Upcoming Events
All events are open to the public, and all are free of charge except the field trip to Gettysburg on October 18.
For events in the Bucher Meetinghouse, use “450 Campus Road, Elizabethtown, PA” in your navigation app. Although not an actual physical address, it will place you close to the entrance of the Young Center parking lot. Then use the building’s main entrance—beside the Young Center sign—to access the meetinghouse.
Saturday, October 18, 2025 • 10 am to 3 pm
FIELD TRIP
Brethren Experience of the Battle of Gettysburg
The field trip is an opportunity to explore the impact of the Battle of Gettysburg on the lives of the Marsh Creek German Baptist Brethren families who lived in the area at the time. The day begins at Gettysburg Church of the Brethren with a presentation on the Brethren experience of the Battle of Gettysburg and its aftermath by Steve Longenecker, professor emeritus of history at Bridgewater (VA) College. After lunch in the church fellowship hall, participants travel to the Marsh Creek Meetinghouse to learn about the history of the congregation. Elder Robert Mathews of the Old German Baptist Brethren will offer a brief devotional meditation on peace and nonresistance. The group then travels to Seminary Ridge Museum for a self-guided tour and the option to tour the cupola for an additional cost.
Bus transportation from Elizabethtown College, departing at 8:30 am and returning around 4:45 pm, is available at no additional cost. Participants who prefer to drive to Gettysburg are strongly encouraged to carpool.
Cost for the field trip is $25, which includes lunch and basic admission to Seminary Ridge Museum. The deadline for reservations is Monday, October 13.
Register online or by calling the Young Center at 717-361-1470.
Tuesday, November 11, 2025 • 7 pm • Bucher Meetinghouse
LECTURE
Living Our Song: The Music of Andy and Terry Murray
Andy and Terry Murray—renowned Church of the Brethren musicians and influential theological storytellers—have spent decades blending rich harmonies with deep spiritual insight, using music to pass on essential tenets of Brethren theology, faith, and practice: heroes “never carry a gun,” pick up a “shovel instead of a gun,” and “one person at a time” can get things done.
Join us for an evening exploring the rich theological and storytelling legacy of the Murrays’ music, including a time of singing together from Living Our Song: The Music of Andy and Terry Murray, a new songbook collection featuring many of their original compositions.
Rachel Bucher Swank (songbook editor) is a 7th grade general music teacher at Manheim Township Middle School in Lancaster and an ordained minister in the Church of the Brethren, currently serving as music coordinator at Elizabethtown Church of the Brethren. She is a 2025 Master of Music and Peacebuilding graduate from Elizabethtown College and also holds a Master of Education and a certificate of Peacebuilding and Conflict Transformation in Educational Settings from Eastern Mennonite University.
Andy and Terry Murray are best known within the Church of the Brethren as a singer/songwriter duo who compose songs about Brethren history and theology. Throughout his career, Andy has worked as a minister, chaplain, and college professor, and he was the founding director of the Baker Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies at Juniata College. Terry, a professional organist, has worked as a composer, arranger, and piano and organ professor at Juniata College.
Videos of Past Events