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Balko "relaunches" into
FEATURES [Evangelism]
10 OH , WHAT A DIFFERENCE by Don Morris
"What must I do to be saved?" is the question the jailor posed to Paul and Silas and is one that is still asked today. Is there a prescribed procedure one must follow in order to be saved? What needs to happen in order for salvation to "take?" The answer is as simple today as it was for the New Testament jailor.
13 MEATLOAF EVANGELISM by MichaeL C. Mahan
My neighbor who asks for a meatloaf recipe has much in common with the neighbor who doesn't know Christ. What can something as mundane as sharing a recipe teach us about evangelism?
14 I AM JOHN, JUST JOHN by John Langer
John Lander is a businessman who considers himself no different than the next guy. He is a husband and father, active in his church and a successful businessman. But John is convinced that sharing his faith is a requirement of that faith and that belief has made a big difference in his life.
16 WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A CHRI STI AN? By Pierre GiLbert
The high school student was stunned. How dare his friend call him a pagan! But that statement and the questions it raised revolutionized his life.
18 POEM : W C.W ON THE CROSS by Dallas Wiebe
> FiRST WORDS
[from the ed i tor]
I T IS EASY FOR THOSE OF US WHO HAVE BEEN RAISED IN the church to forget how powerful the news of Christ's resurrection really is. We sing, "Up from the grave he arose, with a mighty triumph o'er his foes; he arose a victor from the dark domain and he lives forever with his saints to reign ." We sing it but we don't celebrate its awesome truth. Last Easter a 5th grade boy reminded me of the powerful punch the good news of Christ's death and resurrection delivers. It was the Wednesday before Easter Sunday and so my co-teacher and I had planned a special midweek Bible lesson for our 5th and 6th graders Given that all but one of the kids were regular churchgoers, we assumed they had a basic understanding of the events of Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday but were unfamiliar with what happened in between So our plan was to highlight the events of Monday through Thursday while simply touching on the weekend events .
We selected seven Scripture passages that covered the events of Palm Sunday through Easter Sunday. Each pair of kids was given a passage of Scripture to read Their instructions were to discover what Jesus did that day and to draw a picture illustrating the major event of their assigned day
When the drawings were finished we posted them around the room and talked about the events of Passion Week. Sunday Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey. Monday he cleanses the temple . Tuesday the religious leaders question Jesus. Wednesday Jesus is anointed with expensive perfume. Thursday the disciples and Jesus eat together. Friday Jesus is crucified and Saturday he is in the tomb. Sunday his friends discover the empty tomb and meet the resurrected Jesus.
"You mean he had really died? " asked the boy with limited exposure to church . "He was really dead and then God made him alive?" he asked in amazement.
And suddenly the one-two punch hit me. Jesus had been dead-really dead-in order to pay the price for my sins And then he was alive-amazingly alive-and offers me eternal life. That's good news . That's news that can change lives . This is what we celebrate each Easter
> QUOT ABLE
' The center of salvation is the Cross of Jesus, and the reason it is so easy to obtain salvation is because it cost God so much . The cross is the point where God and sinful man merge with a crash and the way to life is opened-but the crash is on the heart of God." -Oswald Chambers in My Utmost for His Highest
> UP & COMING
lIJ uly 26-28 - U.S. Conference national pastors ' conference, Boone, NC
lIJ uly 28-30 - U.S. Conference biennial convention, Boone, N C
APRIL 2006
Volu me 69 Number 4
C onn ie Faber EDITOR
Myra Holm es ASSISTANT EDITOR
E lai n e Ewe rt GRAPHIC DESIGNER
MANDATE The Christian Leader li SSN 0009- 5149 1is p ubli she d monthly b y the U S Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches The Chris t ian Leader seeks to inform Mennonite Breth ren mem bers and churc hes of the event s, activitie s, deci sions an d issues of t heir denomi nation, an d to inst ruct, inspire and initiate dia logue so members will aspire to be faithful di sciple s of Ch r i st as underst ood in t he evangelicaVAna baptist theolog ica l tra di ti on
EDITORIAL POLICY The views ex presse d in t hi s publication do not nece ssarily repre sent the position of the Christian Leader, the U.S. Con fere nce Leaders hi p Board or the Menn onite Bre th ren Church Scripture references are from New International Version unless ot herwise no ted Th e editors invite freelance article sub m ission s A SASE must accompany articles
READER PARTICIPATION The editors invite readers to share their thoughts and opinion s on topics relevant to the Mennonite Brethren Church using letters to the editor and Forum essays Letters to the editor should be brief - 300 words or le ss- and on one subject. Letters must be signed and include the writer'S city and state Letters will be edited for clarity. appropriateness and length Lette rs will be published, as space allows, unless marked - Not for publication .- Forum is open to members or attendees of Mennonite Brethren churches Essays should not exceed BOO words, and should include the writer's name, addre ss, home church and occupation ,
COMMUNICATION All corre spondence , including change of address, should be addressed to the Chris tian Leader, Box 220, Hillsboro, KS 67063 , Phone : 620 - 947- 5543 Fax: 620 - 947 - 3266 E- mail : christianleaderlilusmb org.
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PO STMASTER Send add r ess changes to the Chris tian Leader, Box 22 0, Hillsboro, KS 67063 Periodi cal s postage paid at Hillsboro, Kansa s,
CONNIE FABER
By Susan Schroeder Baker
God uses ordinary people like me
A mission trip to Africa gives opportunity to share Christ
Wo would have ever thought that at my age I would go to Africa on a mission trip? That was always for others who, I thought, could do a better job than I ever could.
But after much thought and prayer, I went with my sister (who has been to Africa many times) to Tanzania, South Africa and Namibia with Disciple Making International, a short-term MBMS International evangelistic program. DMI participates in regions where there are long-term vision and support structures that enable discipleship to continue after the team has left. DMI partners each North American with Christians from a host country in wimessing. Our group included four from the u.s. and II from Canada, and we traveled during October 2005.
For the first two weeks IS Africans from Kisumu, Kenya, joined us as we went to Musoma, Tanzania, to help 59 churches evangelize that area. Each day we were assigned a co-worker to accompany us we went door-to-door in the area around their church.
We found people to be very open to the gospel. Many listened intently and then believed. For example, one of the first days I was there my co-worker and I were walking back to the church along the dirt street when we came across an older couple. They were all dressed up and sitting on chairs beside the road I greeted them, told them how nice they looked and started a conversation.
The gentleman asked me where I was from and what I was doing in Africa. I told him I came all the way from the United States of America to share the love of God and to tell people about Jesus. Then he said to me, ''Tell me about Jesus." I did so with joy Both he and his wife prayed to receive the Lord that day.
It was interesting to see the different responses that people had after they prayed to receive the Lord. One older gentleman, with much expression in his voice, said, 'These are wonderful words!" At a different home a man said, "I had to come here to visit today so I could hear about God." At another home a man said, "I knew someday someone would come tell me about God."
We wimessed to a number of Muslim people. Some didn't want to listen but many of them did. After showing them from Scripture that Jesus is who he says he is, some believed and received Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
In Musoma there were at least 12,000 people who prayed to receive the Lord. How many of them were truly born again or will follow through? Only the Lord knows. At least they had a chance to hear.
Our being there was such an encouragement to the national believers. It helped them to see how people were attracted to a simple gospel presentation and that this was something they Baker began a conversation with this nicely dressed couple who asked her to tell them about Jesus.
could also do after we left.
When people prayed to receive the Lord we wrote down their names and addresses so the local church could do follow-up. I've heard from one of the Musoma churches that has done their follow-up. They've more than doubled in size and have baptized 52 people since we were there.
After saying good-bye to our IS African missionaries, we traveled to the big, beautiful city of Durban, South Africa. This is where the Baudouin Nsulunka family is working to establish a Mennonite Brethren church. We went door-to-door in inner-city apartment buildings. The week we were there we saw many people, including a number of college students, invite Christ into their lives.
Next we went to the desert city of Oshakati, Namibia The sun was hot and the spiritual harvest was ripe like Christ talks about in the Scriptures.
The last day we were in Oshakati one of the three men on our team went to a home way out of town. One of the men told us of a woman who came to the door with tears in her eyes. She told him that she had had a dream that a white man came to her door and she was afraid. She didn't want to let him in, but God told her not to be afraid because the man was coming to tell her about God. So she let our team member in and she accepted Jesus as her Savior that day. This was a good reminder that God had gone before us and had prepared hearts to receive him.
I am so grateful for the many people who supported us in prayer. I experienced and learned many things. One lesson 111 never forget is that God still uses ordinary people to accomplish his purposes if we are willing to go. I'm glad I went.
> CONFERENCE CALL by
Chuck Buller
Labels that don't stick
Why can't we look at one another's hearts?
Irecently spent some time at the Mennonite World Conference miniassembly in Pasadena, Calif. I came away from the assembly with a renewed sense of why labeling Christians not only doesn't work but why it is in fact an abomination to God.
The Scriptures are clear, "Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." (I Sam. 16:7). The context of this verse is religious and political. Samuel is commissioned by God to reject Saul as king and anoint David. It isn't that David is so hard to look at. It is simply that he is the youngest of the sons of Jesse.
In simple terms, he didn't fit the existing categories for what people wanted in a king His resume was virtually blank. "Young sheep herder" is
munity, vibrant worship, adequate worship facilities and the like. God knows that these desires are not measured by socioeconomics. We should be as insightful. When I sit with a brother from Paraguay and listen to him talk about how his church is hoping to build a more functional worship center I am amazed by the common desire.
The one exception to all of this occurs in settings where suffering is so intense that normal human hopes are put on hold. I encourage you to consider the many articles you have seen recently in this magazine about the hurts and hopes of our broth-
()nc ot the rC;.lsons 1 c ontinu e to believe in partn e rship s with the larger ;\'1ennonite family is be ca use it is in th ese settings that one
ers and sisters in the Congo. Consider the practical suggestions for how you and your 1. . f "C" l' I' I " g e ts a JIgger VlCW 0 joe (mgcom come
not the stuff around which you build political campaigns in any age. Yet God knew David's heart, and in spite of what he already knew of David's future moral failures, God clearly hands his kingdom to David rather than Saul. The point is that God gets to do what God wants regardless of human categories.
It is for this reason that we do well to think carefully before labeling other Christians. It is possible that God intends to use someone that we too easily reject . Labels such as conservative, liberal, evangelical and Anabaptist often reflect our value system more than God's.
Being with international leaders always reminds me of how useless these labels are when working at larger kingdom efforts. God uses rich and poor, black and white, and liberal and conservative to drive his agenda. The fact is that God knows the hearts of his servants.
We should be wise when choosing how to evaluate where to invest our resources in kingdom work. God knows the difference between people who talk about loving the lost and those who actually do. God knows the difference between people who talk social justice and those who actually do it. God knows the difference between those who have a 'bigh view of the Scriptures" and those who simply choose to obey.
This is why we are always wise to avoid jumping to conclusions about God's larger work in the world. One of the reasons I continue to believe in partnerships with the larger Mennonite family is because it is in these settings that one gets a bigger view of "God's kingdom come.... "
I have found that whether I am meeting one of my Amish friends or hearing about the latest and greatest church program from an American suburban pastor I am amazed at the common threads of God's presence. Labels aside, most Christians have remarkably similar hopes and hurts.
All Christians hope for wellness, quality family life, supportive com -
church might help alleviate some of the suffering.
Sometimes shalom takes a back seat to survival and the church is called to respond so that our brothers and sisters are given the same opportunity that we enjoy as God's children to dream again . Labels sometimes do matter when they come attached to terms such as "starving," "brutalized" or "unemployed." While God looks past these outward appearances he does not look past the suffering. That's why he invites us to be the hands and feet of Jesus.
I must be honest. One of my normal reactions when sitting with international leaders is an unbelievable feeling of powerlessness. There is so much brokenness, evil and pain in our world that my little efforts will not resolve. That is why I take some measure of hope in partnering with other members of our Mennonite family to bring the full power of the gospel to bear on places and people I will never encounter.
Some of these people have a very different appearance than I do theologically, geographically, socioeconomically and physically. Yet the good news is: God knows our hearts not our skin color; God knows our hearts not our denominational initials; God knows our hearts not our net worth; God knows our hearts not our theological "hobby horses;" God knows our hearts not our.... You get the point.
Last of Six" released
Thach reports mistreatment during two-year prison term
Viemarnese evangelist Pham Ngoc Thach was released from prison in Ho Chi Minh City March 3. He was the last of the "Mennonite Six" to gain his freedom.
An incident March 2, 2004, involving undercover security agents led to the arrest of the six at various times over the next several months. They were charged with 'bindering officials from carrying out their duties." All six were convicted by a Ho Chi Minh City court in November 2004 and sentenced to prison tertns ranging from a few months to three years.
Nguyen Hong Quang, pastor of a Viemamese Mennonite church, was sentenced to three years but was granted amnesty and released in August 2005. The other four persons were released earlier. All six persons consistently denied that they had violated Viemamese laws.
Thach, 35, was an assistant to Quang and served as head of the church's evangelism committee.
Thach served out his full two-year sentence. He reports being
mistreated during interrogations and beaten by criminals in the prison.
The other five who were imprisoned have experienced ongoing health problems since their release.
The Viemamese Mennonite Church believes that the concerns expressed by other governments and by international organizations played a role in the release of an the imprisoned church leaders.-MWC
Mennonite evangelist Pham Ngoc Thach, right, celebrates with his father after getting out of prison.
Evangelical leaders call global warming a crisis
DMerrill Ewert, president of Fresno Pacific University, and Larry Nikkel, president of Tabor College, were
• among more than 85 evangelical leaders who signed a statement expressing a biblically-driven commitment to curb global wartning and call1ng on the government to enact nationallegislation to reduce carbon dioxide emissions that are contributing to global climate change
FPU and TC are MB-owned educational institutions headquartered in Fresno, Calif., and Hillsboro, Kan. , respectively.
The statement, Climate Change : An Evangelical Cau to Action, says that Christian moral convictions demand a response to the climate change problem and calls on governments, business, churches and individuals to playa role The document was issued Feb . 8 by the Evangelical Climate Initiative and was signed by leaders of evangelical Christian denominations, mega -church pastors, Christian college presidents and CEOs of major evangelical world relief organizations.
Citing higher sea levels , more frequent heat waves and droughts, increased tropical diseases and reduction in agricul-
tural output as likely results of "even small rises in global temperature, " the statement declares: 'This is God's world, and any damage that we do to God's world is an offense against God himself."
The statement calls on the U.S government to establish limits on emissions and highlights a strong concern for the impact global wartning will have on people, especially poor nations and individuals. ' The consequences of global wartning, " the statement reads, "will hit the poor the hardest. in part because those areas likely to be significantly affected first are the poorest regions of the world "
Other signatories include Rick Warren. author of the best seller, The Purpose - Driven Life, and the leaders of the two largest charitable organizations in the country: Rich Steams president of World Vision. and Todd Bassett, national commander of The Salvation Artny. Also among the signatories are Ron Sider. president of Evangelicals for Social Action. and the presidents of Eastern Mennonite University. Harrisonburg, Va ., and Goshen College the Mennonite college in Goshen. Ind Signatories sign as individuals and not as spokespersons for their respective organizations
The full statement and list of signatories can be viewed at www christiansandclimate.org. - ECI
Conflict avoided after cartoons spark violence
International protests against cartoons of the prophet Muhammad inflamed tensions between Muslims and Christians in Nigeria, sparking deadly riots in late February that claimed at least 138 lives in several cities.
There was widespread fear that riots would break out in many other parts of the country, including Jos, a central Nigerian city with a recent history of interreligious violence. But local Muslim and Christian peacemakers worked together to reduce tensions in Jos through face-to-face meetings and cell phone text messaging. These efforts, as well as government security measures, prevented a violent confrontation in Jos, according to Gopar Tapkida, a Mennonite Central Committee peace worker in the city.
Ever since interreligious riots erupted in Jos in 2001 and killed about goo people, Tapkida and others have worked to teach peacemaking skills to Christians and Muslims in the region. He helped form groups of Christian and Muslim peacemakers in Jos and in the surrounding Plateau state.
During a week of heavy rioting in other cities, Tapkida met Feb. 23 with 10 leading Muslim and Christian peacemakers in Jos to find ways to diffuse rising tensions. 'We agreed at this meeting that each one of us will serve as evangelists for peace," Tapkida says . Members of the group met with their friends and neighbors and spoke about how Christians and
Muslims should resist calls for violence against each other
Tensions escalated in Jos as rumors spread that Muslims were preparing to attack Christians Feb. 25 and that Christians were planning a reprisal attack. However, two Muslim peacemakers investigated the situation and found that Muslim teenagers were simply planning a demonstration against the cartoons of Muhammad. Peacemakers, including Tapkida, persuaded the teenagers to cancel their demonsnation.
Tapkida says that the recent violence in Nigeria is a reflection of longstanding political divisions between Christians and Muslims. Nigeria's population is divided about equally between the two religions.
MCC is the relief, service and peace agency of the North American Mennonite and Brethren in Christ churches.MCC
Peace worker killed
The body of Christian Peacemaker Teams member Tom Fox, 54, a Quaker from Clearbrook Va., was recovered March 9 by u.s. forces in Iraq. Fox was found in a Baghdad garbage dump with his hands bound and with gunshot wounds to the head and chest. His body showed signs of having been beaten. Fox is the first CPTer to fall victim to violence.
Fox was kidnapped in Baghdad Nov. 26 along with fellow CPTers Norman Kember of Great Britian and Canadians James Loney and Harmeet Singh Sooden. They were seized at gunpoint by a group calling itself the Swords of Righteousness Brigade and have been shown in videos released by the group which has demanded the release of all detainees in U.S. and Iraqi prisons. The most recent video, aired March 7, showed all of the hostages except Fox.
CPT is a violence-reduction program with Anabaptist roots that has been present in Iraq since October 2002. Their work in Iraq has included documenting human rights abuses of civilian detainees by multinational forces.-CPT
QUIRING JOINS MMA BOARD
Paul Quiring has been appointed to the Mennonite Mutual Aid board of directors as a representative of the U.S. Conference . Quiring, a member of College Community Church, Clovis, Calif., joined the 12-member board for a fouryear term starting in January 2006. Quiring is president of Quiring Corporation, a development and construction company in Fresno, Calif. He is the current treasurer of Mennonite World Conference and also serves on the board of Ten Thousand Villages. David Faber of Hillsboro, Kan., also represents Mennonite Brethren on the MMA board.
HELPING GULF COAST BUSINESSES
Mennonite Disaster Servi ce recently announced approval of a three-year, $450,000 grant to Mennonite Economic Development Associates to aid small businesses devastated by the hurricanes of 2005. MEDA's "Back to Business" program in New Orleans and surrounding areas will help business owners struggling to restart their businesses. Business assistance clinics offering help with needed permits, strategic planning and market testing will be some of the first steps. MEDA staff in New Orleans will help access resources both locally and nationally. When specific needs are identified, MEDA members with expertise in the needed area will provide consultation. Plans also include working with local lending institutions to ensure that businesses can access the funds they need. MDS is the disaster response agency for Anabaptists in North America. MEDA is an association of Christians in business and the professions committed to addressing human needs around the world through business-oriented economic development programs and to applying biblical teachings in the marketplace.-MDS
h e resurrection has been the central celebration of the <dtu.rch from the beginning. «Death has been swallowed up in victory," writes Paul in I Corinthians IS. «Thanks be to Godr' he «He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." During the Easter season we celebrate God's deep and extravagant love for us in sending his only Son to die a criminal's death on our behalf. We celebrate God's awesome power over sin and death when he raised Jesus Christ from the dead. This good news of love and salvation has the power to change lives. God commands and empowers us to . e this news with our neighbors,famny members and at our workplace. Do
what a DiFJ
Receiving Jesus as my Savior can make all the difference
My PALMS ARE SOAKED. My HEART IS POUNDING. FEAR GRIPS ME. AT NINE YEARS OF AGE I TIIINK IT's TIME. I look over at my mom and she's praying. Is she praying for me? I feel a massive urge to step out of the row and to head toward the stage. And that night in 1965 at a citywide crusade I did go forward and accept Jesus as my Savior.
This was the moment when I was saved, was "born again." But is that necessary? To "go forward," I mean. Is there a prescriptive way that it all has to happen?
What is it that a person has to do in order to be saved? Walk down an aisle in a church or at a crusade? Raise your hand at the pastor's prompting when he gives the invitation? Do you have to kneel? How about that bowing of the head thing the pastor asks us to do so often at these moments? Is it essential for the salvation to take?
What was Jesus referring to when he spoke of "being born again"? Do we flow into salvation? Is it a process over time? Do I emerge into becoming a Christian kind of like a butterfly emerges from a cocoon? This is the theological rage of thought in some circles today. What happens? When does salvation take hold? What must one do? When is THE moment?
Saying "yes"
I think the answer is immensely deep, even profound. The answer is also so very simple. What must one do? Just believe Trust. C hoose Confess Receive. Tum from the old way of living. Make a deep-down commitment to follow Jesus Say "yes" to him. Begin living your life in the way Jesus taught. At some point there has to be a choice. Certainly there is a process of time when one learns about Jesus, faith and salvation There is often a lengthy battle of the will. For some it takes a lot of time before they are ready to latch on to Jesus through faith . But at some point we each must ultimately choose. Remember the jailor's question in Acts 16:30: "What mu st I do to be saved? " Paul and Silas assure him by saying, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved " He did so and he was filled with joy Why? Because he had corne to believe in God . Didn't t a k e
cRENCE
long, did it?
At the moment we choose to take hold of the free gift of Jesus and his sacrifice for our sins, the Bible indicates we are ushered into the past tense. "You were dead in your transgressions." ''You have been saved." ''You were once far away."
Everything changes from that point on. A new life! A new creation! The choice is made. And oh what a difference salvation in Jesus makes.
What kind of difference? Let me share with you some stories that I have personally witnessed as people made the choice to put their faith in Jesus. I have changed their names to protect the once guilty but now innocent in Christ. Did they all "go fOlWard" during an altar call? No, in fact none of them did.
Satan or Jesus?
First let me tell you about Carol. Carol grew up in southern California. Her parents took her to church on Sundays In fact, her dad was a deacon at that Baptist church. But on Wednesdays he took her to a satanic ritual where she was forced to watch and be involved in all manner of horror. Carol was a broken young lady when I met her a few years after those terrifying experiences. Although beautiful on the outside, she was insecure, withdrawn . You could see the agonizing pain in her eyes .
As Carol heard the wonderful news of a life with Jesus, over time she came to that unmatched moment when she said, ''Yes! I believe. I give my life to you, Jesus." We were in a church classroom The transformation in Carol was immediate. As you looked into her eyes , the old pain was gone There was new light in those eyes.
What about Carol today? Carol is currently selVing with her husband and five small children in Alaska at a Christian camp where she has selVed, witnessed and been involved in bringing to salvation dozens of others who had also once given up on life Oh , what a difference Jesus makes!
A child of the King
Then there 's Lucy Lucy was in her 60s when she met Jes lt' .
She had been a truck driver at one time, had absolutely no use for the church or for Christ, swore like a sailor and could melt you with the pent up inner fury displayed through her eyes. Lucy came to our church thinking she was coming to a weight loss group and had no idea she would be at a church .
Although the person who had invited
was in a really nasty gang. One where members had to prove themselves either through shooting other gang members or through committing grand larceny. And Shawn had done that.
As I shared Jesus with Shawn at first he was obviously distant. Angry. Cold. Indifferent. But as the Good News began to sink into his soul, he began to ask questions. Then he really began to ask questions. It was almost as if you could see the thirst for the truth gripping his barren heart. The questions just kept tumbling out until finally, after several weeks, Shawn was ready
And yet he wasn't ready, not quite. Shawn had a major problem. He was to
What must one do? Just believe. Tru st. Choose Confess. Receive Turn from the old way of living. Make a deep - down commitm ent to follow Jesus. Say " yes" to him. Begin living your life in the way Jesu s t aught.
Lucy had been totally honest with her, somehow the Holy Spirit had shielded Lucy. When Lucy found herself attending a Christian 12-step program for addiction recovery, she was extremely uncomfortable. But she forced herself to go into the sanctuary with everyone else for the singing part of the program
She did not want to be here This was church. Lucy hated church. But as songs about a Savior were sung. something began to change Almost without even noticing it herself, she began to allow God to speak to her heart for the first time in 60 years.
She came back the next week and the week after that. She sought. She learned. She listened. And then on Easter Sunday, she offered her life to Jesus. 111 never forget looking into her tear-soaked face as she smiled up at me that night. At that moment I knew she belonged to Jesus.
The swearing stopped in an instant. Her face softened so much her friends and family hardly recognized her. Lucy was a child of the King! Since that day she has been involved in her Mennonite Brethren church. She is also following the immense call that Jesus put in her heart to witness in his name to women incarcerated in prison. Women who were as lost as she once was. Oh, what a difference Jesus makes!
What it takes
Or how about Shawn? Shawn was in serious trouble At the age of 14, he was on his last chance to stay out of prison. Shawn
be released soon from his detention . And he indicated to me that if he made a choice to follow Jesus, then he could be killed by his former gang when he returned home. At the very least he would have to be 'beaten out of the gang" by the leader of the gang who would be wielding a baseball bat as he did so. If Shawn lived, he'd be free of the gang. If not, well
But Shawn looked me straight in the eye and said, "But, if that's what it takes, I'm willing to do that to be a Christian." Jesus says, "If they persecuted me, they will perSecute you also" (John IS: 20). Do most of us have any idea what that really means? Shawn did. Shawn said yes to Jesus that night, right in my office. Oh, what a difference Jesus makes!
Where's the proof?
Can I tell you about Joe? I choose the name Joe, because this man has a story like so many "Joes" in America. At 45, he had never made a decision to follow Christ. Oh, he knew some about the concepts, and his wife had begged him to go to church on many occasions But, he couldn't see any reason to make that choice. Besides, where was the proof about this Jesus? A tough nut to crack, to say the least.
It took Joe time to haggle and argue. And how Joe could argue. It took him time with a couple of men who really cared about him to help Joe see that at some point there had to be faith. At some point, he had to let go of all the arguments and trust his life to the Life-giver.
111 never forget the day Joe came to see me. He said, 'Well, I did itt" Did what? "I accepted Jesus!" I wasn't with Joe when he made his choice. He had done that at home But I could see the results. Joe was lit up like a beacon. His exuberance was refreshingly genuine. One of my greatest joys was to baptize that tough nut. Joe has used his gifts in the church ever since. Oh, what a difference Jesus makes!
Jesus does make the difference. That's why we do church , isn't it? People all around us are in need of that difference. Jesus changes lives. That's what drives me. Jesus is very much in the business of changing lives
Oh - I gotta' go. Amy and Jeff, our neighbors across the street, are out on their front lawn. I don't think they know the difference Jesus can make yet Don Morris is the director of Mission USA, the church planting and renewal ministry of the U.S Conference Morris lives in Edmond, Okla., and attends Memorial Road MBChurch.
God wants us to use our relationships to bring people to salvation
SHERRY, A NEIGHBOR FROM ACROSS THE STREET, came by one evening. Earlier in the day she mentioned to her co-worker Diana that she was hungry for meatloaf. Diana, who is in my small group, told Sherry about the great meatloaf I had made recently for one of our small group meetings. So Sherry had come over to ask for the recipe
What does this story have to do with evangelism? It illustrates how easy evangelism is when we do it the way God intended Let me explain what I call meatloaf evangelism
Sherry has a need. She is craving meatloaf. Because they work together, Sherry and Diana have a relationship they have nurtured over time . In an informal conversation Sherry reveals her need to Diana . Diana, knowing where Sherry could find a recipe that will satisfy her need, points Sherry in my direction. When Sherry comes over and asks for the recipe, I am prepared to share it
Now let's use the same scenario but change the topic.
Sherry has a need . She 's going through a heart-wrenching divorce and is struggling with feelings of failure and loneliness. Because they work together, Sherry and Diana have a relationship they have nurtured over time. Over lunch Sherry tells Diana how lonely she feels following the divorce. Diana, who also experienced a divorce, remembers how much her pastor helped her when she went through similar struggles.
Diana tells Sherry she empathizes with her and why. Then she tells Sherry how much her minister helped her and Diana volunteers to take Sherry to meet him. Sherry meets with the minister and over a period of time comes to understand how much Jesus loves her and how he wants to address her feelings of failure and loneliness.
There are numerous books, plans and seminars full of information and techniques that teach Christians how to effectively witness. My experience has shown that when faced with such resources, many Christians become intimidated or overwhelmed The fear of failure paralyzes them and they never fulfill their God-given privilege to share the gospel with someone who
needs to be introduced to the Savior. God never intended for evangelism to be this complicated.
Instead he wants us to use the relationships we develop at work, in our neighborhoods or wherever we come into regular contact with others as the basis for winning the world to Christ. This requires us to nurture those relationships in order to develop a sense of trust. When we have accomplished this our friends will more readily share their needs, hurts and fears.
It also requires us to be effective listeners. We need to be listening to our friends so we hear when they share their needs. We must also be listening to the Holy Spirit for those times when he prompts us to share our faith with a friend whose heart is primed to receive the message .
Michael C. Mahan of Warsaw. Ind., is a freelance writer with 25 years of pastoral experience.
I am John, just John
One man shares his story and asks you to share yours
THE loRD HAS MOLDED AND SHAPED ME-A WASTED UFEto be more like him and he continues to work in my life today for his good. This is my story.
As a 12-year-old 1 accepted Christ as my personal Savior while at church camp. 1 became active in seeking the lost and letting them know who Christ is and how he saved me.
But when 1 was in college there was a distance between God and me and 1 never tried to change that. 1 set my goals and looked ahead. My goal was to manage a grocery store by the time 1 was 25, to own one by the age of 30 and two by the time 1 was 35.
By the time 1 was 27 I owned a grocery store and a restaurant. 1was successful, at least in the eyes of the world. As 1was considering my next set of goals I realized my life was a wreck. 1 was drinking a lot and had other problems as well.
New life in Christ
1 began to search out God again for guidance in my life. One day in 1991, at around 2:30 a.m., 1 was unable to sleep. 1 began to pray that God would deliver me from all of my addictions. That morning 1 finally gave my life over to Jesus Christ. 1 began living for Christ 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, wearing Christian Tshirts and actively living the new life
1 found in Christ.
For the next two years 1 had nothing on my mind but God. 1 quickly grew spiritually. God shielded me from the temptation of sin during those two years and 1 was blessed. As 1 read God's Word during those two years certain verses became dear to me, including Philippians 4:6 and Psalm 55:22. My favorite was I Corinthians 10:13: "No temptation has siezed you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."
During the next few years I became a Sunday school teacher for second and third graders, was elected to the Christian Education Committee, became a
Gideon and a Promise Keeper, started a Bible study with some men who didn't know the Christ 1 love. Eventually 1 became a deacon and high school Sunday school teacher and started two more men's Bible studies. Everything was good.
Falling apart
Then within two months in 1998 our family faced a series of health crises that left me feeling that my world had fallen apart. My wife Jill had to have her neck fused in two places. Both of our sons developed serious illnesses. Due to a fever spike, Joshua stopped breathing for about three minutes and for the next two years he had to be monitored. Jacob had a virus so severe that he was hospitalized for two days. 1 had rotator cuff surgery and within weeks tore one of my biceps and had to have it reattached.
How we got through this is beyond me. 1 can tell you that my pastor mowed our lawn. The wives of men in my Bible study group cooked us meals. My church family offered whatever was needed and 1 will be forever grateful. God granted me triumph in the midst of . testing, joy in the midst of sorrow and peace in the midst of ttouble.
1 wouldn't wish to have this happen again, and 1 do not take good health for granted. Yet God made me a better man through this. 1 became sensitive to those in the hospital, nursing homes and those with health issues. Now 1 am more likely to be one of the first ones to call or visit someone in need.
Serving where I live
Since 1998, God has allowed me to be part of his plan in ways 1 could never have imagined. After our family recovered physically, 1 began to seek God's will for my life more than ever. Should I sell the store and do something else? Friends in Christ told me 1 could effectively be used for God right where 1 lived.
So 1 began to look for opportunities to witness and in the process 1 began to change. Jesus has been alive and well in me. My family noticed this change, even my son who gave me a picture he drew showing me wearing a T-shirt that said, "I love God."
Witnessing is not reaching people for Jesus, I've learned, but reaching people with Jesus.
One day 1 was praying for God to use me. The next day my mom called me at work. Afriend had called her to say she was contemplating suicide. My mom and 1 met with this woman and that day she accepted Christ. Wow, what a great day!
Another day I felt like I should contact a friend that I hadn't seen since high school. He was in the Air Force and had been stationed in Texas and then Germany. Now he was at Ellsworth Air Force Base in Rapid City, SD. I made five trips to Rapid City and then he gave his life to Christ and is very active in his church today.
"You know what to do"
One evening I went to bed thinking about what I needed to get done at work the next day. Then at 4 a.m. a phone call woke me. The father of one of the families from our church was not well and our pastor was gone. I was asked to come to the hospital in a hurry. When I got there I was told the father was not going to make it. His daughter-in-law told me the father needed to get ready to pass from this life to the next. ''You know what to do, right?" she asked.
may feel unqualified but Paul talks about this very thing in 2 Corinthians. He writes that when we are weakest, God makes us strong (12:9). We rely on God and he does more than we can ever imagine. Whether we're asked at 4 a.m. to pray with a man who is not ready to die or are asked to pray in front of thousands without any notice, we can depend on the Holy Spirit for help.
The last story I want to share concerns a dear friend whom I have known for years. He asked me to come to his office and told me he would need major heart surgery. He had some important decisions to make and he wanted to talk with me. But there were people waiting to see him so we agreed to meet again.
I went home and prayed. I searched for what God
So I b e gan to look for opportunities t o witn ess and in th e process I began to cha n g e. Jesus has been alive and well in m e. My f amily noticed this change, even my son who gave me a picture he drew showi ng m e wearing a T-shirt that sa id, "I love God."
My first thought was, "No, I don't know what to do!" I approached the bed and asked the father if he was ready to see Jesus in heaven. He said no. I didn't want to hear that. We began to pray together and thanks to the Holy Spirit's leading as I fumbled for what to do, the father accepted Christ into his life.
The father was then transferred to another hospital where he recovered. He lived another two months and was able to apologize for many of the things he had done wrong in his life. He was able to let his family know how much he loved them and how God had changed him. What a great gifr God gave this man.
Power of prayer
The next opportunity came thanks to the telephone company board on which I serve as the director. The telephone company lawyer was diagnosed with inoperable cancer. He was given four months to live, and he lived six months. He knew my beliefs and I knew his-they were not directed toward God.
When he was released from the hospital he came to the board meeting to say good bye. He told me that when his wife was reading the cards from all the flowers, he stopped her at mine and said that out of all the cards that said, "I am praying for you," I was probably the only one who really was praying. My heart stopped when he said this. Then he asked me not to just pray for him but to pray with him. He was in a struggle for his very soul. He did make that decision before passing from this earth.
Through this time, the telephone company board learned that I am a strong believer. We were attending a national company meeting and the organizers realized they had forgotten to ask someone to pray. Someone thought of me and I was given the opportunity to pray in front of 6,000 people-with two minutes warning.
We need to be ready whenever God calls us for his service. We
would have me say and do. God gave me some verses to share and I waited. A couple weeks later we met. My friend told me how he had seen my life change. Our friends would ask him: What's up with John? Why doesn't he drink anymore? What is going on? My friend said these questions made him look at my life and he told our mutual friends that whatever had happened to me was real. He could see I wasn't going back to the way I had been. My friend also told me he would not have allowed me to talk to him if he hadn't seen it for himself.
Just John
I am John, just John. I am not special. I am not different than you. I simply want to be available to be of service to God. I want Jesus to be with me on my life's journey and I want the Holy Spirit to guide me.
Do you feel that you are not capable or gifred to tell others of Christ? We have been commanded to do so in the Great Commission and we should be expected to do so. Someone took the time to tell you about Jesus-maybe your parents, a Sunday school teacher, a friend or a pastor. You need to share that gifr with someone else.
Your personal testim9ny is the most important tool you have. Telling others how God saved you from eternal darkness for an eternity with him in heaven is your story. No one else has a story like yours. It is a powerful tool to someone who doesn't have Jesus in his life.
John Langer is a member of Grace Bible Church in Gettysburg, SD. This article is adapted from the testimony Langer shared at the 2004 Central District Conference convention home mission banquet.
What does it lllean to be a CHRiSTiAN?
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A CHRISTIAN?
As a teenager this was an easy question to answer. For me a Christian was someone who was born in a Catholic or Protestant home. We were not Muslims, Hindus or Buddhists. We were Christians . That's all there was to it. Or was it?
Well, for one, my Christianity was more akin to
formed my entire life. One evening in the basement of a small Baptist church I asked Jesus to be my Savior. That night I experienced the new birth. I became a new creation, a child of God.
A personal commitment
Now when someone asks me what a Christian is, my answer is direct and to the point: A Christian is someone who has made a personal
Without a pers on al commitm e nt rising out of a sens e of profound need and a des ire to be in relati o ns hip with God, one could claim to be a Ch r istian but in nam e o nly.
folklore than real faith . Being a Christian was in the same category as eating maple syrup and square dancing. It was just part of my culture. That kind of Christianity did not really have any personal implication for the way I lived my life. In all likelihood, that's the way I would have lived the rest of my life except for one innocuous meeting with a fellow student at the age of 16.
He and I were both musicians-he, an atrocious trumpeter and I, an average saxophone player. After a while we began to discuss religion. But this did not end up being the kind of conversation I had anticipated. Any religious talk I had ever had would normally tum to space aliens or the New Age.
To my amazement this fellow insisted on discussing the Bible and Jesus And so this civilized conversation quickly turned to a shouting match. And then he said it straight out: "You are not a Christian. You are a pagan."
Rethinking Christianity
Well that did it Who was he to tell me I wasn't a Christian? By what authority could he say something like that? But that question made me seriously think about my faith, and it eventually revolutionized my life
For him, one did not become a Christian until a personal and conscious decision was made to invite Jesus Christ into one's life. Without a personal commitment rising out of a sense of profound need and a desire to be in relationship with God, one could claim to be a Christian but in name only.
Soon after, I took the step that eventually trans -
commitment to the person of Jesus. It's someone who has had an encounter with the living Christ.
This kind of definition does not please everybody Some say it's too personal. It emphasizes the individual over the community, which is actually more an expression of modem-day individualism than real Christian faith. While there might be some legitimacy to that criticism, frankly I think the disparaging of the personal dimension of the Christian faith is an example of careless thinking.
For one, a community is essentially a collection of individuals. The quality of that community is always a function of the quality of the individuals that compose it. One cannot have a believing community without individuals making personal decisions
Two, we should not confuse an emphasis on personal salvation with individualism. Individualism is an outlook on life that emphasizes the self at the expense of others. Individualism in that sense is ultimately a decision to put oneself at the center of the universe.
Before my conversion I was a self-centered individualist. When I accepted Christ, however, a radical shift occurred. My focus moved from self to God and others.
In my case, and in the case of the other young people who came to Christ in those days, this decision was anything but another expression of individualism. It was about becoming a disciple of Christ and being part of the people of God. It was not about a free ticket to heaven and life as usual. It was about entering a new realm: The realm of life. It was about induction into the kingdom of God and becoming kingdom people
Behavior or beliefs?
For some being a Christian is not so much about holding specific beliefs as living a certain way. In keeping with a society where strong
Christian beliefs are shunned, it is not surprising to hear many Christians emphasize behavior over belief, social activism over verbal witness.
This too is an unacceptable definition of what a Christian, is for redemption is not simply about moral reform, as important as that is. Redemption is about trans-
believe that Jesus is the Christ. For John the propositional truth is a critical and inescapable dimension of the Christian faith.
But it does not end there. John's first epistle seamlessly connects the dots between belief and practice. Real Christianity is not simply about a list of beliefs to which we give intellectual transformation and reorientation.
A Christian is someone who has received and been transformed by the infinite love of God and who in turn becomes an unconditional conduit of that love for others
formation. To reduce Christian conversion to exhorting people to change their behavior is akin to prescribing sugar pills to a cancer patient.
The New Testament uses a variety of images and expressions to characterize what it means to be a Christian. The apostle John in his first epistle uses an interesting equation. For John belief is central. The epistle begins by a reference to what was heard, seen, looked at and touched the Word of Life.
In I John 1:5 the apostle speaks of the message "we have heard .. .and declare." A little later he reminds his readers of the importance of "testing the spirits," something that is done by examining one's statement of faith: "Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God" (I John 4:1-2).
In I John 5:1, the author states that those born of God
A Christian is someone who has received and been transformed by the infinite love of God and who in tum becomes an unconditional conduit of that love for others.
"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another" (I John 4:7-n).
Pierre Gilbert is the program coordinator for the Winnipeg Center for Ministry Studies, the MB Biblical Seminary program in Winnipeg, Man., and is associate professor of Old Testament Studies. This article has also been published by The Messenger, the publication of the Evangelical Mennonite Conference
on the Cross so much depends upon a simpLe, wooden
Since it was formed 18 months ago, the U.S. Conference Leadership Board has had as its central assignment drafting a new set of bylaws. Much to the satisfaction of board members who admit to being ready to move on to other issues, that task took another significant step toward completion in February when denominational leaders affirmed and gave input on a third draft.
The nine-member Leadership Board met Feb. 23-24 in Phoenix, Ariz., and was joined Feb 25 for the Leadership Summit by representatives of MBMS International, MB Biblical Seminary, MB Foundation, Tabor College, Fresno Pacific University and four of the five district conferences.
While the Leadership Board agenda included more than the ongoing bylaw review, the bylaws and related issues including the Leadership Summit topped their agenda. In spite of the necessity that a strict timeline be followed in order for the bylaws to be ready for delegate action in July, the Leadership Board clearly wanted to ensure that other denominational leaders would have ample opportunity to weigh in on several bylaw questions. This desire prompted the Leadership Board to reorganize the format of the morning of the one-day Leadership Summit to be as discussion oriented as possible.
First on the agenda for Leadership Summit participants was to hear
Leadership Summit participants Kathy Isaac, Ray Harms-Wiebe, Dennis Fast, Val Rempel and Larry Martens listen as Les Stahlke reviews the fourth draft of the USC bylaws.
from consultant Les Stahlke of GovernanceMatters.com Inc., about the conference-wide survey. Stahlke reported that 9,800 surveys were mailed, reaching about 20,000 adult Mennonite Brethren churchgoers in their homes. The survey was also available online although less than 200 of the 1,350 responses were submitted electronically.
Stahlke said the level of response was well above the minimum required for a statistically reliable standard. The level of response was also noteworthy given that unexpected delays meant that many of the surveys were received after the deadline.
Stahlke made six observations based on the survey results.
• Survey respondents express a high commitment to the U.S. Conference.
• There may be a lack of awareness of the services provided by the U.S. Conference although there is moderate agreement that the services provided are effective.
• The Leader is an effective communication tool for strengthening commitment to the U.S. Conference and for building a sense of denominational community.
• While commitment to the Confession of Faith is strong, the process of keeping it strong and an awareness of Anabaptist distinctive appear to be waning.
• There is significant potential for developing a stronger
relationship between the U.S. Conference and MBF, MBMSI, MBBS and district conferences.
• There is very strong support for cooperation between district conferences and the U.S. Conference in planting churches.
A complete report of the survey results will be published in an upcoming issue of the Leader.
The Leadership Summit participants then turned their attention to the third draft of the proposed bylaws. Denominational agency and district representatives had offered feedback on the original draft presented at the May 2005 Leadership Summit. Agency representatives were given the opportunity to respond to the second draft, and Chuck Buller, USC executive director, met with the district ministers to review the second draft. This feedback was incorporated into the third draft.
The proposed bylaws, based on exist-
ing agency bylaws and drafted by Stahlke, call for a Leadership Board, a Board of Faith and Life and a Nominating Committee as well as an annual gathering of U.S. Conference mInIStry partners-the Leadership Summit.
Stahlke also included in the USC bylaws applicable material ftom agency and district bylaws. This was done, he said, to clarify the structure of the U.S. Conference. Leadership Summit participants debated with Stahlke whether or not it is appropriate to incorporate into conference bylaws reference to other corporate agencies (MBMSI, MBBS and MBF) established by the U.S. Conference.
In Stahlke's view the existing relationship between the U.S. Conference and its partners is "workable but complex." His intention is to 'bonor the structure that exists now" and to help the conference and its partners become "less independent and more interdependent."
Leaders visit local church
For a handful of visitors attending C opper Hills Community Church in Phoenix, Ariz ., the Feb 26 worship service was an opportunity to celebrate the growth of a church whose birth they had witnessed eight years earlier.
In 1998, Phoenix was the site of the U S Conference annual all -boards meeting in part to help Mi ss ion USA, the newly formed national church planting and renewal ministry, launch one of its new church plants The Saturday afternoon schedule was cleared of board meetings so that members of the four boards could help distribute invitation packets to homes in the target area The next day, March 15, conference leaders were among the 2 50 or so individuals who met at a local movie theater for the Copper Hills C ommunity Church ki ck-off service
So when denominational leaders returned to Phoenix eight years later for the 2006 Leadership Summit, it was appropriate that Copper Hills pastor Brad Klassen shared a devotional and give an update And it wa s natural for a number of Summit participants to attend another Copper Hills Sunday worship service
After meeting in the movie theater for
18 months, Copper Hills moved to a newly constructed elementary school gymnasium that is still its home A core group of 24 adults has grown into a congregation with a recent attendance of 240 While Copper Hills continues to meet in a facility that requires weekly setup and teardown , the congregation has developed efficient ways of storing and transporting their supplies and has become adept at transforming a school into a church A variety of colorful banners welcome and direct churchgoers.
A Sunday morning prayer gathering and the children's program meet in the library Portable welcome and refreshment carts in the gymnasium entry and a stage filled with curtains, plants and colorful banners give a sense of permanence
One thing that hasn't changed over almost a decade of ministry is a commitment to children's ministry, spirited worship singing and creative Bible teaching
Another thing that hasn't changed is the congregation's efforts to target "people who have given up on the church, " Klassen told Leadership Summit participants Saturday.
Introducing people to Christ Jesus and the fellowship of believers involves loving
Participants affirmed Stahlke's intent to create interdependence within the governing structure.
"If we look back at our history our biggest problem has been independence," said Tabor College President Larry Nikkel. 'We know independence doesn't work and now we want to look at how (interdependence) does work."
Discussing the role of the annual Leadership Summit in meeting the need for interdependence was one of four issues the approximately 30 Summit participants discussed in small groups. In addition to discussing the annual Leadership Summit, the second discussion session, led by Leadership Board member Valerie Rempel, addressed the importance of reinstating a Board of Faith and Life, the value of including a "conflict of interest" clause related to one person serving on more than one board and composition of the nominating committee.
All four small groups supported establishing a national Board of Faith and Life.
them , said Klassen . ' The secret (to a successful church plant) is to love your neighbor as yourself " said Klassen 'The secret is that we each do that. We don't hire someone else to do that . "
Copper Hills Community Church continues to meet at a local grade school.
"Divestiture (of the Canadian and U.S. joint conference) contemplates a BFL," said one group in its comments "It assumes a dedicated group "
Summit participants seemed to agree tl1at limiting the number of boards on which an individual can serve is a good idea . Lyndon Vix, chair of the Tabor College Board of Directors, spoke for many when he said, 'Tm having trouble articulating a rule that is workable "
One option that garnered support from many Summit participants was to ask all ministry boards to have a conflict of interest statement in their own bylaws.
The Leadership Board presented two options regarding the composition of the Nominating Commirtee : to have the district ministers serve with the USC executive director as the Nominating Committee or to have each of the five districts represented.
'We're not sure we like either one," said Leadership Board chair Steve Prieb The discussion focused on the pros and cons of having staff members serve on the nominating committee.
As the discussion session came to an end, the Summit participants agreed that the Leadership Board would review the suggestions made and create a fourth draft of the bylaws to be sent to churches for their consideration.
The aftemoon summit session was reserved for agency and district reports The three binational agencies, two colleges and districts that partner with the U.S. Conference gave reports.
The Leadership Summit was preceded by USC Leadership Board meetings. In addition to reviewing the bylaws and preparing for the Summit, the board approved the formation of a coaching and mentoring program for new pastots under the direction of Henry Schmidt and heard staff reports
The report by Mission USA executive director Don Morris was a highlight. Morris highlighted the potential for three new church plant partnerships and reviewed the progress of existing church planting partnerships. Morris also described his work in church renewal as well as with Integrated Ministry (immigrant) congregations - Con nie Faber
We ne·ed you now! "s
0 Don, what's so importa nt about planting new churches?" I hear that sentiment quite often in my travels across the U .S. I believe it absolutely crucia l that we plant more churches! Why? I can think of at least three reasons .
I. New churches are four times more effec .. tive in reac hi ng lost people than ex istin g churches. Ma ny of those who study th e church in America today affi rm this fact .
2o. In the U .S., it is also true that three churches close for every one that is started In oth er word s. we're losing ground - and that's not good .
3. I believe that Mennonite Brethren have a message that people need to hear. So we need to be in more places in order to spread that goodnews .
I am dedicated to starting as many churches as we can . These will be Mennonite Brethren chu rches! They may have a style that is contemporary but the Word will be tau ght and tau ght well . We won't settle on a church plant pastor that just wants to promote "fluff. " The world needs to hear the full message of God's Word Mi ss ion USA is all about planting vital, mea nin gful, Spirit-driven churches
This will take funds. And here is where you can make the difference . Without your help, we won't be planting many churches . I want to go on record to say that we will strive to place value on what you give toward church planting . We will try to make every dollar you give count. and we will be accountable for how we spend your donations .
We need you, and we need you now! Right now we have opportunities for new church plants in the works that will take significant resources to become a reality.
Would you help make a difference? Would you help us plant churches? Would you help us reach more lost people in America?
Send your donation to:
Mission USA - U .S. Conference P.O . Box 220 Hillsboro. KS 67063
Please write «Mission USA" on the memo line of your check
Thank you so much for your generous support of Mission USA.
Don Morris Mission USA director
New program a bridge to long-term service
New program could double missionary force in decade
MBMS International has launched a new mis. sions program with a three-year term, designed to act as a bridge between current short-term missions programs and a long-term missions commitment. Randy Friesen, MBMSI's general director, calls the program one way to "get a generation launched" into long-term missions service.
The program is being called "Jornada," which is Portuguese for "journey," to reflect a sense of pilgrimage. "Missionaries are on a journey, as all Christians are," says Ray Harms-Wiebe, MBMSI's team leaderfor global teams and initiatives. "This program would be the beginning of their journey into long-term mission as a transition between what we consider to be short-term and a life commitment to world mission."
MBMSI offers a number of short-term missions opportunities, aimed at high schoolers and young adults. The short-term programs are designed to offer a progression, both in length and intensity, for those interested in cross-cultural service.
For some, however, the jump from these short-term programs to long-term service is intimidating. 'We were finding that some of our short-term people were having a hard time thinking about a IO-year commitment, and that's kind of what we're asking from our long-term missionaries," Harms-Wiebe says 'This Jornada program will provide a bridge."
A three-year commitment is long enough to gain language training and some cultural understanding and long enough to make a significant contribution, but short enough to be manageable for college graduates or young families who still have many unanswered questions about their future, say organizers.
Jornada participants will receive more intense and intentional training than in the short-term programs, both in the classroom and in the culture. "Both provide incentive for further service and further training," says Friesen.
Participants receive seminary-level training, something MBMSI encourages all long-term missionaries to pursue. In addition, they benefit from more intense language training than any of the short-term participants. Friesen says that at least six months of the two-and-a-half years they are in a cross-cultural setting will be dedicated specifically to language training. 'There's probably no more significant door-opener into another culture than language acquisition," he says.
The three-year term allows Jornada participants to get more deeply involved in ministry in the country of their assignment than short-term participants. Friesen says that, while short-term missions participants support existing programs, he hopes that Jornada participants will be able to pioneer new ministries according to the need of the community and the vision of the team.
The hope is that Jornada will offer a way for those considering longterm service to discern their future. 'They can test their cross-cultural giftedness," Harms-Wiebe says, "and maybe after this Jornada program make that long-term commitment to world missions."
Participants begin their journey with a Spring Adventure, next scheduled for May 1-7. The Adventure gathers interested Jornada participants with MBMSI team leaders and others for training on the missions' core values, team-building and sharing stories as well as times of prayer, relationship-building and discernment. Participants also minister within a crosscultural community during the week.
Jornada participants then can use the summer to make preparations for a full-time commitment to the program in fall. Of particular importance is fun-draising, since they are expected to raise modest support of about $1,000 per month for the three-year term.
In fall, Jornada participants enter a time of academic and practical training. They will take two academic courses in cooperation with MB Biblical Seminary in Langley, Be. The courses will give a foundational understanding of cross-cultural ministry and world mission. In addition,
Twin sisters Amber and Amanda Griffioen of Abbotsford, B.C., are current Jornada program participants. They developed a desire to serve in Thailand during short-term service opportunities.
they are expected to do some specific missionsoriented reading.
They will practice what they learn in a "Ministry Praxis" component. working alongside leaders from the cultural community they plan to serve. For example. a Jornada participant planning to go to Mexico might become involved in a Hispanic church. be mentored by its pastor and serve according to their giftedness and the needs of the community. perhaps leading a Bible study or helping with worship.
When the academic training is complete and financial support is in place. participants go. Three participants began their cross-cultural assignments in March: Jennifer Schmidt and Sandra Plett are in Guadalajara. Mexico. and Cynthia Friesen is in Phuket. Thailand. A fourth. Matt Wall. is currently discerning his geographical placement.
After their overseas assignment. Jornada participants will return to Abbotsford for a time of evaluation, processing and prayer to help them prepare for their next steps.
MBMSI hopes the Jornada program will result in many more long-term workers. Friesen says the challenge of reaching an estimated 2 billion unreached people globally motivates the agency "It's not business as usual." he says. adding that the need will require the best the western church has to offer. including resources. attention and sacrifice. 'We want this generation to hear a compelling call to the front lines of mission because the need is significant."
Already. MBMSI is seeing an increased interest in overseas service . Preliminary interest in the Spring Adventure discernment time. which includes both Jornada participants and other workers. indicates a potential increase in long-term workers of 20 percent. according to Friesen.
'1£ God keeps bringing those people to us. it's not unrealistic to think of doubling the number of our missionaries in 10 years." HarmsWiebe says. "I believe God's raising up an army."
For more information about the Jomada program. contact Ray Harms-Wiebe at rayhw@mbmsLorg or Ron Penner in the western U.S. regional office at ronp@mbmsLorg or 1-888-866-6267.-Myra Holmes
Seminar\(
Tabor receives largest gift in school's history
Wyoming businessman donates nearly $1.22 million
YOU might say that Joel Wiens is just following in the footsteps of grandfather Abraham Wiens, a Mennonite Brethren deacon from Enid, Okla., who used to send $5 checks to Tabor College in the years after the Great Depression. But nearly 75 years later, Wiens has more than kept up with inflation with his recent donation of $1,218,500easily the largest gift in the college's history.
Wiens and sons Tim and Tom were present at the Feb. 17 President's Dinner to be recognized for what they said is the start of a partnership between the family and the college.
"Hopefully this gift and this school will have an impact on generation after generation, just as the heritage of our family has resulted in us being here today," said son Tom during a press conference announcing the gift.
Wiens' gift will be split in two ways. While $218,500 will go toward the college's ongoing capital campaign for new residence facilities, the remaining $1 million will be tentatively designated for improvements to athletic facilities pending futther planning.
Wiens is the founder, vice chairman and major shareholder of FirsTier Bank. He also owns the Kearney (Neb.) Event Center and the Nebraska Cranes, a professional men's basketball team and member of the U.S. Basketball League. His son Tom is a rancher and businessman who represents Colorado District 4. Son Tim is a real estate developer in the Loveland-Denver, Colo., area.
'We are committed to being good stewards of this resource and will use it to help fulfill our mission of 'preparing people for a life of learning, work and service for Christ and his kingdom,'" said President Larry Nikkel.
Balko into next century
Congregation marks 100 years with new name and renewed focus
The Oklahoma Panhandle is, by many accounts, a tough and lonely place to scrape out a living. Farmers and ranchers pray for rain knowing it may not come. Prosperity from the oil and gas industries booms and busts. Communities-some can barely be called towns-are small and isolated.
The Balko, Okla., community, for example, includes a post office, a handful of scattered farmhouses, three small churches and a public school. Some 500 people call Balko home. They are accustomed to driving into Texas or Kansas for groceries or a day of shopping. A current drought leaves future harvests in question.
This is the community that the Balko MB Church has called home for 100 years, the community they still want to bring to Christ.
At the end of this month, April 30, the church will look back at God's faithfulness through a century and look forward to continued fruitful ministry in this community. Pastor James Epp says, 'We look at the centennial celebration as a relaunching of the church into the future."
Atthe tum ofthe century, the Panhandle was known as "No Man's Land," a "treeless prairie" with little attraction of its own. Nevertheless settlers came via covered wagon, including German Mennonites, many of whom were from Fairview, Okla. In a history written for the church's 75th anniversary, Peggy Goenzen writes, "Why did they come? To get more land!" For all its faults, the area offered space and inexpensive land for farming and ranching, even being called "Poor Man's Paradise," Goertzen writes.
As soon as they arrived, a small band of Mennonites began to meet regularly for Bible study and in 1906 formally formed a church named Bethel
Church. Nine people signed the original charter.
In 1961 the church changed its name to Balko MB Church. and in 1970 the congregation made a move to its present location at Bryan's Comer. the intersection of two highways about eight miles from Balko.
The church plans to celebrate its milestone anniversary with two services intertwined with opportunities for fellowship. The day will begin with an informal fellowship time in lieu of Sunday school. followed by a worship service celebrating a history of God's faithfulness. Gaylord Goertzen. who served as pastor from 1978-1988. is scheduled to speak.
Goertzen says Balko's «great gift" is caring about people. a certain compassionate attitude that. he speculates. stems from the patience and perseverance necessary to thrive in a difficult land.
That love extends to their community as church members consider their future. During an afternoon service during the 100th celebration. the church will «relaunch" into the next century and unveil a new name to mark a renewed effort to bring Christ into their community.
The new name. Crossroads Bible Fellowship. was chosen in part to reflect the church's location at the highway junction and in part to reflect the congregation's desire to love newcomers. Although the congregation remains firmly aligned with Mennonite Brethren theology and heritage. the hope is that the new name will remove any initial misconceptions and present a more inclusive first impression.
Howard Frantz. whose grandfather was among the first Mennonite settlers in the area. says that the church's future lies in «reaching the lost. period." He explains that fewer and fewer in the community come from a Mennonite heritage so reaching their community will mean reaching those of a non-Mennonite background.
Orlan Frantz. brother of Howard. frankly admits the change is difficult. as change often is. ''I'd prefer it to be Balko MB." he says. At the same time he talks about the congregation's love for each other and for the community. «If you have love in a church, you will win people to Christ," he says. «We want to be that."
The church cooperates with two other area churches to reach the community. One example of this cooperation is the youth group, called Students With A Testimony (SWAT). which meets weekly and boasts attendance of 25 to 30 youth in an area where the public school has only a half-dozen students per class.
Epp says the cooperative outreach efforts of the three churches are part of the reason he envisions a future in which «it would be a very hard thing to live in Balko and go to hell."
Although attendance once was as high as 130 in the 1950S. the congregation is small now, with about 50 people in attendance on any given Sunday. Older members have retired to places with more hospitable environments. Larger farms have bought out many smaller, family farms Young families follow jobs to larger cities
But the Balko congregation is not done yet.
Although no one can predict what the next century will hold. Epp says, «I would hope that as long as there are people here there would be an active, vibrant community of Mennonite Brethren who passionately care for the lost. who are reaching out to them in spite of what might be persecution at that time. and growing in their fellowship closer together and closer to God." -by Myra Holmes
Goi 'ng for eternal gold
Canadian MB brings home five Olympic medals
Run in such a way as to get the prize .. .a crown that will last forever," writes Paul in I Corinthians 9.
Cindy Klassen, a member of McIvor Mennonite Brethren Church of Winnipeg, Man., knows what it means to compete for-and win-the prize.
A seasoned member of Canada's speed skating team and Canada's Female Athlete of the Year for 2005, she entered the winter Olympics in Turin holding speed skating world records in the 1,500 and 3,000-meter events and was one of Canada's top medal hopes. Klassen brought home five medalsone gold, two silver and two bronze-and was declared "the woman of the Games" when competition closed Feb. 26
Klassen was the most decorated athlete
at Turin and tied the record of most medals earned during a single winter Games. With a bronze medal she won at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, Klassen also became the most decorated Canadian Olympian ever.
"To see Cindy Klassen win five medals, she was definitely the woman of the Games," International Olympic Committee president Jacquest Rogge said at a Feb. 26 news conference in Turin.
Klassen won her gold medal in the 1,5oo-meter event with fellow Canadian Kristina Groves earning the silver medal. Klassen captured silver medals during the women's speed skating team pursuit and I,ooo-meter events and bronze medals in the 5,000- and 3,000- meter events.
During the Games, Klassen became a full-fledged sports celebrity, especially in Canada where her photo has been featured on the cover of several major newspapers and where a welcome home parade was being talked about in Winnipeg.
"I came into the Games wanting to just enjoy every moment, and that's what I've done," Klassen told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. "I think that that is what's made me relax during the races and perform well."
Klassen describes herself as "very competitive, a fighter and pretty determined." Yet, while winning is important to her, she knows there is more to life than skating. ' :As long as I'm doing God's will," she says, "it will be okay."
She went into the Olympics with the enthusiasm and encouragement of her family and community behind her, asking supporters to pray for good health to compete and that God would remain first in her life.
"Olympic competition is tougher mentally," she says. 'There's more pressure, more media hype, more at stake. The whole world is watching. "
Ken Reddig of Klassen's home church, and Fred Pauls of her alma mater, Mennonite Brethren Collegiate Institute, designed a prayer card.
'We have prayer cards for missionaries who represent us in other parts of the world," explains Reddig. 'Why shouldn't athletes with a faith story benefit from the same kind of prayer support?"
Reddig and Pauls also tracked Klassen's Olympic results on the MBCI Website.
As a young girl playing hockey in a boys' league, Klassen knew she would go to the Olympics one day , Her certainty that this was God's plan for her life was bolstered by the announcement that, for the first time,
Speed skater Cindy Klassen takes a victory lap with a Canadian flag after winning the 1,500-meter race at the 2006 Winter Olympics. Klassen, a Mennonite Brethren from Winnipeg, Man., was the most decorated athlete of the Turin games. Top: Klassen's prayer card developed by her home church.
the 1998 Olympics would hold a women's hockey event. The timing couldn't have been better for Klassen, who graduated from high school in 1997.
It came as quite a shock then when she didn't make the team.
Klassen wasted little time on disappointment. She transferred her exceptional abilities to speed skating, where she discovered the lessons learned from tough hockey coaches-like "the drive to go really hard"stood her in good stead as she stuck with the training and quickly rose to a competitive level. Her success at the 2001 world championships gave her confidence and in 2002 Klassen realized her dream of competing in the Olympics.
Klassen truly loves what she does. 'When I go out to skate," she says, "it hits me how fortunate I am. I'm thankful for everything God has given When workouts are really hard, she remembers that "God has given me this gift to be able to skate and race and he wants 100 percent of me."
Confidence in God's love for her transcends winning or losing. In times of peak performance as well as times of injury, Klassen claims the promises of Psalm 16:8: "I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken."
With the 2006 Olympic Games behind her, Klassen has set her sights on the 2010 Winter Olympics to be held in Vancouver, BC.
"Hopefully in Vancouver 111 be at my strongest," Klassen told the Toronto Sun newspaper. "It's special just to get to the Olympics. Being able to race in your home country is unbelievable."
She continues training for future races with her eyes on more than the earthly prize. 'When I go to the line and race, I don't worry about anything because it's all in his hands. God is on my side."-from an article published in Mennonite Weekly Review and an article by Ingrid Koss published in the MB Herald, the English-language publication of the Canadian MB Conference.
Outside the classroom
Teams travel to India, Southeast Asia
Students from Tabor College, the Mennonite Brethren liberal arts college in Hillsboro. Kan., took learning outside the classroom in late December and January-way outside the classroom. Travels to Southeast Asia and India challenged them academically, culturally and spiritually.
Eleven students, led by Lynn Jost, associate professor of biblical and religious studies, traveled to India Dec. 27 to Jan. 16 to build connections with Mennonite Brethren Centenary Bible College. Another II students toured Southeast Asia during the month of January, accompanied by Frank Brenneman, chair of the mathematical sciences department, and Aleen Ratzlaff, associate professor of communications.
The purpose of the India trip, according to Jost, was "to learn to know the context of the largest MB national church, a church of over 100,000 baptized members." The group lived with prospective pastors, visited churches and met missionaries.
The group began their travels in India's capital of Delhi, where MBMS International's newest church planting effort is targeting upper-class Indians in northern India, says Jost. MBMSI is the global mission agency of the MBs in Canada and the u.S.
Following a worship service Tabor student Ale Lopez (right) is surrounded by "a mountain" of children from the Mennonite Brethren church in Amaranchinta, a village in the India state of Andhra Pradesh. When the children realized that Lopez had a digital camera, it turned into "a mess" as the children pushed and pulled in an effort to see themselves in the pictures.
The majority of the trip was spent in Hyderabad and nearby Shamshabad, where Jost taught a course on the Psalms at the MB Centenary Bible College. Tabor students served as teaching assistants in the class and were encouraged to build relationships with fellow Indian students.
'1\5 interpreters of the biblical text from two very different contexts, Tabor students and Indian pastoral ministry students worked side-by-side in study of the Psalms," says Jost. 'We reinforced the notion that the church is God's universal agency to proclaim the reign of God-a cosmic, international movement."
In Hyderabad the team visited the city church and outlying village churches. "On Sunday, three separate teams visited churches, including a group of churches that are comprised mainly of people whose occupation is rolling cigarettes to payoff indebtedness that leaves them as virtual slaves," says Jost.
A sightseeing visit at Mumbai, formerly Bombay, concluded the trip.
The trip's challenges went beyond the academic to the cultural and spiritual. "Parts of the trip were very demanding," says Jost. "Sensory overload was a constant experience as our senses of taste, sight, sound and smell were continuously challenged."
One area of challenge for the group throughout the trip was how to approach cultural poverty.
'The entire group really wrestled with how we should react to and treat the beggars that we encountered everywhere," says Ben J. Schmidt, a junior from Newton, Kan. 'This trip made me realize that my life here in the States is incredibly comfortable. I face challenges that seem big, but in the grand scheme of life they are small."
Jost says the visit was a pilot for future India-Tabor contacts. 'The future is bright. India is truly a land of almost limitless variety."
The Southeast Asia travel-study tour was designed to "give students a threeweek immersion into several Southeast Asian cultures," says Ratzlaff. 'The primary goals are to increase sensitivity and understanding about worldviews, cultural patterns and communication behaviors that influence cross-cultural interpersonal interactions ."
To introduce them to the Asian culture, Brenneman and Ratzlaff led the group through several major cities: Singapore; Kuching and Sarawak, East Malaysia; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Georgetown and Penang, West Malaysia; Bangkok, Thailand; and Taipei, Taiwan.
'We wanted to have opportunities to experience the cultures of several countries, in particular ones where we would encounter the major religions of Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism," says Ratzlaff. "In each of the cities we had a tour. visited museums, industries, religious sites and cultural sites."
The trip also connected Tabor students with alumni who are serving in Southeast Asia and exposed them to the daily life of Asian culture. Parasailing. an elephant trek and a bamboo raft ride provided them with daily experiences of the countries they were visiting.
"I definitely think the trip broadens the perspective of TC students; for some it's the first time they've been 'in the minority.'" says Ratzlaff. "It stretched their tolerance for ambiguity-from the food to values and preferences."
Valerie Bums. a senior from Wichita. Kan .• says. 'This trip made me a lot more patient with people around me and appreciative of different cultures. whether that means across the world or in the United States. I was also reminded of how big God really is and how he is working in Asia ." - Tabor College news service
Come Home to the Neighborhood You Remember
Step back in time at Palm Village to the warmth of the neighborhoods of yesterday you remember so well.
Our residents look out for each other, much like it was years ago, when the friends next door cared deeply about your well being.
You'll love living in the historicallyrich city of Reedley, where proud citizens walk tree-lined streets at a pace that will remind you of the places where you grew up.
Enjoy life as it was meant to be lived ••. at Palm Village!
>ON THE Journey
by Rose Buschman
More, more, more!
More isn't always better; sometimes it's just more
There is a commercial airing on our local television stations these days that admonishes us to buy new furniture for our home "to make us feel better." It promises that our lives will be greatly enhanced by that new dining room set or even a complete living room makeover. The clincher is that it promises "the more we buy, the more we will save!"
Whenever I hear that commercial I am reminded of our living room sofa. By current cultural consumerism standards it needs to be replaced. It is out of date both in
terms of style and color. The sofa is of the oak frame variety with six cushions forming the seating and backrests It was very much in style when we bought it 30-something years ago and has experienced only one makeover in all that time. When the original cushion covers wore
that "we crave things we neither need nor enjoy." He quotes Soren Kierkegaard as saying. 'We buy things we do not want to impress people we do not like " Foster continues, 'We are made to feel ashamed to wear clothes or drive cars until they are worn out. The mass media has convinced us that to be out of step with fashion is to be out of step with reality."
The movie Sabrina is the Cinderella-like story of a young chauffeur's daughter and the son of an extremely rich
In my qu e "t tor mo re tuHilled life that a(C e pt5 voluntar y simpli c ity as a stand a rd to live by. I need to re - ..lss ess e nou gh really
out we couldn't afford a new sofa So I bought fabric (in style at the time), tore the old covers apart and used them as patterns for the new set.
Several years ago I decided it was time for a living room makeover, especially since the walls needed to be repainted . I like that old sofa and so, instead of getting rid of it and buying a new one, I decided to keep it. The furnishings we already had were rearranged in the room I chose paint colors for the walls that would coordinate with the colors in the existing sofa cushion covers. Now that the job is done I like our "new" living room and the minimal cost it took to refurbish it. If other people think our sofa is outdated that's their problem, not mine.
Ours is a culture of blatant consumerism. Daily we are bombarded with messages telling us what we need, what we should want and what it takes to keep up with the latest trends and styles. And because it promises that "new is better," we are never really supposed to be satisfied with what we already have We are also bombarded with messages that "more is better," and so we are never content The result is that our homes become cluttered with items that will be out of style in a few years and then the cycle repeats itself. This means we must put an awful lot of our time, energy and money into "keeping up with the Joneses "
Richard Foster, in his book Discipline of Simplicity, writes
New England family. In one scene, Sabrina (the chauffeur's daughter) and Linus (the billionaire) have a conversation. He makes the case for something that is bigger and therefore better. Her response is, "Sometimes more is not better, it's just more." How true . In my quest for a more fulfilled life that accepts voluntary simplicity as a standard to live by, I need to re-assess what enough really means . Joe and Robin Dominguez, in their book Your Money or Your Life, list the following criteria as a definition for "enough:" ''having our survival needs met (food, clothing and shelter), having possessions that bring joy and comfort and even having those few luxuries that add to the quality of our life." When I look at my house and my possessions, I have much more than I need to have "enough."
As I continue on my journey, I am learning some valuable lessons I am amazed at the freedom I experience as I unclutter my home and have actual empty spaces in my cupboards and closers. Now I appreciate those things that I do have a lot more than before when my cupboards were stuffed full. In fact, I found items that I had forgotten I even had! Furthermore, free time is now in greater supply because I go shopping only for things I really need .
As I learn to ·'be satisfied with what I have" (Heb 13:5, Good News), my focus can shift to listening to my inner voice which tells me to slow down and hear what God is trying to tell me
> INQUIRING MiNDS by
Marvin Hein
Who wrote the Pentateuch?
Understanding the origin of the Bible is complex
QWhOwrote the first five books of the Bible and other Old Testament books when obviously the authors weren't present after the events to write this history?
've dodged this question for months. I recall one of my seminary professors, when I majored in "textual criticism," iving some wise counsel that I will now disobey. While in seminary, my primary interest was in learning how the New Testament came to be and "textual criticism" was the process by which you learn this. The profs advice was: "Never attempt to
:=:: ' rhe Pentateu c h is an anonymou s work o f lit e rature. Nowhere do e<; it gi ve us indications of authorship.
Testament Survey suggest that theories of origins of the Pentateuch must be recognized as theories, to be held tentatively with an openness to change. They stress two things. First, they emphasize that Moses wrote narrative, legislative and poetic literature. These were diverse abilities but not so rare in the ancient Near East. It is credible to assign to Moses the authorship of the Pentateuch in the sense that the core of both the narrative framework and the legislative material goes back to his literary instigation. These scholars add that it is unlikely that Moses wrote the Pentateuch as it exists in its final explain the origin of the Bible unless you have the audience for at least six hours." This monthly column doesn't afford that kind of time and even if it
did I wouldn't know enough to talk that long about it
The first five books of the Old Testament are called the Pentateuch . The word means "five-volumed (book)." Jews sometimes called it "the five-fifths of the law" or the "Torah." In the New Testament it is often referred to simply as the "Law."
But who wrote it? My early childhood German experience reminds me that our German Bibles referred to them as 'The Five Books of Moses." The Old Testament, however, never tells us directly that Moses wrote them. While the New Testament is pretty clear in most instances about book authorship, the Old Testament leaves us with questions.
There is ample evidence that clearly suggests events occurring after Moses. 'The time when the Canaanites were in the land" (Gen. 12:6; 13:7); "the people of Israel ate the manna ... till they came to the border of the land of Canaan" (Exod. 16:35) and other reports (Joshua 19:47, Gen. 36:31, Judg. 18:29) imply that Israel had already occupied the land and by then Moses was off the scene.
Assuming Moses was not a fortune-teller, we must surmise that there were other authors. The Pentateuch is an anonymous work of literature. Nowhere does it give us indications of authorship. Moses isn't mentioned as the writer. Having said that, it is also true that the first five books of the Old Testament tell us Moses was active in ordering to write or actually recording historical facts.
Former Fuller Theological Seminary professors Wm. LaSor, David Hubbard and Fred Bush in their book Old
Rave a question about a Bible passage. doctrine, conference policy or other spiritual issue? Send your question to "Inquiring Minds," clo · Marvin Rein, 3036 East Magill Avenue. Fresno. CA 93'710 or e-mail Marvin at marvinhein@sbcglobal.net.
form
Secondly, these three writers remind us that we must keep in mind the complexities of the text. They say that the Pentateuch "is a composite, complex work with a long and involved history of transmission and growth" but is "superintended by the same Spirit of God that prompted Moses to write and speak in the first place."
So how did it all come together? Some think Ezra formed the material into a single collection after the fifth century exile (Ezra 7:6; IIff, 14, 25ff.) A more elaborate explanation is what has been called the "Documentary Hypothesis." Such advocates suggest there were four main documents from which the final copy was made: the Jahwist narrative that calls God Jahweh, the Elohist's narrative that calls God Elohim, the Deuteronomist's document and the Priestly document. This is a much too simple statement of the JEDP theory and has led to some extremely radical views but has also been helpful at times.
By now the readers may understand clearly why my professor gave his profound counsel. Confused? Let me summarize again in the words of LaSor, Hubbard and Bush : "Whatever the process of transmission and growth or the date at which it finally reached its present form, whoever the writer or writers who finally put it together as the grand historical narrative that it is, surely far more important is the final creation itself."
In Acts 13 Paul implies that the stream of history from the patriarchs to David is the most important part of the Old Testament story This too affirms that Christ is the culmination and fulfillment of God's redemptive purposes begun in the story told in the Pentateuch. It is God's Word to us
BAPTISM/MEMBERSHIP
Bakersfield, Calif. (Rosedalel-Stacey Dangelo and Susan Harder were baptized and welcomed into membership March 12. Other new members welcomed were Wes and Beverley Bartell, Ruby Bartell, Neil and Patti Cochems, Des Condit, Marcus Dangelo. Bill and Maria Embrey, Mike and Kim Mason, Ron Reimers, Uyndon and Shirley Schmidt and Taylor Witcher-Page.
Reedley, Calif.-Duane and Gayle McCutchan and George and Mary Ann Willems were received as members March 5.
Bakersfield, CaUf. (Laurelglenl-Martha Partida was baptized the weekend of Feb. 18-19.
Buhler, Kan.-Al and Sharon Gray were received as members Feb. 12.
Weatherford, Okla. (Pine Acresl-Macie Harris, Karson Lockhart, Dan Chatelain, Tracy Phillips and Clint and Derylin Thomas were baptized Feb. 12.
Kingsburg, Calif.-Betty Stiles was received as a member Feb. 19.
Hillsboro, Kan.-Richard and Joni Calam were received as members Feb. 12. Howard and Lois Fast were received as members March 12
Wichita, Kan. (Firstl-Daryle and Marie Baltzer were received as members Feb. 5.
CELEBRATIONS
Parlier, Calif. /Iglesia Fuente de Vidal-The congregation celebrated 50 years of ministry March 10-12. The church began as an outreach of Reedley [Calif.] MB Church.
Garden City, Kan. (Garden Valleyl- The church broke ground Feb. 12 for a new education wing which will provide space for Sunday school, youth activities, fellowship hall, kitchen and offices. Charter members stood sideby-side with children as they broke ground during the celebration Construction is expected to be completed by late fall or early winter.
FELLOWSHIP
Denver, Colo. (Garden Parkl-Women of the church were invited to bring their favorite doll or teddy bear to a doll theme tea party March 25.
Inman, Kan. (Zoarl-Men's fellowship organized a fishing trip for men March 16-19 to Lake Texhoma on the Texas/Oklahoma border.
Hays, Kan. (North Oakl-Fathers and daughters traveled to Wichita , Kan , for a March 11 outing. They planned to play laser tag and watch a hockey game Wichita, Kan. (Firstl-March 3 was Men's Game Night at the church. Activities included table games, ping-pong,
MB NEWS FROM ACROSS THE UNITED STATES]
video and X-Box games. Supper was included Children's ministry organized a Fabulous 50s Night for families Feb. 24. Dinner was served by car hops. Families were encouraged to dress in 50s garb for a chance to be voted the "Most Fabulous 50s Family:' Hillsboro, Kan.-Fathers and sons enjoyed target and skeet shooting, games and a wild game barbeque Feb. 25 for a father/son outing. The goal was to have as many men, youth and boys from the church and community as possible participate.
Fairview, Okla.-Approximately 180 people attended a "Sweetheart Banquet.. Feb. 11. Couples were served a catered meal by junior high youth. High school youth provided child care. The free evening included music and a humorous devotional by Chuck Taylor, youth pastor at Buhler (Kan.1 MB Church Rapid City, SD (Bible Fellowshipl-Couples were invited to a "Date Night" at the church Feb. 11. The evening included dessert, entertainment and guest speakers
Minot, ND (Bible Fellowshipl-Women recently participated in a muffin exchange. Each brought one dozen muffins and a copy of the recipe.
Bakersfield, Calif. (Rosedalel-Women's Ministry hosted its annual retreat in Cambria Feb. 24-26. Over 40 women enjoyed the fellowship and program, "Character of the Almighty God," presented by Janet Ables, Heart of the Home Ministry, Shafter, Calif. MINISTRY
Bakersfield, Calif. (Laurelglenl-Interested members learned how to start a community-based small group during a meeting Feb. 26. The groups are billed as an excellent way to encourage Christians and reach unbelievers who share common ground in the workplace or common interests.
Fresno, Calif. (North Fresnol-Church members walked the neighborhood to pray for specific places in which the church is having an impact during "Power Hour" Feb. 26. A prayer option was offered for those who wished to stay on the church campus.
Reedley, Calit.-Church members served the community alongside a local ministry by cleaning city parks and trails, delivering food baskets and offering a free car wash Feb. 25. The goal was to show God's love to the city A team from the church planned to travel to Newton, Texas, April 8-15 to work with Mennonite Disaster Service to rebuild after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita PROCLAMATION
Enid, Okla. - The church scheduled a series of spring renewal meetings April 2-3 with the theme "Cultivating the Inner Life in a Hectic World." Jim
Holm, president of MB Biblical Seminary, was the guest speaker.
Reedley, Calif.-Clinical psychologist and family therapists David and Jan Stoop were the featured speakers for a marriage conference at the church March 31-April 1 Bakersfield, Calif. (Laurelglenl-March 4-5 was a missions celebration. Reggie McNeal, director of the leadership development office at the South Carolina Baptist Convention, was the guest speaker during worship services and a Sunday evening dinner. A "Faith Promise" missions dinner was held March 12 with reports from a women's team that went to Africa in January.
Fresno, Calif. (North Fresnol-February was mission emphasis month. Special speakers included Dale Warkentin, former missionary to Indonesia and former ministry coordinator at the church; Keith Phillips, founder and national director for World Impact; Ron Penner, regional mobilizer for MBMS International; and Loren Dubberke, pastor of discipleship and outreach at the church.
Minot, ND (Bible Fellowshipl- The church focused on church history during a sermon series beginning in February. A movie, Luther, was shown Feb. 19 in connection with this focus.
Lenoir, NC (Bushtownl-Jon Wiebe, president of MB Foundation, led a Good Sense Budget Workshop for the churches of the North Carolina District at the Lenoir Public Library Feb 11. Wiebe then spoke on stewardship during both services at Bushtown MB Feb. 12
Hillsboro, Kan.-The church focused on their core values to build unity of vision during the months of January and February. Pastor Bruce Porter preached on each core value, and Sunday school classes extended the focus through class discussions The core values are: worshipping, reconciling, learning, growing, serving and belonging.
TEACHING/NURTURE
Bakersfield, Calif. (Laurelglen, Rosedale, The Bridgel-The three churches cooperated to bring experienced evangelism trainer Ken Silva to Bakersfield for a day of training April 1.
Marshall, Ark. (Martin Boxl-A men 's Bible study is now being held weekly on Tuesday evenings
WORKERS
Topeka, Kan. (Cornerstone Communityl-Steve Prieb has resigned as lead pastor
Hillsboro, Kan.-Rod Jost has resigned as youth pastor. Edmond, Okla. (Memorial Roadl-A.J Regier has resigned as youth pastor.
Fresno, Calif. (North Fresnol-James Bergen was commissioned as lead pastor March 5
Wichita, Kan. (FirstJ-Jo Schrock has resigned her pos ition of 15 years as children's ministry director, effective May 2006.
WORSHIP
Dinuba, Calif.-During an evening service Feb. 12, church members showed their appreciation for each other by offering tributes to those, past and present, who have shown love through deed, example or thoughtfulness. Carnations were presented to those honored
San Jose, Calif. (Lincoln Glen, Ethiopian Christian FellowshipJ- The two churches held a combined service along with an Ind ian church from the area Feb. 5 The service included a focus on vision and ministry for 2006, presented by pastors Sammy Tilahun, Harold Pagadala and Wink Ferrand
Bakersfield, Calif. (Heritage BibleJ-A regular part of Sunday mornings is an early morning prayer walk, in which pa,rticipants walk the church campus to ask God 's bless ing on the church's ministries.
YOUTH
Bakersfield, Calif. (LaurelglenJ-Girls age 7th grade through college age and their mothers were invited to talk about issues such as body image, dating, sex, mother-daughter relationships and communication during an event on the morning of April 1
Topeka, Kan. (Cornerstone CommunityJ-Children collected a "noisy offering " of coins to benefit Mennonite Central Comm ittee for three Sundays, beginning March 19 Youth participated in a 30 -hour fast March 3-5 to raise funds for World Vision , an organ ization that supports children in developing countries
Fairview, Okla.-Forty youth and sponsors traveled to Chicago, Ill., in March to work with the DOOR program ID iscovering Opportunities for Outreach and Reflection! Possible service opportunities included things like working in soup kitchens, homeless shelters or food banks. The group also focused on spiritual growth and had time for fun in the city
Corn, Okla.-Children·s talent was featured during the evening service Jan 29 Children were invited to share vocal or instrumental music, read Scripture, pray or share other talents. The congregation enjoyed banana splits after the service
DEATHS
DICK, EVELYN, Buhler, Kan , was born Aug 5, 1920, to Albert and Mary Fast Holderman in Wolf Point, Mont., and died Jan 31, 2006, at the age of 85 She married Karl V. Dick, who predeceased her in 2000 She is survived by three sons, Samuel and wife Betty of Denton, Texas, Alden and wife Joan of Buhler, Kan., and Douglas and wife Jodi of Wichita, Kan ; one daughter, Judy and husband Don Hickman of Bloomington, Ind. , 10 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren
FRIESEN, LOUISE BRANDT, Reedley, Calif., a member of Reedley MB Church, was born Sept. 13,1912, to Henry T. and Anna Janzen Brandt in Jansen, Neb , and died Feb. 22, 2006, at the age of 93 On Sept. 20, 1931, she married Henry Friesen, who predeceased her Feb 24 , 1979 She is survived by two daughters, Lila and husband Marlowe Frueh of Reedley, and Laurel Friesen of Fresno, Calif., two grandchildren and five greatgrandchildren
PETERS, MARTHA, Reedley, Calif., was born Nov 3, 1925, to Henry and Tina Wiens Toews at Hampton, Neb , and died Jan 14, 2006, at the age of 80 On Oct. 14, 1942, she married A. Stanley Peters, who survives She is also survived by one son, Jerry and wife Sarah; one daughter, Shirley and husband Dennis, two grandchildren and one great-grandchild
UNRUH, FRIEDA, Reedley, Calif , a member of Reedley MB Church, was born Nov 22, 1914, to HenrY and Martha Bartel at Cordell, Okla., and died Feb 9, 2006, at the age of 91. On May 14, 1933, she married Jake Reimer, who predeceased her in 1948. In 1960, she married Ernest Unruh, who predeceased her in 1985. She is survived by two daughters, Velora and husband Ed Willems, and Beth and husband Don Anderson ; one stepdaughter, Eileen and husband John Wilhite ; two daughters-in - law, Karen Reimer and Deanna Morris ; one brother-in-law, Earl Geis; 11 grandchildren, 30 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren
Dinuba church extends ministry via airwaves
F:r 60 years, Dinuba (Calif.) MB Church has broadcast their Sunday morning worship services on a local Christian radio station . Dinuba member David Hofer, now deceased, founded station KRDU with his brother Egon as the first commercial Christian radio station in the nation In 1946 the station extended an invitation for the church to broadcast a 45minute live worship service. 'The church accepted this as a challenge to be a Christian witness in the community," according to a church report. The broadcast was extended to a full hour in 1959.
The weekly broadcast has continued uninterrupted since and the church anticipates continuing this ministry for the foreseeable future The church sees it as of particular value to those who cannot attend services because of illness or other circumstances Occasional responses from listeners express appreciation for this ministry.
For many listeners the broadcast is much like actually attending a service, rather than listening to a typical radio program . "People who listen to the broadcast often remark that they felt as though they were right there at the worship service," one report says
Dinuba MB Church underwrites the entire cost of the broadcast, including it as a budget item .-MH
Take a close look at a Christ-centered Tabor College education Tabor empow ers you for all tbe possibilities that your future holds
Philip Wiebe
Cynicism isn't what it used to be
What does a cynic do when criticism rules the day?
Iused to be a PC (Proudly Cynical) type of guy, but as Ive gotten older weird t?ings have happening. For example, rather the worst, I sometimes find myself thmking that thmgs might tum out all right. I'm
not so quick to criticize celebrities and public figures, because hey, they're human too. Most unusual of all, I actually make an occasional attempt to (gasp!) look on the bright side.
My goodness, what is happening to me?
(Fifteen minutes spent joyously trashing all the cheesy parts.)
Guy: "You want to go see that new movie?"
Girl: "Man, it's supposed to be awful."
Guy: "Okay, pick you up at seven."
Girl: "Cool."
I'm not exaggerating. Though I too can be cynical about the steaming heaps of tacky media that get dumped on the public, I tend to use critical thinking to, you know, avoid bad movies. Many people today don't avoid trashy media at all and instead use their critical thinking skills for entertainment purposes.
On a more serious note, as a government employee I've seen a sharp increase in cynicism and vitriol spewed
essential to be thoughtful Jnd discerning in thIS age ot over-int-ormation, in ccss ..lnt faddishness and rampant consumerism.
Maybe I've simply flip-flopped like the rest of society. My past days as a dedicated cynic corresponded with a time when the culture was more optimistic and trusting. With my natural inclination to consider the f1ipside of things, I tended to question conventional wisdom and not take everything at face value. Society has changed. Now criticism and irony rule the day. Nobody seems to believe much or trust anyone any more. So in my leanings toward optimism perhaps I'm still being contrary. Rather than being cynical about cynicism-worthy situations a cynic can be F :;;;:==:;;:;::::-r.. cynical about, perhaps I'm cynical about cynicism as a societal cycle of cynical summations by cynics who, uh, what was I trying to say again?
At any rate, when I talk about being a cynic, I probably mean a skeptic. One definition I read identifies a cynic as "a person whose outlook is scornfully and hab.itually A skeptic is defined as one who "questions or disagrees With assertions or generally accepted conclusions." The difference is in the scorn and negativity. Since these are attributes of cynicism, I probably shouldn't endorse that.
But I believe there is value in applying some level of skepticism in our thinking. We shouldn't believe everything we see or hear. It's essential to be thoughtful and discerning in this age of over-information, incessant faddishness and rampant consumerism.
But whether you call it skepticism or cynicism, there is a kind of critical spirit that has overtaken our age. On the lighter side, I've noticed an interesting practice among some of the 2o-something folks I know and work with. Regularly I hear conversations like this:
Guy: "Did you see that movie?"
Girl: "Yes. It may have been the worst movie ever."
toward regulating agencies in our state. At a recent training our office gives in conjunction with our state's Department of Justice, a presenting atrorney noted to the of public hearings officers and policymakers, These days you unfortunately have to assume the worst about human nature. There will always be people out to get you no matter how civilly and thoroughly you try and manage the hearing process, and you have to prepare for that."
I find that sad. Certainly it's no secret that public discourse has become increasingly divisive, bitter and cynical. It's another area in which cynicism has become broad and fatalistic, rather than discerning and purposeful.
The critical spirit is alive and well in the church, of course. Grumbling has never been in short supply. That's not all bad; there's a place for healthy skepticism. Jesus was often critical of the prevailing spiritual legalism of his time. And the apostle John urged believers in the church to "not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God" (I John 4:1).
I think this is different, however, than the broadly critical attitude of culture which unfortunately has crept into the church. Many churchgoers today seem to cultivate a negative spirit of judgment about all that goes on, based more on the prevailing consumer mentality than the heart and will of God. God wants us to be discerning, of course, but more than that he wants us to be serving and worshiping .
Preaching to the president
The story of one man's opportunity to address President Bush
(
ass Bowker was gone for the first session of the course my husband was teaching at the Tabor College Wichita adult degree completion program and the students were quite excited about his absence. The students told my husband that Bowker was missing because he was speaking at Prison Fellowship fund-raising dinners in St. Louis and Kansas City.
Bowker, a pastor who has served time for voluntary manslaughter, had become a Christian while in prison and was nurtured in his faith by Prison Fellowship. Bowker was delighted about the speaking opportunities, the students reported, because President George Bush would be present. This was Bowker's opportunity to "preach to the president," as he described it.
The next week Bowker told the class what happened.
Although President Bush did not attend the Kansas City dinner, he was expected at the St. Louis event. When Bowker arrived in St. Louis he checked into his hotel and dressed for the dinner held at FiFi Baptist Church. Bowker likes to be early for speaking engagements, and that afternoon he left even earlier than usual. This turned out to be a good thing since his car got a flat tire forcing Bowker to pull onto the interstate shoulder.
Bowker didn't have a cell phone but a passing motorist stopped and offered to call a tow truck. When the tow truck arrived the driver told Bowker that he couldn't fix the tire along the interstate and would tow Bowker's car to the garage for repairs. Bowker joined the driver in the cab for the ride to the garage.
The two men began to talk and the tow truck driver was very curious why Bowker was so dressed up on a Saturday afternoon. Bowker explained that he was going to speak at a church and that the president of the United States would likely be attending the event.
At this the tow truck driver stated in no uncertain (and profane) terms that he had no use for God.
So Bowker told the driver about his own belief in God and what God had done in his life. But Bowker admitted to the class that he shared his testimony somewhat halfheartedly. He was distracted at the thought of speaking before the president and concerned that he arrive at the fund-raising dinner on time.
Bowker did make it on time-in fact he had some time to spare. When he entered the auditorium where the event was being held he
was quite surprised to see a large screen filled with President Bush's face
"Hi, Cass," said the president "I hear you have a message for me."
The class laughed, said my husband, as Bowker told of his surprised response at being greeted personally by the president. It turns out the Prison Fellowship staff were testing the two-way video link between Air Force 1 where the president was and the St. Louis church hosting the dinner. The staff had asked President Bush to help them play a joke on Bowker since the night before in his presentation Bowker had made several references to the president's absence.
This time President Bush did hear Bowker's testimony. And at some point in the evening the president addressed the audience via the video link. The evening included an altar call and it was at this moment that Bowker realized that the tow ,truck driver, still dressed in his work clothes, was standing at the back of the auditorium. Given that many attendees were dressed in tuxedos, the driver was easy to spot.
So Bowker walked over to talk with him.
'1 went home and tried to take a nap, but your God wouldn't let me sleep," said the driver. And that evening Bowker had the opportunity to lead the tow truck driver in a prayer for salvation.
What Bowker didn't know was that his microphone was still on, allowing President Bush to overhear Bowker's conversation with the driver. The president called Bowker and the driver back to the stage and he prayed for both men.
Bowker concluded his story this way: "I thought I was going to St Louis to talk to the president. But I was really there to talk to the tow truck driver."
Cass's conclusion reminds me of Peter's words: 'i\lways be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have" (I Pet. 3:15).
Am I ready to explain why my life is different to anyone-regardless of his or her position in life-who asks? Will I recognize the opportunity to witness when it is before me, or will my own agenda blind me to the opportunity? And maybe the most challenging question of all: Does my life give witness to the hope that I have or do I live just like everyone else? -CF
EMPLOYMENT: CHURCH
Lead Pastor: The Buhler MB Church in Buhler, Kan , is looking for a lead pastor to be part of our four person pastoral team. We are an active , healthy, 500member small town church that believes Jesus Christ is Lord of our lives. Buhler MB is committed to being a sending church to the pastorate and missions and feels called to fulfill our Christ-centered purpose in the world Applicants should have an understanding and belief in Anabaptist theology, preferably with five years experience in a lead or associate pastor position in a multiple staff setting. We are looking for a man with demonstrated gifts for leading, preaching, teaching, caring, communicating, develop ing strong staff, and vision for the future Resumes may be sent to the Search Committee at Buhler MB Church, 415 N West Street, Buhler, KS 67522 or e-mailed to infolilbuhlermb.org 15/121
Lead Pastor: Corn MB Church is seeking a senior pastor to join a youth pastor to lead approximately 225-250 committed believers on a weekly basis in Corn, Okla We are a rural, outreach-minded congregation that is very mission oriented. Our farming community of about 550 draws members from a 15 to 20 mile radius of larger towns We require a masters degree and would prefer a man in the 30 to 50year-old-range. We require previous experience in senior or associate pastoral work. We currently offer a blended style of worship. Primary responsibilities include: Preaching and teaching, visitation, provide encouragement and input to various boards, committees and office administration. Resumes may be
HOUSE
sent to Stacy Reimer, Search Committee, Corn MB Church, Box 66, Corn, OK 73024 or e-ma il to stacycarmenlilitlnet.net. 12/61
EMPLOYMENT: AGENCY
Mennonite Disaster Service Open Positions : MDS is expanding its binational staff as a result of the increased need following the Gulf Coast hurricanes of 2005 MDS will interview and hire qualified candidates to head the following areas, each reporting directly to the Executive Director: Communications-Primary Responsibility: To develop and administer a comprehensive communications plan to share the MDS message with the constituency and stakeholder communities as well as the general public, interpreting MDS philosophy/vision and promoting strong support.
Field Operations-Primary Responsibility: To manage all field operations and to assure effective and efficient team effort in all field relationships and activities in serving MDS "customers/clients" within the philosophy and resource parameters of MOS.
Finance & Administration-Primary Responsibility: To oversee the financial management, reporting and controller functions, assuring integrity in all financial aspects of MOS
Human Resources-Primary Responsibility: To assure prompt provision of qualified staff for all leadership positions and long-term volunteer positions and program needs. To enhance effective teamwork throughout the organization. Address inquiries to: MDS Human Resources, Attn: Arleta Martin, 1018 Main Street, Akron PA 17501, Email: jobslilmds.mennonite net, Tel: 17171 859-2210, Fax: 17171859-4910, http://www mds.mennonite netI1/11
Fresno Pacific University, a Christian university sponsored by the Pacific District Conference of the Mennonite Brethren Church, invites inquiries, nominations and applications for the position of ProvostlVice President for Academic Affairs. The university offers bachelor and master of art degrees in the arts, sciences and professions as well as an extensive continuing education program.
The ProvostlVice President for Academic Affairs is the chief academic officer and is responsible for all aspects of academic and intellectual life. The Provost is responsible for the academic programs offered ro both traditional students and adult and graduate students on our main campus and through a network of regional centers. The position coordinares and sustains collaborative leadership in accomplishing the educational mission of the university as expressed in the Fresno Pacific Idea and mission statement. The position reports to the President and serves as the first among equals among the university's vice presidents.
Candidates must have an earned doctorate and a record of successful leadership and administrative experience as the head of a major academic unit.
A full list of the essential job responsibilities and qualifications is available on our Web site at www.fresno.eduldept/personnel
Send letter of interest, resume and a brief statement that reflects on one's personal strengths, interests, accomplishments and qualities of leadership as they relate to Fresno Pacific University's mission, core values and strategic goals. Candidates should be prepared to supply references upon request. Review of applications will be ongoing and will continue until the position is filled. Send information to:
Nancy Neufeld, Office of the President Fresno Pacific University 1717 S. Chesmut, Fresno, CA 93702
Project Encouragement: Portugal
"Daddy, are people coming tonight?" 5-year-old Josiah excitedly asked as we prepared for dinner recently. I could see in his eyes that the last few days had been important for him. For the first time in some time, we had visitors that spoke his first language, that were as interested in him as his parents were and who brought, of course, some really cool gifts.
Encouragement comes in many forms. Over the last six years of ministry in Portugal, many teams have encouraged us by serving in Portugal. We have had large and small groups of church based mission teams, ACTION teams, and we presently are hosting a TREK team. These teams have come to encourage, pray, learn, and pitch in with a helping hand to paint, redecorate, hand out flyers, play with our kids, help out with community outreach, and much more.
Looking back, we can see how instrumental these teams have been in planting a church here in Massama. Many times the teams provided the extra push to kick off new ministries and gave encouragement at crucial times of our ministry. We are indebted to these teams as well as to those who sent them, prayed for them, and gave financially so they could encourage us and greatly bless Portugal.
Craig and Fabiana Jost minister in Massama, Portugal Their children, Josiah and Megan look forward to showing visitors their toys.
Table of Contents
Project Encouragement p.2
Closing the Gap p 3
Our Children p.S
The Second Wave p.6
Service Opportunities p.B
Changing DNA p.lO
Adventure p.12
Ministry in Germany p.14
People to People p.1S
In response to Christ's Great Commission, MBMS International works with Mennonite Brethren churches to make disciples and plant churches globally.
Editor-in-chief
Randy Friesen
Managing Editors
Joanna Felts / Marten Youssef
Production Editor (Layout and Design)
Curtis Cunningham
MBMS International-Spring 2006
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Witness is a quarterly publication of MBMS Interna tional, the Mennonite Brethren global mission agency of the churches in Canada and the United States.
an Impact
"ICAN'T BELIEVE THE LIFE CHANGE ON OUR TEAM!"
The excitement in his voice was obvious. "This raised the bar on ministry skills, vision and passion more than anything else we have done." I was talking with a pastor who had been on a shortterm mission assignment in rural Africa with a group of 25 people from his congregation.
Their team had just returned from two weeks of evangelism, discipleship, and learning. They had been deeply impacted by the spiritual passion, dedication, and servanthood of their African hosts.
When I asked what his team did, he described how they began the day with worship, prayer, and discipleship and then they divided into ministry teams (children's ministry, visitation evangelism, sports, business equipping) that scattered them throughout surrounding villages alongside national believers. The whole team gathered together at the end of the day to debrief and share a meal together with their hosts. The life change came as they took risks to go for it in evangelism and prayer-and God showed up.
There were a number of critical success factors that shaped this assignment:
1. The pastor and participants understood there is nothing short-term about mission. It's a life of obedience in following Jesus and his mission . While there are short-term assignments there is no short-term mission.
2. The team approached the assignment with a teachable attitude, recognizing they had more to learn than to teach.
3. The assignment location was in a country where there was a limited language barrier.
4. The pastor selected an assignment host with whom he had a prior relationship and who understood their congregation.
5. The pastor made this assignment a priority and mobilized key leaders to join him .
6. The pastor leveraged the equipping value of the assignment to develop spiritual gifts and ministry skills in each team member at every opportunity. Many took risks to share their faith, pray for the sick and intercede in new ways.
7. The team invested in pre-trip training and post-trip debriefing to maximize the impact of discipleship. c07ltillued on p 4
As I spend time with pastors I repeatedly hear the comment "I've only got my congregation for 90 minutes a week. Whatever I want to accomplish needs to happen in that time slot." Many wonder how to accomplish evangelism, discipleship, spiritual gift development, and leadership training in an over-mortgaged Sunday morning. It seems that our overscheduled and compartmentalized lives have relegated church to a 90-minute spiritual development slot. Time has replaced money as our most valuable resource.
That's why a two-week cross-cultural mission and discipleship experience together with some of your key leaders and growing disciples is gold. Each person gets to influence and learn from the lives of other teammates 24/7. It is life changing because it encourages relationship building, faith stretching, and vision shaping-when it is done well. In addition, you get to learn from Christians in significantly different circumstances about faith, sacrifice, worship, evangelism, and community.
A pastor organized a team from his church recently to serve alongside our church planting team in Chonburi, Thailand. They shared the love and hope
of Christ with AIDS patients in their homes and hospice rooms. Amazingly, they were also joined by a Buddhist team of AIDS workers in this endeavor. At a later worship service they honored the Buddhist team for their dedication to serve the poorest of the poor and indicated that our leader Jesus invites us to do the same. Many bridges into the community were built through this team's service. They returned with a new awareness and commitment to local mission in their home community.
We'd like to see every MB congregation develop long term relationships with a cross cultural church planting team; then support that team with prayer, finances, and short-term church teams. We are committed to closing the gaps in the global MB family, as well as the gap between God's love in Christ and human need. Our Regional Mobilizers have training and debrief materials with which they are prepared to educate your church's next short-term mission team.
With effective planning and preparation, short-term mission and discipleship assignments can significantly strengthen the long-term mission impact of local churches and believers-here and around the world.
Time has replaced money as our most valuable resource. That's why a two-week cross-cultural mission and discipleship experience together with some of your key leaders and growing disciples is gold.
photos submitted by (L-R): Marten Youssef, Laurence East, Scott Pankratz, MBMS International Team
Our Childreli
The term 'our children' has taken on new meaning in the village ofN'Dorola in Burkina Faso . The TREK team hosted by Phil and Carol Bergen in January 2005 made quite an impact on their host families. Phil writes:
When 'our children' (the TREK team) were here we explained that they were among people who had probably never made a 'short-term' friend in their lives. We wanted the team to understand the value of the friendships they built over the next couple of months would be greatly deepened by what would happen between TREKers and their hosting families after they
left. It must have made a dent in our children's hearts because these TREKers have been working at keeping the communications going-and one is planning a return trip this year! He is adding a stop to N'Dorola while on a service assignment in Mali.
I tell our friends in N'Dorola that my people are thinking about and praying for them . The presence of the TREK team proved this . The efforts the TREKers are making are proving this . I don't have a daily visit with people here that I don't get asked for news about our children. These questions come from five Nanerige host families who have been invited to consider the way of Christ-and remain undecided. We ask you to claim, with us, these host families for Christ!
Phil and Carol Bergen serve the Nanerige people ofN'Dorola, Burkina Faso.
The Second Wave
.
We stared out in quiet disbelief at the area where the bustling village had once stood. It looked like someone had taken it out with a giant hoe, leaving nothing behind but a huge field of mud and fishing boats strewn about.
Our silence was broken with the noise of a little Thai woman arriving on her motorbike. We discovered she had come to search for her loved ones. As she stared forlornly out at the barren landscape, she shared that her three children and husband had all lost their lives in the tsunami. They had no chance against the turbulent wall of ocean that had pulverized their village. She just wanted to find their bodies so she could say good-bye. As my wife Judy listened to her story, it was enough to wrench her heart out. Then she heard God speak softly, "Your pain is just a fraction of how much my heart aches for these people." That moment permanently galvanized Judy to God's deeper call for the Thai. This would be a short-term mission trip that would change our lives forever.
What part of my heart is still tin? What part is fully alive?
A year ago my wife and I were in the tsunami-ravaged area of Southern Thailand, taking part in MBMS International's relief effort called Operation Rebuilding Lives. On our first day, we visited Ban Nam Kaem, the fishing village where several thousand Thai people had lost their lives.
As pastor of Young Adults and Global Ministry Missions at Central Heights Church in Abbotsford, I truly enjoyed helping young adults discover their full potential in Christ. Judy was working with Youth for Christ and had influenced many local churches to participate in her school-based breakfast program. Though we enjoyed what we were doing, we felt most fulfilled whenever God brought us together in ministry. We especially looked forward to doing shortterm mission trips together.
by Rob and Judy Griffioen
In the summer of 2000 we led a team of some thirty high-school students to San Quentin, Mexico. During our training period with YMI in Fresno, we met Ricky and Karen Sanchez and the rest of MBMS International's Team 2000. We witnessed their joy and effectiveness in ministry and heard of their long-term call to Thailand. This meeting ended up being a solid connection and as a result we took two teams of young adults to Thailand (in 2002 and 2004). We ministered in local schools, Thai churches, hospitals, orphanages, detention centers, slums, and on the beaches. Each time we left sensing we had truly helped the missionaries deepen their ministry presence in Thailand. Judy and I felt we could just keep on doing these short-term trips until the Lord took us home.
When the tsunami of Dec. 26, 2004 crashed against the shorelines of Southern Asia, our hearts were riveted on Thailand. Bringing it even closer to home, our nineteen-year-old daughter Amanda served on the TREK team that went to minister in the devastated area. This connection, combined with the endless scenes of tragedy on TV, kept us much in prayer for Thailand. We fervently wished we could do more than
just watch. On Jan. 6, 2005 this wish was realized when MBMS International phoned and asked if we would be willing to go as a pastoral couple with Operation Rebuilding Lives. With permission granted by our church and YFC to go, we said YES!
Less than a week later, we were once again bound for Thailand. We had a growing sense God was drawing us there for something significant. Several people there challenged us to consider becoming missionaries, but we weren't sure. After all, we were well into our forties and we had lots on the go in Canada! Furthermore, the difficult Thai language made this prospect seem impossible for us.
As we helped to rebuild the homes of Thai families in Southern Thailand, the Lord began to strip away our fears and replaced them with his love for broken people. Like the woman at Ban Nam Kaem, we met many who had lost husbands, wives, children, homes, or their life's work. So many faces revealed the empty stares of shattered lives and the fear of another tsunami. We knew God had given us a message of peace these desperate people needed to hear. With less than one percent of Southern Thai people knowing the peace of God in Jesus Christ, God impressed upon us that someone needed to answer the call. The burden grew.
When we arrived back in Canada in mid February, we met with MBMS International director Randy Friesen and agreed to pray for a month to better discern God's calling to Thailand. During this time, I read Dallas Willard's book The Divine Conspiracy. Referring to the tin man of Wizard of Oz fame, Willard suggests each
of us should ask of ourselves, "What part of our hearts are still tin, what parts are fully alive?" In other words, since we call ourselves a people of faith, what would it take to make our faith relationship with Jesus Christ really come alive? Judy and I wanted nothing more than to passionately live out our remaining ministry years on the edge for Jesus. We wanted to experience God's power and release in ministry like we never have before. It came down to one question. Where could we best do this? For both of us, God made it clear it would be in Thailand.
We straightaway applied and in short order were accepted. We have since both stepped out of our former ministries and are now preparing for longterm service in Southern Thailand. We are scheduled to begin language school in Thailand in March 2006. Several others, including Greg and Becky Ouellette and family, Cynthia Friesen, our twin daughters Amanda and Amber, and Kevin and Karlene Klassen and family are forming a team with us to help plant churches among the Southern Thai. We're calling our
new team "Operation Second Wave." Our prayer is that a huge wave of God's grace will flood in where the tsunami did its damage and from there, expand throughout Thailand.
Through all this, short-term mission trips have proven effective for discovering God's will for our lives. We're glad to have experienced these opportunities and look forward to hosting short-term teams ourselves once we settle in Southern Thailand and learn that difficult language. As we discover more the joy of loving God with all that we have (Deuteronomy 6:4-5), the tin is melting away and our hearts are truly becoming His. Want to begin to experience life on the edge? Sign up for a short-term mission trip today!
Rob and Judy Griffioen are involved in church planting efforts in Phuket, Thailand. This is new vision flowing out of the Tsunami relief effort through the recently completed and highly successful Operation Rebuilding Lives (ORL) project. Rob and Judy provided the photos for this article.
A multi-generational urban practicum where church teams serve together out of an intimate relationship with Jesus among the culturally diverse communities f Winnipeg's North End.
Contact: Lloyd Letkeman (lloydl @mbms i.org)
Every year churches send teams to minister alongside churches in Ensenada and Guadalajara, Mexico. Teams engage in sports, VBS, and construction projects during Easter week and the summer months.
Discover Jesus in a and join Him for a weekend. Urban Mission is an opportunity to explore your role in urban and cross-cultural mission. Designed for families, home groups and young adults these multigenerational teams engage in risk-taking obedience as they learn and serve in some of the most needy communities of our country.
Visit www.mbmsi.org/visit/shortterm for details the UM nearest you
Regional Mobilizer: Philip Serez (philips @mbmsi.org)
GAP experiences include prayer and intercession, evangelistic outreach, construction, orphanage work and other related ministries with a long-term missionary. If you already have an MB missionary connection, we can provide pre-trip training, speakers and materials. Contact your local Regional Mobilizer for more details.
A six-week summer mission experience for young adults wanting to work with a small team in an international setting alongside missionaries and national churches.
call for regional staff members in Canada and the U.S to encourage and coordinate new short-term programs and teams as they emerge in each region. Ensenada 2006, a shortterm program based in the Pacific District Conference, will be one of the first short-term programs to emerge in this new model.
She dreamt of India for 10 years-vivid dreams in color.
She walked passed the rickshaws squeezing through traffic.
She watched the women, wrapped in bright saris, pass her by.
Rows and rows of carts filled the already crowded market.
And the smell of spices was strong enough to wake her.
The loud music and screechy sounds of honking cars proved that she's far from her quiet water-front home in Kelowna, B.c.
But she could still hear the children-laughing.
And when she woke from her dreams, she could make no sense of the vivid detail.
But these dreams would occur night after night. after night.
And then there were visions-visions of a country where she had never stepped foot.
Adecade later, Heather Ouwehand's visions for India became a part of Willow Park Church's commitment to missions and she was one of the first members to travel to the land of her dreams-literally that is. At the age of 54, Heather was now walking through the streets of New Delhi aghast at the similarities between her dreams and what was before her.
The rickshaws looked the same, the streets were narrow, the noise of midday was nearly identical and the pace of life was as rushed. "It all began to make sense why God put these dreams on my heart and why he kept me up at night walking me through the streets of India," Heather said.
Her story is a product of the passion and commitment to short term missions-the new-found calling of Willow Park Church.
Streams from the desert
It's located in the desert valley of British Columbia, nearly 10,000 kilometers from New Delhi. But the people of Willow Park Church in Kelowna have stretched their arms to reach some of the most povertystricken places in India and across the world .
Less than a year ago, this was a church that didn't know the 10/40 Window referred to the most unreached parts of the world. Short-term missions was defined as serving the region, explains Laurence East, Willow Park's director of "Glocal Ministries".
No, that's not a typo. It's a fusion between global and local. And this one word alone explains the church's new commitment to missions.
"The people always saw missions as someone else's responsibility. All we had to do is give money and hope it would go to the right place. There was something wrong with that," East explains "We started to realize we need to send our very best. Sure people were ready to go on a mission trip to Mexico but we weren't prepared to go further. That's when we had our first mission's conference "
For two straight days in November 2005, the people of Willow Park Church were challenged with a new perspective on missions. Since then, the church has been seeing missions to the world as their own responsibility, but never losing focus of reaching out to their community. A month after the mission's conference, Laurence led a team that represents the church's demographics to the orphanages of New Delhi.
When the team came back and shared of the wonders and miracles in how God is moving in New Delhi, the church was mobilized. "If you were to look at Willow Park under a microscope, you would see that our DNA is changing," Laurence said.
This coming summer, four teams will travel to India, two teams to Africa and one team to Russia. From not knowing what the 10/40 Window is, to sending shortterm mission teams throughout the world, .Willow Park church has enjoyed the blessing that comes from a commitment to serving the world in need.
But why should a church, in the middle of a desert, care for the orphans, widows and the lepers of the most remote villages?
Mark Burch, Senior pastor at Willow Park, pauses for a moment, looks at his coffee cup and smiles.
"Because Jesus tells us so."
It's a simple yet profound statement.
"Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow " (Isaiah 1:17, NIV)
The Beneficiaries
It is not a secret nor is it a mistake that most people who go on STM assignments receive more than they ever expected to give.
The Church and community also become recipients of this change
Willow Park Church has joined hands with MBMS International and its missionaries to see the long term fruits of short-term missions The projects are endlessfrom church planting in New Delhi to education centers; from sponsoring orphans to influencing the decision makers of India; from serving in the slums of Bombay to reaching out to the Indo-Canadian residents of Kelowna.
"All this in less than one year, and the message WI;! are trying to hammer in is that this is not impossible. Our hope and prayer is that people would come back so challenged that they can not be the same again," Laurence said
Willow Park MB Church is located in Kelowna, B.c., Canada . Marten Youssef is a writer who resides in B.c. 's lower mainland. He traveled to Kelowna to see for himself this church's reaction to the Great Commission Call.
Spiritual Adventure the Heartbeat of
Ihave a love/hate relationship with fish oil. Fish oil is used as cooking oil for most Thai dishes which taste wonderful, but the smell of fish is another matter. Walking into slums, hospitals and refugee camps can be a bit like fish oil at times-it tastes great but is a little overwhelming for the senses.
Our first week of ministry was guided by Dave and Louise Sinclair-Peters of The Life Centre church plant in Bang Sean, Thailand. Dave and Louise are an easygoing couple with a deep passion for Christ and His
Each patient we visited received a gift and then one of our team members prayed for them. We learned that as we step out in faith, God works through us in spite of our fears and inadequacies. In return, His purposes are served and we are changed in the process. Several of our team members were amazed at the words the Holy Spirit gave them for each situation, including our youngest team member who was 13!
As Louise translated our prayers for the patients, they were often moved to tears by God's touch on their
mission in Thailand. Dave and Louise are also spiritual adventurers who guided us into uncharted territory.
As a spiritual adventure guide, Louise had been seeking God's direction and looking for opportunities to minister to people with AIDS in Bang Sean. In cooperation with the Local AIDS Support Society, we were able to join in on one of those opportunities and visit AIDS patients Thai AIDS patients are often ostracized from society which made our visits all the more significant. The irony of these visits was that we had greater freedom to visit and pray for patients in Thailand while being guided by Buddhist support workers, than we do here in Canada! I was in awe at the doors God opened up for us to be His hands, feet and voice in places of deep despair and pain.
lives. My heart was deeply moved by the plight of a grandmother who had AIDS and was caring for her grandson. She didn't have enough money to receive the medications that could provide long-term benefit to her health. The place where she lived was little more than a brick and metal clad storage shed located beside a large rock quarry. Large trucks drove by her home every few minutes coating everything with dust. As we prayed for her, tears began to stream down her face followed soon thereafter by tears on many of our faces . Several team members felt led to help her with finances but we knew this help would only provide short-term relief. She needed long-term care and support that only God could provide.
I can't say any of us were comfortable with what we experienced. Hospitals, slums and disease are
uncomfortable for most of us at the best of times. Add AIDS to the mix and most of us think of other things we would rather be doing.
As soon as we moved beyond the thought of ministering to people with AIDS and met them face to face, everything changed. As we visited with patients, each had a unique story, personal fears and hopes, and a web of relationships. For most of our team this was a first encounter with AIDS patients and it changed us. How do you give hope to people who know that their life span is limited? How do you provide dignity to people who have been stripped of dignity by
how to pray with greater faith and passion and have grown in their willingness to engage in prayers of faith for others. For some, personal financial priorities have been reorganized and relationships deepened through time spent in ministry together. One of our team members and her family are pursuing the adoption of a Thai baby as a result of her participation in the Thai ministry.
Since we have returned from Thailand, several of the team members have described a greater vibrancy of faith and a deeper walk with God.
I also believe God is calling us to be agents of transformation in our global community. He has led us to partner with church-planting and refugee support in Thailand and we have committed to be agents their own people? Jesus did this with a ministry of presence, hope, truth, love and healing-and we're called to do the same. Jesus didn't die for a philosophical idea; He died so the reality of His kingdom could be experienced by all people regardless of
of transformation in a land that is shrouded in the lies of Buddhism. The majority of Thai people are held in bondage to their belief system.
Since returning from Thailand much of our food tastes quite bland and I find I have a their situation.
It was a special privilege to travel with the AIDS society workers. They all have the disease, as well. Each one is serving as they are dying. We were able to eat together, give some simple gifts of care and appreciation, and pray for them.
Since we have returned from Thailand, several of the team members have described a greater vibrancy of faith and a deeper walk with God. They have learned
new sense of urgency to participate in the transforming work of Christ at home and abroad. It's amazing what a little fish oil can do.
Willy and his wife, Gwen, started SunWest Christian Fellowship in June 1995. Since then he has provided strategic direction to SunWest as the Lead Pastor and is developing a culture of reaching out to friends. Willy provided photos for this article.
On Jan.2, 2006 the roof of an ice skating rink in Bad Reichenhall, Germany collapsed following a heavy snowfall. MBMS International staff members submitted the reflections that follow.
It was ten days ago that the ice hall roof collapsed and killed seventeen people, fifteen of which were under the age of fifteen. This tragedy has deeply affected the town as well as our team. We usually swam every Monday at the same time in which the roof collapsed. Somehow the Holy Spirit restrained us from going at our usual time.
Why was my life preserved that day? Only because of who my Father is. That moment has given me a deeper understanding of my Heavenly Father's protective covering over my life.
The positive side of death is that people are forced to face the reality of their own existence. Bianca, age 14, is one example. Her mother died shortly after we arrived. Bianca's life, typical of a teenager in Germany, has been thrashed by the world. Because I teach her English, I spend some time with her most everyday. On Friday, we had our first conversation about Jesus. As I told her about the reality of God I could barely hold back the tears. I want her to know Jesus so bad it hurts. As we get ready to move to the next part of our assignment, I would greatly appreciate if you could intercede on behalf ofBianca. The battle for Bianca must be won in prayer first! Andi Baier, the leader of the Germany TREK team is from Atascadero, CA. She and her team mates will move on to work with Andre Pritzkau in Berlin in March.
During the last two days, the TREK team has been shovelling snow from the roof of a lumber yard where our church is - we rent from the lumber yard owner. There is so much snow in Bavaria that the authorities have ordered all large roofs be cleared. Some have up to 150 cm of snow on them.
When Jared, Reuban, Janelle, and Kelly asked if they could help, Heinrich the owner was very touched and has told us he just loves our Canadians. What a practical witness! We have been praying for him and his family for a long time. His niece and nephew were also trapped in the ice hall for hours under a beam and survived. The nephew is still in the hospital with a badly damaged foot. The niece is wearing a brace but can walk around in spite of a broken vertebrae. Pray for the whole Schafer family.
David and Alexandra Rempel minister in Bad Reichenhall, Germany. A TREK team has been there sinceNovemberof200Sand will be leaving to go work with other missionaries in Berlin at the beginning of March. They will be away from home a total of seven months during their shortterm assignment.
People to
MBMS International is closer than you think! We Regional Mobilizers are in five strategic locations across North America serving our local churches. As we listen to church leaders and pastors, we are increasingly aware that church groups are asking for ways to make a global impact. We know you want to send real people to connect with the missionaries you support. We hear of families asking to go together with their children to bless other families. We understand young adults continue to go anywhere and do almost anything asked of them. Many churches recognize the inspiration in their congregation that results from sending multigenerational teams out for a few weeks, led by a pastor or key mission leader.
That said, many do not realize that our dynamic long term missionaries are asking for exactly these kinds of North American church teams: people to do medical work, construction projects, evangelism outreaches, orphanage work, prayer ministry, and teaching to list a few. Of all the types of short term teams requested, the most frequent one continues to be for visits from intercessors. Missionary teams and their families are crying out to be covered in
A message from )'our Regional vlob/fizers
prayer. They know the local impact these prayers can have on their neighborhoods. Missionaries know God moves mightily through these teams. Many are eager to host one. Through these teams they desire to build relational bridges with the churches that send, support and pray for them. One of the ways people can help make this happen is by participating in one of the ongoing programs outlined on pages eight and nine. Please take a look and risk considering how some of them might fit with where your church or your home group or your family is headed. Give your Regional Mobilizer a call today!
1: MBMS International staff member living close to you (see page nine) 2: Helping MB churches bridge the gap between their mission strategy and their long term missionaries 3: Inviting increased involvement in long term mission 4: Running short term mission programs aimed to solidly train and equip teams to serve cross culturally 5: Communicating global MB mission vision with churches, leadership teams, mission committees or individuals
