the Brethren
EVANGELIST an issue on
Community
spring 2017
DRIVEN by our BRETHREN HERITAGE For over 125 years, Ashland University has been helping students find their life calling. Our Brethren roots have created a unique campus environment where tradition and innovation empower students to discover their true purpose. We look at students holistically and cultivate a values-driven culture supporting service learning, problem solving and critical thinking. At Ashland University, values like moral integrity, respect and service derive from our Christian heritage and inform all aspects of our campus culture. Students come to Ashland to pursue their educational aspirations in a safe, loving and welcoming environment. For more information or to schedule a visit to campus, visit www.ashland.edu/visit.
TABLE OF CONTENTS General Conference........................................... 4 Letter from the Editor........................................ 5 National News..................................................... 6 Bowing of Knees................................................. 8 Placemaking........................................................ 9 Cultivating Community.................................. 11 The Gathering................................................... 19 Engage Conference........................................... 20 Fireflies............................................................... 21 Be The Pig.......................................................... 22 A Gospel for Everyone..................................... 26 End Notes.......................................................... 30
CONNECT Brethren Church @BrethrenChurch 419.289.1708 www.brethrenchurch.org communications@brethrenchurch.org 524 College Ave. Ashland, OH 44805
JULY 17-21, 2017
Register Online at BrethrenChurch.org/general-conference
Shannan Martin is the author of Falling Free: Rescued from the Life I Always Wanted and blogs at: www.shannanmartinwrites.com
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
If you had asked me ten years ago what I would be doing with my life, I would not have listed editing a magazine as even a remote option. However, I was confident of my call to ministry and was serving where God had led me to at that moment. This moment finds me in a very different place, but no different in my certainty of God’s call to the station at which I find myself.
In this issue, you’ll notice some visual and formatting changes, as well as the inclusion of poetry from poets within our movement. I am excited to bring this back to the magazine, and I hope you enjoy reading it. As you see changes over the next couple of issues, and new material appearing, I do hope you’ll reach out and let me know what you think – good or bad.
For those of you that may not know, I gladly stepped into a role as Communications Director at the Brethren Church National Office in January 2017. With that new role, one responsibility is serving as editor of The Brethren Evangelist. It’s a task I was very excited about, and I treat with great reverence. Some giants have gone before me in this role. I have sat with and tried to soak up as much wisdom as I can from Rev. Richard Winfield, Rev. Ronald W. Waters, Rev. Jason Barnhart, and Rev. Ken Hunn, and I’m very thankful for their time and friendship. I have traveled over the last few months meeting many of you at district conferences and events. Through conversations with these great past editors, and with many of you, I have heard your love for this publication. Even more clear though, was the one striking note I heard from every former editor I spoke with, and every single Brethren I met on the road: “We want to know what’s going on around our movement.”
Summer is an excellent season and one that is tailor-made for inviting others into our lives. Backyard gatherings, picnics, grilling out, or simple walks in the park all create opportunities for connecting with our neighbors. This issue shares a variety of stories of churches that are engaging their community. My prayer is that we would not simply read of other Brethren finding ways to meet people where they are, but that we would be inspired. I pray that we would ask the Spirit to lead us towards ways that we might also create spaces and places for our neighbors to feel the love of Jesus. -Patrick Sprague P.S. To share your thoughts, comments or criticism, please don’t hesitate to reach out: communications@brethrenchurch.org or call me 419-289-1708
I am committed to The Brethren Evangelist, and I’m determined to providing the thought, creativity, theology, and yes, the valuable updates it has contained over its long history. I am also committed to stewarding our resources well, and so, we will make some necessary changes in how we communicate as a movement over the coming months. Rest assured though; The Brethren Evangelist is going nowhere.
If you would like to submit local church updates, articles or photographs, please do so using the same contact information. While article submissions are subject to editorial review and final approval, I welcome and encourage all submissions! 5
NATIONAL NEWS Updates from around our Movement
On March 4, Muskoka Community Church (Huntsville, Ontario, Canada) celebrated their first services in a permanent building of their very own. MCC is a church plant of the Southeastern District, led by April & Jeremy McClung, with the support of MissioChurch. More info can be found at muskokacommunitychurch.com The Brethren Church National Office welcomes Scott Soden as a part-time Global Partners Coordinator. Scott also serves as Associate Pastor of Cheyenne Brethren Church (Cheyenne, WY), and has been an ordained elder since 2010. The 2016 General Conference heard the recommendations, and proposed revisions of the “Brethren Positions on Social Issues” document – a result of the National Executive Board commissioned Social Issues Task Force. The General Conference voted to table the discussion to the 2017 General Conference, allowing time for congregational review and feedback. Any proposed changes to the document must be brought to the 2017 General Conference in writing. To examine the material, please visit brethrenchurch. org/social-issues The Ohio District gathered on Saturday, April 1 for its 135th and final district conference. Smoky Row Brethren Church, Columbus, Ohio, hosted the gathering. The meeting adopted nine recommendations from its board of directors to implement the transition from a district to a region. All nine recommendations were adopted without a dissenting vote.
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Over the past year, the board of the Retirement Fund of The Brethren Church has reviewed various options to upgrade the retirement plan currently being offered. We are pleased to announce several new enhancements and new partners to improve all aspects of the plan. This will include:
•Education of pastors and staff who are currently participating. •Communication for new churches who want to offer this benefit. •Better performing and lower cost mutual fund investments. •Communication to our churches to help remind and simplify the submission of contributions. After evaluating many factors, the decision was made to select new partners for the management of the program. This summer Everence will assume responsibility for managing investment options and be available to pastors and staff to educate and communicate the benefits of participating in the plan. •Ability to make employee contributions in addition to contributions by each church. We also decided to use PenServ Plan Services who will provide record keeping and administrative support.
For more information on the Retirement Fund of The Brethren Church, please contact Tony VanDuyne in the Brethren Church National Office (419-289-1708) or Board President Ron W. Waters (330-525-7169 – Church; or 330-525-0499 – home). The Southeastern District Conference convened on April 22, at St. James Brethren Church (Hagerstown, MD). Significant moves of the conference included a majority vote to move forward with regionalization as well as updates on the incorporation of Camp Shenandoah Meadows as its own nonprofit entity. The conference concluded with the outgoing moderator, Rev. Richard Craver passing the gavel to the new moderator, Jason Crouch. The Indiana District convened on April 28-29, at the Brethren Retreat at Shipshewana Lake. Friday evening, those gathered celebrated a worship service thanking God for the 130-year history of the district. The district board of directors recommended ten items for adoption to transition from district to region. All ten recommendations were adopted without dissent, and the Indiana District concluded its 130th and final conference with an emotional yet hopeful benediction from moderator Rev. Larry Baker. As a supplement to our 1-week Brethren Academy summer event, Youth leaders and students were invited to a one-day worship and training events in Ohio, Virginia, and Indiana to invest in students exploring a call to ministry. Participants learned more about practices for spiritual formation and had the opportunity to choose from workshops specific to youth leaders or students interested in ministry. It was great to see familiar faces and meet new friends along the way. We look forward to hosting more events like this in the future to provide easily accessible opportunities to identify and encourage young leaders! For more information on Brethren Academy events and resources, visit www.brethrenacademy.org, or contact Cory Smith at Ashland University (419-289-5481, csmith27@ashland.edu).
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bowing of knees Each and every last one of us born. All below, six feet down, wormed through and maggot torn The faith scorners, elegy mourners, the hobbling drunks in alleys forlorn. Those who paid, those on parade at the peep show for glint of flesh, wanting more, getting less: her sunken eyes, baubles, regret. Whether in the Long March of Mao or the Death March of Bataan or every uniform belting And the caissons go rolling along! All the upright in heart, the spirit downtrodden. Figures in history’s annals long remembered, the washed-up on Omaha Beach, forgotten. From the ones of whom portraits are painted to the common man, the ramen man who laid the rail and rightly so should be sainted. None left out of all creature existence not the ones earnestly waiting, thinking men with posits debating, the bent over, pricked by cotton, by whip’s insistence. Waifs and strays, industrious tycoons to the breadline marooned. The preyed upon, the played alongs, the malnourished with bellies ballooned. The minstrels who fill the air with radio songs, accomplices to foolish pleasure of back seat wrongs. Peasants in fields whose lives are holy. Kings on thrones though hellishly lowly. From Abel, whose blood sank in the sod and Cain and progeny in the Land of Nod to black boys and the white men who sought them, caught them, shot them and claimed to justice they brought them and swear it true on the Book of God. All of us with our defying of God, our lying to God, our crying and sighing and our hearts crossed with hope our words are flying to God. All who hear, feel, create,wield, destroy, touch the silver-framed photographed faces and such. The blushing, the grinning, the saintly, the sinning. The healthy, the dying at death’s doorstep thinning. Few seem ready and bathed in blood, seems only right since He got splayed on wood His bowing so low, meekly, mercifully so, knowing us that we may Him know. Even when all knees shall bow He will lift up our heads to look eye-to-eye, and this in love, oh how. Oh my! Poem by Empty Me 8
PLACE MAKING Patrick Sprague
In 1924, J. Allen Miller gave a sermon before the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference, and, among other things, well-articulated our shared Brethren value of peace: “I find it impossible to reconcile Carnal Warfare, remembering its highest and best, with the Spirit of the Master of men. I repeat, again, therefore, and with increasing emphasis, WAR IS SINFUL. The Church cannot bless it. God cannot own it as the Doing of His Will.” Miller left little room for interpretation of his intent. His words were a clear picture of our long-standing historical stance: In light of the Gospel, and Christ’s challenge to us in Matthew 5, we are a peace church. Peace is a complex concept, and even more so in our current geopolitical climate. We are inundated with a constant 24-hour news feed of violent conflicts in Syria, Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan, and more. Terrorism leaks into Europe like a slow infection. And in America, our desire to protect our way of life feeds this cycle of fear and ratcheting up the ante. The reality is, our casual exposure to these images detaches us 9
Ameer Alhabi/Getty Images
from their significance, and it critically numbs us from our local need for people of peace. It places the need for peace "over there."
peace, happiness, and well-being. A place that people care for. A place where people feel at home. In Holly Whyte’s book, The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces, her research finds that “What attracts people most, it would appear, is other people. Indeed, people need people. We all need each other”. To the Christian reading with at least half-open eyes, we would affirm this need is a result of God’s design of humanity in his own image. We were created for each other.
Recently, I was scrolling through my Facebook feed, shortly after a chemical attack on Khan Sheikhoun, Syria. At least 72 people, including 11 children were killed. As I scrolled through the regular updates of my friend’s toddlers, complaints about the world, and trivial questions asking for recommendations on weekend getaway destinations, I passed a video showing children in the aftermath of the attack. After only a few short seconds, I had to scroll away. It was simply too difficult to view.
It’s not a far jump then, to understand that peacemaking includes placemaking. We are called to create spaces where our neighbors can feel loved, safe and needed. Whether it be our homes or public spaces, we are called as Christ followers to foster spaces where we can come together. Community is not merely a value Brethren hold for making decisions collectively, or a tool we use to deepen our understanding of scripture. Community isn’t simply a fancy Christian word for having good friends, or an invisible geographic fence we draw around our towns. While it can be all those things, community is a critical element in being peacemakers.
I’ve sat wrestling through my discomfort in the weeks since. Indeed, some of my discomforts came as I imagined the horror of the parents, as my daughters came to mind. Some of the discomforts came from my feeling of helplessness to aid the situation. Some came from a righteous anger at the evil and brokenness in this world. We were not made for conflict. We were not made for separation. God designed creation for community. In the garden, he gave Adam a companion in Eve. He created the land and the sea. He created light and the darkness. he gave the coolness and the warmth, the moon and the sun, the open prairies and the dense forest. Creation echoes God’s character of community. And, in his infinite wisdom, he placed everything in creation in a particular place to best thrive and find community. Creation was not just thrown in a pile, but set intentionally, with purpose. You and I are placed with care and intention as well. God, at this moment, has not called me to Syria. But he has placed me in my neighborhood, in my city, in my church. I believe that Christ has called us not just to peacemaking, but to placemaking. In urban planning, there is a concept of placemaking. It’s a process that has a result of creating public spaces that promote a community’s health, safety,
By creating places where we come together safely, where we share in conflict in a healthy manner, where we are known, needed and loved, we reduce instability in our world. We create ownership in the spaces and times we occupy. Ultimately though, community changes us. Our call to peace is in the space we occupy. Christ has called us to be “people of peace” where we are, and to open ourselves, so that they may be safe, known, loved and needed. Christ has called us to be “placemakers”, and our commitment to community will yield peace as a natural outpouring. Patrick Sprague serves as Communications Director at the Brethren Church National Office. He resides in Ashland, OH with his wife Leah and their two daughters. They are members of Park Street Brethren Church. 10
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CULTIVATING COMMUNITY
How Brethren are Intentionally Connecting with their Communities
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NEW FORMS OF COMMUNITY
We need to be in community. To share the burdens of each other, and to give comfort to those who need it. Also, the life changing, paradigm shifting, truth of the gospels is best interpreted, shared, and discussed together! How we start new forms of community is not revolutionary, but we sensed that people are not going to church like they used to. We live in California, and in my part of the state, there are many un/de-churched folks. We are 2-3 generations from the “grandma took me to church” reality. There are folks that when I say “Jesus,” they might have never heard of that guy. So we try and go where the people are, and not just create a community for ourselves.
Community in Manteca, CA It was four years ago that I caught wind of this movement called "church planting" at our General Conference. That year, I heard from people like Hugh Halter, Brandon Hatmaker, and our very own Bill Ludwig, talking about kingdoms here on earth that were radically different from the previous status quo. These were the conversations that sparked my overzealous, punk rocker, anti-establishment attitude to start something different, something unique. It was during this time that I was at a crossroad with my current definition of church. It was a paradigm that was about to be shifted, and at the core of this change there were these values that are still faithful to this day.
In doing so, our hope is that we can train, disciple, mentor, and help individuals realize their potential in this Kingdom that Jesus constantly talked about. The power that raised Jesus from the dead is dwelling inside us, ready to transform ourselves and everyone we meet! What does that look like for us? We have a Monday night gathering that meets every other Monday evening at the Machado House. We hang out, read scripture, discuss what we liked, didn’t like, what we 12
“There are folks that when I say ‘Jesus,’ they might have never heard of that guy. So we try and go where the people are, and not just create a community for ourselves.”
freedom to turn the ship in a different direction very quickly. I’ve learned early on in this process, and through the growth in my life that Jesus wants to show up! There is this eagerness that is inside us all that wants us to get closer to Him. I feel it in the conversations I’ve had with those not connected with church. They want to have a conversation about Jesus! God gave us this mind of creativity and discovery, but we are too often limited to our reality that is starting at us today. I think God wants to do more, to form different and unique expressions of church, to start new and exciting communities that usher in the transformative power of the Gospels and to have that empower his people to do great work.
had questions about, and how we apply the text to our lives. It is very low key, and very informal. It’s the longest standing group that we have and has morphed throughout the years. I like to think of it as a launching point group, using that time to see what Jesus is doing in our lives and see the passion that starts growing in those who join us. We have another expression called The Burrow. You know, the house in Harry Potter that was a place of security and safety – yes, like that house. This unique community reaches out to the kids in the Trailwood neighborhood around Colony Park in Manteca. Our friends, the Yetters, open their home to these children to play games, feed them, and get to know them individually while showing the love of Jesus.
We just have to trust and patiently await his timing.
This past year my buddy Joe and I started a podcast called ZAO Church Podcast. The podcast was the brainchild of Joe, as he was eager to explore his faith journey and do it in a more public space. I sprinkle in some of my “pastoral commentaries,” and we have a splendid time talking about our past church experiences and how that has shaped our current world view.
Jesse Adams and his wife, Tiffany lead a church plant named ZAO Church in California. Whether it be the beach or the mountains, they love spending time with their two kids and crazy dog.
What’s new on the horizon? Daniel, our brewmaster extraordinaire, had a vision for a beer church and beyond. It was a year and a half ago that this little idea got started, and as excited as we were, it never felt like the right time. Fast forward to today, we have a name for this new venture: Brethren Brew Pub. It will be a unique and different way to view church. We have a warehouse space that a friend of ours is willing to let us use a few times a month. We have tables, chairs, and of course fresh homebrew! More than all that, it gives us a very easy way to invite people in, who otherwise would never step foot in a church building, and invite them to church and hear about this Jesus that has transformed our lives. I think our German forefathers, who appreciated a good brew, are smiling down on this new expression of church. Based on the needs of the people around us, we’ve met in a tattoo shop, Panera Bread, and other various locations. These are all hyper contextualized comminutes that are there to serve the needs of those participating. And that’s the beauty of it all. If one of these communities needs to close or transform into a different expression, we have 13
CHURCH IN THE PARK
In Muskoka, we take our summers seriously. After enduring a long, hard winter (with an average snowfall of eleven feet) and a grueling black fly season (some people call this spring), by the time the beautiful weather of July and August arrives, the general opinion is that we’ve earned the right to enjoy it. For these two months, the population swells with tourists, and the locals put everything else on hold to savor every minute. How does a local congregation embrace this seasonal rhythm without losing momentum? For us at Muskoka Community Church, it means taking church outdoors. For the past five years, we have moved our summer worship services to downtown Huntsville for what we call “Church in the Park.”
Community in Muskoka, Canada
Each Sunday in July and August the MCC trailer pulls into River Mill Park at 8:30 a.m. and our dutiful crew begin to set up the P.A. system and other equipment. Tents provide shade and present a festive atmosphere. Signs are placed around the perimeter of the park to let passersby know what is happening (and invite them to join us). A refreshment station offers coffee, water, and goodies to anyone who stops. We occasionally invite guest musicians, but most of the time it is our MCC band, doing our typical worship songs. We present the music in a “concert-in-the-park” format, intentionally not handing out lyric sheets so that it doesn’t look like an “insider” event, but something that is open to all to join. People are encouraged to listen to the lyrics and reflect on their meaning as they sit on blankets or chairs. Sermons begin with an interactive kids segment, where 14
children come forward and join me on a picnic blanket for a quick lesson. Then I give a short, practical sermon for the adults, while the kids do a simple craft under a nearby tent. The whole thing has a festival feel; open and welcoming. It is also the most challenging and distracting atmosphere in which I have ever attempted to hold a church service. While speaking, I have competed with the noise of traffic, float planes buzzing overhead, nearby restaurants blaring music, children and dogs who have broken free of their restraints, bikini-clad women walking across the front of the stage, construction workers operating machinery, port-a-potties being removed, and the ever-present threat of a surprise rain shower dousing our spirits (and our electronic equipment). It wasn’t always this way. In our early years, we crafted an agreement with a local provincial (think “state”) park to use their outdoor amphitheater. Surrounded by nature and isolated from traffic noise or interruption, it appeared to be the perfect place to worship the Creator. However, during a meeting that stands out as one of my proudest moments as a pastor, our members decided to give up what was an ideal situation for ourselves, to better reach those outside our church. Despite its idyllic location, we found that very few people (other than hyper-vigilant Christian campers) joined us for our services. So we made the decision to move to this downtown park, just a block off the main drag, and adjacent to the town dock, to be better accessible to those who don’t know Christ. People can walk, bike, canoe, kayak, boat, or even drive to our services here.
smell of coffee. We have had people listening from downtown rooftops, from the adjacent playground, and from apartments that look onto the park. Because there is no clear boundary of where the park begins and ends, people can check things out anonymously, from a distance, without feeling like they need to take the frightening step of passing through church doors. For our church, it’s a nice change of pace—and a very “Muskoka” way of worshiping together. For those who don’t go to church, it’s an intriguing idea and offers hope of a church that might be different from the kind they’ve written off. We’ve gained several members through this outreach, and we’ve sent tourists home with spiritual curiosity. But most of all, Church in the Park is a tangible reminder that we do not exist for ourselves, but for the community around us—even in summer.
And they do. Our summer attendance is at least as high as the rest of the year. In addition to those who come intentionally, many people stumble into our services, drawn by the music, the signs around town, and the
As we went through the process of purchasing our first facility this past year, the one question asked most—both by our members and by people who don’t go to church— was whether we would still do Church in the Park after we moved into our new home. The answer, of course, is yes.
Jeremy McClung lives in Huntsville, ON, with his wife, April and three children aged 7–15. He is founding pastor of Muskoka Community Church, our first Brethren congregation in Canada. He has a BA from Huntington University and an MA from McMaster Divinity College. 15
Photo by Drake on Flickr. Used with Permission.
JOINING FORCES
Pleasant View Brethren Church together with House of Hope Family Worship Center held their annual Easter Egg hunt on Kepple Hill in Vandergrift, Pennsylvania. Over 60 kids from the community came with their family for a fun time of free food, prizes, and egg hunting. There were over 2,800 candy-filled plastic eggs spread out over four acres. The afternoon event was for ages 3-12. The evening “After Glow,” for ages 13-18, included a scavenger hunt and Nerf war. Nine youth prayed to receive Christ during the day’s activities.
Community in Pleasant View, PA
Though I call this extraordinary, it is not the first such event. In the past year, together with the House of Hope, we’ve held many community gatherings. A Chili Cook Off and Pie Bake, a youth lock-in, five joint Sunday morning worship services, three Nerf wars for area youth, two joint communion services, a community Easter Egg Hunt, a 16
joint Vacation Bible School program, an Easter sunrise service, and our annual community block party and 5k run. You see, what is truly extraordinary is not the event, but the relationship between the churches. Historically, local churches were often isolated and territorial. Fellowship was more common among churches of the same denomination but was more the exception than the rule. I understand the tendency of pastors and church members to focus on their ministry and the success of their church. I did the same, and for years, I focused on teaching Brethren history, doctrine, and polity to new believers. One day the Lord asked me a simple, yet profound question: “Are you Brethren first, or are you my child first?” That question changed my thinking. I no longer ask if a plan is the best strategy to grow our congregation. I try to ask, “Is this what Christ wants?” “Will this increase his fame and extend his Kingdom?” “Is it demonstrating love to others?” I believe this to be truly a much more “Brethren” approach. The relationship between our two churches is both one of convenience and one of conviction. Both churches are smaller, with an average attendance around forty people. Our congregation is aging. House of Hope is new in the area, and most of the members live more than 15 miles away. House of Hope is also practically next door to our church. We have found that we are stronger when we work together. We can do things together that would not be possible for either to do alone. Non-churchgoers have long been critical of the many divisions of Christianity, and specifically, the lack of love demonstrated between denominations. Pastor Scott Kifer (House of Hope) and I share the conviction that the Kingdom of God is much bigger than either of our denominations. We agree that it is more important to advance the Gospel and Kingdom of God than our personal ministries. There are more than enough people in our area
Photo by Drake on Flickr. Used with Permission.
that are not Christ followers to fill every church in our area, so there is no need to “fight for members,” and we are called to love and support one another. Our church’s identities and denominational ties remain intact, but we also work closely together. We see fruit from this relationship. People in our neighborhood are amazed and impressed that two churches are working together. Each year our joint events continue to grow, as do the relationships and inroads we have in the community. One of my favorite moments was during a Nerf War an ironic thing to hold in a church with a peace church heritage! We broke up the 75 students into three groups based on age. As it was winter, we held the event indoors. In each church, we set up a different game to play. In our church, it was “Zombies vs. Humans” (sort of like tag while getting shot with Nerf darts), and in the House of Hope, it was something like capture the flag. In our Fellowship Hall, the third group would make and eat pizzas, and hear a short devotional message. Every 45 minutes we had the groups rotate to a new venue, so all could participate in each activity. The kids were respectful, and everyone had a great time. When I was driving a 17-year-old young man home (who had never been in a church before), he told me, “This is the most fun I’ve ever had!” That is a moment I will long remember. It is the most fun he’d ever had, and it happened in a church, where he also heard something about Jesus! It is a slow process. There are many challenges. But we cannot afford to quit. Jesus is the hope of our community; we must take the Gospel to them so they can know Him!
“We have found that we are stronger when we work together. We can do things together that would not be possible for either to do alone.”
Todd Ruggles has been serving as the pastor of the Pleasant View Brethren Church in Vandergrift, Pennsylvania. Prior to serving in Vandergrift, Todd and his wife Tracy served nearly 18 years as missionary church planters in Mexico City, Mexico. Todd and Tracy are also the proud parents of two teenage boys: Johnathan (17) and Benjamin (13). 17
“MY PRAYER FOR OUR CHURCH IS THAT WE ARE PEOPLE WHO USE THEIR GIFTS TO SHOW THE LOVE OF JESUS TO ALL THOSE WE ENCOUNTER. HOSPITALITY IS IN OUR NAME AND WOVEN INTO OUR HERITAGE.” -STEVEN COLE
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The Berlin Brethren Church is sponsoring a weekend event called The Gathering. The event will be Saturday evening and Sunday morning, August 12 and 13, 2017, and will include worship, prayer, speakers, music, and food. This event is designed to unite churches and people in the area in praising God and encouraging one another so that they leave refreshed and committed to building up Jesus Christ’s Kingdom where they live. It is an open event at Camp Peniel, near Meyersdale, PA. For more details, check out the Facebook page, @TheGatheringBBC, or email 2017thegathering@gmail.com.
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You Don’t Want to Miss This! + WORSHIP BY: SING LOVE SING + 2 SESSIONS COMBINED WITH ADULT CONFERENCE + CEDAR POINT DAY! Register Now at BYIC.org See you in July!
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fireflies Flashes of light illumine the backyard, Fireflies announcing their presence to the world Greenish-yellow hue pierces the dark purple of the twilight I search for patterns...for rhythms. Alas, just sit back and enjoy! Friends gather around a flickering campfire. Red-hot coals sizzles the water soaked log Bright eruptions of flames casts an orange hue on the faces surrounding The cool of a summer's eve on the back The warmth of laughter and smoky heat on the front The backyard teems with life all announcing their presence through the flickering of life. Summer's warmth and presence announced by sporadic irruptions of laugher, of community... of light.
Poem by Jason Barnhart
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BE THE PIG Creating Community with Bacon
If you wander into the Dowdy House in Berlin, PA on a Thursday or Friday morning, September through May, you’ll find a house full of high schoolers. Gathered before school, the Dowdy’s have created a community, a family actually, that gathers for a hearty breakfast and a chance to share what Jesus is doing in their lives. It’s a simple concept: make a great meal, gather together, and share their faith. The young men call themselves Bacon and Bros, modeled off a mantra of “being the pig.” In John 6, Jesus describes His flesh and blood as the Word and tells us we should feast on him. In fact, the original Greek word used here describes the feasting wild animals do – or as your mother might have suggested: eating like a pig. The Dowdy’s have asked these students to “be the pig,” to feast on God’s word, and have provided a spiritual and literal feast to do so. Bacon and Bros and Women and Waffles brings students together over a shared feast of community, Word, and breakfast. How did you even come up with the idea to make breakfast a part of youth ministry? The simplest version is that I started a discipleship relationship at the time with an 8th grader, and I saw leadership potential in him. When we looked at schedules, the only time that worked consistently well was breakfast. So, we met for a full year, going through the Gospel of Mark, picking it apart. At the end of the year, I asked the student, “What would it look like to bring somebody else in with us?”, and he was totally game. When the next school year began, we started with two or three new boys joining us, and before we knew it, some students wanted to come, pick apart the Gospels and share life together. It was never an intentional idea to create growth; the discipleship just kept growing. 22
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It’s really a sign of worship, of celebration, right? That came from a student, not me. There was a student: Dante Paul. After one of the devotions, he just starts hitting the table with both his palms. After a few weeks, the other kids start doing it, and before we know it, we have stuff shaking on the walls, juice cups falling over. And man, it’s loud! But Amanda and I have both said, “it’s worth it.” We have stains on our carpet, we have a strip in our backyard that won’t grow grass because kids are walking the same path over and over, but these things are almost like monuments, you know? To say, “This is where Jesus showed up,” and even when we shampoo the carpet, it’s almost bittersweet.
You know, part of it too was that we realized our students were just absolutely hammered in the evenings. They had sports, family time, homework, thek…ere tired. As crazy it sounded, we thought, “This might need to happen before school.” And it was a big leap of faith in even starting that because the pessimist in all of us said “What student is going to wake up before school for this?”, but it’s still our most productive time. As it began to grow, we passed ownership off to the students. My wife and I, we make the breakfast. Sometimes we’ll wake up at 5:00, or 6:00, or even prep the night before to get a good meal together. Our philosophy has always been, “If they’re committed enough to come in the morning, then we’re committed enough to make a good meal that we would enjoy.” So we’re making quiches, we’re making casseroles; we’re making fresh pancakes, Belgian waffles, anything we can come up with. We do the food, but they take ownership of leading the prayer, leading the devotion. They argue over who gets to lead the next week.
Every stain, every patch of grass, every lost hour of sleep has been totally worth it. So, you started with the first student four years ago, and then two years ago you started a group for ladies as well. Are you and Amanda involved with both guys and girls, or do you just go with your gender? Kind of both. We both make the meals together. As long as there is a seat, we’ll both join both groups, but we serve as runners for the opposite group. If it’s women’s, I’ll help serve, and she does the same. We’re also trying to get our kids ready for school and out the door. We usually set up the night before, prep, get the tables and chairs out. We put a big porcelain pig out in the middle of the table.
That’s rare. We told them, “pick a passage or verse, read it, and share with the group what it means to you.” We pass it around, they share the Word, and afterward, they pound the table. They hoot, they holler, they scare my daughter in the other room. Amanda [my wife] and I have had conversations about how different this is from a “church” atmosphere. Whenever somebody finishes reading the Word of God and applying it to their life, the room will literally erupt. There were times last year where we had 20+ students, and they would pound the table so hard it would shake the pictures on my wall. These kids are erupting for the Word of God. They’re just so excited; they’re encouraging the guy who shares to go back and keep living it. The breakfast has become a living embodiment of faith.
I mean, I don’t think it’s a stretch to say, it sounds to me like each Thursday and Friday morning, you convert your house to church? Basically, yes. I think what’s made it a success, beyond the students buying into it is that the parents have bought into it. Every once in a while, they’ll provide a meal to give Amanda and I a break. One of our student’s dad runs a feed store, and he’s constantly talking to farmers. You know, he’ll bring us a couple of pounds of sausage. I have a guy, three years ago he came up and said, “You know, I appreciate what you’re doing for the boys, can I buy you some bacon?” I said, “Yeah, that’s great!” Absolutely! Well, he’s been buying us bacon for the last three years. He’ll buy ten, twenty pounds at a time. He’ll say, “when you get low, you give me a call,” and he always delivers. Every time I say, “Mike, can I give you something for this?”, He says “Dude, I just want to reach out, I want to bless you.” Parents and adults have bought into it. So even though it’s a youth breakfast, it’s turned into a family ministry. Parents are asking, “What’d you have for breakfast? What’d you talk about?” In some ways, I like the breakfast more than I do our youth group times. 24
“It’s given us a chance to connect with students relationally. They talk differently in the morning, before school. It’s far rawer; the Christian language isn’t there, it’s just them.”
What is it about the breakfast that makes you gravitate more that way than towards regular youth group? I see a wider variety of kids. I think when youth group time comes, the overarching stereotype is that we get our students, and it’s their own time. But at breakfast, we get all kinds that come. We get kids from all sorts of faiths. We have Lutherans; we have two Catholics, we have a Mormon kid coming, obviously, we have Brethren kids. But Jesus is the ultimate unifying thing at breakfast. We all share a common interest in learning more about Jesus and growing in him. There aren’t theological debates. It’s more about “Wow, Jesus is showing up that way?” or, “When I read this passage, that’s where I see Jesus.” Bacon and Bros. are more of outreach. If we can just agree on Jesus, lives can be transformed. We focus on the root, not the fruit. If we take care of the root of these kid’s faith, it’ll bear the right fruit. We focus on the root of Jesus.
For you and Amanda, what are the big highlights or takeaways? It’s given us a chance to connect with students relationally. They talk differently in the morning, before school. It’s far rawer; the Christian language isn’t there, it’s just them. They’ll talk about their teachers; they’ll talk about their parents.
There’s something about food, right? The kitchen table, the dining room table, it changes the atmosphere. A lot of students won’t come to youth group, because it’s in a church because it’s on a Sunday night because it’s a church thing. The breakfast isn’t that way. It’s at my house. The church doesn’t pay for it, Amanda and I have been paying for it out of our pocket. The church has offered, but we’ve just said, “Hey, this is the way we want to give back.” I think the kids see that this is just some dude, who loves Jesus, who wants to be hospitable and wants to share life together. I think they appreciate that.
Isn’t this how discipleship works? We invite people into relationship, we change, we get excited about it, and we watch it replicate out of that.
The coolest benefit is our kids seeing life shared together. Our kids have grown up seeing other students, people from the church, our neighbors, our community, in our family. It’s always seemed like distant family, but the breakfast times have been personal family. Our kids love having the breakfast, and they get to see older kids interact. They get to see what it looks like to have people in your life. Watching them grow into a faith expression through this has been awesome.
Beyond that, it’s even strengthened our marriage. Having the chance to love on students, to pray for them. We pray for them the night before; we do that together. Marriagewise, even that has pulled us together. And it’s made us better cooks too! We were always pretty decent, but we can whip up pancakes now like nothing else. Luke Dowdy has been serving as the Youth Pastor at the Berlin Brethren Church in Berlin, Pennsylvania since 2010. His passion is Jesus Centered Youth ministry, which explores ways to read the entire Bible through the lens of the person and work of Jesus. He and his family love the outdoor life.
Amanda and I take seriously this idea where Jesus said: “Feed my sheep.” Not just spiritually, but literally. Let’s make it a good meal. Red velvet pancakes, waffles, casserole. Eggs to order, eggs scrambled. Jesus said “Feed my sheep,” and we want to feed them well. 25
A GOSPEL for EVERYONE Goshen, IN
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They set up tents, tables, and chairs at Broadmore’s management trailer, and got to work. The breakfast included pancakes, haystacks, tacos, egg casseroles, and made-to-order omelets.
On Goshen, Indiana’s north end, you’ll find Jefferson Community Church, a Brethren congregation. Sitting across the street from the church’s parking lot, on the east side of IN-15, is a small mobile home park, Broadmore Estates. The residents of Broadmore are quite literally Jefferson’s neighbors. Broadmore contains a high Hispanic population, part of Goshen’s ever-increasing Hispanic and Latino population, which now represents around 20% of Goshen’s populace.
Brethren know all too well, food serves as a great gathering tool, and soon Jefferson’s members were sitting side by side with residents of Broadmore, sharing in meals, serving together, and getting to know their neighbors. Typical weeks would draw anywhere from 40-75 residents to the breakfast, and gave ample opportunity socialize and build relationships. As he so often does, God supplied for all of the group’s needs, including people to help interpret and remove the language barrier.
In 2015, the Holy Spirit began moving in a new way through Jefferson, convicting and leading its members into connection with the changing ethnic landscape of their city, and their particular community. Two Sunday School classes began asking themselves, “What should we be doing to further the cause of Christ?” The two groups sought a deeper understanding of the Spirit’s leading, and to reach across culture lines to their neighbors. Their journey was one of obedience, and that obedience continues to yield fruit.
Many of the residents requested that the members of Jefferson lead them in a Bible study, and in turn, Jefferson asked for the Spirit’s guiding again. “What would God have us study together? What book of the Bible would best lead us in this season, with our new friends?” A member of one of the Sunday School classes, Larry Doss, felt the call to lead the group through Luke, with a particular focus on the resurrection of Christ. He located a study printed in Spanish, and they dove in.
As the groups discerned together the path God was leading them to, it became apparent that the clearest place to begin was with their nearest neighbors, across the street at Broadmore. The groups committed to building relationships with their neighbors, “no-strings-attached.” So, they approached the mobile home park about providing a weekly community breakfast for the residents.
The Gospel of Luke proved to be a fantastic choice for the cross-culture group to engage together. Many biblical historians believe Luke to be a gentile, and as such, Luke 28
public declaration of her new-found faith.
brings a distinct understanding of being “other,” and his minority vantage point comes through in his Gospel. Luke presents a clear call to Christ, and delivers a Gospel “for everyone.”
What began as a desire to hear from the Holy Spirit and to engage their community has resulted in Jesus doing what he has always done: tearing down the barriers and walls of culture and comfort zones, and drawing his people near to him. While Jefferson continues to explore what this engagement and ministry look like, it is clear that God is moving in their midst, drawing them into deeper community with their neighbors across the street, and the changing culture of Goshen.
The group gathered around 12-15 in attendance, and they dug deeply into Luke’s presentation of Christ, and the implications for their lives together. It should come as no surprise that God continued to bear fruit in the lives of those attending. The week after studying Luke’s passage on The Good Samaritan, a Hispanic couple from the group took in a homeless man they met. They helped him find work (the next day!). A neighbor heard of the situation, was moving to another home, and offered her current home to the man. This allowed the man to bring his four daughters and son up from Texas. This required more support from their group, and the group stepped up. They provided beds, clothing, and school supplies. The love of Jesus lived out in practical, tangible ways.
This article was adapted from a submission by Elma Delagrange of Goshen, Indiana
Soon came another cause for celebration. Maria, an attendee, told Larry through an interpreter that she desired to accept Jesus as her Savior. The group gathered around her on their knees, and together prayed, rejoiced and lifted Maria up to her Savior. She then asked Larry to baptize her! This small class of fifteen was deeply moved. Larry, along with Pastor Ken Hunn celebrated soon after with a moving baptism service, baptizing Maria and making a 29
END NOTES
Executive Director, Steven Cole
The day my family and I arrived in Manteca, California, we were greeted with the most beautiful sight...two amazing pies. We didn’t know it at the time, but these pies had a reputation, as did the baker, Lois Flora! Lois greeted us at our new home in Manteca with her homemade goodness and a few toys for our three-year-old daughter, Maggie. It was evident to our family that this was the way that Lois showed the love of Jesus to others. She was not a woman of means or an outspoken person in our church, but her quiet, humble gift to our family that day spoke volumes and started us on a fascinating journey with Ms. Lois and her pies! Lois’ story is one of quiet humility. Lois had been a member of the Northgate Community Church since the 1960’s. Her love for people and her tremendous gift for hospitality were born from her early life in the old order German Baptist Brethren. Lois and her husband moved to California from Indiana and reconnected with the German Baptist Brethren in Modesto, California. When Lois’ husband took a job with the city of Manteca, the family decided to move and started attending the Brethren Church in Manteca. Lois and her family spent nearly five decades in Manteca, serving quietly alongside the other members of the Brethren Church in service to their community. In our time in Manteca, Northgate Community Church began to minister to our local elementary school. One way we did that was to serve the teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week. We would serve lunch to the teachers and give them gifts to remind them of how valuable they were to our community, and to God! It was at this event that the “table was set” for Ms. Lois’ pies to shine! During the meal, teachers could come in during their lunch break and enjoy some homemade food that warmed their hearts and filled their bellies. One teacher’s reaction to dessert left an indelible mark on our church and me. It turns out that Mr. Rumble, a 5th-grade teacher, was a member of the German Baptist Brethren Community in Modesto. Mr. Rumble took one bite of the pie, and turned to our church serving team, asking, “Is this Lois Flora’s pie?” One bite is all it took for the memory of the "best pie you have ever tasted" to come flooding back from the years when Ms. Lois was a part of the German Baptist community! One bite and he knew who had crafted such a masterpiece of love and care! We lost Lois a few years ago, but her pies live on with her family. Her son, Steve, still makes pies so people can enjoy them. Steve graciously gave us Ms. Lois’ secret. It was her crust! But it wasn’t a secret that Lois kept to herself. She was always willing to teach it to anyone who asked. This was the beauty of the gift God gave to Lois. She was always willing to extend love to others through her hospitality. When God created Lois, he created a woman who would quietly live out her life serving Jesus; one hospitable moment at a time, one pie at a time. What is even more amazing is that she practiced it so often, she became good at it. She became so good at it that one bite could let you know that Jesus loves you. LOIS FLORA’S PIE CRUST RECIPE 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour 1/2 teaspoon of salt 1/3 cup of vegetable oil 2 tablespoons cold water Mix with hands and mold into a dough ball. Roll out between wax paper. To bake the pie crust only... bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes.
My prayer for our church is that we are people who use their gifts to show the love of Jesus to all those we encounter. Hospitality is in our name and woven into our heritage. I pray that we discover the gifts God gave us so we can be the servants our world needs. I pray we practice those gifts so often that they become what we are known for. Scripture teaches us that the world will know whose we are by how we love. You have been created to love others in your unique way. I pray you can discover your unique way of showing God’s Love. Lois did! Steven Cole is the Executive Director of The Brethren Church. As Executive Director, Steven works to communicate the vision and diverse story of our denomination. God has blessed Steven with his wonderful wife, Beth, and their two children, Maggie and Patrick. 30
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The Brethren Evangelist (SSN 0747-4288) is published quarterly by The Brethren Church, Inc., 524 College Ave., Ashland, OH 44805-3792 (telephone: 419-289-1708; email: brethren@brethrenchurch.org; fax: 419-281-0450. Authors’ views are not necessarily those of The Brethren Church. Subscription rates: Sent free to Brethren Church members; $15.00 per year to others. Member, Evangelical Press Association. Postage: Paid at Ashland, Ohio or additional mailing office at Mansfield, Ohio. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Brethren Church, 524 College Ave., Ashland, OH 44805-3792. Spring 2017, Vol.139, No. 2.
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