NEWS FROM THE SOUTHERN OHIO DISTRICT OF THE CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN

WHAT ARE DISTRICT IS DOING....

Re-skilling Workshop Offered by District Climate Justice Team
Saturday, May 22nd, 9-111:330 AM

In person event held at “The Big Tent” at West Charleston CoB You are invited to join the District’s Climate Justice Task Team for a series of “Reskilling Workshops” to recapture some of the helpful skills our parents and grandparents used to practice and help save the planet in the process. Our goal is to have four sets of reskilling workshops running over this two-hour period. We will have two choices for each hour and have a brief opening and closing worship for the day together. There will be a children’s area for kid’s activities so feel free to bring your little ones. This event is free and open to the public. Please make sure to wear your mask.

Nigerian School Bus Appeal
Kidnappings are on the rise in Nigeria. An ever-increasing number of girl children being abducted to become child brides for members of Boka Haram and other terrorist groups. Extra safety precautions are increasingly necessary. In addition, Covid-19 has wreaked devastating havoc on the participation of all Nigerian children, especially girls, in formal education. Parents have often not been able to work and bring in income for many months. Even the little that it might cost to pay for their children to ride public transportation to school is no longer affordable. Even if such public transport could be afforded, it has become more and more dangerous for younger children to take such transportation.

Musa Mambula's daughter, the head of school at the TCNN primary school has recently communicated with Pastor Mark Lancaster, Good Shepherd CoB. Musa was an interim pastor for two years in our District and was the provost for a time at TCNN in Jos, which was founded by EYN in Nigeria as a seminary. They are requesting funds to purchase a bus that would allow them to pick up and return girls and boys to school safely. The total cost of the bus is $10,500. We are reaching out to you, the congregations in the Southern Ohio/Kentucky District, hoping and praying that we can work together to raise funds. The Good Shepherd Church of the Brethren has particularly committed itself to raising funds for this school bus initiative. The Global Women's Project of the Church of the Brethren has also committed $500 toward this effort and Brethren World Mission has given $2500, along with $700 from our congregation. An offering of any size greatly appreciated. If you or your congregation would like to participate in this effort, please write your check payable to: Good Shepherd Church of the Brethren and send it to: Pastor Mark Lancaster, 4519 Sweet Potato Ridge Road, Englewood, Ohio 45322. Be sure to write "Nigerian bus appeal" in the memo line.

April, 2021 2021 Summer Camp Registration Open
The Camping and Retreat Ministries have opened registration for the summer camp season. Everyone can come to camp from the safety of their homes. No masks are required on the Zoom connections. It will be great to see friends and have an exciting time together learning about God’s creation and ways we can build up our communities. There will be Bible study, music, games, activities, crafts, and special surprises at each camp. Camps begin on June 7, 2021 and end the week of July 30, 2021, taking a break the week of Annual Conference. More information, including registration forms can be found on the district website, or inquire at your church office.

Southern Ohio/Kentucky Disaster Ministries Updates:
Volunteer Opportunities in Dayton –
On April12 the BDM site in Dayton will reopen after pausing for the winter months. Volunteers are needed for April 12-16 and 26-30. There will be crews of four or five volunteers working in Trotwood on a house damaged by the Memorial Day tornadoes. The volunteer housing site will not open until May, when volunteers will come from other districts. S. Ohio/KY BDM also has volunteer opportunities throughout the year. Click here for a flyer with all the 2021 trip dates. To volunteer, call/text Burt Wolf at 937-287-5902 or SouthernOhioBDM@gmail.com.

Sewing Bee –
Come join other sewers making school bags for Church World Service school kits. Bags are pre-cut, so just bring your sewing machine, an extension cord, and a sack lunch. The next Sewing Bee is on Saturday, April 24 at 9:00 AM at Greenville COB, 421 Central Avenue. There will be work for non-sewers, preparing school kit items for the assembly this summer. For more information call Barb Brower at 937- 336-2442. Click here for a flyer showing all the 2021 Sewing Bee dates and locations.

BDM Meeting –
Our next meeting will be April 8 at 7:00 PM, a week later than usual due to Maundy Thursday. We will meet in-person at Happy Corner COB. Please enter at the front door, wear a mask, and keep 6’ physical distancing. There will also be a Zoom option.

Mark your Calendar –
     August 19 -School Kit Assembly
     September 30 - Cleanup Bucket Assembly

For more information on what is happening in Southern Ohio as well as more details on these events contact your church office, email the Southern Ohio/Kentucky District (sodcob@brethren.org) or visit our website: www.sodcob.org. In addition to this publication, we also email a monthly newsletter. To request a newsletter simply email your request to the same email address. If you would like to add your event to either the website, this publication, or the monthly newsletter please email your information to sodcob@brethren.org before the 15th of the month.