If you find it difficult to cope with the heat, rest assured that you are not alone. While many people enjoy warm weather, there comes a point where the temperature becomes too hot, and it is no longer comfortable to be outside. If you are from the South or Midwest, you may find that the humid weather during the hot season makes the temperature even more uncomfortable. Shirts stick to your body, and your hair becomes unruly. In the West, the heat is coupled with dry air, which can be pretty harsh, taking your breath away and dehydrating your body. Fortunately, we have developed various climate control methods, such as fast-moving fans and air conditioning, which make our offices and homes more comfortable. Many people across the world live in countries where air conditioning is not easily accessible due to poverty. As a result, they have to work in extreme heat, often in produce fields or brick-making factories. In some places, temperatures can reach up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. This can be a harsh reality for those in countries like Africa, South America, and India, where people have no choice but to keep moving despite the scorching heat. In India, the hot weather can be dangerous for travelers, workers, and families. However, the partners in India have been providing a solution for the past 30 years. They have established free buttermilk stations in the local communities to help weary travelers. This buttermilk is a unique blend of milk, water, and yogurt that regulates the body's natural heat resistance and refreshes the body and spirit of those who stop by the stations. The drink not only nourishes the body but also helps uplift the soul as prayer is offered. Your support is essential in empowering your partners in India to carry out vital outreach initiatives in communities such as Rajahmundry. Your contributions are not just financial; they are a testimony to the compassion and love that Jesus calls us to exhibit in our churches, communities, and around the world. If your church is also engaged in similar outreach work, we would love to hear your stories and share them with our community! Scott Soden Global Partners Coordinator

Daniel Kahneman died in late March. There’s a good chance you’ve never heard of him, and you’ve likely benefitted from his work. Kahneman, an Israeli American author and psychologist, spent an illustrious career studying the psychology of judgment and decision-making. You might have heard of his book “Thinking, Fast and Slow.” One of Kahneman’s key findings was the shortcuts our minds take in decision-making. Decisions that are made without thinking, unbeknownst to us. These shortcuts are important for survival, they are efficient and simply a part of life. Everything from how big of a bite of pizza you take to the route you drive each day to the office – subconscious decisions with massive implications. This efficiency comes at the cost of accuracy. Many of our instincts are poorly calibrated (they’re flat wrong, often). To help ensure the speed needed, the human brain serves up equal parts speed and confidence on these decisions. Kahneman’s work demonstrated repeatedly humanity’s bent toward being frequently confident and often wrong. Our hard wiring to this end is impossible to avoid, but recognizing it helps us discern between the trivial and the important. Put another way, taking a moment generally leads to better decision-making. Loss-Aversion Kahneman was a psychologist by trade, but in 2002, he won the Nobel Prize in Economics. Up to that point, economists “relied on the assumption of a ‘homo œconomicus;’” a self-interested being capable of rational decision-making. Kahneman’s work demonstrated that humans systematically depart from that description, however. Humans—on a regular basis, in fact—do not act in a logical, rational, self-interested manner. (Hallelujah and “uh-oh” are equally appropriate responses to this finding.) Expectations about human decisions and behavior are the basis of economic theory – whether to take that new job offer, whether to sell the house or stay, how much to pay for your new jeans. Kahneman showed the established expectations were incorrect. An early insight Kahneman brought to this end was the observation that we feel the pain of loss more intensely than the pleasure of profit. To an economist, it’s irrational. We put more value on not losing $100 than we do on gaining $100. Further, we have a skewed perception of probable gains or losses. We overestimate the likelihood of unlikely things. Don’t believe me? Ask your local insurance agent. Insurance is a wildly profitable business because we would rather suffer a series of guaranteed losses (the money we pay in premiums) to avoid the risk of a single but unlikely catastrophic loss. I’m not suggesting you get rid of your insurance policy, but it does illustrate the point. We avoid losses with much more enthusiasm than we seek gains. Loss Leaks Our propensity to avoid loss seeps into everything. It’s in your church pews and your board meetings, no doubt. Unchecked, it can be a cryogenic freeze on the Holy Spirit moving the body of Christ. Here are four areas loss aversion leaks in that you might encounter: Identity – Loss aversion here manifests in statements like, “I helped build this,” or “So and so worked so hard to make it this way.” We’ll hear thoughts or statements talking about history, tradition. Familiarity/comfort/control – “I like what we’re doing now,” “I’m comfortable doing it this way.” Competence – “What if I don’t have the skills/abilities needed to lead or influence when things change?” Place/belonging – “What if the change makes me obsolete or unnecessary?” Leading against our deep-rooted desire to avoid losses of any kind requires acknowledging and speaking to potential losses and fears people have. Take some time. It’s hard to allow the Holy Spirit to transform us if we’re always operating in “fast thinking” mode. In your church and your leadership, take time to consider every decision, even the automatic ones. Especially the automatic ones. Honor the traditions , history and people that brought you to this place. Understand the inputs of your identity, not the outputs or byproducts. For example, we serve because Christ first served us. Our identity is found in a Savior who served the least of these. There are many outputs as a result, and serving others is one of them. But many organizations, including those not rooted in Christ serve people. Identity is in found in the inputs. Finally, draw a bigger circle. One finding in Kahneman’s work is that humans make decisions that are less “rational” or “self-interested” when their circle (or better put, their “self”) is bigger. Essentially, when we make decisions not only for our own good, but for the good of others. Life insurance makes more sense when I consider my spouse and children. Choosing a car that pollutes less makes more sense when I consider my community. If loss is leaking into your pews or your own thoughts, perhaps the sense of “self” has become too small. We are not our own, after all (1 Cor. 6:19-20). We were bought with a price, an unthinkable, wildly irrational loss that led to an immeasurable gain. Thank God. Patrick Sprague Park Street Brethren Church Photo by Felix Mittermeier on Unsplash

After months of collective prayer, meticulous planning, and dedicated fundraising, a united team of 12 embarked from Nappanee First Brethren Church (Nappanee, Indiana) on January 12th for Soldini, Argentina. For those of us who had experienced the previous trip, we anticipated a different journey, yet the specifics remained a mystery. However, we were reassured by the knowledge that God had been preparing us for this mission over the past four years. As a clear sign that the time was ripe, we received news that the governor of the Santa Fe province (our destination) had issued a call for all Christians to evangelize. In response, we collaborated with the church in Argentina to strategize community outreaches. Satan tried to put stumbling blocks in our way. We had flights canceled due to bad weather, airport changes, and the inability to print boarding passes. Through it all, we kept praying, and God answered our prayers. He sent us a ticket agent named Jay, who was raised in our area in a missionary home and was able to arrange new flights for us. Unfortunately, it meant splitting into two groups, and we could not reach our final destination because the flights terminated at an airport four hours away. Pastor Tito arranged for us to be picked up. While waiting for our flight in Atlanta, I received a random text from a friend who said I was on her mind. In relating the story of Jay in Indianapolis, she responded that he was her brother-in-law. Then she also said that she now understood that God was asking her to pray for all of us. We arrived in sunny Argentina on Saturday morning. After reaching Soldini, we settled into our rooms and reconnected with our friends. On Saturday evening, we went to our first outreach with the youth from the congregation. We had a scare with a sick baby, and everyone joined hands and prayed for him while his parents rushed him to a nearby hospital. Within 15 minutes of ending the prayer, we received word that he was okay. We then split into groups and walked the streets to pray for people. Our work week began at 7 AM with prayer and worship at the church. Afterward, we had breakfast and started building bathrooms and painting. There was a lot of laughter and singing as our team worked alongside our friends in Argentina. We took a break for lunch and then returned to work. In the afternoons, we spent time swimming in the pool, playing volleyball, and hanging out with the community. We were fortunate to have multiple translators for this trip, including one from our team. This allowed us to strengthen the relationships that began four years ago. As much as we enjoyed working side by side with our friends, the best times were spent worshipping and fellowshipping together. While in Fisherton, we visited Casa de Benediction, also known as "the House of Blessing." This area has been described as a lost community. Some of our team members conducted a revival outreach on the streets, spreading the gospel alongside the youth. Additionally, three men from our team delivered a message in local churches, with two of them doing so for the first time. Seeing how God gave them the right words at the right time was terrific. The week flew by, and it was time to say goodbye before we were ready. One of our team members described it as "my heart and my family are bigger." This time, we knew it wasn't goodbye, but "see you later." We arrived at the airport in Rosario and once again encountered issues with our flights. The group of 7 could only get to Buenos Aires, but the group of 5 checked through to Chicago. We boarded our flight to Buenos Aires and asked our travel agent to figure out our flights. When we arrived in Buenos Aires, we were told we could get a new flight in 2 days. We prayed and asked God to provide a miracle. The group of 5 left for their next flight, and we booked a hotel. We caught a shuttle to a beautiful hotel, and they graciously kept the restaurant open for those who wanted to eat. The following day, we heard that our travel agent had secured flights for us that evening! We ate breakfast, and then Bruce shared that God had asked him to prepare a short devotional before we left, and he wasn't sure why. We moved outside to a beautiful patio area and started pulling tables around to sit in a circle. A lady was sitting at one of the tables, and we asked her if she was okay if we had a time of worship. She responded that she was a Christian, so we invited her to share with us. Laura Jean was a cargo pilot from Texas who was on a 56-hour layover. We had a beautiful time of worship as we sang "I'll Fly Away" and "Blessed Be Your Name" and prayed together. The rest of the day, we spent time in the pool, going for walks, and napping. We arrived at the airport three hours before our flight. We spent two hours waiting in line to receive our boarding passes, which made us all nervous. Finally, we got through security and faced even more long lines. It seemed impossible that we would make our flight, but miraculously, we made it with 15 minutes to spare before the doors closed. Upon returning to the US, we encountered another ice storm, but fortunately, we had smooth sailing all the way home. I recently came across a quote from a devotional that beautifully describes our trip: “Settling for a life partially devoted to Jesus is too small a thing. God invites us to a bigger story—one where He is the main character.” 1 Corinthians 4-5: “My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.” Other Team members- Joel Helmuth (a true Coach and leader), Nate Yoder, Mike Slabaugh, Bruce Wells, Lamar Miller, John Schmucker, Tim Miller, Chris Yoder, Tammy Rock, Rhoda Miller (translator extraordinaire), and Lydia Schmucker. Respectfully submitted, Alice Hershberger Nappanee First Brethren Church

The Brethren Church in India celebrated its 46th year of Sewing School Ministry with the graduation of twenty-five students in Rajahmundry and the distribution of at least six manually driven sewing machines to students preparing to work out of their tailoring and seamstress shops. Students who complete the year-long program will learn all the necessary sewing terminology and techniques. Upon completion, they will receive official government certifications. These certifications enable graduates to pursue employment in certified factories or to start their own sewing businesses, earning a higher wage than those without certifications. The sewing school program is a significant way in which the Brethren assist women who often have limited opportunities to provide for their families. Many of these women have been abandoned by their husbands or families due to reasons such as alcoholism, drug addiction, work-related accidents, or death. Women in such situations are at risk of being exploited by traffickers who may force them into labor or sex trafficking rings. This also includes young women who are even more vulnerable. Programs like sewing schools empower women and their families to survive and thrive in otherwise dangerous situations. During their attendance at the school, students also learn about our Father through Bible studies and prayer time. They have the opportunity for true transformation in and through faith in his son, Jesus, and during their training, many women—as well as their families—come to faith. This is a powerful testimony to what it means to be the hands and feet of Jesus in our world and to be his voice. Your generous donations to the ministry in India play a crucial role in sustaining this essential service. Thanks to the guiding influence of the Holy Spirit, it has the power to transform the lives of many women and their families. Your contribution is a powerful testament to the positive impact that the ministry is having on the lives of those it serves. Your support not only helps the community locally but has far-reaching effects worldwide. Scott Soden Global Partners Coordinator

This past Sunday was Pentecost Sunday, where we celebrate what happened to Jesus’ followers in Acts 2:1-4: Now when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like a violent wind blowing came from heaven and filled the entire house where they were sitting. And tongues spreading out like a fire appeared to them and came to rest on each one of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began to speak in other languages as the Spirit enabled them. I grew up in a Pentecostal church, where this passage was given high priority. I grew up having encounters with the Holy Spirit that are hard to explain. But before we dismiss the Pentecostal church as the crazy cousins of the Christian community, I would like to give you a word of caution. The Pentecostal church, which is the most recent church in history (starting just a little over 100 years ago), is already the second-largest church in the world. The only church bigger than the Pentecostal church is the Roman Catholic Church, which just so happens to be the oldest church in history. This demonstrates that God must be at work in the Pentecostal church. Thus, we cannot dismiss that God must be at work because it does not quite compute with our rationalistic minds. However, I am not writing to convert you to Pentecostalism. I am writing to discuss the Holy Spirit. I want to start with a definition. I teach theology at Malone University in Canton, OH. There, I define the Holy Spirit as the “personal presence of God that is active in the Church and in the world.” In other words, if there is ever a moment where we say God performed some certain action, Jesus did something, or the Father did this or that, etc., then we are actually noticing the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is how God acts in the world. Jesus tells us in the Gospel of John that it is better for his disciples if he were to leave the earth because then the Holy Spirit will come. Jesus, who is fully divine, is also fully human, which means that due to his physical limitations, he can only be in one place at one time. At the time of Jesus, God was considered to be only in one place: the temple in Jerusalem. Now that Jesus has died, rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven, the Holy Spirit could come. This is the description of Acts 2; because of this, the Holy Spirit is now available at all times to all people. We do not need to wait for a certain man to enter our homes or church buildings. We do not need to make special pilgrimages to a certain building in a certain city. We have the presence of God at all times and in all places because of the Holy Spirit. This is why Jesus says it would be better for him to leave. If this is the case, we as the Church need to talk about what it means to always have God’s presence with us. Specifically, I would like to focus on what it means to be Spirit-led, which I would argue is more a defining feature of being Pentecostal than speaking in tongues. Look at what John 3:1-8 says: Now a certain man, a Pharisee named Nicodemus, who was a member of the Jewish ruling council, came to Jesus at night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. No one could perform the miraculous signs you do unless God is with him.” Jesus replied, “I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter his mother’s womb and be born a second time, can he?” Jesus answered, “I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is born of water and spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must all be born from above.’ The wind blows wherever it will, and you hear the sound it makes, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” This is a well-known passage in the Evangelical church and is where we get the term “born-again” Christian. Yet, that seems to be the misunderstanding that Nicodemus makes. The Greek word "anothen" can be translated as again or above. This explains Nicodemus’ confusion and why he asks whether or not someone can be born a second time. He even gives quite the picture by imagining a grown person climbing back into the mother’s womb only to come out again. However, by Jesus’ response, we can tell he doesn’t mean a second physical birth. Instead, he is talking about a different kind of birth, a birth that cannot come from this earth but a birth that can only come from “above.” "Above" would have been associated with heaven. And simply put, heaven is God’s place. It is where he dwells and, most importantly, where he reigns. This is why Jesus connects this birth from above to the “kingdom of God.” In order to enter the reign and rule of God, you must undergo a new creation act generated from the place where God reigns and rules now. The question we should have after such a statement is the one that Nicodemus has: how does this work? Jesus says that it works through the Spirit. This new creation act does not originate the way we were initially created; instead, it originates through the Spirit. In other words, the birth from “above” is a supernatural transformation. This means that all people who have had the new birth experience have been born of the Spirit. If the Spirit is the one that births us, then the Spirit will also lead us as we live this new creation life. You are only born to live, not just to be born. The metaphor of a new birth includes a new life. All people who claim to be disciples of Jesus have been born of the Spirit and now live a life that is led by the Spirit. The image Jesus gives for the Spirit-led life is the wind blowing. There is a mystery to the wind; we don’t know where it comes from or where it is going, but we do hear the sound of it coming. Jesus uses this metaphor, and sometime later in Acts 2, the description of the Holy Spirit coming upon people is described as the sound of the rushing wind. The word for Spirit and wind both come from the Greek word pneuma . Jesus is definitely using a play on words here by using both meanings of pneuma interchangeably. Pneuma can also mean breath. These word associations of spirit, breath, and wind should bring to mind creation. In Genesis 2, we are told that God breathed into the first humans. It also makes sense that creation is at play here because of John 1. There, the writer of the Fourth Gospel calls to mind Genesis 1, when he describes the world as being created through the Logos who is Jesus. We shouldn’t be surprised, then, that John records a unique conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus that concerns new creation. This new creation will now allow humanity to be who they were always meant to be: the co-rulers of God with the world. Hint: why does Jesus talk about entering the kingdom of God here? The new birth is tied to the kingdom of God because it allows humans to properly reflect the rule of God back to the world like they were supposed to. This is possible for humans because of the work that the Spirit plays in the new birth and the new life that is to follow. The disciple of Christ is not just reborn through the Spirit but also led by the Spirit. The disciple of Christ is not one who is firmly rooted in the past nor one who is caught up in the grand designs of the future. Rather, the disciple of Christ is captive to the present moment, waiting to hear the sound of the wind coming. However, we do not like living this way. Why? Because it takes submission. We can’t master the Spirit, because the Spirit is God. So when we feel and hear the wind blowing, we begin to hang on because we are worried that we might get blown to a place that we would never choose. And when the Spirit blows, what is it that we hang on to the most to try to stop the wind from blowing? We usually default to our rationalism and we express that through clinging to the Bible. There is a place to be word-led, in fact, we should be. As Brethren, we talk about the Outer Word (referring to Scripture) and the Inner Word (referring to the Spirit) pointing us toward the Living Word (Jesus). We hold word and Spirit in balance so that we can truly see Jesus. Yet, it seems in the church, we always default to the word over the Spirit. Why? Well, because the word is in black and white. We can do the linguistic hurdles necessary to get the word to say whatever it is we want it to say. We can use the word like a law book whereby we judge people, events, and even ideas by it. However, the word only ever has true power when we invite the Spirit into conversation with it. Why do we not do this? Well, there is a difference between the word and the Spirit: the Spirit is God and the word is not. Being in the presence of God freaks us out, and if we invite the Spirit into the conversation, then we will be in God’s presence. Then we will have no choice but to submit. We would rather leave the Spirit out because being in the presence of God will remind us of who we truly are: the co-rulers and not the rulers. Inviting the Spirit into the conversation is to remind us that we are not the people who have the ultimate authority. It will even be a reminder that the word doesn’t have ultimate authority; rather, the Spirit does. The Spirit itself is the one that gives the word authority. However, we don’t want that. We would rather be able to control the word, we would rather be the god, and so we default to the word because we can control it. We can’t control the wind, but I can flip to whatever section of the book I want. If I choose, I can even close it. The word gets abused all the time. It is easy to abuse because it can be relegated to just another text on the page. As believers, we believe that it is more than that because every faith statement regarding Scripture says that it gets its power through the Holy Spirit. Without the Spirit, the word is just text on a page that can be abused, manipulated, and even marketed. It is why today you can shop online for such a thing as a God Bless the USA Bible. It includes not only the King James translation of Scripture but also a copy of the chorus “ God Bless the USA ” written by Lee Greenwood, The US Constitution, The Bill of Rights, The Declaration of Independence, and the Pledge of Allegiance. On the website for the God Bless the USA Bible, under the frequently asked question: “What makes this Bible unique and special?” The answer follows: “First and foremost, The God Bless The USA Bible is the ONLY Bible inspired by America’s most recognized patriotic anthem, God Bless The USA .” Right there in black and white on this Bible’s website, they are replacing the Spirit with a “patriotic” song. Why? Probably because after reading Scripture, it is much more comfortable to read the Constitution than to be convicted by the Holy Spirit. However, the Spirit can also be abused. This is a tale as old as time. You can look all throughout church history and see time and time again, where charismatic leaders would come, claiming to be inspired by the Spirit and then go off the rails. This is part of the church’s hesitancy to embrace the Pentecostal movement because it is seen to be in line with all of the spiritual abuses of the past. And if you look at the history of Pentecostalism, you will see that the abuses of the past still come up in the present, and unfortunately, it is safe to assume that those abuses will continue to happen in the future as well. However, the answer to abuses of the Spirit is not cessation. It is not denying, stopping, or exiling the Spirit, rather, it is discernment. It is learning how to listen so that you know whether or not it is the wind that is blowing. The answer is to not stop the work of God or, even worse, replace him with the word that God produced; rather, it is to learn how to listen to God better. So, how are we spirit-led? How do we ensure that we emphasize the proper Word-Spirit dynamic? I have three suggestions, all of which have already been mentioned. First and foremost, we need to have complete and total submission to the Holy Spirit. We cannot be blown by the wind if we are not willing to let go. We need to give up control. We need to fight the human impulse to lead ourselves. I am not saying that when you give up control the Spirit is going to tell you to quit your job and move to another country. I mean the Spirit could do that, but I have my doubts. I think your life will be changed in much more subtler ways. After all, Elijah encountered God through the still, small voice. This will make more sense in a moment, but for now, we need to have the willingness to completely and totally submit because the Spirit is God. Second, being Spirit-led places importance on being in community. How do we discern that it is the wind blowing? Through community. The Brethren call this practice communal discernment. It can be painstakingly slow at times, but when the discernment process is finally over, it will be a moment of beauty. We know that the Spirit is not being abused when we are willing to submit together. If those who are coming together are Spirit-led people, then we can trust that the Spirit will lead through the voice of the community. This is how the church historically has led. We will get it wrong sometimes, and that is okay; we do not need to live in fear over making the wrong decision. Yet if we are truly following the Spirit, we will discover the error of our ways sooner rather than later. Most importantly, communal discernment means we cannot silence anyone but that everyone must have a voice at the table. Last, the Spirit-led life is attuned to the present moment. This is exactly what the wind metaphor means by not knowing where you come from or where you are going. The Spirit-led person doesn’t believe the lies of nostalgia concerning the glory days, and it doesn’t believe the lies of the utopian future either. Instead, the Spirit-led person recognizes where God is at work in the present moment and comes alongside God to help accomplish that work. The Spirit-led person recognizes that the present moment is both the yesterday that we remember fondly and the future moment we have anxiously been waiting for. When I think about the Spirit-led life and Jesus’ metaphor of the wind blowing, I can’t help but think of the movie Forrest Gump. If you have never seen the movie, Forrest Gump is a fictional story of a man with a mental disability who has a profound impact on American life throughout the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. He becomes a college football All-American, a Vietnam war hero, a world-champion Ping Pong player, the owner of a million-dollar shrimp company, one of the first investors in Apple computers, and my personal favorite, the person who called the cops about the break-in at the Watergate hotel. The thing about Forrest is that he did not plan to do any of these grand accomplishments. In fact, because of his mental disability, the significance of the moment is typically lost on Forrest. He does not understand that what he is doing is necessarily spectacular and the reason is because he is just doing what the moment calls for. To press this illustration further, Forrest’s life is symbolized by a feather being blown in the wind. The opening scene of the movie is of a feather falling from the sky and landing on Forrest’s shoe. The movie ends with Forrest waiting with his young son for the school bus. While waiting, they open a book where the same feather has been placed in. The wind then blows the feather away, and it leaves the viewer asking the question: Where will the wind blow Forrest next? That is an example of the Spirit-led life. It is doing whatever the moment requires. It is being able to hear the wind blow so that you know that it is coming. When it does, you don’t hang on to whatever anchor you can find, nor do you point yourself in a particular direction to ensure the most comfortable landing spot, but you let go and submit to wherever the wind may blow. The best news is that you don’t have to do this on your own because the Spirit that is leading you will also be the one empowering you, and that is why the Holy Spirit came 2,000 years ago. Happy Pentecost Church! Drew Meziere North Central Regional Resource Coordinator (RRC)

Pastor Sabelo Dladla leads the Heavenly Grace Church in KwaNdengezi, Durban, South Africa. The church is located in a rural area on the edge of a ravine. Heavy rains in 2022 and again in 2023 caused the old church building to collapse. When Paul Stanley (Carson Oaks Community Church, Stockton, CA) and I (Scott Soden) arrived at the church, Pastor Frank led us down the narrow, winding trail, past small homes, to Pastor Sabelo's home on the edge of a steep ravine. The church, a testament to resilience, was only partially rebuilt using prefabricated concrete slabs typically used to line highways. Stronger than wood, these slabs stand as a symbol of hope and endurance, ready to face any future challenge. Mount Olive Brethren Church (McGaheysville, VA) joined with Carson Oaks and others to contribute a new concrete floor to fortify the structure's foundation and a new corrugated steel roof, coated to prevent rust, to shield against rain and sun. This church building is home to a congregation of 40 to 50 local area residents who meet on Sundays for worship and throughout the week for outreach and evangelism. The church also holds weekly children's programs essential to the community's life. Although most of the community lives far below the poverty level, Pastor Sabelo and his wife often offer relief and help as they are able, and the whole community tries to help one another as the Lord has given to them. This is a powerful reminder of the impact of our prayers and our partnership with the Brethren in South Africa, India, South America, and indeed worldwide. Your support, generosity, and prayers have been instrumental in bringing about these life-changing results and transformations. We are deeply grateful for your continued support and prayers. Scott Soden Global Partners Coordinator

Over the past nine months, I’ve had the honor of serving as a mentor in this year’s cohort of the Thriving in Church Ministry Program. Thriving in Church Ministry is a program that aims to help participants identify new ways – or refresh old ways - of developing self and soul awareness. The cohort met in person in August and April and had bimonthly virtual sessions in between. In addition to some valuable teachings to develop a few more skills, there are opportunities for individual mentorship, which was my favorite part, both last year as a participant and this year as a mentor. We tend to get caught in our regular circles of Brethren pastors or pastors from our home communities, and when our contact with the world is limited, our picture of the Kingdom of God can become too narrow. It is important that we broaden our experiences and enrich our relationships by sharing and interacting with our brothers and sisters from different areas. This year’s cohort had people from Ohio, Virginia, Michigan, North Carolina, and California, as well as diverse denominational and ethnic backgrounds. This afforded a great breadth of thinking and exposed all of us to new ways of praying, thinking, and understanding one another and the challenges we face in ministry. “I loved getting to know pastors from other places and loved learning from their different experiences. This was a great way to refocus as I moved forward in the ministry,” said Reverend Melanie Wylie, who pastors Liberty Brethren Church in Quicksburg, VA. “Entering a program like this is hard for me. Getting to know myself privately is one thing. It’s another to share with others. In this program, I was able to open up and share with others, and I met with an awesome group of pastors that I now think of as friends. In the end, I believe I have a greater sense of how to thrive in ministry as a child of God who serves in ministry,” said Brethren Elder Gail Heiston, pastor of Bethlehem Brethren Church in Harrisonburg, VA about her experience. I personally appreciated the commitment to spiritual formation, the creation of a safe environment for weary pastors to be themselves, and the opportunities afforded participants to add tools to their tool belts while finding ways to apply those new skills in their own contexts. It was a joy to edify and encourage these church leaders on their journey of self-discovery and personal growth, and I look forward to the fruit that will surely follow their labor. Visit the TCM webpage to learn more about the Certificate in Thriving Church Ministries at Ashland Theological Seminary and how you can be encouraged and strengthened in your ministry. Miles Larson Director of Pastoral and Congregational Vitality

Sunday, May 5, 2024, was a fabulous God-filled day at Liberty Brethren Church. We had three planned baptisms and one surprise baptism. Michele Dean and Lori Foltz both came to the Lord at a young age but wanted to renew their commitment to Christ by being baptized in water. They were proclaiming the work and change that Christ has made within their lives. They came hand and hand into the baptismal as sisters in Christ to share with the world how much they love Jesus! These two ladies share their testimony of faith in their community every day and now before us all by being baptized. Also baptized was Aidan Cruggs, a student at James Madison University, who grew up in a Catholic tradition. It was a big morning for Aidan as he also became a member of Liberty Brethren. He has been attending church with us for a little over a year, and in that year, Aidan fell in love with Jesus. Aidan explained, "After learning so much about Jesus' teachings and how to live by His example, I felt that it was finally time to solidify my relationship with Christ." Aidan was surrounded by his new church family with rejoicing and praise to God! During the time of our baptisms, the Spirit of God kept moving; I gave an invitation to everyone else who might have felt it was time for them to step into the water and be baptized. When I gave the invitation, a young man named Ethan who is just eight years old, jumped out of his seat with his hands in the air and proclaimed he was ready. With permission from his parents, Ethan was baptized with his confession of faith, with the biggest smile on his face. He had been waiting for this day, and he listened as God called his name. This was our third baptism service since 2020. It is clear that God is moving within the doors of our little church. There is never a dry eye at the end of our baptism services. It is an honor and privilege to serve God alongside Liberty Brethren Church. Melanie Wylie Pastor, Liberty Brethren Church

On April 9th, over 20 pastors gathered at North Manchester for a time of encouragement and dialogue about their local ministries in their local Brethren churches. The day started with some simple and intimate worship led by Tom Schiefer, who reminded us that God can hear all of our prayers at once, which is a common way for people in other cultures to pray. Miles Larson then led those gathered through a time of celebrating one another, reminding us that we have a responsibility to encourage one another in the hard work of ministry, both with urgency and consistency, as the writer of Hebrews shares. Before moving into a time of identifying some of the significant local challenges we are all facing, elders shared a meal and discussed resources, books, and other tools that we use to inform our ministry, how we’re continuing our education, and staying committed to sharpening ourselves in ministry. In the final part of the meeting, Steven Cole gave an update on several efforts of The Brethren Church on the national level and many ministry developments to celebrate. Following that, about half of the pastors gathered went to golf on a beautiful spring day in Indiana. Our time together was encouraging and refreshing. There is much to celebrate in the continued efforts of The Brethren Church in the Midwest!