CoBACE funds make Christian education events possible.

Funds from the former Church of the Brethren Association for Christian Education (CoBACE) will make it possible for Brethren Press and the General Board's Congregational Life Teams to offer training events on Christian education at Annual Conference next year. CoBACE bequeathed a total of $1,678 to promote Christian education in the denomination when it disbanded in 2001. Over its 21-year career, CoBACE published a newsletter, hosted Annual Conference luncheons and insight sessions on a variety of topics, and provided continuing education activities for professional and volunteer church educators.

Conferencegoers will be able to earn continuing education credit, through the Brethren Academy, for attending a "track" of five insight sessions and a meal event focused on Christian education. CoBACE funds are paying for the leadership of Pamela Anderson, noted Sunday School teacher, at two insight sessions and the Brethren Press breakfast. Anderson spoke on becoming a dynamic 21st century Sunday school teacher, selecting Sunday school curriculum, and her three-year study of 150 different Sunday school curricula and how congregations nurture their children's spirituality in Sunday school, worship, and children's church.

At last year’s Conference, sessions were funded by Congregational Life Teams and featured Jacqueline Nowak, Christian educator and director of The Blessing Center at Memorial United Presbyterian Church, Xenia, Ohio, on family prayer time, the spirituality of children, and family faith formation. Fourteen people received continuing education credit, and between 17 and 65 conferencegoers came to each insight session. Julie Hostetter, CLT for Area 3, and Jewel McNary and Anna Speicher of Brethren Press coordinated the events.

The CoBACE bequest also supported insight sessions at last year's Annual Conference led by Judith Myers-Walls, associate professor of Child Development and Family Studies at Purdue University.