcamp Ministry individuals to lead the Sunday worship service that concluded their stay.
“It was just a small way of recognizing how grateful we are,” he said.
Source: Dundalk Eagle
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Church fund-raiser is 'flush' with success
By AMANDA BUCK - Bulletin Staff Writer
Many community groups raise money by washing cars or holding bake sales.
But when members of the youth group at Mount Hermon Church of the Brethren started thinking about a summer fund-raiser, they came up with a different idea.
You might call it commodes with a cause.
“The last time we went to (a national youth) conference, some advisers were together discussing fund-raisers,” said Denna Ramsey, a youth leader at the Bassett church. “Another adviser was talking about putting pink flamingos in people’s yards. In order to move the pink flamingo, the person had to make a donation.”
The youth at Mount Hermon thought the idea had potential, but they wanted to put a slightly different spin on it.
“They said pink flamingos weren’t bad enough, that people would just leave them there,” Ramsey recalled. “They wanted to put toilets in people’s yards.”
The youth introduced the idea to the congregation with a skit during a Youth Sunday service in May, complete with a toilet “right up front,” Ramsey said.
“They thought it was hysterical,” she said of church members. “Our congregation really likes to joke around.”
The youth chose Ralph Stone of Bassett as the first in the congregation to be “toiletized.”
“We had a little toy toilet, and we put it under the pew” where Stone was sitting, Ramsey said. Since then, each person who finds the toilet in his or her yard gets to chose where it will go next.
Volunteers move the toilet at night or when the homeowners are away so that it shows up as a surprise.
Since mid-May, the “golden throne” — so-named because church members have painted the toilet gold and decorated it with flowers — has been placed in the yards of 15 to 20 church members, Ramsey said.
Late last week, Theresa Shepherd became one of them.
“I had been at church helping with vacation Bible school, so while I was gone they put it in my yard,” said Shepherd, who lives in Collinsville. “People have taken pictures of this thing; the neighbors ask questions. ... It’s been so much fun with this thing, it’s unreal.”
Those who find the toilet in their yards negotiate with the youth’s CIA (Christians in Action) service to have it removed. The minimum donation required is $5, and so far church members have given as much as $60, Ramsey said.
Although she hasn’t totaled the money donated so far, Ramsey said the group hopes to raise $1,000 this summer. In addition to the toilet project, the group is performing odd jobs for church members.
The funds will go toward paying for a trip to the Church of the Brethren’s National Youth Conference, which is held every four years at Colorado State University. The trip usually costs about $1,000 per person, Ramsey said.
The next conference will be in 2010, so the youth, who are in eighth through 12th grades, have a few more summers of work ahead of them.
So do Ramsey and fellow youth leaders Sherry Flanagan and LaDonna Varner, who have helped organize the project. But that’s OK by them, Ramsey said.
“We have really had time to go visit with people in the church that we normally wouldn’t visit with” when the toilet is delivered or removed, she said. “It’s been a blessing.”
Source: Martinsville Bulletin
By AMANDA BUCK - Bulletin Staff Writer
Many community groups raise money by washing cars or holding bake sales.
But when members of the youth group at Mount Hermon Church of the Brethren started thinking about a summer fund-raiser, they came up with a different idea.
You might call it commodes with a cause.
“The last time we went to (a national youth) conference, some advisers were together discussing fund-raisers,” said Denna Ramsey, a youth leader at the Bassett church. “Another adviser was talking about putting pink flamingos in people’s yards. In order to move the pink flamingo, the person had to make a donation.”
The youth at Mount Hermon thought the idea had potential, but they wanted to put a slightly different spin on it.
“They said pink flamingos weren’t bad enough, that people would just leave them there,” Ramsey recalled. “They wanted to put toilets in people’s yards.”
The youth introduced the idea to the congregation with a skit during a Youth Sunday service in May, complete with a toilet “right up front,” Ramsey said.
“They thought it was hysterical,” she said of church members. “Our congregation really likes to joke around.”
The youth chose Ralph Stone of Bassett as the first in the congregation to be “toiletized.”
“We had a little toy toilet, and we put it under the pew” where Stone was sitting, Ramsey said. Since then, each person who finds the toilet in his or her yard gets to chose where it will go next.
Volunteers move the toilet at night or when the homeowners are away so that it shows up as a surprise.
Since mid-May, the “golden throne” — so-named because church members have painted the toilet gold and decorated it with flowers — has been placed in the yards of 15 to 20 church members, Ramsey said.
Late last week, Theresa Shepherd became one of them.
“I had been at church helping with vacation Bible school, so while I was gone they put it in my yard,” said Shepherd, who lives in Collinsville. “People have taken pictures of this thing; the neighbors ask questions. ... It’s been so much fun with this thing, it’s unreal.”
Those who find the toilet in their yards negotiate with the youth’s CIA (Christians in Action) service to have it removed. The minimum donation required is $5, and so far church members have given as much as $60, Ramsey said.
Although she hasn’t totaled the money donated so far, Ramsey said the group hopes to raise $1,000 this summer. In addition to the toilet project, the group is performing odd jobs for church members.
The funds will go toward paying for a trip to the Church of the Brethren’s National Youth Conference, which is held every four years at Colorado State University. The trip usually costs about $1,000 per person, Ramsey said.
The next conference will be in 2010, so the youth, who are in eighth through 12th grades, have a few more summers of work ahead of them.
So do Ramsey and fellow youth leaders Sherry Flanagan and LaDonna Varner, who have helped organize the project. But that’s OK by them, Ramsey said.
“We have really had time to go visit with people in the church that we normally wouldn’t visit with” when the toilet is delivered or removed, she said. “It’s been a blessing.”
Source: Martinsville Bulletin
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
2008 WCC Internship Program
The World Council of Churches (WCC) has announced its internship program for 2008. The WCC will welcome five young people aged 18-30 to serve as interns in its offices in Geneva, Switzerland, from Feb. 2008-Jan. 2009. Interns will be assigned to one of the WCC working areas. Each intern will be expected to plan an ecumenical project to implement in his or her home context when they return home in Feb. 2009. Areas of work will be
The World Council of Churches (WCC) has announced its internship program for 2008. The WCC will welcome five young people aged 18-30 to serve as interns in its offices in Geneva, Switzerland, from Feb. 2008-Jan. 2009. Interns will be assigned to one of the WCC working areas. Each intern will be expected to plan an ecumenical project to implement in his or her home context when they return home in Feb. 2009. Areas of work will be
- the Decade to Overcome Violence (www.oikoumene.org/?id=3107);
- youth (www.oikoumene.org/?id=3069) and ecumenical relationships (www.oikoumene.org/?id=2950);
- visitors program (www.oikoumene.org/?id=3185) and media relations (www.oikoumene.org/?id=3432);
- faith, science, technology, and ethics (www.oikoumene.org/?id=3125); and
- just and inclusive communities (www.oikoumene.org/?id=3105).
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
National Junior High Conference attracts 800 youth and advisors.
The first-ever National Junior High Conference in the Church of the Brethren attracted 800 participants to the campus of Elizabethtown (Pa.) College from June 15-18. Youth and advisors engaged the theme, “The Amazing Race: Continuing the Work of Jesus,” based on Luke 9:24, as they worshiped, learned, played, and fellowshiped.
Turn-out for this inaugural event more than met the expectations of the organizers, who had been planning for an attendance of around 400. The size of the conference was finally determined when registration outpaced capacity at Elizabethtown College.
“It exceeded all of my expectations for this first gathering of the National Junior High Conference!” said Chris Douglas, director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the General Board. “It has also made me look forward to doing it again in the summer of 2009, hopefully in a place that could accommodate more participants.”
Belita Mitchell, moderator of the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference, greeted the conference, as did Stanley J. Noffsinger, general secretary of the Church of the Brethren General Board. Worship leaders included Christian musician Ken Medema, who provided musical leadership for the entire weekend, and Baptist preacher Tony Campolo, who shared the message on Friday night. Campolo emphasized that participants should be asking how they will spend the rest of their lives in service to God and others. David Radcliff of the New Community Project delivered Saturday morning’s message, stirring youth to think carefully about how their lifestyle choices are related to stewardship of the blessings humanity has collectively received from God in the form of the planet.
Saturday night conference-goers were immersed in a Brethren “extravaganza,” a worship service that invited all into participating in the many ministries of the General Board. During closing worship Sunday morning, Medema asked the youth to share their own dreams, motivations, and signs of God working in their lives; he then turned the stories into songs on the spot.
--Becky Ullom is director of Identity and Relations for the General Board.
Source: 6/20/2007 Newsline
The first-ever National Junior High Conference in the Church of the Brethren attracted 800 participants to the campus of Elizabethtown (Pa.) College from June 15-18. Youth and advisors engaged the theme, “The Amazing Race: Continuing the Work of Jesus,” based on Luke 9:24, as they worshiped, learned, played, and fellowshiped.
Turn-out for this inaugural event more than met the expectations of the organizers, who had been planning for an attendance of around 400. The size of the conference was finally determined when registration outpaced capacity at Elizabethtown College.
“It exceeded all of my expectations for this first gathering of the National Junior High Conference!” said Chris Douglas, director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the General Board. “It has also made me look forward to doing it again in the summer of 2009, hopefully in a place that could accommodate more participants.”
Belita Mitchell, moderator of the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference, greeted the conference, as did Stanley J. Noffsinger, general secretary of the Church of the Brethren General Board. Worship leaders included Christian musician Ken Medema, who provided musical leadership for the entire weekend, and Baptist preacher Tony Campolo, who shared the message on Friday night. Campolo emphasized that participants should be asking how they will spend the rest of their lives in service to God and others. David Radcliff of the New Community Project delivered Saturday morning’s message, stirring youth to think carefully about how their lifestyle choices are related to stewardship of the blessings humanity has collectively received from God in the form of the planet.
Saturday night conference-goers were immersed in a Brethren “extravaganza,” a worship service that invited all into participating in the many ministries of the General Board. During closing worship Sunday morning, Medema asked the youth to share their own dreams, motivations, and signs of God working in their lives; he then turned the stories into songs on the spot.
--Becky Ullom is director of Identity and Relations for the General Board.
Source: 6/20/2007 Newsline
Friday, May 18, 2007
YOUTH STAFF REMEMBER THE MINISTRY OF LEE ESHLEMAN
Today the Church of the Brethren General Board received the sad news of the death of Lee Eshleman, a member of the Mennonite comedy duo Ted & Lee, who has been a major presenter at National Youth Conferences over the past decade. Following is a pastoral letter from Chris Douglas, director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the General Board, that is being sent by e-mail to the adult advisors who accompanied youth groups to National Youth Conference in 2006:
“Lee Eshleman, a member of the Mennonite comedy duo Ted & Lee, took his own life yesterday, May 17, after succumbing to a long battle with depression.
“Brethren youth and young adults, especially those who attended National Youth Conference (NYC) in the last decade, will remember Lee from his comedic and insightful performances with Ted Swartz, as they acted out biblical stories for the current day. Ted & Lee were major presenters at the last three NYCs, in 1998, 2002, and 2006. They also performed at two National Older Adult Conferences, and were booked to lead worship at the National Junior High Conference this June.
“At the 2006 NYC, Ted & Lee closed a worship service with feetwashing, in the most powerful interpretation of what Jesus did for his disciples that I have seen. I remember thinking at the time, they have made sense of the feetwashing service for a whole new generation of Brethren.
“We at the Youth and Young Adult Ministries Office, and the General Board, join with Lee’s family and loved ones, and with Ted and the Mennonite community, in grieving his death.
“Realizing that many Brethren youth may share this loss, I am encouraging youth advisors to talk about Lee’s death with youth groups, with special care for those who were at NYC last summer. This also is an opportunity for open conversation with youth about related issues of suicide and mental health.
“Consider ways to invite youth to a healthy and faithful response. If your youth group includes a number who were at NYC, you may want to set aside a moment of silence during Sunday school class or at the next youth group meeting, and offer an opportunity for youth to say prayers. Remember to reaffirm Lee’s public ministry, helping youth understand that his personal struggle with depression does not invalidate his faith, and does not negate the important things that he taught about following Jesus.
“In talking with youth about related issues, reassure them that for those who are living with mental illness, treatment does work; in the midst of this one loss, we must remember that many others have sought help and received it successfully. Research shows that the best treatments for mental illness today are highly effective. Our faith, as well as modern medicine, offer us resources of hope. We do not know what caused Lee to take his own life, but talking about the hope that is available to us will be helpful to youth who are concerned.
“If youth have questions about the struggle of those with depression or other mental illness, or for help in speaking about suicide from a faith perspective, resources are offered by the Association of Brethren Caregivers at www.brethren.org/abc:
— “What Every Church Should Know About Mental Illness” gives an explanation of depression and other mental illnesses.
— “Talking About Suicide Can Change a Life” includes the signs of depression and suicide risk, common misperceptions about suicide, and advice about how to find out if someone is suicidal.
— Internet links for further resources about suicide include two recommended DVDs: The video “The Truth About Suicide: Real Stories of Depression in College” from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, which was shown at workshops for advisors at NYC (www.afsp.org). “Fierce Goodbye: Living in the Shadow of Suicide” is from Mennonite Media (www.mennomedia.org).
“Another way youth may want to respond is to contribute to an online page of condolence and remembrance offered by Eastern Mennonite University, where Lee Eshleman was an alumni. Go to www.emu.edu/response/lee.
“If your youth group includes individuals who seem to have an extreme reaction, you need to invite help from the parents and your pastor, and refer to local mental health professionals for help.
“Please join with me in holding all those who cared for Lee Eshleman in our prayers. May God bring comfort and peace.
“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me...” (Psalm 23:4a).
Signed,
Chris Douglas, Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry
Church of the Brethren General Board
Today the Church of the Brethren General Board received the sad news of the death of Lee Eshleman, a member of the Mennonite comedy duo Ted & Lee, who has been a major presenter at National Youth Conferences over the past decade. Following is a pastoral letter from Chris Douglas, director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the General Board, that is being sent by e-mail to the adult advisors who accompanied youth groups to National Youth Conference in 2006:
“Lee Eshleman, a member of the Mennonite comedy duo Ted & Lee, took his own life yesterday, May 17, after succumbing to a long battle with depression.“Brethren youth and young adults, especially those who attended National Youth Conference (NYC) in the last decade, will remember Lee from his comedic and insightful performances with Ted Swartz, as they acted out biblical stories for the current day. Ted & Lee were major presenters at the last three NYCs, in 1998, 2002, and 2006. They also performed at two National Older Adult Conferences, and were booked to lead worship at the National Junior High Conference this June.
“At the 2006 NYC, Ted & Lee closed a worship service with feetwashing, in the most powerful interpretation of what Jesus did for his disciples that I have seen. I remember thinking at the time, they have made sense of the feetwashing service for a whole new generation of Brethren.
“We at the Youth and Young Adult Ministries Office, and the General Board, join with Lee’s family and loved ones, and with Ted and the Mennonite community, in grieving his death.
“Realizing that many Brethren youth may share this loss, I am encouraging youth advisors to talk about Lee’s death with youth groups, with special care for those who were at NYC last summer. This also is an opportunity for open conversation with youth about related issues of suicide and mental health.
“Consider ways to invite youth to a healthy and faithful response. If your youth group includes a number who were at NYC, you may want to set aside a moment of silence during Sunday school class or at the next youth group meeting, and offer an opportunity for youth to say prayers. Remember to reaffirm Lee’s public ministry, helping youth understand that his personal struggle with depression does not invalidate his faith, and does not negate the important things that he taught about following Jesus.
“In talking with youth about related issues, reassure them that for those who are living with mental illness, treatment does work; in the midst of this one loss, we must remember that many others have sought help and received it successfully. Research shows that the best treatments for mental illness today are highly effective. Our faith, as well as modern medicine, offer us resources of hope. We do not know what caused Lee to take his own life, but talking about the hope that is available to us will be helpful to youth who are concerned.
“If youth have questions about the struggle of those with depression or other mental illness, or for help in speaking about suicide from a faith perspective, resources are offered by the Association of Brethren Caregivers at www.brethren.org/abc:
— “What Every Church Should Know About Mental Illness” gives an explanation of depression and other mental illnesses.
— “Talking About Suicide Can Change a Life” includes the signs of depression and suicide risk, common misperceptions about suicide, and advice about how to find out if someone is suicidal.
— Internet links for further resources about suicide include two recommended DVDs: The video “The Truth About Suicide: Real Stories of Depression in College” from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, which was shown at workshops for advisors at NYC (www.afsp.org). “Fierce Goodbye: Living in the Shadow of Suicide” is from Mennonite Media (www.mennomedia.org).
“Another way youth may want to respond is to contribute to an online page of condolence and remembrance offered by Eastern Mennonite University, where Lee Eshleman was an alumni. Go to www.emu.edu/response/lee.
“If your youth group includes individuals who seem to have an extreme reaction, you need to invite help from the parents and your pastor, and refer to local mental health professionals for help.
“Please join with me in holding all those who cared for Lee Eshleman in our prayers. May God bring comfort and peace.
“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me...” (Psalm 23:4a).
Signed,
Chris Douglas, Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry
Church of the Brethren General Board
Lee Eshleman (1963-2007)
Harrisonburg, VA — Lee Eshleman, one half of the acting duo, Ted & Lee, died on May 17, 2007. Lee took his own life after succumbing to a long battle with depression. He leaves behind his wife, Reagan, and their children, Nicolas, Sarah and Gabe, along with countless friends and fans around the world.
Lee has been acting with Ted Swartz, since 1987, when they were introduced to do some comedy pieces for a retreat. Since then, the duo formed Ted & Lee TheaterWorks and have written and performed dozens of sketches and plays, including their most well-known plays, Fish-Eyes and Creation Chronicles, as well as a Christmas show (written and performed with Ingrid DeSanctis) called DoveTale, and their most recent show, Live at Jacob's Ladder, a musical written with Ken Medema and performed with Ken (and Jeff Raught).
Ted & Lee performed regularly at retreats and conferences for just about every denomination, and were featured performers at national events including DC/LA (for students) and Youth Specialties' National Youth Workers Conventions.
Lee was an active member of Community Mennonite Church in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and is remembered by others as a funny, compassionate, thoughtful man who cared deeply for his family and was passionate about acting and sharing the story of God with others in creative and compelling ways. Along with Ted, he performed all over the country and in Kenya and Japan.
Lee performed a wide range of characters in their shows. But of his favorite, Lee once said, “I think it's Nigel Nevilson; just so darned enthusiastic about everything. He's a good-hearted, optimistic and slightly unhinged soul. Anyone who can find God in Green Eggs and Ham is good company. And when I really cut loose in character, Nigel pulses with all the spontaneity and basic sunny-ness that I sometimes suppress in my real life.”
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Monday, May 21 in the Lehman Auditorium on the campus of Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg, Va. There will be a visitation at the Lindsay Funeral Home, Harrisonburg, from 4-7 p.m. on Sunday evening, May 20.
Harrisonburg, VA — Lee Eshleman, one half of the acting duo, Ted & Lee, died on May 17, 2007. Lee took his own life after succumbing to a long battle with depression. He leaves behind his wife, Reagan, and their children, Nicolas, Sarah and Gabe, along with countless friends and fans around the world.
Lee has been acting with Ted Swartz, since 1987, when they were introduced to do some comedy pieces for a retreat. Since then, the duo formed Ted & Lee TheaterWorks and have written and performed dozens of sketches and plays, including their most well-known plays, Fish-Eyes and Creation Chronicles, as well as a Christmas show (written and performed with Ingrid DeSanctis) called DoveTale, and their most recent show, Live at Jacob's Ladder, a musical written with Ken Medema and performed with Ken (and Jeff Raught).
Ted & Lee performed regularly at retreats and conferences for just about every denomination, and were featured performers at national events including DC/LA (for students) and Youth Specialties' National Youth Workers Conventions.
Lee was an active member of Community Mennonite Church in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and is remembered by others as a funny, compassionate, thoughtful man who cared deeply for his family and was passionate about acting and sharing the story of God with others in creative and compelling ways. Along with Ted, he performed all over the country and in Kenya and Japan.
Lee performed a wide range of characters in their shows. But of his favorite, Lee once said, “I think it's Nigel Nevilson; just so darned enthusiastic about everything. He's a good-hearted, optimistic and slightly unhinged soul. Anyone who can find God in Green Eggs and Ham is good company. And when I really cut loose in character, Nigel pulses with all the spontaneity and basic sunny-ness that I sometimes suppress in my real life.”
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Monday, May 21 in the Lehman Auditorium on the campus of Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg, Va. There will be a visitation at the Lindsay Funeral Home, Harrisonburg, from 4-7 p.m. on Sunday evening, May 20.
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Eastern Regional Youth Conference
On March 9-11, 154 youth and advisors from the Pennsylvania districts of the Church of the Brethren (Atlantic Northeast, Middle, Southern, and Western Pennsylvania) gathered on the Juniata College campus for Eastern Regional Youth Conference. The college is located in Huntingdon, Pa. The keynote speaker was Roland Martinson, professor of Children, Youth, and Family Ministry at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minn. He spoke on the theme of Life Quest, based on Proverbs 3:4. The conference provided an array of workshops including “The Heart of a Champion,” “The Power of Enemy Love,” “Afghanistan and Back,” “Am I Making the Right Choice,” “God and Science,” “Building Bridges: Islam, Judaism, and Christianity in Dialogue.” A number of workshops, together with the keynote message, challenged youth to make the right choices in their faith journey. For more go to www.eryccob.org.
--From the “Link” newsletter of Middle Pennsylvania District
On March 9-11, 154 youth and advisors from the Pennsylvania districts of the Church of the Brethren (Atlantic Northeast, Middle, Southern, and Western Pennsylvania) gathered on the Juniata College campus for Eastern Regional Youth Conference. The college is located in Huntingdon, Pa. The keynote speaker was Roland Martinson, professor of Children, Youth, and Family Ministry at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minn. He spoke on the theme of Life Quest, based on Proverbs 3:4. The conference provided an array of workshops including “The Heart of a Champion,” “The Power of Enemy Love,” “Afghanistan and Back,” “Am I Making the Right Choice,” “God and Science,” “Building Bridges: Islam, Judaism, and Christianity in Dialogue.” A number of workshops, together with the keynote message, challenged youth to make the right choices in their faith journey. For more go to www.eryccob.org.
--From the “Link” newsletter of Middle Pennsylvania District
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Taking the Pulse of Health care:
Christian Citizenship Seminar Introduces Youth to Complex Issue
How many Americans lack adequate health insurance? What global benchmarks are set by the Millennium Development Goals? How are epidemic conditions in Africa being addressed?
Seventy-two senior high youth and advisors tackled these questions and others as the state of health care received a check-up at this year’s Church of the Brethren Christian Citizenship Seminar (CCS). The event began March 24 in New York and concluded five days later in Washington, D.C., with an assortment of presentations, small-group discussions, a United Nations tour, worship, and sightseeing in between.
Many speakers focused on the merits of a “single-payer” health care system, which would eliminate the insurance companies as an intermediary in the process. Instead, standard rates would be negotiated by the government in each region, similar to what is done in Canada and in many nations in Europe and elsewhere. While funded publicly, care would still be delivered privately.
“The present system is sick and just doesn’t get the job done,” said Bill Davidson, a Church of the Brethren cardiologist from Lebanon, Pa. “Heath care is the next big social battle that’s going to take place, and you as young people have a front-row seat.”
Davidson, who has become a strong advocate for universal health care despite some opposition from within the medical community, said that the huge profits currently being reaped by insurance and pharmaceutical companies could easily be redirected to provide health care for all Americans. He noted that the World Health Organization currently ranks the US No. 37 in overall health care worldwide.
Marilyn Clement, national coordinator of Healthcare - NOW, focused on House Resolution 676, which proposes a United States National Health Insurance Act, guaranteeing universal access to high-quality and cost-effective health care. Clement’s organization is leading a petition drive for the bill to be passed.
Palmyra (Pa.) Church of the Brethren pastor Wally Landes observed in an opening session that Brethren have often not chosen the easy road in a quest for mutuality. “Issues of health and wholeness are in our bones as Brethren,” Landes told the group. “I think God’s will is for wholeness, and sometimes stuff gets in the way.”
One day of the seminar focused on the more specific health issue of AIDS, which is still running rampant, especially in Africa. Church World Service (CWS) policy analyst Kathleen McNeely outlined the work being done in Africa through the CWS Africa Initiative, tackling issues of water, hunger, and poverty in addition to HIV/AIDS. “Africa has got to be given a chance,” she said. On the Millennium Development Goals, many of which concern Africa, she noted that we are about halfway to the target date of 2015, “and we’re not doing so hot.” Delegates at the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference endorsed those goals last summer.
In the evening after McNeely spoke, Brooklyn (N.Y.) Church of the Brethren pastor Phill Carlos Archbold related his personal story of caring for AIDS patients, using photos to show the devastation the disease brings. “I want you to go back wherever you came from and begin to make a difference,” Archbold said. “You can do those kinds of things for people who are hurt and who are needy.”
Youth later in the week lobbied their representatives in Washington on the Senate and House bills they had learned about, following a session on advocacy by Greg Howe, who grew up in York (Pa.) First Church of the Brethren. Howe, now a senior policy manager on health care reform issues under Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, described his call to advocacy work and offered pointers. He said that while many states are working at the issue, “we need a federal solution.”
While the youth still clearly had some questions at the end of the week, it was also evident that the issue-and the larger concern of advocating for justice as part of one’s Christian witness-had struck a chord with many of them.
“It’s amazing how many different programs we can get involved with,” said Alex Otake of Lombard, Ill. “There’s no excuse for us not to do anything. It’s just a matter of choosing.”
Phil Jones of the Witness/Washington Office rounded out the sessions on Thursday morning with tips and ideas on how the CCS participants could move forward in their advocacy and education around this issue. “You have accomplished a great amount his week”, he stressed, “now go back home and continue to be engaged in this issue of justice.”
- portions of this article from Walt Wiltschek, editor of Messenger. He attended this year’s Christian Citizenship Seminar.
Source: April 2007 Witness to Washington Newsletter
Christian Citizenship Seminar Introduces Youth to Complex Issue
How many Americans lack adequate health insurance? What global benchmarks are set by the Millennium Development Goals? How are epidemic conditions in Africa being addressed?
Seventy-two senior high youth and advisors tackled these questions and others as the state of health care received a check-up at this year’s Church of the Brethren Christian Citizenship Seminar (CCS). The event began March 24 in New York and concluded five days later in Washington, D.C., with an assortment of presentations, small-group discussions, a United Nations tour, worship, and sightseeing in between.
Many speakers focused on the merits of a “single-payer” health care system, which would eliminate the insurance companies as an intermediary in the process. Instead, standard rates would be negotiated by the government in each region, similar to what is done in Canada and in many nations in Europe and elsewhere. While funded publicly, care would still be delivered privately.
“The present system is sick and just doesn’t get the job done,” said Bill Davidson, a Church of the Brethren cardiologist from Lebanon, Pa. “Heath care is the next big social battle that’s going to take place, and you as young people have a front-row seat.”
Davidson, who has become a strong advocate for universal health care despite some opposition from within the medical community, said that the huge profits currently being reaped by insurance and pharmaceutical companies could easily be redirected to provide health care for all Americans. He noted that the World Health Organization currently ranks the US No. 37 in overall health care worldwide.
Marilyn Clement, national coordinator of Healthcare - NOW, focused on House Resolution 676, which proposes a United States National Health Insurance Act, guaranteeing universal access to high-quality and cost-effective health care. Clement’s organization is leading a petition drive for the bill to be passed.
Palmyra (Pa.) Church of the Brethren pastor Wally Landes observed in an opening session that Brethren have often not chosen the easy road in a quest for mutuality. “Issues of health and wholeness are in our bones as Brethren,” Landes told the group. “I think God’s will is for wholeness, and sometimes stuff gets in the way.”
One day of the seminar focused on the more specific health issue of AIDS, which is still running rampant, especially in Africa. Church World Service (CWS) policy analyst Kathleen McNeely outlined the work being done in Africa through the CWS Africa Initiative, tackling issues of water, hunger, and poverty in addition to HIV/AIDS. “Africa has got to be given a chance,” she said. On the Millennium Development Goals, many of which concern Africa, she noted that we are about halfway to the target date of 2015, “and we’re not doing so hot.” Delegates at the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference endorsed those goals last summer.
In the evening after McNeely spoke, Brooklyn (N.Y.) Church of the Brethren pastor Phill Carlos Archbold related his personal story of caring for AIDS patients, using photos to show the devastation the disease brings. “I want you to go back wherever you came from and begin to make a difference,” Archbold said. “You can do those kinds of things for people who are hurt and who are needy.”
Youth later in the week lobbied their representatives in Washington on the Senate and House bills they had learned about, following a session on advocacy by Greg Howe, who grew up in York (Pa.) First Church of the Brethren. Howe, now a senior policy manager on health care reform issues under Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, described his call to advocacy work and offered pointers. He said that while many states are working at the issue, “we need a federal solution.”
While the youth still clearly had some questions at the end of the week, it was also evident that the issue-and the larger concern of advocating for justice as part of one’s Christian witness-had struck a chord with many of them.
“It’s amazing how many different programs we can get involved with,” said Alex Otake of Lombard, Ill. “There’s no excuse for us not to do anything. It’s just a matter of choosing.”
Phil Jones of the Witness/Washington Office rounded out the sessions on Thursday morning with tips and ideas on how the CCS participants could move forward in their advocacy and education around this issue. “You have accomplished a great amount his week”, he stressed, “now go back home and continue to be engaged in this issue of justice.”
- portions of this article from Walt Wiltschek, editor of Messenger. He attended this year’s Christian Citizenship Seminar.
Source: April 2007 Witness to Washington Newsletter
CCS 2007 Reflection
Emily O’Donnell, is a current BVSer and Legislative Associate, in the Brethren Witness Washington Office.
As we arrived at the Vanderbilt YMCA in New York City for the start of the 2007 Christian Citizenship Seminar, the worry remained. How would the youth respond to an entire week dedicated to learning, listening, and advocating on the issue of healthcare? To be honest we feared the appeal of healthcare to youth, more than likely insured under their parents, would not be great. So you might wonder why choose this issue for the theme of a youth conference? But as the week progressed the answer became clear to all involved, especially the youth, that our nation’s healthcare system is a broken one. God has called us to not simply care for ourselves, but to care for our brothers and sisters throughout our nation and the world. Currently, the United States is failing in the area of healthcare, and the concern, questions, and a desire for change expressed by the youth at CCS erased any fears we had. The youth were ready to take on the challenge of healthcare.
The statistics on the U.S. healthcare system are harrowing. 47 million Americans are uninsured, 50% of Americans have inadequate insurance, and 18,000 Americans die each year from diseases that would be treatable or preventable with adequate health coverage. The U.S. is the only industrialized nation without a universal healthcare plan and its healthcare system is ranked 37th in the world. The youth realized very quickly that this not an issue for someone else. This is an issue for them right here, right now. It is a moral issue, an issue of justice.
On Sunday night in NYC, a speaker few will soon forget, Pastor Phil Carlos Archbold, of Brooklyn Church of the Brethren, told his incredible story. He told of his relationship with David, a young man with AIDS who he legally adopted, and his calling to be a caregiver, friend, and father to one who was sick and in desperate need of love. One could only leave that night thinking “What would Jesus do in terms of healthcare and the sick?” The answer: exactly what Phil did and continues to do as he works with AIDS patients in NYC. Jesus would care for them, love them, pray for them, serve them, and heal them. In the case of David, Phil healed David’s heart prior to his passing. In both NYC and DC where the conference took place, a number of speakers spoke on a single payer universal healthcare plan for the U.S. Speakers Marilyn Clement, National Coordinator of Healthcare, Dr. William Davidson, cardiologist and President of the Good Samaritan Medical Staff, and Greg Howe, the senior policy manager in PA Governor Rendell’s Office of Health Care Reform, all spoke in support of a single payer universal health care plan that would provide health insurance for all and remove the inadequate and frustrating use of insurance companies. The youth asked question after question trying to grasp this single payer plan and understanding that this is probably one of the best solutions for a just healthcare system for all. I was amazed at how well the youth understood the plan and their ability to articulate this plan and other issues on healthcare to their Senators and House Representatives when lobbying on the final day of CCS.
I have to admit my first CCS experience was more than I could have imagined. As a leader, I felt encouraged and motivated by the enthusiasm, intelligence, and compassion of our denomination’s youth. I left the conference feeling informed and driven to change the tide of healthcare in our nation. Our system of healthcare is broken, and now is the time to fix it. Healthcare is not for the privileged but for everyone because Jesus has called us to care for one another. Jesus asked Peter so many years ago “Do you love me.” Peter responded “Yes, Lord you know that I love you.” Jesus replied “Then tend to my sheep.” It is time to tend to the sheep, to hear Jesus’ call. I heard the message of CCS 2007 loud and clear and with great confidence I can say the youth of our denomination are ready to take on the broken healthcare system in our nation.
Source: April 2007 Witness to Washington Newsletter
Emily O’Donnell, is a current BVSer and Legislative Associate, in the Brethren Witness Washington Office.
As we arrived at the Vanderbilt YMCA in New York City for the start of the 2007 Christian Citizenship Seminar, the worry remained. How would the youth respond to an entire week dedicated to learning, listening, and advocating on the issue of healthcare? To be honest we feared the appeal of healthcare to youth, more than likely insured under their parents, would not be great. So you might wonder why choose this issue for the theme of a youth conference? But as the week progressed the answer became clear to all involved, especially the youth, that our nation’s healthcare system is a broken one. God has called us to not simply care for ourselves, but to care for our brothers and sisters throughout our nation and the world. Currently, the United States is failing in the area of healthcare, and the concern, questions, and a desire for change expressed by the youth at CCS erased any fears we had. The youth were ready to take on the challenge of healthcare.
The statistics on the U.S. healthcare system are harrowing. 47 million Americans are uninsured, 50% of Americans have inadequate insurance, and 18,000 Americans die each year from diseases that would be treatable or preventable with adequate health coverage. The U.S. is the only industrialized nation without a universal healthcare plan and its healthcare system is ranked 37th in the world. The youth realized very quickly that this not an issue for someone else. This is an issue for them right here, right now. It is a moral issue, an issue of justice.
On Sunday night in NYC, a speaker few will soon forget, Pastor Phil Carlos Archbold, of Brooklyn Church of the Brethren, told his incredible story. He told of his relationship with David, a young man with AIDS who he legally adopted, and his calling to be a caregiver, friend, and father to one who was sick and in desperate need of love. One could only leave that night thinking “What would Jesus do in terms of healthcare and the sick?” The answer: exactly what Phil did and continues to do as he works with AIDS patients in NYC. Jesus would care for them, love them, pray for them, serve them, and heal them. In the case of David, Phil healed David’s heart prior to his passing. In both NYC and DC where the conference took place, a number of speakers spoke on a single payer universal healthcare plan for the U.S. Speakers Marilyn Clement, National Coordinator of Healthcare, Dr. William Davidson, cardiologist and President of the Good Samaritan Medical Staff, and Greg Howe, the senior policy manager in PA Governor Rendell’s Office of Health Care Reform, all spoke in support of a single payer universal health care plan that would provide health insurance for all and remove the inadequate and frustrating use of insurance companies. The youth asked question after question trying to grasp this single payer plan and understanding that this is probably one of the best solutions for a just healthcare system for all. I was amazed at how well the youth understood the plan and their ability to articulate this plan and other issues on healthcare to their Senators and House Representatives when lobbying on the final day of CCS.
I have to admit my first CCS experience was more than I could have imagined. As a leader, I felt encouraged and motivated by the enthusiasm, intelligence, and compassion of our denomination’s youth. I left the conference feeling informed and driven to change the tide of healthcare in our nation. Our system of healthcare is broken, and now is the time to fix it. Healthcare is not for the privileged but for everyone because Jesus has called us to care for one another. Jesus asked Peter so many years ago “Do you love me.” Peter responded “Yes, Lord you know that I love you.” Jesus replied “Then tend to my sheep.” It is time to tend to the sheep, to hear Jesus’ call. I heard the message of CCS 2007 loud and clear and with great confidence I can say the youth of our denomination are ready to take on the broken healthcare system in our nation.
Source: April 2007 Witness to Washington Newsletter
Thursday, April 19, 2007
CHRISTIAN CITIZENSHIP SEMINAR EXPLORES ‘THE STATE OF OUR HEALTH’
Seventy-two senior high youth and advisors explored questions related to "The State of Our Health" in the US and abroad at this year’s Church of the Brethren Christian Citizenship Seminar (CCS). The event began March 24 in New York and concluded five days later in Washington, D.C., with an assortment of presentations, small-group discussions, a United Nations tour, worship, and sightseeing in between.
Many speakers focused on the merits of a “single-payer” health care system, which would eliminate the insurance companies as an intermediary in the process. Instead, standard rates would be negotiated by the government in each region, similar to what is done in Canada and in many nations in Europe and elsewhere. While funded publicly, care would still be delivered privately.
Each worker would pay a small percentage from his or her paycheck to fund the system, providing resources for those who can’t afford health care on their own. Recent government estimates put the number of Americans without health insurance at about 46 million. Many companies are also being squeezed by the cost of health care coverage.
“The present system is sick and just doesn’t get the job done,” said Bill Davidson, a Church of the Brethren cardiologist from Lebanon, Pa. “Heath care is the next big social battle that’s going to take place, and you as young people have a front-row seat.” Davidson noted that the World Health Organization currently ranks the US number 37 in overall health care worldwide.
Marilyn Clement, national coordinator of Healthcare-NOW, focused on House Resolution 676, which proposes a US National Health Insurance Act, guaranteeing universal access to high-quality and cost-effective health care. Clement’s organization is leading a petition drive for the bill to be passed. “Getting there is going to be hard,” said Clement, who noted that health care costs could top 20 percent of the gross national product (GNP) by 2020 under the current system. “It’s not going to be easy.”
Palmyra (Pa.) Church of the Brethren pastor Wally Landes observed in an opening session that Brethren have often not chosen the easy road in a quest for mutuality. “Issues of health and wholeness are in our bones as Brethren,” Landes told the group. “I think God’s will is for wholeness, and sometimes stuff gets in the way.” He emphasized that health is a theological and spiritual issue, that Brethren “have always taken health and healing seriously,” and the ability of Brethren to do big things despite their relatively small size. Often, he added, some have made sacrifices to bring about justice for the larger community.
One day of the seminar focused on the more specific health issue of AIDS, which is still running rampant, especially in Africa. Church World Service (CWS) policy analyst Kathleen McNeely outlined the work being done in Africa through the CWS Africa Initiative, tackling issues of water, hunger, and poverty in addition to HIV/AIDS, while Brooklyn (N.Y.) Church of the Brethren pastor Phill Carlos Archbold related his personal story of caring for AIDS patients, using photos to show the devastation the disease brings.
Youth later in the week lobbied their representatives in Washington on the Senate and House bills they had learned about, following a session on advocacy by Greg Howe, who grew up in York (Pa.) First Church of the Brethren. Howe, now a senior policy manager on health care reform issues under Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, described his call to advocacy work and offered pointers. He said that while many states are working at the issue, “we need a federal solution.”
Christian Citizenship Seminar is sponsored annually except in National Youth Conference years by the General Board’s Youth/Young Adult Ministries and Brethren Witness/Washington Office. Details are at www.brethren.org/genbd/yya/CCS.htm.
--Walt Wiltschek is editor of the Church of the Brethren “Messenger” magazine.
Seventy-two senior high youth and advisors explored questions related to "The State of Our Health" in the US and abroad at this year’s Church of the Brethren Christian Citizenship Seminar (CCS). The event began March 24 in New York and concluded five days later in Washington, D.C., with an assortment of presentations, small-group discussions, a United Nations tour, worship, and sightseeing in between.
Many speakers focused on the merits of a “single-payer” health care system, which would eliminate the insurance companies as an intermediary in the process. Instead, standard rates would be negotiated by the government in each region, similar to what is done in Canada and in many nations in Europe and elsewhere. While funded publicly, care would still be delivered privately.
Each worker would pay a small percentage from his or her paycheck to fund the system, providing resources for those who can’t afford health care on their own. Recent government estimates put the number of Americans without health insurance at about 46 million. Many companies are also being squeezed by the cost of health care coverage.
“The present system is sick and just doesn’t get the job done,” said Bill Davidson, a Church of the Brethren cardiologist from Lebanon, Pa. “Heath care is the next big social battle that’s going to take place, and you as young people have a front-row seat.” Davidson noted that the World Health Organization currently ranks the US number 37 in overall health care worldwide.
Marilyn Clement, national coordinator of Healthcare-NOW, focused on House Resolution 676, which proposes a US National Health Insurance Act, guaranteeing universal access to high-quality and cost-effective health care. Clement’s organization is leading a petition drive for the bill to be passed. “Getting there is going to be hard,” said Clement, who noted that health care costs could top 20 percent of the gross national product (GNP) by 2020 under the current system. “It’s not going to be easy.”
Palmyra (Pa.) Church of the Brethren pastor Wally Landes observed in an opening session that Brethren have often not chosen the easy road in a quest for mutuality. “Issues of health and wholeness are in our bones as Brethren,” Landes told the group. “I think God’s will is for wholeness, and sometimes stuff gets in the way.” He emphasized that health is a theological and spiritual issue, that Brethren “have always taken health and healing seriously,” and the ability of Brethren to do big things despite their relatively small size. Often, he added, some have made sacrifices to bring about justice for the larger community.
One day of the seminar focused on the more specific health issue of AIDS, which is still running rampant, especially in Africa. Church World Service (CWS) policy analyst Kathleen McNeely outlined the work being done in Africa through the CWS Africa Initiative, tackling issues of water, hunger, and poverty in addition to HIV/AIDS, while Brooklyn (N.Y.) Church of the Brethren pastor Phill Carlos Archbold related his personal story of caring for AIDS patients, using photos to show the devastation the disease brings.
Youth later in the week lobbied their representatives in Washington on the Senate and House bills they had learned about, following a session on advocacy by Greg Howe, who grew up in York (Pa.) First Church of the Brethren. Howe, now a senior policy manager on health care reform issues under Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, described his call to advocacy work and offered pointers. He said that while many states are working at the issue, “we need a federal solution.”
Christian Citizenship Seminar is sponsored annually except in National Youth Conference years by the General Board’s Youth/Young Adult Ministries and Brethren Witness/Washington Office. Details are at www.brethren.org/genbd/yya/CCS.htm.
--Walt Wiltschek is editor of the Church of the Brethren “Messenger” magazine.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
The Youth Heritage Teams are coming!
In 1708, Alexander Mack and seven others risked their security and safety by going to the Eder River to be re-baptized as adults and begin a new church. The Church of the Brethren was born. Next year we will celebrate the 300th anniversary of those historic steps.
An exciting piece of that anniversary celebration is the commissioning of Youth Heritage Teams. Each district was invited to call out two youth for this responsibility. Our district called James Gibble-Keenan of the Highland Avenue congregation in Elgin and Carlos Maldonado of the Cerro Gordo congregagtion.
Their call began with a trip to the General Offices in Elgin, Ill., where they attended an intensive training event April 13-15. Their time there included learning more about our heritage as Brethren, leadership skills, and how to effectively communicate with congregations in worship and workshop settings.
Now they are ready to share at events in the district over the next year, up until June 2008. They will be sharing at the district camps and district conference, as well as some congregational visits. For information on scheduling the team in your area, contact the district office at 630-261-0951.
Why have a Youth Heritage Team at your congregation? It helps to provide an important leadership development opportunity for the youth who are serving on the team and making these visits. It helps to revitalize our congregations as we learn and connect together. And it helps all of us deepen our Christian discipleship as we learn more about our Brethren heritage and values. Be part of the celebration!
In 1708, Alexander Mack and seven others risked their security and safety by going to the Eder River to be re-baptized as adults and begin a new church. The Church of the Brethren was born. Next year we will celebrate the 300th anniversary of those historic steps.An exciting piece of that anniversary celebration is the commissioning of Youth Heritage Teams. Each district was invited to call out two youth for this responsibility. Our district called James Gibble-Keenan of the Highland Avenue congregation in Elgin and Carlos Maldonado of the Cerro Gordo congregagtion.
Their call began with a trip to the General Offices in Elgin, Ill., where they attended an intensive training event April 13-15. Their time there included learning more about our heritage as Brethren, leadership skills, and how to effectively communicate with congregations in worship and workshop settings.
Now they are ready to share at events in the district over the next year, up until June 2008. They will be sharing at the district camps and district conference, as well as some congregational visits. For information on scheduling the team in your area, contact the district office at 630-261-0951.
Why have a Youth Heritage Team at your congregation? It helps to provide an important leadership development opportunity for the youth who are serving on the team and making these visits. It helps to revitalize our congregations as we learn and connect together. And it helps all of us deepen our Christian discipleship as we learn more about our Brethren heritage and values. Be part of the celebration!
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
NEW NATIONAL YOUTH CABINET NAMED FOR 2007-08
The Youth and Young Adult Ministries of the Church of the Brethren General Board has named a new National Youth Cabinet for the denomination, to help plan youth events for the year 2007-08.
The six youth who have been named to the cabinet are Seth Keller of Dover, Pa.; Heather Popielarz of Prescott, Mich.; Joel Rhodes of Huntingdon, Pa.; Turner Ritchie of Richmond, Ind.; Elizabeth Willis of Tryon, N.C.; and Tricia Ziegler of Sebring, Fla.
Adult advisors for the cabinet are Dena Gilbert of La Verne, Calif., youth ministries coordinator for Pacific Southwest District; and Chris Douglas of Elgin, Ill., the General Board’s director of Youth and Young Adults Ministries.
The Youth and Young Adult Ministries of the Church of the Brethren General Board has named a new National Youth Cabinet for the denomination, to help plan youth events for the year 2007-08.
The six youth who have been named to the cabinet are Seth Keller of Dover, Pa.; Heather Popielarz of Prescott, Mich.; Joel Rhodes of Huntingdon, Pa.; Turner Ritchie of Richmond, Ind.; Elizabeth Willis of Tryon, N.C.; and Tricia Ziegler of Sebring, Fla.
Adult advisors for the cabinet are Dena Gilbert of La Verne, Calif., youth ministries coordinator for Pacific Southwest District; and Chris Douglas of Elgin, Ill., the General Board’s director of Youth and Young Adults Ministries.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
YOUTH PEACE TRAVEL TEAM IS SELECTED FOR SUMMER 2007
The 2007 Youth Peace Travel Team has been selected. The three members of the team are Amanda Glover of Mountain View Fellowship Church of the Brethren in McGaheysville, Va.; Audrey Hollenberg of Westminster (Md.) Church of the Brethren; and Emily LaPrade of Antioch Church of the Brethren in Rocky Mount, Va.
The team is jointly sponsored by the Brethren Witness/Washington Office, Brethren Volunteer Service, and the Youth and Young Adult Ministries of the Church of the Brethren General Board, and by the Outdoor Ministries Association and On Earth Peace.
Team members will share Christ’s message of peace with youth across the denomination this summer. They will join fellow Ministry Summer Service workers in Elgin, Ill., for orientation at the Church of the Brethren General Offices, and then will travel to Woodland Altars, a Church of the Brethren camp in Peebles, Ohio, to continue their orientation and provide leadership for a senior high youth camp.
Other stops for the team later in the summer include Camp Eder in Fairfield, Pa.; Camp Harmony in Hooversville, Pa.; Shepherd’s Spring, a camp in Sharpsburg, Md.; Camp Mardela in Denton, Md.; Camp Swatara in Bethel, Pa.; Camp Blue Diamond in Petersburg, Pa.; and Annual Conference in Cleveland, Ohio.
“The Youth Peace Travel Team exemplifies what it means to live simply and follow Christ’s example,” said Susanna Farahat of On Earth Peace. “They travel the country teaching and modeling Christ’s love and commitment to living in right relationship with each other and creation. I look forward to watching God work through these incredible women!”
For more information contact Farahat at sfarahat_oepa@brethren.org or 410-635-8706.
The 2007 Youth Peace Travel Team has been selected. The three members of the team are Amanda Glover of Mountain View Fellowship Church of the Brethren in McGaheysville, Va.; Audrey Hollenberg of Westminster (Md.) Church of the Brethren; and Emily LaPrade of Antioch Church of the Brethren in Rocky Mount, Va.
The team is jointly sponsored by the Brethren Witness/Washington Office, Brethren Volunteer Service, and the Youth and Young Adult Ministries of the Church of the Brethren General Board, and by the Outdoor Ministries Association and On Earth Peace.
Team members will share Christ’s message of peace with youth across the denomination this summer. They will join fellow Ministry Summer Service workers in Elgin, Ill., for orientation at the Church of the Brethren General Offices, and then will travel to Woodland Altars, a Church of the Brethren camp in Peebles, Ohio, to continue their orientation and provide leadership for a senior high youth camp.
Other stops for the team later in the summer include Camp Eder in Fairfield, Pa.; Camp Harmony in Hooversville, Pa.; Shepherd’s Spring, a camp in Sharpsburg, Md.; Camp Mardela in Denton, Md.; Camp Swatara in Bethel, Pa.; Camp Blue Diamond in Petersburg, Pa.; and Annual Conference in Cleveland, Ohio.
“The Youth Peace Travel Team exemplifies what it means to live simply and follow Christ’s example,” said Susanna Farahat of On Earth Peace. “They travel the country teaching and modeling Christ’s love and commitment to living in right relationship with each other and creation. I look forward to watching God work through these incredible women!”
For more information contact Farahat at sfarahat_oepa@brethren.org or 410-635-8706.
Saturday, March 10, 2007
REGIONAL YOUTH CONFERENCE; April 28-29, 2007
“Now Follow Me”- Jesus (Luke 9:23)
Worship is always the highlight of RYC. Three worship celebrations will center on the Church of the Brethren National Youth theme of “Now, Follow Me,” based on Luke 9:23. Worship will lead the youth to a new understanding of what “follow me” could mean for them. This theme responds to last year’s invitation to come and see.
RYC begins at 11 a.m. Saturday morning with time for getting acquainted followed by worship before lunch. Workshops will be on Servant Evangelism, Prayer and Doubt, What are My Next Steps, BVS and Work camps. More come after lunch, followed by opportunities for small service projects.
Seth Hendricks will lead music throughout the weekend. Seth composed the NYC theme song and led music last year. Youth may also choose late evening and early morning prayer times in the chapel. Keynote speaker for RYC is Walt Wiltschek. Walt edits The Messenger, the Church of the Brethren’s monthly magazine. Walt is the local and district youth advisor for the Illinois/Wisconsin district. Walt emceed the recent RYC Coffeehouses and was a workshop leader. His humor should keep us all laughing while he helps explore what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.
We invite District Youth Cabinet Leaders from Northern and Southern Ohio, North and South/Central Indiana, Michigan and Illinois/Wisconsin to arrive between 7 and 8 p.m. on Friday evening, April 27 for a leadership development workshop. This is a great team building event for district youth leaders! The leaders will put their leadership skills into practice by helping with RYC registration, get acquainted games and worship leading.
The body of Christ is alive and vibrant! Support your youth to experience the vibrancy of faith amongst their peers! Send a carload to RYC at Manchester College from your church!
Registration is on-line at ryc.manchester.edu. or phone: 260-982-5237 and ask for Bev Eikenberry.
source: March 2007 IL/WI District Newsletter
“Now Follow Me”- Jesus (Luke 9:23)
Worship is always the highlight of RYC. Three worship celebrations will center on the Church of the Brethren National Youth theme of “Now, Follow Me,” based on Luke 9:23. Worship will lead the youth to a new understanding of what “follow me” could mean for them. This theme responds to last year’s invitation to come and see.
RYC begins at 11 a.m. Saturday morning with time for getting acquainted followed by worship before lunch. Workshops will be on Servant Evangelism, Prayer and Doubt, What are My Next Steps, BVS and Work camps. More come after lunch, followed by opportunities for small service projects.
Seth Hendricks will lead music throughout the weekend. Seth composed the NYC theme song and led music last year. Youth may also choose late evening and early morning prayer times in the chapel. Keynote speaker for RYC is Walt Wiltschek. Walt edits The Messenger, the Church of the Brethren’s monthly magazine. Walt is the local and district youth advisor for the Illinois/Wisconsin district. Walt emceed the recent RYC Coffeehouses and was a workshop leader. His humor should keep us all laughing while he helps explore what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.
We invite District Youth Cabinet Leaders from Northern and Southern Ohio, North and South/Central Indiana, Michigan and Illinois/Wisconsin to arrive between 7 and 8 p.m. on Friday evening, April 27 for a leadership development workshop. This is a great team building event for district youth leaders! The leaders will put their leadership skills into practice by helping with RYC registration, get acquainted games and worship leading.
The body of Christ is alive and vibrant! Support your youth to experience the vibrancy of faith amongst their peers! Send a carload to RYC at Manchester College from your church!
Registration is on-line at ryc.manchester.edu. or phone: 260-982-5237 and ask for Bev Eikenberry.
source: March 2007 IL/WI District Newsletter
NATIONAL JR. HIGH CONFERENCE
The Illinois Wisconsin District Leadership Team asked if Lisa Fike would coordinate transportation for the District Jr. High youth to attend the first ever National Jr. High Conference being held this June 15-17, 2007 at Elizabethtown College, Elizabethtown, PA.
Jr. High youth groups should NOW be making arrangements to attend. Some of you may not have heard much about the conference. You should check it out at www.brethren.org keyword "Youth/Young Adult"; look for the Jr. High Ministries heading and then look for National Jr. High Conference. Pastors have received a brochure to share with youth and their leaders. The leadership looks wonderful, (i.e. Tony Campolo, Ted and Lee, Ken Medema).
If your youth group would like to be a part of a district bus traveling to N.J.H.C. Registrations for the conference are already underway. We are in a time crunch.
Please let me know if your church would like to participate in district wide travel. It would be very helpful if you can give me an educated guess as to the number of participants from your congregation. Also if you are not sending anyone this time forward that information, too.
Contact: Lisa Fike, Pastor, Freeport Church of the Brethren, 777 W. Pleasant St., Freeport, IL 61032 revsfike@hotmail.com
source: March 2007 IL/WI District Newsletter
The Illinois Wisconsin District Leadership Team asked if Lisa Fike would coordinate transportation for the District Jr. High youth to attend the first ever National Jr. High Conference being held this June 15-17, 2007 at Elizabethtown College, Elizabethtown, PA.
Jr. High youth groups should NOW be making arrangements to attend. Some of you may not have heard much about the conference. You should check it out at www.brethren.org keyword "Youth/Young Adult"; look for the Jr. High Ministries heading and then look for National Jr. High Conference. Pastors have received a brochure to share with youth and their leaders. The leadership looks wonderful, (i.e. Tony Campolo, Ted and Lee, Ken Medema).
If your youth group would like to be a part of a district bus traveling to N.J.H.C. Registrations for the conference are already underway. We are in a time crunch.
Please let me know if your church would like to participate in district wide travel. It would be very helpful if you can give me an educated guess as to the number of participants from your congregation. Also if you are not sending anyone this time forward that information, too.
Contact: Lisa Fike, Pastor, Freeport Church of the Brethren, 777 W. Pleasant St., Freeport, IL 61032 revsfike@hotmail.com
source: March 2007 IL/WI District Newsletter
Monday, March 05, 2007
Bridgewater Roundtable
The theme for the March 16-17 Youth Roundtable at Bridgewater (Va.) College is “Humbled by His Presence.” Roundtable is one of the annual regional youth conferences in the Church of the Brethren. Jim Hardenbrook, former Annual Conference moderator and pastor of Nampa (Idaho) Church of the Brethren, is the guest speaker, with music by "Into Hymn." For more information contact Virlina District at 540-362-1816 or MQT1965@aol.com.
Source: 3/5/2007 Newsline
The theme for the March 16-17 Youth Roundtable at Bridgewater (Va.) College is “Humbled by His Presence.” Roundtable is one of the annual regional youth conferences in the Church of the Brethren. Jim Hardenbrook, former Annual Conference moderator and pastor of Nampa (Idaho) Church of the Brethren, is the guest speaker, with music by "Into Hymn." For more information contact Virlina District at 540-362-1816 or MQT1965@aol.com.
Source: 3/5/2007 Newsline
Monday, February 12, 2007
Youth Peace Travel Team - Deadline Extended
The deadline to apply for the summer 2007 Youth Peace Travel Team has been extended to Feb. 23. This year’s team, which will provide leadership to Church of the Brethren outdoor ministry programs, is sponsored by the General Board’s Brethren Witness/ Washington Office, Brethren Volunteer Service, and Youth and Young Adult Ministries, along with the Outdoor Ministries Association and On Earth Peace. Four youth or young adults between the ages of 18-22 will be selected for the 2007 team. A stipend is available to team members. The first Youth Peace Travel Team was formed for the summer of 1991 as a cooperative effort of a number of programs of the Church of the Brethren General Board.
Go to www.brethren. org/genbd/ WitnessWashOffice.html and click on “Youth Peace Travel Team” to download the application form.
The deadline to apply for the summer 2007 Youth Peace Travel Team has been extended to Feb. 23. This year’s team, which will provide leadership to Church of the Brethren outdoor ministry programs, is sponsored by the General Board’s Brethren Witness/ Washington Office, Brethren Volunteer Service, and Youth and Young Adult Ministries, along with the Outdoor Ministries Association and On Earth Peace. Four youth or young adults between the ages of 18-22 will be selected for the 2007 team. A stipend is available to team members. The first Youth Peace Travel Team was formed for the summer of 1991 as a cooperative effort of a number of programs of the Church of the Brethren General Board.
Go to www.brethren. org/genbd/ WitnessWashOffice.html and click on “Youth Peace Travel Team” to download the application form.
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
2007 workcamp registration is now open!
Registrations will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis. Participants must register using the webpage. But the registration process will not be complete until they have received your deposit, and space is not guaranteed in your first or second choice until that time.
A $100 non-refundable deposit is due at the time of registration and the full balance of the registration fee is due by April 1, 2007. Make checks payable to “Church of the Brethren General Board.” Please send checks to Church of the Brethren General Board, c/o 2007 Workcamp Coordinators, 1451 Dundee Ave. Elgin, IL 60120.
Registrations will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis. Participants must register using the webpage. But the registration process will not be complete until they have received your deposit, and space is not guaranteed in your first or second choice until that time.
A $100 non-refundable deposit is due at the time of registration and the full balance of the registration fee is due by April 1, 2007. Make checks payable to “Church of the Brethren General Board.” Please send checks to Church of the Brethren General Board, c/o 2007 Workcamp Coordinators, 1451 Dundee Ave. Elgin, IL 60120.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)