By Natalie Rummel
Experts say that only about 30 percent of physical aging can be traced to genetics; the rest is up to the individual. According to one retirement Web site, continued learning is a way to improve quality of life, no matter one’s age.

Residents at Grace Village Retirement Community in Winona Lake, Ind., have an opportunity to continue learning in a classroom setting and to interact with college students—passing off some of their own knowledge that they’ve gained over the years.
 
In the spring of 2005, Grace College, also in Winona Lake, began offering the Senior Learners Program, which allows residents at the retirement community to audit approved on-campus classes at a reduced rate.

The national conference of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches was held July 26-31 at the Grace Brethren Church of Columbus, Ohio (Dave Plaster, pastor). More than 500 people registered to participate in the annual meeting, take classes and seminars, and enjoy the fellowship of Grace Brethren people from around the world.

Among the highlights were the celebration of 100 years of ministry in Argentina by Grace Brethren International Missions, welcoming four new churches and three new national ministries into the fellowship, and the introduction of the new executive director for the Brethren Missionary Herald Company (effective January 1), Liz Cutler Gates. Tom Hocking, 2009-2011 moderator of the fellowship, challenged the conference to establish life-giving relationships in the secular spaces of one’s life in the spirit of the Commitment to Common Mission, as developed by last summer’s international Charis gathering of Grace Brethren leaders from around the globe.

Next year’s conference, Celebrate10, will be held July 16-20, 2010 in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Momentum 2009 participants lived out 1 Thessalonians 2:8 by serving people and sharing the gospel. Main stage speakers, Power Trax, and others challenged attendees in their spiritual lives. The annual Grace Brethren youth conference was held July 13-19 outside Pittsburgh, Pa.

Thirty-eight people made first-time salvation decisions during the week. Another 129 made decisions to go into full-time ministry.

But Momentum is also about ministering to those in the community. Beginning Wednesday, the learning took action. Students and adults inundated the areas in and around Pittsburgh, sharing their lives and the gospel.