Meet & Eat

Doctrine of Discovery

Church of the Brethren Newsline - March 17, 2023 - By Wendy McFadden

The Church of the Brethren Mission and Ministry Board, meeting March 10-12 in Elgin, Ill., approved a statement lamenting the Doctrine of Discovery and recommended its adoption by Annual Conference. The meeting was led by chair Carl Fike, working with chair-elect Colin Scott and general secretary David Steele.

Titled “With Actions and in Truth: A Lament of the Doctrine of Discovery,” the statement “names the injustices of the church’s history with Indigenous peoples, invites the members of the denomination to study and understand the complex relationship between the church and Native nations, and equips the Church of the Brethren with a foundation for future action.”

The Doctrine of Discovery has been used for centuries “to justify the brutal and violent subjugation of indigenous peoples around the world and in North America.” The doctrine consists of written documents “and the pervasive ideologies that followed.”

In recent years many Christian denominations have issued statements repudiating this doctrine, which originated in the Catholic church and was then adopted by the majority of Christian groups. The Doctrine of Discovery has been used to justify genocide and enslavement of Native peoples. The Church of the Brethren statement grew out of years of background work by the Office of Peacebuilding and Policy and Discipleship Ministries.

Annual Conference 2023 Registration and Housing Now Open

Plan now to attend the 236th recorded Annual Conference of the Church of the Brethren to be held in Cincinnati, Ohio, July 4-8, 2023. As we gather to explore the theme “Living God’s Love,” conference goers can participate in a variety of events and activities designed to “unite, strengthen, and equip the Church of the Brethren to follow Jesus.” More details and registration forms are available on the registration page of the Annual Conference website. There's a signup sheet outside Melinda's office for anyone interested in attending. That will help us help you - coordinate rides, housing, etc. For example, former BH Pastor Deanna Brown preaches Thursday evening - would a group like to go down for worship?

It’s Time to Register for Camp Mack!

Hello fellow campers! Camp Mack 2023 is already up and running with events, retreats, and preparing for Summer Camps. This summer, campers will explore FruitFULL Faith, an opportunity to learn about and practice living as God calls us to live. There are a variety of residential camps for the 1st through 12th grade students, along with specialty and eco camps. Please check them out at www.CampMack.org. If you are a new camper going to Camp Mack this year, you can receive a $50 discount on camp fees if you register by May 1st. Also, Beacon Heights wants to support our young people going to camp and will contribute $100 toward camp fees. When you register, there will be a place to enter a transfer code. Please contact Camp Rep Tom Bever or the church office to receive the Beacon Heights’s transfer code, which will deduct the $100. If you need additional financial assistance, contact Camp Mack by calling (574) 658-4831 for more information. If you have additional questions, explore options on the website www.CampMack.org or communicate with Tom Bever (tom.bever@gmail.com). Have a great summer!

Poplar Village Gardens — 2022 Annual report

The garden has so much to be thankful for!  We had a full time gardener and some volunteers that returned for another season.  The guilds were producing nicely and we formed an alliance with Miss Virginia's Mission house to provide produce and plants for their consumers.  Our big project was the installation of 20 garden beds for neighborhood residents to grow their own food in safe soil.  We donated 904 lb of produce and 90 plants this year and had a total of 862 volunteer hours for the season.  We installed a permanent structure in the form of a pergola to shelter the wash and pack area and replaced our fallen greenhouse with a sturdy high tunnel structure.  With the installation of a bench and some picnic tables, the neighbors are starting to use the space as a place to spend time in nature and the neighborhood and daycare children are learning about the natural world and its connection to us and learning where their food comes from.  Our ever changing art wall is a delight and is managed by our friend Francisco Reyes who is working on an open wall project city wide.

This season, we plan to focus on increasing production on the main garden site.  In order to accomplish this, volunteers are needed for regular watering, harvesting and produce delivery.  Please see Diana if you would like to find a way to help.  Tune in to our YouTube channel if you would like regular updates on the happenings at the garden.

Next Sunday: April 9, 2023

Easter Sunday
Celebration — What only the unreliable can see.

In all of the gospel accounts of the resurrection, the first witnesses are women—considered unreliable by their culture. Why would God choose “unreliable” witnesses? What incredible news may we be missing if we give credence only to people like ourselves? What are the ways our eyes can only be opened by people who are different from us? How might marginalized people be the best at rolling stones away to make new life, new sight, possible?

We will join in the Beacon Heights tradition of singing the Hallelujah Chorus as we close our worship service on Easter Sunday.

Please read John 20: 1-18 to prepare.

Pastor Anna Lisa Gross

Published by Beacon Heights
Church of the Brethren

Editor: Melinda Long
Phone: (260) 482-8595
Email: office@beaconheights.net