Embedded Files
2026 FaithX - Flyer
District News Notes, February 5, 2026
2026 FaithX
SERVICE TRIPS FOR YOUTH AND ADULTS
Serve as the hands and feet of Jesus, learn and live in community, build relationships, experience a new place, and explore your faith!
JUNIOR AND SENIOR HIGH
(6th grade-age 19)
June 9-14: University Park, MD
June 14-19: Winston-Salem, NC
June 21-26: Rodney, MI
(Camp Brethren Heights)
July 5-10: Hershey, PA
ADULT
(ages 18+)
June 14-22: Northern Ireland
WE ARE ABLE
July 13-16: Sturgis, MI
CUSTOM
Contact us to discuss: faithx@brethren.org
Registration closes April 1 - Sign up now!
Details & Registration
Annual Conference Briefing - SAVE THE DATE:
Sunday, April 26, 2026, afternoon, Camp Alexander Mack, John Kline Center (1113 E Camp Mack Rd, Milford, IN 46542)
The Church of the Brethren Northern Indiana DIstrict, "All District" Annual Conference briefing/worship, with Annual Conference moderator Don Fitzkee.
Theme: "Imagine"
All invited, delegates and non-delegates!
Mark your calendar, plan to attend!
Questions? Call the District Office: 1-574-773-3149
Harriet Hamer, Standing Committee delegate, N IN District 1-574-850-6147
Torin Eikler, District Executive Minister, N IN District 1-574-903-3771
Brethren Volunteer Service announces new project sites, new BVS Early Enrollment Program
Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) is announcing two new project sites: Food for Greater Elgin and East Belfast Mission/The Larder. “We are excited to share that BVS is partnering with two new nonprofits as placements for incoming volunteers,” said the announcement.
Also from Brethren Volunteer Service comes a new initiative called BVS Early Enrollment Program.
Read more at www.brethren.org/news/2025/bvs-new-project-sites
Part Time Pastor: Full Time Church - Program Update
Ryan Braught has taken on the role of program manager for the Part Time Pastor: Full Time Church program. Ryan was one of the presenters for the pre-district-conference CEU event. He reminds us that the PTP:FTC program offers coaching, peer mentorship, sabbath rest grants, and book studies for multi-vocational pastors.
If the program, its circuit riders, or Ryan can be of any help to any of our district’s multi-vocational pastors, please don’t hesitate to reach out to him (rbraught@brethren.org). Jan Largent is a circuit rider for the program in our district (jllargent@aol.com).
OEP Calendar for 2026
The calendar below lists the events we will be promoting in 2026. Please share this with your leadership, affinity, or interest groups. Choose which events/activities you will want to participate in fully, so you can plan ahead. Each month we will provide resources to support the listed event.
Click on the blue link below to find out more information.
February: Say Something
March: Youth Violence Prevention Week
See details included in this month’s newsletter Plan Ahead section
April: Bereaved Mother’s Day
We will provide elements to include in your church service
May: Wear Orange
Purchase COB Orange t-shirts here
June: Bring Annual Conference to your Congregation
Get prepared for Annual Conference
Or bring Annual Conference happenings to your church
July: (TBD)
August: Pinwheels for Whilred Peace
Prepare for International Day of Peace
September: Bystander Training Tips
Learn different methods a person can use to help victims of harassment
October: Elections/Legislation Activism
Information will be provided about Gun Violence Prevention and national/local elections
November: National Vigil to End Gun Violence (new resources)
Prepare for Blue Christmas or All Saints Day Service
Service Elements will be provided
December: Celebrate Progress
Let us know what your congregation contributed to Gun Violence Prevention
---------------------
Join us for an overview of Kingian Nonviolence Conflict Reconciliation at 5:30pm ET / 4:30pm CT / 2:30pm PT on February 25th, 2026. Kingian Nonviolence is an approach to conflict and community leadership that offers values and methods useful for anyone who wants to use conflict constructively in your personal life, in group settings, or in community issues and building a reconciled world.
The Deportation Defense Response Team was initiated by four Church of the Brethren Districts (Atlantic Northeast, Atlantic Southeast, Virlina, and Pacific Southwest), working in partnership with On Earth Peace and the Church of the Brethren Office of Intercultural Ministries. We exhort the church to care for our siblings and neighbors under threat of immigration-related detention and deportation, and we invite you to join us in praying for them and for all who are supporting them.
Join us Thursday, February 5th at 12 pm ET / 11 am CT / 10 am MT / 9 am PT on Zoom for a prayer gathering for immigrant justice.
We invite you to bring prayer requests, concerns, celebrations, reflections, written prayers, poems, songs, Scripture, and liturgy to share during this time if you would like. You may also choose to come listen and pray silently with us.
Please RSVP here to attend:
RSVP for February Prayer Gatherings
If you have questions about the prayer gatherings, the team, or have interest in getting involved in other ways, please contact migrantjustice@onearthpeace.org
We hope to see you soon!
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89628292623
Meeting ID: 896 2829 2623
Passcode: 627057
Join us for 2026 Winter Camp @ Camp Mack!
Dates:
Start: Friday, February 13th 2025, 6:00PM
End: Sunday, February 15th 2025, 2:00PM
Age Range:
3rd – 8th Grade
Registration Cost:
$130
This includes lodging, meals and snacks, transportation, toboggan ride,
a group photo, staff leadership, and all retreat supplies!
Global Food Initiative grants can help churches address hunger in their communities
By Jenn Hosler
Did you know that the Church of the Brethren’s Global Food Initiative (GFI) grants can help churches address hunger in their communities? GFI grants can support church-based community gardens, nutrition education, cooking classes, food pantries, community meals, blessing boxes, and more.
Read more at www.brethren.org/news/2025/gfi-helps-churches-address-hunger
JOIN A CHILDREN’S DISASTER SERVICES VOLUNTEER TRAINING IN SPRING 2026 Learn how to bring comfort and care to children following human-caused and natural disasters. Children’s Disaster Services (CDS) is preparing to hold four volunteer training events in February and March next year. Contact Deb Kauffman if you have any questions. Training dates, locations, and coordinator contact information: Feb. 20-21–First Presbyterian, Beaufort, SC (Chris Appl-Walsh, 404-989-5306, capplwal@gmail.com) Feb. 20-21–Oakland CoB, Bradford, OH (Toni Custer, 937-423-1841, tcuster77@gmail.com) Feb. 27-28–Dove of the Desert, Glendale, AZ (George Cushman, 928-460-2462, gccushman@cox.net) Mar. 14-15–La Verne CoB, La Verne, CA (Kathy Benson, 909-837-7103)
TIMBERCREST
The Timbercrest Sewing Sister group makes quilts/comforters for the Linus project. We would appreciate donations of quality cotton quilting fabric (fat qtrs and larger). Cheerful colors and juvenile prints are appreciated.
BREMEN
The Bremen CoB Women’s Fellowship will be hosting a Craft Bazaar on Saturday, March 28, 2026. More info will follow at a later date.
CREEKSIDE
Creekside has partnered with SAW's (Servant at Work) specializing in building wooden wheelchair ramps for low-income, permanently disabled individuals.
https://sawsramps.volunteerhub.com/vv2/event/ebe94b2d-4f6f-4a10-8795-464cc1c3d9b2
If you are interested in helping or would like additional Information, please contact Mike Kauffman mkauff2012@gmail.com or Roger Griffith 14rogergriffith@gmail.com , 574-707-9872
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.
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!
· 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.
BRETHREN DISASTER MINISTRIES
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 . . . .
2026 New Community Project Learning Tours
David Radcliff, New Community Project dradcliffncp@yahoo.com Go. Meet. Learn. Grow. Change yourself – and your world. 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/
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse