Bridge Spring 2017

B ridge

SPRI NG 2017 | I SSUE no 4

L OVI NG NEI GHBOR Matthew 22:36- 39

TABLE OF CONTENTS From ?Creating Harmony? To Camp Harmony: 2017 Young Adult Conference Preview - Pg.3 YAC 2017 Speakers - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Pg.4 L ove & Serve Your Neighbor - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Pg.8 W ho is My Neighbor? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Pg.10 Planting Yourself W here You L and - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Pg.12 Young Adult Steering Committee Application - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Pg.13 New Members of the Young Adult Steering Committee - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Pg.14 Youth Worker Application - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Pg.16

W ho: Young Adults (Ages 18- 35) W hat: "L oving Neighbor" based on Matthew 22:36- 39 W hen: May 26 - 28, 2017 W here: Camp Harmony near Hooversville, PA

2 / Bridge

From ?Creating Harmony? To Camp Harmony:

Eldred,

Balmer

By K yle Remnant

Rice.

As

worship

bring their

unique creativity and

mindfulness to prepare a space for spiritual

T he theme of last year?s National Young Conference,

Monica

coordinators, Jess Hoffert and Jenn Chillas

2017 Young Adult Conference Preview

Adult

and

?Creating

growth. T he talented L eah Hileman will be

Harmony,?

leading us in a variety of powerful and uplifting

provides the perfect segue into this year?s

musical numbers. Camp Harmony, situated in

Young Adult

Camp

beautiful western Pennsylvania, will host our

Harmony, May 26-28. W hen the Young Adult

event this year. Attendees will experience the

Steering Committee met in September, concerns

wonder

arose about the continued divisive nature of our

opportunities for hiking, canoeing, ultimate

church and country. I nstead of looking at the

Frisbee, and sitting around a campfire circle

negatives, the committee decided to dwell on the

just singing songs of silliness and praise to our

goodness of human relationships centered in the

God. YAC promises a terrific slate of workshop

love of God. T hus, we decided on the theme of

opportunities as well, ranging in interest from

?L oving Neighbor.? Naturally, as we selected

music to crafts, from yoga to storytelling, and

this theme, the Parable of the Good Samaritan

many more! So neighbors, bring your neighbors

seemed like an appropriate Biblical passage to

to reunite with old neighbors and meet some

use. However, the language of love and

new neighbors. ?L oving Neighbor? is sure to be

mutuality in Matthew 22:36-39 spoke to us in

a wonderful time for any and all who are able to

our discernment. ?L ove the L ord your God with

make the trip to Camp Harmony this Memorial

all your heart, and with all your soul, and with

Day weekend. See ya there, neighbors!

Conference (YAC) at

all your mind? L ove your neighbor as yourself.?

At YAC we will go beyond the question of ?W ho is my neighbor? and look into each of the relationships found in Matthew 22: L oving God, L oving ourselves; And loving our neighbors.

T he leadership at YAC 2017 is an impressive lineup of Brethren souls. T his year?s speakers make up a fantastic group of blended wisdom and perspective. Speaking this year are Dennis L ohr,

Wendy

McFadden,

Emmett 3 / Bridge

of

the

outdoors

?

including

YAC

YAC 20 17 SPEAKERS Monica Rice - Wendy McFadden - Emmett Eldred - Dennis L ohr B Monica Rice

B Monica Rice

Monica

Home

Profession: Director of Alumni and Constituent Relations for McPherson College Hometown: McPherson, KS Education: Manchester College, Bethany Theological Seminary Favorite Place: Camp Emmaus in Illinois Hobby: Knitting, reading, Netflix marathons I appreciate the theme of Loving Neighbor. Being a neighbor, and then taking a step beyond to loving my neighbor, are BIG challenges sometimes. Around Christmas 2016 I spent a weekend in Chicago for a professional conference. It was beautiful walking the Magnificent Mile just after a snowfall with all of the Christmas lights and happy shoppers. On my walk, I took a few dollar bills in my pocket, because for many Chicago residents, their Christmas includes searching for the next meal

MONI CA RI CE

and for warm and safe places to stay overnight. I met a woman named Jessica and sat to talk with her for a few minutes. She?s had some rough things happen in life. I asked specifically if she has a network of people, or a community, that she can turn to for help. ?No, I only know two or three people here in the city.? I hope, even just for a moment, that I offered a sense of community to Jessica. That she was noticed. That her story had value. To me, that recognition of name and story are what it means to be a neighbor. And taking time to listen and engage with one another ?s stories, that?s where we can truly show love to our neighbors.

4 / Bridge

B Wendy McFadden

B Wendy McFadden

Wendy

Home

Hometown: Elgin, Ill. Profession: Publisher of Brethren Press and Communications for the Church of the Brethren Education: Bethany Theological Seminary and Juniata College What I like to do: Read, learn, sing, travel, take pictures, drink good coffee Favorite place: Anywhere warm and sunny If we take seriously Jesus?parable of the good Samaritan, it means thinking of others before yourself, even if the others are enemies. This is easy in theory, but very difficult in real life.

W ENDY MCFADDEN B Emmett Eldred

B Emmett Eldred

Emmett

Home

Emmett Eldred is a senior at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA, where he studies Creative Writing; Professional Writing; and Ethics, History, and Public Policy. Emmett is the founder and editor of DunkerPunks.com, where he blogs regularly and shares stories and resources about discipleship, peace, and justice.

Emmett is also a contributing editor for Messenger Magazine, and he contributes episodes to the Dunker Punks podcast.

EMMET T EL DRED 5 / Bridge

B Dennis Lohr

B Dennis Lohr

Dennis

Home

Dennis Lohr has been on the pastoral staff at the Palmyra Church of the Brethren in Pennsylvania for over 21 years, serving 15 years as Pastor of Christian Nurture, which included oversight of youth and young adult ministries, and 6 years as Lead Pastor.

Dennis affectionately addresses his congregation as ?The Good Folk of the Palmyra Church of the Brethren,? and celebrates their mission statement, ?to invite, welcome, nurture, disciple, equip, empower and inspire all person to live and serve in the way of Jesus.?

Dennis grew up in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia near the little town of Broadway. He holds a BA in Philosophy and Religion from Bridgewater College and a Master of Divinity degree from Bethany Theological Seminary. Prior to Palmyra, he served as pastor of the Barren Ridge congregation in Virginia and

DENNI S L OHR

the Easton congregation in Maryland. Dennis is married to his college sweetheart, Sally, and they have four adult children, Tim, Adam, Noah and Joel. One of Dennis?favorite places to be is his wood shop. It takes him out of his head and into his hands, allowing him to relax, create, process, sing, pray and breathe. A favorite hobby is turning pens on his lathe.

Being a neighbor begins by recognizing that we are interconnected and dependent one another. It see the person next door as well as the person across the globe as part of the community of care. It is about respecting another ?s boundaries, rights and privacies, while being willing, as able, to offer a kind word, a listening ear, a helping hand or a bad pun.

6 / Bridge

7 / Bridge

LOVE & SERVE YOUR NEIGHBOR

By Mar k Pickens ?You Shall L ove Your Neighbor As Yourself,? (Matt. 22:39b). As I think of the Young Adult Conference theme for 2017, ?L oving Neighbor,? two stories from the New Testament come to my mind. T he first is the Parable of the Good Samaritan, (L uke 10:25-37). I n this particular text, the language of love and neighbor is framed into a question by a lawyer who asks Jesus, ?? .W ho is my Neighbor,? (vs. 29b)? Jesus? response comes through a story, or a ?parable.? Once he has finished telling the story, Jesus asks the lawyer, ?W ho do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?? He said ?T he one who showed him mercy.? Jesus said to him, ?Go and do likewise,? (vss. 36-37).

A careful reading and interpretation of the text may describe the Good Samaritan as showing compassion, care, and service to the man who fell into the hands of robbers,? (vss. 33-35).

T his would also clarify the calling in discipleship, or the call to follow Jesus, through service in the Kingdom of God and showing care and compassion to all who are vulnerable in society.

T he second scripture that comes to my mind on ?L oving Neighbor,? is the story of Jesus washing his disciples? feet (John 13:1-20). According to this text, ?? Jesus loved his own who were in the world and loved them to the end,? (vs. 1b). L ove is what led Jesus to action and service; however, it was service that transformed social convention on who was responsible to wash feet in first-century Palestine. I t was considered socially inappropriate and counter-cultural for a teacher, or a rabbi, let alone, the L ord or leader of a faith community group or religious order to perform what Jesus did. T herefore, it does make sense that at least one of his disciples,

Simon Peter, would resist having his feet washed by Jesus (vss.6-10). We are not told anything to the extent of Peter, offering to wash Jesus? feet or any of the other disciples? feet as well. Following his feet-washing service to his disciples, Jesus instructs them, as their ?Teacher and L ord,? (vss.13-14) to ?wash one another?s feet, as Jesus, who has washed his disciples? feet (vss.14-15). T his instruction of Jesus to love and serve one another through feet-washing is a teaching that is observed and practiced during L ove Feast in T he Church of the Brethren. I t remains a solemn and selfless act of service that the Church continues to participate in as one of the ordinances in the Church. However, perhaps there is a deeper and more profound call to discipleship that Jesus is calling us into through this action of service and love for one another. Washing one another?s feet can be a loving act of service in the Church of the Brethren. However, the call to follow Jesus in discipleship through obedience, to serve our L ord and Teacher in the service of the Kingdom of God, requires that we love and serve others selflessly and faithfully in our communities and societies today. I t is a call to participate in the contexts where we may not always find ourselves, or places where we are taught not to go. I t is in the unknown and unfamiliar of places and circumstances that we may in fact, meet our L ord at work and sense the prodding of the Holy Spirit to serve, alongside our Teacher, Jesus, who is the Christ and our Savior.

I received an emergency call to action on a Sunday during Advent, to travel to a mosque (an I slamic Center for Worship and Prayer) near where I live. Many Muslim neighbors have recently received nasty hatemail and have been victims of inhospitality and threats. Many of their children have become afraid to attend

8 / Bridge

weekly activities at their mosque, such as their Sunday Morning Sunday School. An offer had been made during a press conference, prior to more recent hatemail, that if any folks would appreciate any of their non-Muslim friends and neighbors to accompany them or show up at the mosque and be present in solidarity with them, we would be more than happy to do so. T his offering was accepted and our call to action came through late on a Saturday evening. I met up with another Church of the Brethren member and ordained minister, who was serving on a local community support network and together, we traveled to the mosque to show our care and support for our Muslim neighbors. T here were approximately 20-30 of

Young Adult COB Facebook Post, 2017 us who stood outside and created a human shield around the parameter of the mosque, to demonstrate to the community and the city that we are here to love and support our Muslim neighbors, who are receiving threats and hate messages in our country today.

T his experience is one recent event that I have been blessed to be a part of and to demonstrate through nonviolence and peace-building initiative, that Jesus commands us to ?L ove One Another,? (John 13:34-35) and to ?L ove Our Neighbor as Ourselves,?

(Matthew 22:39).

T he expression and appreciation of joy and thankfulness by many members of the Muslim community here have truly affirmed the right decision to act in faith and in the service to our neighbors. T he Parable of the Good Samaritan is often thought of as a good story that invites us to be just like the

Samaritan and to do the same, as Jesus calls us to do (L uke 10:37). However, it is also important to acknowledge the fact that Samaritans and Jews were enemies or different socio-cultural groups who did not get along with one another, or were told that they were not allowed to associate or interact with one another. T he fact that a Samaritan was the character in the parable who acted with care, compassion, and love to a man, probably a Jew, was considered socially inappropriate and counter-cultural. T he Samaritan did not choose to ignore, avoid, or imagine the man was not there when he noticed him. I nstead, the Samaritan responded in love and showed mercy and justice for the man; he even paid for his lodging and care at the inn and promised the innkeeper that he would reimburse him upon his return for whatever needs there still were (L uke 10:34b-35). T his is an example of someone who did not allow difference to separate him or divide, or serve as a hindrance for doing what is right in the eyes of God. T he parable of the Good Samaritan, along with the story of Jesus washing his disciples? feet are two New Testament stories that call the church to action today. T he command to love and serve others; specifically, our neighbors, knows no boundaries or barriers: socio-economically, culturally, racially, ethnically, religiously, ability-wise, age-wise, gender-wise, or sexual-orientation-wise. T he list can go on and on. T he message is that now more than ever, during a time of political change and uncertainty, we are called to follow Jesus as obedient disciples into the known and unknown and the familiar and unfamiliar places to love and serve our neighbors, no matter who they are or where they are from in the world. As we listen to Jesus? teaching and call once again, may we be faithful in our obedience to follow him and serve one another in love as we live to obey the command to ?L ove Our Neighbor As Ourselves,? (Matthew 22:39b).

9 / Bridge

love for this man.

W ho is My Neighbor?

T here are several traveling characters in the Parable of the Good Samaritan. We of course have the man. We have a Priest and a L evite, who for all intents and purposes play the same part of the "should-be-friendly" character. And

By K yle Remnant I love traveling. I always have and I always will. Car or train, ferry or plane, it makes no difference to me, I just enjoy the thrill of travel.

Road trips have always been my favorite.

Growing up two hours from my mom?s parents and eight hours away from my dad?s folks meant we had to travel regularly to see them.

T here are not many better experiences, in my opinion, than driving down an open highway. Of course, traveling the open road is a lot easier today than in centuries past.

Roads in biblical

lastly, we have our title character and hero, the Samaritan. Each of these travelers is on a journey. I f we were to diagram this saga, the starting point would be A and the destination would be B. Each traveler is starting at their own A and ending at their own B, that is the plan. However, things change. Each traveler experiences something out of the norm between their A?s and B?s. T he man is walking toward Jericho and is brutally attacked by robbers. T he priest and L evite are traveling a dangerous road and ignore their conscience when noticing a half

more

dead man in desperate need of help. T he

dangerous than those with which we are

Samaritan is traveling that same dangerous

familiar. T hey were not paved, had no painted

road but instead of thinking of his own safety,

lines or guard rails, and often hosted bands of

he shows mercy for a fellow traveler, hospitality

robbers

for an enemy, love for a stranger.

waiting

times were far

to

attack

unsuspecting

travelers. T he most well-known biblical example of this is the Parable of the Good Samaritan found in L uke 10. A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho. T he land was rocky and rough and was sadly

a great

area for

opportunistic robbers, such as the ones the man encounters. T hey left him "half dead." (I ?m not sure how they calculated the half, but that?s for a different time.) T he point is this is not a very positive travel experience. And it gets worse!

Both a Priest and a L evite passed him by without offering any assistance. But it was the Samaritan, the foreigner, who acted as the neighbor by showing mercy, hospitality, and

T hey say the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Funny, life never happens that way. T here comes a point in each of our lives when we face that unplanned moment. We set out on a journey, and a little way down the road we realize we are not on the fastest or easiest route, or perhaps not even on the correct path, or we?re on the right path but not heading in the right direction. T his is when your GPS chimes in and says, ?Recalculating.?

I always hate that. But it?s a reminder that, yeah, you missed a turn and now your trip will be longer. How often do we miss the turns in

10 / Bridge

Hello, neighbor! Every year at YAC, there

our lives? How often do we make the correct turns, but feel like we are lost? How often are

are two opportunities to attend and

we so determined to get from A to B that we

participate in workshops. T hese are one hour

miss an opportunity to be a good neighbor?

long sessions in the morning and afternoon.

How often do we find ourselves so content with

Topics range from arts and crafts to in depth

point A that we aren?t even interested in getting

group discussions. T his year, we have a great

to point B?

selection of workshops! Here are a couple

I hope we haven?t found ourselves like the

examples you can chose from this year:

man who gets beaten by robbers. But I ?m sure

Monica Rice (speaker at YAC) will lead a

we have lost ourselves in defeat, rejection, and

group discussion workshop on ?Attire and

loneliness. I hope we haven?t found ourselves

I dentity: W hat does our wardrobe say about

like the Priest or L evite who chose convenience

who we are??

over what is right. But I ?m sure we have lost ourselves in fear, complacency, and doubt. I hope we have found ourselves like the Good Samaritan who puts his plans on hold and rushes to the aid of a half dead man, puts him

Renee Neher (YASC member) will show us how to better handle our adult financial lives in her workshop, ?Adulting 101:Basic Budgeting?.

on his donkey and takes him to safety. My hope

Becky Ullom Naugle (Director of

for us is that we are not merely content with

Youth/ Young Adult Ministry) will lead us in

where we are, as individuals, and as the church.

a physically active session. We?ll learn how

My hope for us is that we are satisfied, yes, but

to breathe to relax as well as do some partner

still searching, journeying towards something

balancing with our neighbor.

more meaningful, more impactful, something more than the status quo. May we embrace the

More Workshop leaders include:

sudden changes that happen on our way. May

Emmett Eldred, Wendy McFadden, and

we be willing to jump off the beaten path to

Dennis L ohr; Amanda McL earn-Montz,

serve those in need. May we be open to the

Jessie Houff, Kyle Remnant, Mark Pickens,

movement of the Holy Spirit as it guides us

and Rudy Amaya

forward. May we find enjoyment

in the We look forward to having you join us on

adventure of our journey. May it be so, friends.

May 26-28 at Camp Harmony!

NEEDED: Hardworking, Brethren Young Adults! National Youth Conference is seeking hardworking, Brethren Young Adults committed to helping the ministry of NYC come alive in July 2018! Apply to be a ?Youthworkers? and help with all of the behind the scenes work of the conference to make it run! I t?s a tiring, hard, exhausting job ? but NYC couldn?t happen without these fantastic people. T he deadline for Youthworker applications is November 1, 2017.

Application on Pg.16 11 / Bridge

Planting Yourself

then I did Youth Peace T ravel Team the following summer. Staying connected to the Church of the Brethren in these ways helped me

W here You L and

remember and practice my faith, and eventually

By Amanda McL ear n-Montz

Foundation.

Hanging in the hallway of the Church of the Brethren General Offices is a map that shows

I found a faith home at college at the Wesley Although

Wesley

was

not

Brethren, I discovered a community there that supported me and nurtured my faith through

the distribution of churches across the United States. Some regions have numerous dots while others have a small smattering. And a few regions have no dots, a Church of the Brethren desert. I went to college in one of these places,

Wesley FoundationWomen?s Retreat, 2014

New Orleans, and that experience challenged my faith and sense of community in new ways.

Growing up, I had always attended a Church of the

Brethren

and

was

involved

in

my

congregations through music, Sunday school, camp, and National Youth Conference. Being Church of the Brethren was part of my identity, and I felt at home in a Brethren crowd. But my freshman year of college, I

where to go for my faith

shared many of them even though they were not Brethren. T hese friends showed me that I could have a faith family that was not Church of the Brethren without giving up my Brethren identity. During my last two years of college, I Brethren from afar by working at Brethren

Church of the Brethren on a feeling lost. I was unsure of

friends who listened to my Brethren beliefs and

continued being connected to the Church of the

was unable to attend a regular basis, and I started

worship, friendship, and faith. At Wesley, I had

camps in the summers, talking to and visiting Youth Peace T ravel Team 2013

community and how to define myself and my faith. I tried different faith and church groups, and although they were welcoming, I dearly missed the traditions and beliefs of fellow Brethren, particularly pacifism, ice cream, and potlucks. I decided to get involved with the Church of the Brethren in any way I could. T he summer after my freshman year, I worked at the Church of the Brethren camp in I owa, and

my Brethren friends when I could, and joining the Young Adult Steering Committee my senior year. I also stayed involved with my adopted faith family, Wesley, which never stopped supporting my Brethren ways, especially my love for ice cream. I f you ever find yourself in a Church of the Brethren desert like I did, never forget people will love and support you from any distance and non-Brethren faith families do exist. All you need to do is find them and remember that Brethren are not the only ones that like potlucks and ice cream.

12 / Bridge

13 / Bridge

YOUNG ADULT STEERING COMMITEE New members of the YASC: Rudy Amaya, RenĂŠe Neher, & Jessie Houff

Hello, my name is Rudy Amaya and I am a sophomore at the University of L a Verne in Southern California. I work for the Office of Civic and Community Engagement at the university and I volunteer as the children's director for the Santa Ana Church of the Brethren, PrĂ­ncipe de Paz. T hrough my time at the University and volunteering for the church I discovered a passion to serve and learned the beauty of community. W hen I was a kid, I moved around a lot and because of that I never connected to a community. For many years, during middle and high school, I was verbally

UL T D A G OU N I T E E Y E H JOI N T ERI NG COM .13 G P ST E N NO O I T A C A PPL I

and physically harassed by my peers. I was skinny, had long hair, and I didn?t fit their standards of manliness. My teachers didn?t notice my needs and focused their attention on other students. All I knew was that if community caused me pain I didn't want to be a part of it. T hat began to change when I discovered the power of service. T he church and the university have shifted my perspective from what can they do for me, to what can I do for us. I t has helped me to understand that community starts with the service we provide to others.

14 / Bridge

Hi! My name is RenĂŠe Neher. I am a very recent graduate of Manchester University, where I

majored in Accounting and minored in

I nternational

Studies

and

Peace

Studies.

Currently, I am studying for my CPA and will begin my staff accountant

position at

the

beginning of August 2017 in Chicago working with nonprofits and higher education clients. I grew up in the beautiful suburbs of Chicago and would classify myself as a complete suburban child. T hough I grew up in the suburbs I was one of the lucky ones in my area. Fences were not allowed in my neighborhood, my best friends lived next door to me, and I knew that if something happened I could call on almost any of the neighbors to help. I was fortunate to grow up in the York

Center

Co-Op in

unincorporated

DuPage County, I llinois. T he community was founded on diversity, inclusivity, and being an intentional community. T his meant we worked together as a community to help one another out and were there to better the community we lived in together. Some memories include having a holiday party every year where we celebrated Christmas

and

Hanukah

giving

me

the

opportunity to learn about another holiday and enjoying homemade latkes. T his experience, as well as others, taught me not only about my neighbors around the world, but opened my eyes to the beautiful differences between people. From my community I have grown to appreciate what everyone has to bring to the table and recognize that as a group we can accomplish more together.

Hi, y?all! My name is Jessie Houff. I am an outgoing, fun-loving, nomadic artist brought up in the Church of the Brethren. I am so excited to

serve

on

the

Young

Adult

Steering

Committee and contribute to the leadership and representation of young adults in the church.

T he committee is a diverse group this year! We are all from different parts of the country and have had many different upbringings. I was raised in a small, rural town called Bridgewater nestled in Virginia?s Shenandoah Valley. I grew up in a house on a hill surrounded by old order Mennonite families, acres of corn fields, and mountains. My dad calls our back yard Houff National Park because of the scenic views of rolling hills, mountains, trees, and hundreds of colors. My small hometown is quaint and riddled with friendly hellos. You can?t walk into the grocery store or restaurant without seeing at least five people you know. T his kind of upbringing taught me so much about the value of community, but I didn?t really understand how great of a place it was until I left after college. Most people I grew up with said, ?I can?t wait to get out of this town?, but once you?re out, you miss some of the things that came along with it. I miss the familiarity of everything and the feeling of being home.

Growing up in a rural town has made me who I am today: an artsy adventurer that yearns for the quiet of a small, cozy community.

15 / Bridge

16 / Bridge

17 / Bridge