1. What does it mean to be Brethren?Why am I here? A bit of personal testimonyandA bit about the Brethren.

2. There are some bits ofthe story are from hereHartvilleChurch of the Brethren 3. And some bits happened along the way Is there a God? How do I be good? Hey! I am a Christian! This is fun!How do I live an honorable life amidst temptation?What kind of a Christian am I going to be?Am I good enough for God?What about the 144,000? 4. Some maturing bits Do I measure up?Am I honoring my wife?Am I being a good role modelto my kids?Am I living up to my father-in-laws expectation?Can I ever compare to mybrother-in-law? Should I? And even on occasion: What if Im wrong about all this whole God thing? 5. Eventually a I got a bit of assurance Eventually I learned some key lessons as my knowledge of the Bible grew. The most important is that salvation is not a matter of being good enough, doing enough or praying enough. Im not enough, but God is. That ties into another lesson: God wants us to be at peace. Life isnt supposed to be a painful struggle. Dont worry be happy is trite, but the message is clear, God has called us to peace. 1Cr 7:15 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 18And yes, I timeslearned that - ei-r-n Peace is used uphere. to 92 times in the New Testament 6. But why Brethren?(Admittedly, I like being different) 7. Ok but really, why Brethren? Culture shock after living with the Amish for a month I can explain what the Brethren believe and why theybelieve it. There is a very logical thought out approachin everything from baby dedication to the structure ofautonomous churches supported by the district. The foundation is a good one. The Brethren wereformed when what the other churches were doingwasnt Biblical: Baptism as a census. Courageous people sacrificed because it was the rightthing to do. The basic tenets are consistent and make sense in theworld we live in today. 8. Non-creedalism A creed is a statement the defined exactly what you must believe. TheCOB holds no creed but the New Testament. If there is a single part of the New Testament that is most pointed to as aguide for members lives it is The Sermon on the Mount. Brethren tend to describe themselves in terms of what we do comparedto what we believe. We do have a vision statement. This is not a litmus test to decide if youare saved, but is meant focus the mission of the church and spur activityon the denominational level and in congregations and districts. Through Scripture, Jesus calls us to live as courageous disciples by word and action: To surrender ourselves to God, To embrace one another, To express Gods love for all creation. There are three basic core beliefs/tenets from the Bible that Brethrenshare. 9. Peace We are one of the historic peace churches This is not something that was just importantin the past. It is something that still sets us aside today. It doesnt just mean war, but also we strive forpeace and reconciliation in our daily lives andin the governing of the Church. For example:(A video was played here about Ekklesiyar Yanuwa (EYN - the CoB in Nigeria) . It described the conflict between the Muslims and Christiansand how the EYN stepped in to prevent escalation. To protect the lives of those in the video, it was requested that it not being madeavailable online.) 10. This is how we now do business 11. Priesthood of all Believers As disciples of Christ, we are called to bebrave and courageous in our quest to makedisciples of all. That means that we are each set aside tominister in the church and beyond This is why, in the past, Brethren churchestraditionally used by-vocational pastors 12. Simplicity We are called to lead a simple lifestyle This helps us be at peace It helps us direct our time to service It helps us direct our money to where it isneeded most. This is not easy today, but the rewards arehard to argue with. 13. The Ordinances are important to me These are symbolic actions ordered by JesusChrist and practiced by the early church Anointing ( and laying on of hands ) Believers baptism Baptism is an outward sign ofan inward experience of salvation. Love Feast A love feast includes foot washing,sharing of a meal, and communion. 14. We are effective As a denomination we invest in ethicalcompanies and proactively wield our sharesrights to steer the companies in the rightdirection Our districts have outreach programs in the localcities and urban areas to reach those who needthe Lords blessings the most We have an effective disaster relief programslocally and internationally We make a difference in the world, for example:EYN. Read more: http://www.brethren.org/partners/nigeria/ 15. Im still growingIm being fed and I am increasingly able to boldlyminister for the Lord.And I must admit, I do like it when it sounds as ifPaul speaks directly to us:2Cr 13:11 Finally, brethren, farewell. Becomecomplete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, livein peace; and the God of love and peace will bewith you.