Newsline: Gather 'Round is endorsed by United Church of Canada

[COBNews Newsline]

Newsline: Church of the Brethren News Service -- June 5, 2008
Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, News Director
800-323-8039 ext. 260 -- cobnews at brethren.org

UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA ENDORSES GATHER 'ROUND
CURRICULUM

(June 5, 2008) Elgin, IL -- The United Church of Canada has become the
newest cooperative user of the Gather 'Round curriculum, citing its
value for congregations that want to connect with families. 

Gather 'Round: Hearing and Sharing God's Good News is a project of
Brethren Press and the Mennonite Publishing Network. The Sunday
school curriculum serves children, youth, and parents and caregivers. 

"Family, and parents in particular, play an important role in the spiritual
development and faith formation of their children," noted Amy
Crawford, program coordinator for children, young teens, and youth.
"United Church parents and congregations will appreciate the Talkabout,
an important component of Gather 'Round, which provides parents with
practical ways to talk about faith with their children, and helps
congregations and families stay connected."

Crawford also highlighted the way Gather 'Round helps children
encounter the Bible stories. "The stories of the Bible speak powerfully
about who God is and how God relates to people and all of creation.
Gather 'Round provides children with opportunities to encounter biblical
stories, interpret their meaning, and make connections so that they can
live the story in the world."

Cooperative users are denominations that have officially endorsed the
curriculum for their congregations, warehousing inventory and
promoting the material as one of their recommended curricula. Other
Gather 'Round cooperative users are the Mennonite Brethren, the
Moravian Church in America, and the United Church of Christ. 

Gather 'Round has also been recommended to congregations of the
Cumberland Presbyterian Church, the Brethren in Christ, Friends United
Meeting, and areas of the Episcopal Church. 

For more go to www.gatherround.org or call Brethren Press at 800-441-
3712.

The Church of the Brethren is a Christian denomination committed to
continuing the work of Jesus peacefully and simply, and to living out its
faith in community. The denomination is based in the Anabaptist and
Pietist faith traditions and is one of the three Historic Peace Churches. It
celebrates its 300th anniversary in 2008. It counts more than 125,000
members across the United States and Puerto Rico, and has missions and
sister churches in Nigeria, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and
India.

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For more information contact:

Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford
Director of News Services
Church of the Brethren General Board
1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120
800-323-8039 ext. 260
cobnews at brethren.org

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