Bridge

Bridge Spring 2015

You shall go out with joy

A publication by and for Church of the Brethren Young Adults

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Inside this Issue

God Laughing at My Plans—————————————————-3

On the Bus to Birmingham—————————–———————–4

Top 10 Things We See God Doing in the World———————–5

Praying for Peace in Nigeria————————————————-6

Photo Essay: Joyful Action————————–————————–8

YAC Flyer—————————————————————————-10

Young Adult Steering Committee Application————————11

Ads & Announcements———————————————————12

Young Adult Steering Committee ————–—————————14

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I’ve always loved warm weather. Growing up in Virginia, I got a lot of it. So when I decided that I would

spend my first Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) year in Upstate, New York, I even surprised myself. Then

I surprised myself even more when I decided to do a SECOND BVS year in even colder, Elgin, Illinois. I’m

not sure where life will take me next year, but I can tell you right now it will be somewhere not just warm,

but HOT.

Of course, I say this knowing that God is upstairs laughing at me and my ‘future plans.’ Ever since high

school I have been telling myself what I will do next with my life. Though, every time I make a plan in my

head, the opposite happens. I wanted to go to a far-away college for dance and theatre and I ended up

going to a college 10 minutes from my house with a major in art. I wanted to go to Central America for

my first BVS term and ended up an hour away from New York City. Then I wanted to try a different vol-

unteer organization in Ecuador, and here I am in my second year with BVS in Chicago.

Life is funny and confusing. I suppose one day I’ll understand why God has pointed me in directions I’d

never thought I’d go. This makes planning for the future difficult. About a month and a half ago I came

to Elgin to be the BVS staff volunteer working with orientations and recruitment. I’ve still got almost a

whole year before my term is up, and already people are asking me what I’m going to do next. My re-

sponse as of late has been, “I have about 5 ideas of what I want to do, but odds are not one of them will

actually happen.” One might call this pessimism, but the realist in me assures that I am just mentally

preparing for the unknown future.

I was speaking with a friend of mine recently about how badly I want to travel the world (one of the 5 or

so options I have for my near future). He said, “Jessie, you keep talking about traveling, but you never

do it. Stop talking about it and make it happen!” My excuse now, of course, is that I’m in BVS. But after

this conversation, I realized that my excuses have been more like, “Oh, it’s unrealistic” or, “Oh, I don’t

have that kind of money.” Then I remember something that my mom always says: “Do what you love

and the money will follow.” Soon, it will be time to actually turn my dreams into reality.

Now, this isn’t to say that I’m not living some of my dreams now. For years I have been dreaming of do-

ing BVS and making a difference in the world around me. And now it’s actually happening…for the sec-

ond time! That’s pretty neat.

I believe that anyone can change the world. A lot of people get really intimidated by that phrase, but I

think that the world can be changed on a wide spectrum of ways. One could go as far as Gandhi or

Mother Teresa and literally save and change lives of those in desperate need; or one could think on a

smaller scale by simply smiling at strangers every day. These things and everything in between are ways

to change the world and all the lives in it.

God is funny. God points us in all kinds of crazy directions and gives us tasks that we might deem unim-

aginable. Sometimes God directs us to take some time “off” from school or work and join Brethren Vol-

unteer Service. Sometimes God sends us to seminary or to start helpful organizations all over the world.

Other times God keeps us home to care for our children and our loved ones. So today, I leave you with

some happy thoughts that I try to tell myself every day. Whatever your case may be, dear reader, know

this: That you are exactly where you are supposed to be, even if it means you have no idea what you’re

doing. Smile, learn, laugh, pray.

Peace.

God Laughing at My Plans by Jessie Houff

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It is my dream that lots of Brethren will take the bus to Birmingham—that is, on a Sankofa Journey. “Sankofa” is a West African word that means “looking backward to move for-ward.” A Sankofa Journey is a three-day immersion experience that pairs Afri-can Americans and non-African Americans to gain racial understanding. The trips—led by the Evangelical Covenant Church—are offered twice a year, gen-erally in February and August, and are open to anyone. The Sankofa Journey caught my imagination because I have—over the years—participated in anti-racism workshops that did not go well. I wished for some-thing better. I’ve also been part of groups that have talked about becoming

more multiracial but have not been able to succeed. One of those is the Church of the Brethren. Since my trip three years ago, several other Brethren have taken part. How great it would be to see that number grow! I would especially love to see young adults participate. Driving through Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee, we visited places such as the 16th Street Bap-tist Church, the Civil Rights Institute, Kelly Ingram Park, the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Ed-mund Pettus Bridge, the John Perkins Center, the National Civil Rights Museum (located in the Lor-raine Motel, where Martin Luther King was shot), and Slave Haven, an underground railroad house and now museum about slave history. Between stops, our time on the bus was spent studying about race and engaging in discussion with our partners. It was an intense time of watching, listening, thinking, feeling, talking, learning, realiz-ing—of being transformed. In a time when our country is painfully divided by race, I believe that one of the most transforming forces can be to hear one another’s stories. For me, the Sankofa Journey was an opportunity to do this on two levels: It was an experience with a people. And it was an experience with one person, the black woman who had been assigned to me as my partner for the weekend. What I found most meaningful was the power of entering another’s story. There is damage done when a people’s story is not heard. And there is healing when the story is treated as important. To learn more, go to http://www.covchurch.org/justice/racial-righteousness/sankofa/ .

On the Bus to Birmingham by Wendy McFadden

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Back in January, the Young Adult Steering Committee had the privilege of being involved in worship

at the Highland Avenue Church of the Brethren. For the service, we came up with a top 10 list to de-

scribe new things we see God doing in the world. This list was a way for us to appreciate the new

year and that our God is always creating. With each top 10 item, we included a related quote or

scripture. We concluded our list with a short and simple prayer. We hope you enjoy this list and will

look for God's new creations in your life!

1. New Gifts

“Your talent is God’s gift to you. What you do with it is your gift to God.” – Leo Buscaglia

2. New Leadership

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are

a leader.” – John Quincy Adams

3. New Experience

“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be live forwards.” – Soren Kierkegaard

4. New Relationships

“Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light.” – Helen Keller

5. New Vocation

“Vocation does not come from a voice ‘out there’ calling me to be something I am not. It comes

from a voice ‘in here’ calling me to be the person I was born to be, to fulfill the original selfhood

given to me at birth by God.” – Thomas Merton

6. New Community

“We can learn the art of fierce compassion –redefining strength, deconstructing isolation and

renewing a sense of community, practicing letting go of rigid us versus them thinking – while

cultivating power and clarity in response to difficult situations.” – Sharon Salzberg

7. New Healing

“There is a light in this world, a healing spirit more powerful than any darkness we may en-

counter. We sometimes lose sight of this force when there is suffering, too much pain. Then sud-

denly, the Spirit will emerge through the lives of ordinary people who hear a call and answer in

extraordinary ways.” – Mother Teresa

8. New Challenges

“A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of

overwhelming obstacles.” – Christopher Reeve

9. New Hope

“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.” – Desmond Tutu

10. New Creation

“While I know myself as a creation of God, I am also obligated to realize and remember that

everyone else and everything else are also God’s creation.” – Maya Angelou

Prayer: Lord, help us to see and embrace the newness you create in our lives each day. Amen.

by Young Adult Steering Committee

Top 10 Things We See God Doing in the World

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I recently attended a presentation by EYN (Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) leader, Dr. Musa Mam-

bula. I was and am particularly interested in the work that is going on in Nigeria because of having

grown up in that part of the world. I need to explain that I did not grow up in Nigeria, nor have I

ever been to Nigeria. However, I was raised by Christian missionary parents who served in the coun-

tries of Ivory Coast and Kenya. My trans-cultural experience of growing up in Africa has really

broadened my worldview in ways beyond my description and imagination. I see myself differently

now than someone who has grown up or lived most of their life in one location or one part of the

world.

As I listen to the voices of individuals who have only experienced other countries in the world like

Nigeria through personal encounters like with Musa Mambula or through watching and listening to

world news or social media, I am very discouraged by a narrow mindedness that seems to come

through perceiving the world through our own individual human lenses. It almost sounds to me like

we enter into a space where we fear an unknown and treat it as if we already know and understand

the information that we have as sufficient. We may not be satisfied with reality as it is or want to

know more.

I have heard and met many active members in our church today who have an eager heart to help

the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria through their struggle of dealing with acts of violence. Our sis-

ters and brothers are seeking care and love from families, friends, neighbors, and churches across

Nigeria as well as from our global partnering churches. As I sat in a small meetinghouse congrega-

tion and listened to Musa Mambula speak about the role of the church to combat violence against

Muslims and Christians in Nigeria, one common practice stuck out to me as he repeatedly addressed

all of us present that day - PRAYER. He said, “Pray for the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria. We

need your prayers and support more than anything.”

While it is important to serve the church through our financial and material donations of goods and

services, we have been reminded by the church that the church is above all, called to PRAYER. This

is one practice that I think the church in the United States needs to revive and learn from our broth-

ers and sisters in Nigeria. Prayer is not exactly thought about as an active or proactive means of do-

ing something whenever there is a need. For many of us, Christians are called to be people who

pray at all times. However, many of you may agree with me when I say that as Christians in the Unit-

ed States, we often do not even think about prayer unless we are left in a state of helplessness.

Prayer is often undervalued and underestimated as a spiritual practice, and is not as regularly ob-

served more active tasks that the church perceives as productive or fruitful.

The call to prayer is an ancient Christian tradition and practice that dates back many centuries. We

may say that the church still exists today because of prayer. This is why it is very important and nec-

essary for us as young adults in the Church of the Brethren to be people who pray and who actively

participate in world affairs and services that supports and benefits the needs of our global village.

Nigerian Brethren encourage us; in fact, they challenge us to be faithful and committed to the work

of prayer, in order that we may truly seek strength and wisdom from God in the face of violence and

conflicts.

Praying for Peace in Nigeria by Mark Pickens

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As we position ourselves for prayer, let’s pause for a moment and think about our lives. How of-

ten do we come before God with joys and concerns upon receiving news from Nigeria? Do we

truly seek out a space to have quiet time for reflection and meditation? Are we focused on a nar-

row view of completing tasks (that are good and serve the common good), that are not built on a

spirit of prayer? I would like to invite and challenge all of us in the days, weeks, and months

ahead to take time to listen to needs in your faith communities and congregations. Listen to the

needs around your living communities and where you work or go to school. Listen to the words

and emotions that seem to accompany them by people around you and on world news as well as

social media. Call people to prayer and challenge the status quo on what seem to be the most

popular opinion of choice action and solution to end violence and conflict in nations such as Ni-

geria. Once you find the courage and take a risk in offering up your prayers for peace in Nigeria

and approach any and all situations with prayer, your perception of the world will begin to

change. It may even expand your worldview and create a desire to learn more.

It is my hope and prayer that as we think of our brothers and sisters in Nigeria, we will not just

think about the violence that they encounter on a regular basis and feel helpless, powerless, or

sympathetic towards them. Rather, I hope that we will be challenged and inspired by their public

witness for peace and their continued courage to withstand any evil that would hinder their wit-

ness for the body of Christ, the church. This is an image of the Church that we can learn and grow

more into ourselves, if we are willing to do so. May it be so for me and for you. God bless us all.

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Photo Essay: Joyful Action by Jess Hoffert

“This past summer, while living in

Virginia, I had the opportunity to teach

craft classes at Brethren Woods. What

a blessing to work with hundreds of

children and youth, helping them to

discover their creative side and use

that creativity to express themselves

and their faith.”

–Heather Landram

How do you use joyful action in your everyday life? How do you spread God’s love to those around

you? Here is how members of the Young Adult Steering Committee do it! Share with us on the

Young Adults of the Church of the Brethren Facebook page!

“I was privileged to share the message

at Salem Church of the Brethren, a tiny

rural congregation in Lenox, Iowa, this

past summer. The scenery, combined

with country childhood memories and

a warm one-family congregation, made

for more than a few ‘God moments’ I

will always cherish.”

–Jess Hoffert

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“This photo is from my BVS

orientation where we were

spending some time helping with

Brethren Housing Association in

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. My

time in BVS so far has shown me

that there are many ways to serve

out your mission, whether it is

painting floorboards or helping to

organize a conference for the

older adults of our denomina-

tion!”

–Laura Whitman

“Last January, I was able to do a service trip

to rural Honduras. We built latrines, sinks,

and stoves for a family to help them live

healthier lives and prevent the spread of

disease. It was wonderful to express my faith

through service and to share God's love with

others. In the picture, I'm holding one of the

family's babies while on a break from

constructing the latrine.”

–Amanda McLearn-Montz

“I serve The Brethren Home

Community of Cross Keys Village in

New Oxford, Pennsylvania, in a

number of capacities. One is in laun-

dry services. I also lead other activities

that are a part of community

life. These activities include devotions

and sensory group sessions with older

adults who have dementia and

Alzheimer’s disease.”

–Mark Pickens

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Young Adult Conference 2015

“You Shall Go out with Joy: Transforming the World’s Thorns with Joyful Action!”

(Isaiah 55:12-13)

Where: Camp Swatara in Bethel, Pennsylvania

When: May 22-24, 2015

Who: All young adults are welcome! (Ages 18-35)

Cost: $125 ($150 after April 30)

Registration: Starts online on March 16 (www.brethren.org/yac)

Please email Laura Whitman (lwhitman@brethren.org) for scholarship requests

by April 17.

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Young Adult Steering Committee Application

Name__________________________________________ Age_______ Gender__________

Address______________________________________________________________________

Phone________________________ Email__________________________________________

Congregation and district________________________________________________________

What activities and/or leadership opportunities have you had in your congregation and district?

Describe where you are currently at on your faith journey.

Why do you want to serve on the denominational Young Adult Steering Committee?

What are your ideas/hopes/dreams for the future of young adult ministry for the Church of the Brethren?

By June 30, 2015 please return to:

Becky Ullom Naugle, Director of Youth/Young Adult Ministry

Church of the Brethren

1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120

bullomnaugle@brethren.org

fax: 847-429-4395

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Ads & Announcements

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ROYGBrethren Online Forum ROYGBrethren, an online forum for lgbtq youth and young adults, is open.

ROYGBrethren is a confidential forum created by and for youth and young adults of diverse sexual

and gender identities, including lesbian, gay, bi, trans, queer, genderqueer, intersex, asexual, pan,

poly, questioning, and more. ROYGBrethren provides space for those connected to the Church of the

Brethren, whether by history, culture, family, partners, or participation to share stories, offer one an-

other support, and discuss collective nonviolent action which builds a more just and affirming com-

munity in the Church of the Brethren. People of color, diverse abilities, survivors of sexual violence

and others who hold intersectional identities are more than welcome.

Email roygbrethren@gmail.com or search for the ROYGBrethren Facebook group for more infor-

mation.

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Young Adult Steering Committee

From L to R, Front: Heather Landram, Laura Whitman, Mark Pickens. Back: Kyle Remnant,

Amanda McLearn-Montz, Jess Hoffert.

2014-2015

Staff for Young Adult Ministries

Becky Ullom Naugle

bullomnaugle@brethren.org

847-429-4385

800-323-8039 ext. 385

Youth/Young Adult Ministry

Church of the Brethren

1451 Dundee Ave

Join the Conversation! Each week members of the Young

Adult Steering Committee post a

question to the “Young Adults of

the Church of the Brethren” Facebook page. Join

the conversation and suggest your own ques-

tions!

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