Beginning with the Daniel Fast. As Daniel learned after refusing to eat the king's food, courage grows.

As I have visit churches speaking about this year's district conference them, "Give us the courage of Daniel," I have heard stories of courage small and large. I have heard Brethren say that courage grows. Courage in one thing leads to courage in another; courage in small things leads to courage in greater things. Personal courage leads to group courage. There is a progression to learning that we can rely on God and not be afraid. Some are beginning a journey of courage with the Daniel Fast.

The Book of Daniel begins with the tale of Daniel's "Trial by Vegetables." As young men, Daniel and his three Hebrew friends were brought into the king's court in Babylon and given all the privileges of the royal household. But they didn't want to eat the king's rich food. The palace master was afraid for his life if the young men's health deteriorated, so Daniel offered a test. For 10 days the four would be given a diet of vegetables and water. Then they would be compared with the other young men who ate the royal ration of meat and wine. Much to the relief of the palace master, the Hebrew men who had passed up all the fat, cholesterol and calories appeared 10 times better than the others. Smarter too. This was the first act of defiance and protest by Daniel and friends, whose courage led them later to face the fiery furnace and the lions' den.

At my urging, several in our churches have tried doing a Daniel Fast - only vegetables and fruits and water for 10 days. There are websites with elaborate rules - and even recipes -- for such a fast, along with some helpful do's and don'ts. Fasters cut out caffeine, alcohol, sugar, breads and grains. But mostly it is simple. Fruits and vegetables and water.

Beth Carpentier, administrative assistant in our district office, was among the first to try this last fall. Then she persuaded her church, First Baptist in Canton, to try it during Lent, ending on Easter Sunday. "We did the Daniel Fast for 21 days," Beth writes, "with 42 people participating. We used a daily devotional as a unit and many wonderful experiences came out of the period. Several people lost 20-plus pounds and I've heard two people say that it was an amazing time of healing. Things were pretty rough around the 10-day mark as cravings were kicking in, but we all mustered through! Thanks for bringing this fast to our attention. It's been an amazing road of prayer, healing and personal spiritual growth."

Jocelyn Watkins and her husband, Ed, of the Peoria church had a similar experience. Jocelyn writes: "This year we, Ed and I, chose to do the Daniel Fast...thanks to the Lord's leading...partly through your sermon here in Peoria in December! It was a wonderfully powerful experience for the both of us. I reaped SO many physical benefits, from increased energy to weight loss, and spiritual benefits, from growing closer to God to not letting my stomach be my god, to increased clarity of thought. The Book of Daniel definitely came alive for me during the experience. It was wonderful to be able to put myself in Daniel's shoes."

Van Metzger of First Church , Springfield , (who happens to be Jocelyn's mother) identified with Daniel after she became a Christian as a young woman in her native Vietnam , where ancestor veneration is a common religious practice. She and a cousin visited the home of her uncle. At mealtime he first placed the food on the home altar, offering it to the ancestors while saying ancestral veneration prayers, before bringing the food to the living family seated at the table. Van, just 20 years old, announced that as a Christian she would refuse to eat the food that had been offered to idols. Her break with her family on this issue brought questions and criticism. Her aunt did find some food at the bottom of the pots in the kitchen which she was able to eat. But there was joy in taking a stand for the one true God. She showed the courage of Daniel.

The path of least resistance most frequently followed in social and organizational settings is finding fault. If we can discover what is wrong, then we know what it is that needs to be fixed. A culture of fault-finding, though, rarely leads to a better environment. Consequently, such a culture begets a continued search for problems. The common denominator of the culture is problem solving. The mission devolves into always finding corrective solutions rather than building a culture of sustainability.

What if we used a different approach? Consider what social and organizational cultures could be if we gave attention to what is done well.

Imagine yourself as the boss and being constantly bombarded with complaints about employees. The natural inclination is to find foundational causes for existing problems leading to you, the boss, setting up a culture of problem solving. Likely, there is precious little time to be visionary because of all the time used for putting out fires.

Imagine yourself as an employee in such a setting. Anytime you saw the boss approaching, your initial response is to assume something is wrong. The boss is always trying to "fix" things so why would this visit be any different.

Now imagine the boss entering the workplace with a commendation rather than a condemnation. The boss received information about an employee's good effort and is making this known among the rest of the workers. Now the boss' presence is viewed differently. Workers begin to look forward to a visit from the boss. A cultural shift emerges.

Change the environment from the workplace to the church, specifically the Church of the Brethren, the IL/WI District, your congregation. Imagine the denominational general secretary, the district executive, the pastor of the congregation sharing among constituents and congregants good news of outstanding efforts being carried out by individuals and groups within the church.

Stories of this nature abound among us. I have heard General Secretary Stan Noffsinger share about his experiences where the light of Jesus Christ has shown brilliantly. I've heard pastors speak glowingly about members in their congregations who have done great things. As district executive, I want to share stories about congregations and ministry teams who are actively engaged in effective ministry opportunities.

I'm not so naive to think that problems will magically disappear if we shift our focus toward accentuating the positive. However, I do believe that hearing about the good among us will better equip us to navigate the problems we encounter. Additionally, a shift takes place to focus more on determining how we can get involved in doing good things. If district A or congregation B or denomination C are doing good things, well, then, we should be able to, also.

My goal is to be more attentive to the "good" I hear and witness, and to share those stories more frequently and more broadly. Do you have a story to share? Are you seeing the good that someone or a group or a congregation is doing? I'd love to hear about it. I'd love to share about it.

We can inspire one another to do not just good things, but great things. We can count on God to equip us to carry out all we have been called to do. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

3 - National Day of Prayer
4 - Pleasant Hill Village Work Day
4-5 - Camp Emmanuel CIT Workshop
5 - District Leadership Team @ Springfield Church of the Brethren
6 - National Youth Sunday
13 - Mother's Day
15- International Day of Families
17-19 - New Church Development Conference @ Richmond, IN
25-28 - Camp Emmaus Memorial Day Family Camp
27 - Pentecost Sunday
28 - Memorial Day

Location: Bethany Theological Seminary (Richmond, Indiana)
May 17-19

I (Paul) planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.
1 Corinthians 3:6

REGISTER online now

Keynote leaders are Tom Johnston and Mike Chong Perkinson of Praxis Ministries. Worship, prayer, workshops, and networking are key features of the event. Sponsored by the Church of the Brethren New Church Development Advisory Committee and Congregational Life Ministries and hosted by Bethany Theological Seminary.

1-3 - Camp Emmanuel Women's Retreat
3-9 - Camp Emmanuel Youth Camp
10-16 - Camp Emmanuel JrHi Camp
15-25 - Exploring Your Call @ Bethany Theological Seminary
16-22 - National Young Adult Conf. @ Knoxville
17-23 - Camp Emmanuel Junior Camp

A traditional 5K race is 3.1 miles, but the June 9 run/walk planned by the Milledgeville Church of the Brethren (Dutchtown) will be just a little longer – 3.16 miles. While the event celebrates scripture, it promotes a healthy lifestyle. In the weeks leading up to the race, the church holds a training session every Thursday “for all people to participate in, no matter what physical shape they are in,� writes Rick Koch, the congregation’s pastor and a devoted runner. At the practice sessions there is also a devotion and prayer time. The congregation is reaching out to the community for entries ($20) and sponsors. Proceeds will be used to send children of the congregation to Camp Emmaus and to support disaster relief.

The registration site for the for the 2012 Annual Conference is www.brethren.org/ac.

From Feb. 23-June 11 the delegate registration fee increased to $310. After June 11, delegate registration will only be available onsite in St. Louis, for a fee of $360.

On Feb. 22, nondelegate registration opened at the same web address. This includes family registrations, housing reservations, sign up for age-group activities, sales of meal tickets, purchase of Conference booklets and choir anthem packets, and more.

General registration fees for nondelegates start at $105 for adults who attend the full Conference, $30 for children and youth (ages 12-21) for the full Conference, $35 adult daily rate, $10 children and youth daily rate, with children under 12 registering for free. Active Brethren Volunteer Service workers pay a $30 registration fee.

After June 11, all online registration for the Conference closes and increased onsite registration fees will apply. See www.brethren.org/ac for the complete Information Packet that includes a full fee schedule, hotel reservation information and lodging costs, and much more information in downloadable format.

High school youth are invited to attend Exploring Your Call (EYC) at Bethany Theological Seminary in Richmond, Ind., this summer, June 15-25. This event provides the opportunity for young people entering their junior or senior year of high school in fall 2012 to explore faith and vocation through classes, congregational involvement, service projects, personal and spiritual enrichment, and recreation.

Russell Haitch, associate professor of Christian education and director of the Institute for Youth and Young Adults at Bethany, oversees EYC. "It's an intense but beautiful program. Last year, youth studied theology in the classroom, then shadowed pastors and did real-life ministry, then took a trip to Chicago to live in an intentional community and learn about all sorts of non-pastoral vocations. The level of conversation and quality of friendship that developed was really splendid, and I'm excited that equally good things will happen this year."

Young adults between the age of 18 and 35 are invited to the National Young Adult Conference in Knoxville, TN. This event will be a chance for young adults to gather and create a loving community, have engaging conversations about our role in the denomination and also enjoy various speakers.

NYAC takes place on June 18 - 22, 2012 at the University of Tennessee Knoxville. Our theme is "Humble, yet Bold: Being the Church," based on Matt. 5: 13 - 18, "Being Salt for the Earth" and "A light for the world."

Online registration are open at www.brethren.org/yac. The cost for the event will be $375 and includes housing, programming and meals. The Young Adult Steering Committee encourages congregations to offer NYAC scholarships in their 2012 budgets. NYAC gift certificates may be purchased by friends and families.

Don't miss this opportunity to be part of the community that will be created during these five days in Knoxville. Join us on Facebook on "Young Adults of the Church of the Brethren."

For more information call 800-323-8039 ext. 281 or E-mail NYAC2012@brethren.org.

1-7 - Illinois Central Song & Story Fest @ Camp Emmanuel
6-7 - Ministers Assoc. Pre-Conf. @ St. Louis, MO
7-11 - Annual Conference @ St. Louis, MO
7 - Mission & Ministry Board @ St. Louis, MO
13-15 - Camp Emmanuel Pre-Junior Camp
13-15 - Camp Emmaus Counselor-in-Training Event
14-15 - Camp Emmaus Elementary I Camp
17-20 - Camp Emmaus Elementary II Camp
22 - Virden 100th Anniversay Homecoming
22-28 - Camp Emmaus Senior High Camp
29-Aug 4 - Camp Emmaus Junior High Camp

All Aboard!
July 1-7, 2012
Camp Emmanuel - Astoria, Illinois

A Family Camp featuring Brethren musicians and storytellers in the woods and river valleys of central Illinois!

Why not take a ride on the Illinois Central Railroad? Do not pass "GO." Well, you can't really. The railroad was bought by the Canadian National Railway in 1998. But you can still ride some of the historic IC trains like the City of New Orleans, operated by Amtrak.

We're going to celebrate railroads and trains this year at the Fest and take some of our themes and titles from songs and stories about trains. Our country has been interlaced with railroad tracks for almost two hundred years, but those tracks are fast disappearing, like the other physical connections we have with each other. We'll explore the impact of our increasingly virtual (not to be confused with virtuous) world on our relationships and on the role of the church in keeping face-to-face communities alive. So join us in Riding the Rails in Comfort, Playing for Peanuts in the Club Car, praying for Cannonballs No More, remembering the Wreck of El Capitan, and celebrating When We Reach Our Destination, where Ain't No One Keeping Score, no one is Left Waiting at the Station, and there's No Cryin' There.

July 7-11, 2012

St. Louis, Missouri will be the site for the 2012 Church of the Brethren Annual Conference.

All Annual Conference events-worship, business, meals, meeting rooms, and insight sessions will be in the America's Center Convention Complex in the heart of downtown St. Louis.

[Information Packet]

The Virden Church of the Brethren celebrates their 100th anniversary with a "Homecoming" on July 22, 2012. We invite Previous Pastors (Full, part-time, or interim) to attend and participate. Please contact the Virden Church of the Brethren at 334 W. Dean St., Virden, IL. 62690 or call (217) 965-3422 or e-mail vcotb@royell.net

Verna Scharfenberg, 415 N. Masterson St. , Virden, IL 62690-1430 (217) 965-4141

The Fall 2011 Way of Christ weekends have blessed a new group of weekend participants. As they return home encouraged and equipped with new tools to be purposed participants in their families and congregations, I am wondering who will next take such a step.

The weekends for 2012 are scheduled and leadership is starting to organize for these events. Now is the time to plan to attend. So look at your calendar then contact me:

October 18-21, 2012: Men's Weekend #22
October 25-28, 2012: Women's Weekend # 22

- Dan Rusmisel (d_rusmiselle@yahoo.com)

What: Powerhouse regional youth conference, a weekend of worship, workshops, music, food, and fun!
When: Nov. 10-11, 2012
Where: Manchester University (note our new name effective July 1!), North Manchester, Ind.
Who: Youth in grades 9-12 in 2012-2013 and advisors
Website: www.manchester.edu/powerhouse
Other details: Coming soon!

Manchester College
Campus Ministry/Religious Life
260-982-5243

There is a 2012 Speakers List for the Illinois/Wisconsin District. Persons included in this document have accepted the invitation to be available to preach during worship services or for other special events as indicated. Hopefully you will find this tool useful and valuable when the need arises for inviting a guest speaker.

The speakers on this list are all credentialed ministers, either licensed or ordained. We would like to expand the list to include more credentialed ministers as well as interested laity. If your name is absent from the list and you have interest in serving as a guest speaker, please inform the district office. We would also welcome the names of persons you might suggest for inclusion on the list.

Since this is a new venture, it is likely we may need to provide more information than is included. Your input as to how the list can be improved would be welcomed.

Please share with the District Office any questions, comments, or concerns you may have.

Sustaining and developing ministry (mission) within congregations, as well as maintaining property (mortar), is sometimes hindered because of inadequate financial resources. The Illinois/Wisconsin District, whose mission is to support the growth and development of member congregations, realizes that this dilemma exists and desires to financially support congregations that are in good standing with the district and have specific needs. Congregations in good standing are those that for the past two years have sent delegates to district conference and have supported the district financially with undesignated gifts of at least $100 per year for the past two years.

The Gifts Discernment and Call Committee seeks your help. We are commissioned to call active, informed, and committed members of congregations or fellowships from within our District to positions of service. These persons, both pastors and lay members, are to be called from all parts of the District and to represent the diversity among us. Our committee's knowledge of members eligible and capable to serve is limited. Therefore, we make this appeal for assistance.