Here are OEP and ally events coming up in our community.
Also, look at recent past events to see more of what we do.
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Tuesday, April 02, 2024 at 06:30 PM · 10 rsvps
"7 Prompts" Facilitator Training - SWPOC
“7 PROMPTS” FACILITATOR TRAINING - Standing with People of Color
REGISTRATION WILL CLOSE FOR THIS WORKSHOP 24 HOURS BEFORE THE WORKSHOP - at 6:30 pm EASTERN on April 1.
Once registration has closed, sign up here to indicate your interest in a future offering, or contact us at [email protected].
This training will take place twice in April 2024:
- Tuesday, April 2, 2024 – 6:30-8:30 pm Eastern / 3:30-5:30 pm Pacific
- Saturday, April 6, 2024 – 1:00-3:00 pm Eastern / 10:00 am-Noon Pacific
RSVP below for the Tuesday, April 2 training.
OR
RSVP using this link for the Saturday, April 6 training.
The Church of the Brethren Standing With People of Color Study/Action Committee is asking the entire Church of the Brethren to engage in crucial Christian conversations in various settings in the next year, using 7 discussion prompts around the theme of standing with people of color and working for justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI).
We hope the church will share together around the family table, in Sunday School or other congregational settings, in districts, and in other Brethren agencies and venues.
Our team developed the prompts along with the “BELOVED” model of conversations, to help the church engage in urgent and heartfelt conversation in a way that builds up our Beloved Community.
Designed to take place in small groups, each of these prompts moves the conversations from the participants' own history onward to discussions of justice and racism. The design of these prompts invites participants to look within themselves and reflect on their own experiences and perspectives. It is our prayer that these conversations, across the denomination, can help foster broad engagement and create a path toward faithful and passionate Brethren involvement in racism and racial justice in our times.
The Standing with People of Color Committee is planning two initial training sessions to help prepare individuals to be able to facilitate groups in these conversations in their own congregation, district, family, or other setting. Present for these sessions will be people who have led these discussions in other settings.
What to expect:
- Introduce the 7 prompts (and experience the first two prompts).
- Introduce the BELOVED conversation model.
- Explore ways to use these prompts in different settings.
- Hot tips for facilitators.
Crucial Christian Conversations: Standing with People of Color
A central part of our invitation to the church is to participate in conversations using seven discussion prompts. We are asking the entire Church of the Brethren to engage in conversations in various settings in the next year, using the questions below. We hope the church will share together around the family table, in Sunday School or other congregational settings, in districts, and in other Brethren agencies and venues.
Please print and use the linked handout which includes the 7 prompts as well as BELOVED conversation guidelines here.
Discussion Prompts
- Share your family’s origin story. Go back as many generations as you know and start there. Briefly share some of your family history/tree up to your current family.
- Share a compelling memory of when you became aware of cultural, racial, or color differences.
- Share the message Jesus has for you or us about justice and racism. What does Jesus want you to hear or see? What does Jesus call you or us to do next?
- If you listen to Jesus’ call, what spiritual healing or personal growth might you have to do?
- If you are a white/dominant culture Brethren, how can you support/stand with people of color (POC)? If you are a POC, what does it mean for you to stand with other people of color?
- Imagine if things were different and there were more racial justice. What do you envision?
- What are you willing to sacrifice to achieve that goal?
Contact us at [email protected] with any questions.
REGISTRATION WILL CLOSE FOR THIS WORKSHOP 24 HOURS BEFORE THE WORKSHOP -- at 6:30 pm EASTERN on April 1.
Once registration has closed, sign up here to indicate your interest in a future offering, or contact us at [email protected].
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Saturday, April 06, 2024 at 10:00 AM · 9 rsvps
KNV 2-hour Intro April 6, 2024
Join us for an overview of Kingian Nonviolence Conflict Reconciliation at 10am ET / 9am CT / 7am PT on April 6, 2024. 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.
This 2 Hour webinar covers:
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The 4 pillars of Kingian Nonviolence
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Initial introduction to the 6 Principles and 6 Steps - the “Will” and the “Skill” of Kingian Nonviolence.
- The Social Dynamics of Kingian Nonviolence
This training will be co-facilitated by Dr. JoanMay T. Cordova and Kimberly Koczan.
Dr. JoanMay T. Cordova - With a doctorate from Harvard University, JoanMay’s Kingian nonviolence (KNV) work builds on decades of professionally teaching elementary through doctoral students plus experiences in teacher education. Now a visiting professor who coordinates the Human Security Institute at Silliman University in the Philippines, “TitaDoc” served as senior advisor to the 2021 KNV Team Asia/Pacific with participants from Australia, Hong Kong, India, and the Philippines. She's national president emerita of the Filipino American National Historical Society @FANHS_national and currently a board member of the Institute of Human Rights and Responsibilities (IHRR), working with love @ForCommunities. She's a co-editor -- with Matt Guynn, Dean Johnson, and Regina Shands-Stoltzfus -- of the textbook, "Resist, Organize, Transform: An introduction to nonviolence and activism," (Cognella Academic Press, 2020).
Kimberly Koczan is a spiritual director & clergyperson ordained in the Church of the Brethren. She lives in northeast Indiana. Kimberly directs Wisdom's Well, doing spiritual guidance and social transformation work. She is involved with the Midwest Building Decarbonization Coalition, Faith in Place, Poor People's Campaign, a senior fellow in the Environmental Leadership Program, and a lead coordinator in the Help Not Handcuffs Campaign in Allen County to address human rights abuses in our jail and implement proven jail diversion programs. Kimberly is also the Environmental Justice Manager at the Hoosier Environmental Council.
Meet others interested in Kingian Nonviolence, build Beloved Community, and connect with On Earth Peace's Kingian Nonviolence Learning Action Community!
Note: You will be added to our Peacebuilder email list by registering for this event, if you do not wish to be on the list please email [email protected]
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The 4 pillars of Kingian Nonviolence
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Saturday, April 06, 2024 at 01:00 PM · 5 rsvps
"7 Prompts" Facilitator Training - SWPOC
“7 PROMPTS” FACILITATOR TRAINING - Standing with People of Color
REGISTRATION WILL CLOSE FOR THIS WORKSHOP 24 HOURS BEFORE THE WORKSHOP - at 1:00 pm EASTERN on April 5.
Once registration has closed, sign up here to indicate your interest in a future offering, or contact us at [email protected].
This training will take place twice in April 2024:
- Tuesday, April 2, 2024 – 6:30-8:30 pm Eastern / 3:30-5:30 pm Pacific
- Saturday, April 6, 2024 – 1:00-3:00 pm Eastern / 10:00 am-Noon Pacific
RSVP below for the Saturday, April 6 training.
OR
RSVP using this link for the Tuesday, April 2 training.
The Church of the Brethren Standing With People of Color Study/Action Committee is asking the entire Church of the Brethren to engage in crucial Christian conversations in various settings in the next year, using 7 discussion prompts around the theme of standing with people of color and working for justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI).
We hope the church will share together around the family table, in Sunday School or other congregational settings, in districts, and in other Brethren agencies and venues.
Our team developed the prompts along with the “BELOVED” model of conversations, to help the church engage in urgent and heartfelt conversation in a way that builds up our Beloved Community.
Designed to take place in small groups, each of these prompts moves the conversations from the participants' own history onward to discussions of justice and racism. The design of these prompts invites participants to look within themselves and reflect on their own experiences and perspectives. It is our prayer that these conversations, across the denomination, can help foster broad engagement and create a path toward faithful and passionate Brethren involvement in racism and racial justice in our times.
The Standing with People of Color Committee is planning two initial training sessions to help prepare individuals to be able to facilitate groups in these conversations in their own congregation, district, family, or other setting. Present for these sessions will be people who have led these discussions in other settings.
What to expect:
- Introduce the 7 prompts (and experience the first two prompts).
- Introduce the BELOVED conversation model.
- Explore ways to use these prompts in different settings.
- Hot tips for facilitators.
Crucial Christian Conversations: Standing with People of Color
A central part of our invitation to the church is to participate in conversations using seven discussion prompts. We are asking the entire Church of the Brethren to engage in conversations in various settings in the next year, using the questions below. We hope the church will share together around the family table, in Sunday School or other congregational settings, in districts, and in other Brethren agencies and venues.
Please print and use the linked handout which includes the 7 prompts as well as BELOVED conversation guidelines here.
Discussion Prompts
- Share your family’s origin story. Go back as many generations as you know and start there. Briefly share some of your family history/tree up to your current family.
- Share a compelling memory of when you became aware of cultural, racial, or color differences.
- Share the message Jesus has for you or us about justice and racism. What does Jesus want you to hear or see? What does Jesus call you or us to do next?
- If you listen to Jesus’ call, what spiritual healing or personal growth might you have to do?
- If you are a white/dominant culture Brethren, how can you support/stand with people of color (POC)? If you are a POC, what does it mean for you to stand with other people of color?
- Imagine if things were different and there were more racial justice. What do you envision?
- What are you willing to sacrifice to achieve that goal?
Contact us at [email protected] with any questions.
REGISTRATION WILL CLOSE FOR THIS WORKSHOP 24 HOURS BEFORE THE WORKSHOP -- at 1:00 pm EASTERN on April 5.
Once registration has closed, sign up here to indicate your interest in a future offering, or contact us at [email protected].
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Sunday, July 07, 2024 at 05:30 PM through July 13, 2024
Camp Brethren Heights in Rodney, MISong and Story Fest 2024
Muddy Waters Song & Story Fest:
Exploring the Heights and Depths of Community
July 7-13, 2024
Camp Brethren Heights, Rodney, Michigan
A Family Camp featuring Brethren musicians and storytellers in the woods and lakelands of central Michigan!
RSVP Here
Seems like we’ve been here before!
Yes, we’re back in central Michigan for the 28th Song & Story Fest.
But we’re also still floundering in the muddy waters of national and international turmoil.
Seven years ago the brochure read:
“It seems like we are coursing down a raging river of ignorance and regression. Bouncing around and over big and dangerous rapids that threaten to capsize us, we are in the midst of deep waters on all sides: religious, political, and economic differences that divide and conquer any unity we might experience as one people, under God’s care and guidance.”
Actually, today we are more mired in muddy waters than bouncing down rapids.
And we don’t know about you, but our sense of community seems to be getting smaller and more limited than ever, at least domestically.
Brethren, Christian, American – Do you even want to claim to be part of these communities?
But maybe in these hard and muddy times we are called to witness and proclaim the values that we have learned from Jesus and these very same communities.
Perhaps we need to remind ourselves that being community isn’t easy, that it carries highs and lows. So, you are invited to join us in Exploring the Heights and Depths of Community!
Together we’ll find some islands of hope and understanding to rest upon and regroup, and then plunge back into the muddy waters with the exasperating/beautiful people around us.
Come and muck about with us in the 2024 Swamp!
Storytellers and Workshop Leaders:
Susan Boyer Debbie Eisenbise Anna Lisa Gross
Kathy Guisewite Jonathan Hunter Jim Lehman
Campfire, Workshop, and Concert Musicians:
Greg & Rhonda Baker Louise Brodie Hannah Button-Harrison
Jenny & Jeffrey Faus Family Erin and Cody Flory Robertson
Chris Good Tim & Byron Joseph & Marlene Wood
Brian Kruschwitz Peg Lehman Mike Stern
Join us on the lakeshore
at Camp Brethren Heights!
An Intergenerational Camp for All Ages -
Single persons and families of any size and shape will enjoy this combination of performance and participation in the wooded hills and lakes of central Michigan.
Mornings - Intergenerational gatherings and worship will be followed by workshops for adults, children, and youth to help us:
- Reconnect with the God of all creation and with each other
- Tell the stories that make for peace and rekindle faith
- Sing the words of our hearts in gratitude for the unceasing power of life
- Root and ground ourselves in the Jesus Way
- Deepen our connections with each other and the earth
- Celebrate peace, creation, and life
- Dance in circles, lines, and squares
- Learn the skills of peace-making and justice-seeking
Afternoons - Free for family time, recreation, nature walks, story swaps, and music making.
Evenings - Campfires, snacks, and concerts or a folk dance.
Song & Story Fest #28:
This is the twenty-eighth summer in a row for these Song and Story Fests and is our third venture into the great state of Michigan, home to a number of regular participants and leaders. The Fest will begin on Sunday evening, July 7, with supper at 5:30 p.m., an opening campfire, and some music and dancing. We’ll close the Fest on Saturday morning, July 13, after breakfast, worship and hugs.
On Earth Peace will again co-sponsor the Fest, providing leadership and administrative support.
Camp Brethren Heights is located amid the lakes of central Michigan near Rodney, Michigan, about 64 miles north of Grand Rapids off US-131, Exit 139 (Big Rapids), and then approximately 16 miles east on M-20 and other roads. Check out the website at www.campbrethrenheightsmi.org for directions and more about the Camp.
The Camp overlooks Jehnsen Lake which is great for swimming, canoeing, and fishing. The Camp even owns a small island in the lake, a favorite destination. There are plenty of opportunities to interact with nature on hiking trails, mucking in the swamp, watching the eagles and loons, and more!
Lodging - Campers will sleep in rustic cabins or dorms furnished with bunk beds (all now have electricity) or in your own tent or RV. Plan on sharing cabin space with other individuals or families, so please, on your registration indicate anyone with whom you want to share space. Please bring your own bedding and towels as the Camp doesn’t provide these. There are a number of hookups for RVs with electricity (20 or 30 amp). Hot showers are provided in common bathhouses. There are no motel style rooms available in camp for those with advanced age/special needs. If needed, look for hotels in Big Rapids, a 20 minute drive.
Food - Judy Gump and Arlene Kindy will be cooking for us again this year, so complete vegetarian options will be available at every meal. If you have special dietary, health or housing needs, please note them on your registration and we’ll do our best to meet them. Please bring a new table grace to add to our repertoire.
Craft Project - Contact Michelle Davis ([email protected]) if you have a good craft project to share and lead.
Registration and Fees:
Registration includes all meals, on-site facilities, and leadership; and is based upon age. Children 4 and under are welcome, no charge.
Adults $ 370.00
Teens 13 - 19 $ 240.00
Children 5 - 12 $ 160.00
Maximum Fee per Family $ 1000.00
Please register now and remit the entire fee by June 1. Registrations post-marked after June 1 should add 10% as a late fee. No discount for off-site, tent or RV housing.Daily Fee - $45/adult, $30/teen, $20/child, $120/family, includes all meals and program. Lodging is an additional $15/night/person.
Contact Rachel Long at [email protected] if you need financial help.
Register here: Song and Story Fest Online Registration Formand pay online
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Send a check to the address below:
On Earth Peace, P. O. Box 188; New Windsor, MD 21776
Phone: 410-635-8704 - Eastern Std.Time; [email protected]
For general questions, email the Song and Story Fest planning committee at [email protected].
For additional information or with program questions contact:
Ken Kline Smeltzer, Director, 1452 Willowbrook Drive, Boalsburg, PA 16827-1668
814-571-0495 (mobile); 814-466-6491 (home); or [email protected]
We expect a high turnout, so be advised to register early!
If you live nearby, please bring a lawn chair to sit on.
Travel - Grand Rapids is the closest airport, about 80 miles away. Email Michelle Davis ([email protected]) if you would like assistance with ground transportation from the airport or Annual Conference. Check the Camp website for driving instructions.
RSVP Here