Spring 2008 - Our Children, Our Future
We in the church who quote Jesus' words to "let the children come because of such are the kingdom of God" bear great responsibility to nurture and protect the children among us. With that in mind, this edition of Shalom! focuses on ways that the church can ensure the healthy social, emotional and spiritual development of children. A couple articles tell personal stories of children whose special needs provided not only challenges but opportunities for their parents and others to learn the unlimited power of love and grace. Other articles focus on specific things the church can do, like develop and implement child protection policies. There are also a couple of suggestions for how you can help children in other parts of the world.
Winter 2008 - Media, Technology and Faith
This is the second edition of Shalom! in less than two years on some aspect of technology, which probably tells you something about the rapid pace of change. Many of us probably think we are reasonably savvy when it comes to computers and other electronic gadgets, but on the continuum of knowing and/or effectively using what is possible technologically, we probably are way on the low end of the continuum. We know enough, however, to know the implications of technology and media for how we do our jobs in industry or government as well as how we do church and communicate our Christian faith. So in this edition, there are articles about Christians in Hollywood, using media in worship, and the portrayal of Christian faith in media such as newspapers and rock-and-roll music. There are also articles about making life better and safer for senior citizens with new technologies, and about the uses and misuses of the communication tools made possible by the Internet. Demonstrating that technology is a relative term, there is also an article describing how at the very basic end of the continuum are methodologies that can make life better for people who experience poverty and other hardships.
Fall 2007 - Women in Ministry and Leadership
The Brethren in Christ Church has affirmed the licensing and ordination of women since 1984, and many of us have benefited from and deeply appreciated the ministries of gifted women in leadership positions in the church. Even though there is not unanimity of opinion on this issue throughout the denomination, many have experienced something similar to Peter when he finally went to see Cornelius after seeing the vision of the sheet being let down from heaven and being told to get up and kill and eat the animals which he considered unclean. He later told the Christians in Jerusalem, "If then God gave them [Cornelius and the Gentiles] the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was that I could hinder God?" Similarly, we believe that God gives women the same gifts he gives men for pastoral ministry and for leadership in the church and, like Peter, we don't want to hinder God. This edition of Shalom! was produced in collaboration with the Brethren in Christ Council for Women in Ministry and Leadership to reaffirm the official denominational position and to help fulfill the council's vision of "encouraging divinely gifted women to fulfill their call to ministry and leadership."
Summer 2007 - Focus on Africa
The news from the continent of Africa, not just Zimbabwe, generally tends not to be good—when we hear it, that is. With such things as the war in Iraq dominating the news cycles (not to mention the 2008 political campaign and all the celebrity news) even horrendous happenings in Africa often don’t receive a whole lot of coverage. There seems often to be relative silence in the U.S., for example, on the situation in Zimbabwe (in fact, some few people don’t even know what or where Zimbabwe is!). Why is that? Is it because Zimbabwe has no strategic importance to the United States, or because for the most part it’s black-on-black persecution and violence? When we do hear about Africa, it’s often about repeated droughts and food shortages, civil war, human rights abuses, genocidal violence on a grand scale in places like Rwanda and Sudan, refugee crises, and the HIV/AIDS pandemic gripping large percentages of the population of many countries. There’s a lot to lament about Africa. It’s not all bad, however. The Brethren in Christ have been in Africa for more than 100 years, making the BIC church there the oldest outside North America. The Zimbabwe church is the largest BIC conference anywhere in the world, and in the midst of its own struggles has sent people to other countries in Africa, such as neighboring Botswana, to share the gospel and plant new churches. And, as Graybill Brubaker writes in the lead article in this edition, Christianity has a long and rich history in Africa. This edition of Shalom! barely scratches the surface of what could be said about Africa, but perhaps it will help you pray more effectively and consider how you can support our brothers and sisters there.
Spring 2007 - Profiles in Peacemaking
In the 1970s, after growing up in the Brethren in Christ Church and knowing our historic peace church heritage, I finally internalized this part of my spiritual heritage, and I knew deep within my heart and soul that God calls us to be agents of reconciliation and peacemakers in the world. I knew then and stll believe that the model of Jesus calls us to work against the forces in the world that condone and often even promote violent solutions to problems. I also came to a broader understanding of the importance of peacemaking and reconciliation at all levels of life—personal, home, community, church, nations, and the world. This edition of Shalom! contains stories of peacemaking in various ways and contexts--some new for this edition, and some reprinted from past editions.
Winter 2007 - The Persecuted Church
Most persecution that Christians in North America face as a result of their faith pales in comparison to what Christans face in other parts of the world. Persecution, as defined by Release International, is "a situation where people are repetitively, persistently and systematically inflicted with grave or serious suffering or harm and deprived of...their basic human rights because of a difference...that the persecutor will not tolerate." This edition includes stories from several places in the world where our Brethren in Christ brothers and sisters face persecution and hardship, as well as reflections on persecution and religious freedom from a North American vantage point.
Fall 2006 - Advocating for Peace and Justice
“I have often regretted my speech, but never my silence.” This quotation from Publius Syrius that appeared on a page-a-day calendar of motivational quotations isn't always true. Sometimes we are silent when we should speak up. Advocating for peace and justice is one way to not be silent when something is wrong. Another quotation from Abraham Lincoln provides further motivation for advocacy: "The possibility that we might fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just.” And a third quotation by Mother Teresa explains why what seems like a small act is so important: “We know only too well that what we are doing is nothing more than a drop in the ocean. But if the drop were not there, the ocean would be missing something.” Supporting just causes publicly is what advocacy is all about, even when it seems like our advocacy is just a drop in the great ocean of injustice. The Bible promises that Jesus will be our advocate with God, because we in our own powerlessness need an advocate; similarly, people in our world whose situations have rendered them powerless need us to speak out for them, to speak out on behalf of justice and peace, to do something. This edition of SHALOM! explores the nature of advocacy and provides some helpful tips for engaging in advocacy.
Previous Issues
Click on any of the links below to download past issues of Shalom!
Summer 2006, Globalization and Technology
Spring 2006, Welcoming the Stranger
Winter 2006, Gender
Fall 2005, Creating Safe Space for Dialogue on Difficult Issues
Summer 2005, Water Stewardship
Spring 2005, Perspectives on Health and Wellness
Fall 2004 - Perspectives on the Middle East
Summer 2004 - Engaging the Government: Christians and Politics
Winter 2004 - Food Security
Fall 2003 - Being the Church in Global Community
Summer 2003 - Transforming Conflict and Making Peace
Spring 2003 - Living Simply
Winter 2003 - The Arts and the Church
Fall 2002 - Grief and Loss
Spring 2002 - Leadership Development
Winter 2002 - Partnership and Capacity-Building
Fall 2001 - Restorative Justice
Summer 2001 - Multiculturalism, Diversity and Racial Reconciliation
Spring 2001 - Peace
Winter 2001- Ministries of Compassion
Fall 2000 - Denominationalism vs. Congregationalism
Still confused as to what is included in each issue? Search through our Summary Page for a glance at each of our past topics.
