News Notes

District News Notes, October 1, 2025

*Please forward this to those on your mailing list. Thank you. 

NIDCOB WOMEN'S FALL RETREAT 2025

Agape Church of the Brethren in Fort Wayne will be hosting the retreat on November 8, 2025, from 9-3.  Carol Carpenter from Pendleton is our speaker and her topic is "Hope that Thrives" as she shares in story and song.  

The cost for the day is only $15 which covers a light breakfast and catered lunch.  Registration information has been sent to most congregations by email, but if needed the fliers and registrations can be mailed.  Registration deadline is September 28 or contact Becky. 

Contact Becky Morris beckyteaches232@yahoo.com, call or text 260-760-7036 with questions or more information.  We hope you plan to join us for a day of encouragement, visiting with friends (old and new), and focusing on hope in our world.  

AGAPE CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN MEXICAN DINNER RETURNS

For the second year, Agape will be preparing and hosting an authentic Mexican Dinner on Saturday, October 11, 2025.  Beginning at 5:00 PM until they are gone, enjoy enchiladas, refried beans, rice, dessert and beverage for $15.  Proceeds will go to Brethren Disaster Relief and Agape's Witness Ministries.  Carry-out is available or join us for Food, Fun, and Fellowship.  

 It’s Autumn at Goshen City Church of the Brethren! 

Join us for First Friday on October 3rd from 5:30–7:30 PM for a fun, family-friendly evening of fellowship and fall activities!

Enjoy:

Pumpkin painting
Cold apple cider
Fresh cookies 

This event is completely free, and all are welcome! We kindly ask that you consider bringing a nonperishable food item to support our Blessing Box ministry.

This will be located in our Fellowship Hall at 203 N. 5th St in Goshen.

We can’t wait to see you there!

Camp Mack Festival

The annual Camp Mack Festival on October 4th from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. is full of food, fellowship, and fun for the whole family!  Get your Camp Mack cinnamon toast fix, try some Indian cuisine, grab a CMF classic of curly potato chips, root beer & popcorn, enjoy baked goods and more!  Many local artisans will set up demonstrating rug hooking, woodworking, stained glass, water-color, pottery & more!  There will be children’s activities, candle dipping, corn hole and wagon rides all day.  Stick around for the Ice Cream Social from 2:00 p.m. until 2:30 p.m. Free admission!

Come to Camp this fall!

Upcoming Events:

October 4 Camp Mack Festival: Food, fellowship, and fun for the whole family. Enjoy music, demonstrations, crafts, food, and more. Proceeds support the mission of Camp Mack. Join us from 10a to 2p. Handicap transportation available. Free admission!

October 6/8 Homeschool Outdoor Ed Days: Monday or Wednesday for “Dutch Day.” Ages 7–14. $25, or $30 with a sack lunch. 10a–5p.

October 7 Senior Living Community Day: If you are experienced in your years (regardless of where you live), please join us for a day of camp experiences. Mark your calendars, and plan to come out to fellowship and enjoy!

October 11–12 Father/Son Weekend: Spend quality father & son time at Camp Mack! 9a Saturday to 1p Sunday. Includes lodging, meals, and so many fun activities to do together.

October Fall Break Day Camps! Choose from 10/13–17 or 10/20–24. 9a–3:15p, with additional options for before & after care.

October 23–26 Scrap & Craft Retreat: Registration open!

October 25 Get-A-Way Days: Knit/Crochet or Scrapbooking

October 27–28 Pastor’s Sabbath

October 27–29 Volunteer Work Days

November 1 Annual Dinner: Save the date!

Also, sign up for Women Creating Community and Men Creating Community. They meet monthly.

National Youth Conference 2026

National Youth Conference 2026 will take place July 18-23, 2026, at the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park, Colorado. The theme for NYC 2026 is “Light Within Us,” based on Matthew 5:14-16. Youth who have finished 9th grade through their first year of college (or age equivalent) are invited to attend with adult advisors. This will be a week full of fellowship, worship, service projects, recreation, and so much more!

Registration opens January 5, 2026, visit www.brethren.org/nyc for more information. The cost of NYC is $625 for early bird registration, $650 for regular registration, and $675 for late registration.

If you have any questions, reach out to Rachel Johnson (rjohnson@brethren.org).

2026 Pastoral Compensation Resources Now Available

The 2026 Pastoral Compensation Guidelines and Tools are now available through the CoB Office of Ministry website at: https://www.brethren.org/ministryoffice/compensation/

All congregations are encouraged to review these documents on a yearly basis as they prepare the annual budgets.

Rock Run Bazaar

Gift items, food, quilts of all sizes, wood work, cookie walk, children's grab bag, lunch and great conversation are featured on October 25 from 8:30am to 12:30pm at Rock Run Church of the Brethren. A crowd of 500 people could depart with full bags, full stomachs and items crossed off their Christmas list. Know that your dollars are well spent as proceeds go to outreach ministries.  Mark your calendar now for this 51st Annual Bazaar.

Upcoming interim ministry virtual event

INTERIM/Transitional Ministry Round Table Discussion Zoom Session:  Thursday, October 23rd 7:30 – 8:30 pm EST

Perhaps you are a pastor interested in interim ministry or a member of a congregation that is facing change.  Maybe your pastor has resigned, your attendance numbers have changed, or you’ve made the decision to sell your building.   While the future of each congregation is unique for every setting, congregations moving through transitions have the opportunity to experience that season as a time of transformation and growth. 

Discerning the best steps forward during a season of change is an intentional process, grounded in God’s leading.  Come to learn more about the possibilities of interim ministries, to ask questions about ways to navigate transitional times, and discuss your current challenges with others who share the same journey.

JOIN US for support and Information using this link: https://tiny.cc/COB-Interim This discussion will be presented by members of the Interim Ministry Working Group and sponsored by the Church of the Brethren Ministry Office.

2nd Annual Greencroft Disability Awareness Day

Coping with Physical Loss & Disability

Encountering a disability is so much more than a physical issue, it has emotional and mental challenges. How have you navigated in the past and how do you continue as you face new challenges?

Rick Ritter, retired trauma therapist, social worker, author, disabled vet, and gardener. He has lectured at Goshen College on Social Work and Disabilities. We will also be hearing from individuals with different physical losses.

There will be many resources available for you to pick up. This seminar is free and all are welcome. Thursday, September 18, 2025, 2:00 p.m. Jennings Auditorium

Ventures Courses Now Available

Registration is now live for the Ventures in Christian Discipleship 2025-2026 webinar series. All courses are previewed below, and additional information is attached for the fall courses. We hope you will share widely with your district churches, lay leaders and pastors. CEUs are available. All are welcome!

·         October 21 & 28: “Immigrant Solidarity in Jesus’ Name,” presented by Founa Badet & Matt Guynn

·         November 8: “Making Sense of God’s Violent Behavior in the Old Testament,” presented by Eric Seibert

·         January 20 & 27: “Building Bridges Between Brethren through Compassionate Listening: Let Thy Kingdom Come!” presented by Barbara Daté, Joe Vecchio, & Harriet Koscho

·         February 21: “The Ecology of Vitality: Mutuality in Pastoral and Congregational Well-Being,” presented by John Fillmore

·         March 28: “God’s Earth, Our Home: Engaging Creation Care through Faith,” presented by David Radcliff

Participants can learn more and register online at www.mcpherson.edu/ventures . Please be in touch if you have any questions.

OEP: Biweekly Prayer Gathering for Immigrant Justice - October Series

The Deportation Defense Response (DDR) team invites you to join this month’s Zoom prayer gathering for Immigrant Justice. OEP's Julia Avila will be leading the meetings as we gather and pray for immigrants who are detained and at risk of detention and deportation, and for all who are supporting them. 

The schedule for this month's gatherings is listed below:

Thursday, October 2nd at 12 pm ET / 11 am CT / 10 am MT / 9 am PT.

Thursday, October 16th at 12 pm ET / 11 am CT / 10 am MT / 9 am PT.

Thursday, October 30th at 12 pm ET / 11 am CT / 10 am MT / 9 am PT

Bring prayer requests, concerns, celebrations, prayers, poems, Scripture, and liturgy or come to listen and pray silently with us.

RSVP Here

OEP: Kingian Nonviolence Book Club

Join us on Tuesday, October 28 at 6 PM EST for a gathering of the Kingian Nonviolence Book Club with this month's theme: The Power of Youth and Moral Imagination.

The book club aims to cultivate a reflective, welcoming community of learners, activists, pastors, and neighbors engaging with Kingian Nonviolence in our everyday lives.

Readings are encouraged but never required, so come as you are and share space with others interested in discussing nonviolence as a method for social change.

You can access the readings that will be discussed this month on the Events page of the OEP website which can be accessed through the link here.

Please reach out to Samhar Almomani at knv-fellow@onearthpeace.org if you have any questions.

RSVP Here

OEP: Gun Violence Prevention Ambassador Gathering

Join the national Gun Violence Prevention (GVP) Action Team and On Earth Peace staff on Friday, November 1, from 1:00 - 2:00 PM EST for a dedicated GVP Ambassador Gathering. This is a vital opportunity for GVP Congregational Ambassadors at every stage. Whether you are actively engaged in your community, newly appointed, or simply exploring the role come to connect with peers across the country.

Come share your experiences, discuss the support you need to begin or sustain your vital work, and help strengthen our collective effort to prevent gun violence.

RSVP Here

FaithX for 50+

This February, FaithX is hosting a special service trip for adults ages 50+ at Camp Ithiel in Gotha, FL – and you are invited to join! See below for more information. Registration is open now and will close on February 1, 2026 – https://www.brethren.org/faithx/older-adult/ If you have questions, feel free to contact them by email (faithx@brethren.org) or phone (847-429-4337).

BRETHREN DISASTER MINISTRIES

Once again we have received an appeal for help!  No surprise there!!  There is an urgent need for help October 12- 18.  Yes, that’s pretty soon – going to Johnson County, TN.  The S. Ohio/KY group is seeking persons to fulfill their 15 member commitment to this project. Transportation from Dayton area provided. Norm Waggy - our District BDM Rep – has committed to half a crew (7 persons)  from N. IN to work the week of Feb 15-21.  Can you make this work?  I can guarantee you it is an experience you will not forget.  And, really, how full is your calendar in February . . . . 

2025 New Community Project Learning Tours

David Radcliff, New Community Project dradcliffncp@yahoo.com Go. Meet. Learn. Grow. Change yourself – and your world. These trips will take participants of all ages to: Borneo in mid-May (orangutans & sun bears, tropical forests, mangrove restoration); the Ecuadorian Amazon in early June (amazing wildlife, inspiring native leaders, threats from palm oil and oil drilling);Lybrook, NM in late June (native Dineh craftspeople and traditional healers, work projects, Chaco Culture historical ruins, impacts of fracking); Denali/Kenai Fjords National Parks in early August (big mountains, big critters, climate impacts, seacoast experience); Nepal in mid-January, 2026 (human trafficking, Himalaya, a wildlife park, NCP support of girls and women). For more information: www.newcommunityproject.info/learning-tour

2026 L.E.A.D. Conference: Leadership matters!

Learning more about leading well can only help pastors and congregations. The Church of the Brethren LEAD Conference will encourage, inspire, and equip you and your congregation’s leaders to further develop your ministry’s effectiveness and earn CEU credit. Join us for powerful times of worship, in-depth keynote messages, and practical breakout sessions taught by practitioners who are eager to share lessons they’ve learned that you can adapt and implement in your own ministry context.

This will be a leadership development conference for congregational leaders such as pastors and church board members. The focus will be on raising the leadership skills of congregational leaders to help them be more effective in their local ministries. The event will be a mix of plenary and break-out sessions.

Dates: May 1-3, 2026

Location: Ephrata Church of the Brethren, Ephrata, PA

For more information please see the official website here: https://www.brethren.org/dlf/lead-conference/

Children’s Disaster Services

Learn how to bring comfort and care to children following disasters

By Michael Scalzi

Children’s Disaster Services (CDS) is very excited to have new volunteer trainings scheduled for the Spring of 2026 in addition to the Fall of 2025. Join a CDS volunteer training and learn how to bring comfort and care to children following disasters.

The CDS training program is a 25-hour training that equips volunteers with the skills needed to understand and respond to children who have encountered both human-caused and natural disasters. Learn more and register for a training at www.brethren.org/cds or call 410-635-8735.

For training dates and locations go to www.brethren.org/news/2025/learn-how-to-bring-comfort

Brain-Storm: A Mental Health Awareness Seminar

Hello!  I am writing to invite you to our Brain-Storm Seminar at Crest Manor Church of the Brethren.  Attached is a list of speakers and the topics that will be presented.  The topics include, but are not limited to, resources in the community, mental illness in the prison system, and how the church perpetuates stigma.  The brochure contains many other topics that will be discussed.  Each speaker will have the opportunity for a Q&A session. 

Cost: $20/Cost: $35 for CEU’s.

Register and Pay On-line at our website:  crestmanorcob.org

574-291-3748

Hope to see you there: October 10 at 10:00AM-3:00PM (10/10/10:00am).  Come at 9:30AM for snacks and coffee!  

Laura Hammond