When you’re 31, single, and have the summer free because you’re a teacher, you can take off and explore Europe a bit.
And that’s what Sharlene Tennant, one of the newer members of the Community of Hope Grace Brethren Church in Surrey, British Columbia is doing this summer in Germany.
During the year Tennant teaches math and physics at the high school level. She’s recently decided to join the Philip Bryant family and others in beginning a new Grace Brethren church in the Vancouver suburb.
Because she is relatively new to the Grace Brethren movement, she decided to include both the 300th anniversary celebration in Schwarzenau, and also the CHARIS gathering in Bad Homburg in her itinerary.
According to Nathan Bryant, executive director of GB Canada, Tennant booked her own flight to Germany and found free lodging at the Alexander Mack mill during the Schwarzenau celebration.
“I was dissatisfied with how selfish my life had become,” says the tall, slender blond. “I wanted something that would require more of me.” She had committed her life to the Lord as a child in Sunday School, and became acquainted with the Grace Brethren church plant through an information meeting at her former church.
She will be working with the children’s ministry at Community of Hope this fall, heading up a team of six. “I’m new to leadership,” she says, “and it’s a little scary.”
When Philip Bryant told her about the 300th anniversary celebration of the founding of the Brethren church, which was being held in Schwarzenau, Germany, on August 2 and 3, Tennant decided to attend.
“Schwarzenau was really cool,” she says. “I was challenged and impressed with the service aspect of the Brethren historically.” She met several ladies from other branches of the Brethren church in Schwarzenau during the celebration.
“They were ladies in plain dress,” she said, “and we had a good discussion. We were all from different arms of the church, but it was not divisive. It seemed like we were sisters.”
Tennant will spend six weeks in Germany, and plans to visit relatives. She ate some meals with CHARIS delegates and sat in on some of the sessions at Bad Homburg to gain further perspective on the worldwide reach of the Grace Brethren movement.