Three Communities. One Heart. Choose from a variety of independent living home styles, wellness,focused amenities, skilled nursing and personal care services. Call today for a tour and more information about these outstanding continuing care retirement communities. RET~~~I REMENT COMMUNITY Peter Becker Community Palmyra, Pennsylvania Harleysville, Pennsylvania Lancaster, Pennsylvania (717) 838-5406 (2 15) 256-9501 (717) 569-2657 www.lvbh.org www.peterbeckercommunity.com www.bv.org THE BRETHREN HOMES OF THE ATLANTIC NORTHEAST DISTRICT ® NOVEMBER 2007 VOL.156 NO.10 WWW.BRETHREN.ORG (( . publish with the voice ef thanksgiving1 and tell ef all thy wondrous works)) (Psa. 26: 7b KJV). Editor: Walt Wiltschek Publisher: Wendy McFadden Associate Editor/News: Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford Subscriptions: Diane Stroyeck Design: The Concept Mill 8 Sam Hornish Jr.: Living a dream 16 Study: Church giving lacks external focus Much has changed since Sam Hornish Jr. grew up at Poplar The total amount that the average US church member gives Ridge Church of the Brethren in Defiance, Ohio. Hornish has to his or her congregation has been on a long decline. And become one of the top drivers on the professional lndyCar more and more, that giving is staying inside the church's circuit, including an Indianapolis 500 victory. Some things, doors. though, have stayed the same: the congregation and home­ town community are still central in his life. 18 Nahum/Habakkuk: Knock 'em dead, 0 God! The "minor prophet" books of Nahum and Habakkuk aren't 12 Let's talk about it often read, and they're not for the squeamish. Both contain "Putting our faith into words isn't easy," notes Christy violent thoughts and images directed at the enemies of Waltersdorff. But sharing our testimony is integral to Judah. How should a peace church respond? deepening and living out our faith. What makes us so hesitant to do it? 14 Seeking an SOA shutdown DEPARTMENTS Numerous atrocities have been attributed to graduates of 2 From the Publisher 25 Youth Life the School of the Americas, now officially named the 3 In Touch 26 Media Review Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation. 6 Reflections 27 Letters Whatever the name, Brethren have been among those 7 The Buzz 30 Turning Points 20 News 32 Editorial calling for and working toward its closure. Messenger November 2007 HOW TO REACH US or the past decade, Beloit College has been publishing an annual MESSENGER "Mindset List," an intriguing societal snapshot of the incoming class of 1451 Dundee Avenue Fcollege students. Here are some of the 70 observations from this year's Mindset Elgin, IL 60120 List for the class of 2011, most of whose members were born in 1989: Subscriptions: [email protected] • What Berlin wall? Phone: 847-742-5100 • They never "rolled down" a car window. Fax: 847-742-6103 • Nelson Mandela has always been free and a force in South Africa. Advertising: • Pete Rose has never played baseball. [email protected] • Religious leaders have always been telling politicians what to do, or else! Phone: 800-323-8039 • "Off the hook" has never had anything to do with a telephone. Fax: 847-742-1407 • Russia has always had a multi-party political system. Editorial: • Women have always been police chiefs in major cities. [email protected] • Stadiums, rock tours, and sporting events have always had corporate Phone: 800-323-8039 ext. 263 names. Fax: 847-742-6103 • Fox has always been a major network. Subscription rates: • They learned about JFK from Oliver Stone and Malcolm X from Spike Lee. $17.50 individual rate • China has always been more interested in making money - $32 for 2 years $14.50 gift rate than in reeducation. $14.50 church club rate • Tiananmen Square is a 2008 Olympics venue, not the scene - $27 for 2 years of a massacre. $ 1.25 student (per month) • They get much more information from Jon Stewart and If you move, clip address label Stephen Colbert than from the newspaper. and send with new address to • They will encounter roughly equal numbers of female and MESSENGER Subscriptions, at the male professors in the classroom. above address. Allow at least five • They never saw Johnny Carson live on television. weeks for address change. • The World Wide Web has been an online tool since they Connect electronically: For a free were born. subscription to Newsline, the Church of the Brethren e-mail news So what's your mindset? We've each got one, and it's not determined just by report, write [email protected]. age. It's shaped by our families of origin and our childhood Sunday school class­ es, by where we live and the company we keep. To view the official Church of the Brethren website, go to If we could somehow see our own mindset list as easily as we think we can see www.brethren.org. someone else's, we might notice that it's most noteworthy for what we don't know and for how brief "always" is. A free study guide for each issue of MESSENGER is available on the But, then, if we could each see our own mindset, I guess we wouldn't really site; go to keyword "MESSENGER" have one. and click on the study guide link. MESSENGER is the official publication of the Church of the Brethren. Member of the Associated Church Press. Biblical quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are from the New Revised Standard Version. Copyright© Nove mber 2007, Church of the Brethren General Board. MESSENGER (ISSN 0026-0355) is published 11 ti mes a year by Brethren Press, Church of the Brethren General Board. Period ica ls postage paid at Elgin, Il l., and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to MESSENGER, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120-1694. ~ Printed on recycled paper ~ (20% post consumer) Messenger November 2007 CONGREGATIONCLOSE-UP c THE DENOMINATION 2 ::, Northeast Virginia Meadows has Kansas City finds answered prayers announced her resignation as program Diverse workcamp group enables community connection i director for Camp Blue Diamond (Petersburg, Pa.) .... Westminster (Md.) The old saying is, "Be careful what you pray for, because you just might get it!" First Church of the Brethren is marking its 70th anniversary by sharing historic moments Central Church of the Brethren in Kansas City, Kan., saw that adage lived out this summer. during Sunday worship service this year, The congregation had been praying for a full General Board youth workcamp to including one by charter member Erma come to the church for a week, and an engaging Vacation Bible School filled with Frock .... Camp Mardela (Denton, Md.) neighborhood children. But then the workcamp, which was going to provide signifi­ held a benefit auction on Oct. 20 .... cant help to the Vacation Bible School, had to be cancelled due to low registration. Western Pennsylvania planned four "dis­ First Central pastor Sonja trict inspirational services" of worship f,l).\ -· - around the district on Oct. 21. Griffith talked with Duane ~ Grady of the region's Southeast Bridgewater College's Congregational Life Team, lnterdistrict Youth Cabinet led a retreat and they put together a for Southeastern youth Oct. 26-28 at plan. Grady organized a Camp Placid in Blountville, Tenn .... Clay smaller workcamp with par­ and Georgia Sheets are retiring as man­ ticipants from Maryland, agers of Camp Carmel, Linville, N.C . .. The Indiana, and California. official grand opening worship for the Lake Side Church of the Brethren project "Smaller suited our needs in Moneta, Va., took place Sept. 9 .... Camp well, and the group that Bethel (Fincastle, Va.) reported registra­ came was a true blessing," tion of 859 campers in 2007, a 52-person Griffith said. "They worked increase over the previous year.... West exceptionally well together, Marva held a Sunday school workshop and they worked hard." at the Westernport (Md.) church on Sept. The group led crafts, 8, led by Carol Mason. improved the congregation's Midwest Northern Ohio introduced a play area, handed out water new DVD of district ministries titled in the community, visited an area nursing home and a homeless shelter, and assisted with "Partnerships in the Gospel" at its a community prayer walk and cookout. Still, for the first night of Vacation Bible School, recent district conference .. .. Illinois/ only 10 children came despite hundreds of flyers that had been distributed to area homes. Wisconsin offered a "day of sabbath But one of the members of the workcamp group-Victor Olvera, a minister from rest" for licensed and ordained ministers Bella Vista Church of the Brethren in East Los Angeles-went through the neighbor­ in the district Sept. 27 or Sept. 29 at the two district camps .... Well-known speak­ hood and used his Spanish skills and his faith to invite other children to come. By the er Tony Campolo is scheduled to lead a end of the week, 36 children were attending. At the closing program, when parents workshop Feb. 22 at New Carlisle (Ohio) came, nearly 80 people were present. Church of the Brethren. "This experience may well open more doors to the community if we will follow up," Griffith said. "So I wonder if we must pray as if God is the only answer, and Ozarks/Plains The Northern Plains work as if we believe our prayers." District conference accepted a decision by the Cando (N.D.) congregation to (This report was adapted from an article in the Western Plains District newsletter.) leave the denomination. A district-wide discussion about the authority of Jesus is Do you have district or congregational stories that might be of interest to MESSENGER? Send them planned for Oct. 19-20 at Camp Pine Lake.