CHRISTMAS is one of my favorite times of year. I enjoy most everything about it - from the carols and flickering advent candles at church to the delicate lights wrapped around the tree.
But, like many of us, I can get lost in holiday activities and squeeze out the celebration of]esus' birth - the event that led to my Salvation. The articles in this issue help us to refocus on the true purpose of Christmas.
Using the Magnificat, Tiffany Friesen reveals the inspiration that Mary can be to our lives. Mary's faithfulness to God and her ability to see God in her life and the life of her people are inspirations to us today which urge us to stop and take a look at how God has been a part of our lives.
Many of us will be overwhelmed with stress in one form or another during the holiday season. Dean Kliewer gives us some ways to reduce holiday stress and to use the season as way to continue our walk as disciples of Christ. Rebecca Thesman gives a good example of how the ordinary, timeconsuming task of wrapping presents can become a very special time spent with God.
In our last feature, Tim Geddert explores how we tend to "white-wash" the nativity. He encourages us to look anew at the birth of Christ. He also cautions us not only to look back at the Christmas event, but also forward to what Christ will do in our lives and the lives of his people.
Amidst the celebrations of this holiday season, we at the Leader are sad to see Natalee Roth depart for new prospects in journalism. Natalee, we thank you for your hard work, insight and voice, and we wish you the very best.
As you go into the Christmas season, we hope you will experience anew the joy and magnificence of Christ's birth. A blessed Christmas to you.-CA
COMING
MARCH 20-23 - Estes '99, the quadrennial Mennonite Brethren youth convention, Estes Park, Colo.
APRIL 8-10 - U.S. Conference joint board meetings, Wichita, Kan.
_JULY 8-10 - Biennial General Conference convention, Wichita, Kan.
_JULY 11-14 - International Committee of Mennonite Brethren consultation, Buhler, Kan.
Surviving the hectic Christmas season means being a good st eward of our time, energies and relationships If we do not learn how to set boundaries, we get in trouble.
Wrapping
Do our Christmas celebrations make room for Jesus? Or do we sanitize the historical events surrounding his birth to ease our own reluctance to welcome Jesus into our lives?
aim to keep busy while they wait 25
• MCC responds to Hurricane Mitch 28
• Church notes 29 • Deaths 30
CREDITS: Cover, Diane Steiner , Print Source Direct ; pages 4 and 7 , Jim Whitmer Photography ; page 11 , ClickArt ; page 12 , Re ligious News Service; page 13, Skjold Pho t ography; pages 20 and 21, MB Herald photos by Ji m Coggins ; page 23 and 24, Leader photos by Natalee Roth; page 2 5, Janet Kroeker ; page 28, Menno n ite Centra l Committee photo
VOLUME 61 , NUMBER 12
Carmen Andres
EDITOR Connie Faber
BOARD OF COMMUNICATIONS: Kathy Heinrichs Wiest, chair; Peggy Goertzen, Phil Neufeld, Dalton Reimer, Herb Schroeder.
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Mary's hymn of praise offers evidence of God's power in the past, present and future. The recognition of God as Savior makes it possible for her - and us - to obey his voice.
who is faithful to the faithful one
BY TIFFANY FRIESEN
The text found in Luke 1:39-56 is one we often use at Christmas because of its location in the nativity story. We read Mary's hymn of praise, the Magnificat, during Advent to consider the favor God showed to Mary. At other times, we use it as a guide for understanding the way God will deal with the rich and mighty and raise up the poor and the lowly.
But this part of the nativity story also tells us about Mary's understanding of who she is, her view of herself in relationship to God and to others, and her obedience to her Savior, who is God. Through this SCripture passage, we discover the person and life of Mary and the inspiration she is to our faith.
In Luke 1, Mary speaks to us from her own experience. We know very little about Mary except that she was a woman from Nazareth who was engaged to a man named Joseph. An angel appeared to her announcing that the Lord had found favor with her and she would bear a son and name him Jesus. She counts herself among the humble and the poor. She has encountered the mystery and power of the Holy Spirit - flCSt upon conception and now as she emotes words of praise and adoration for her Savior God. Without seeing or touching God, she gives her body, will, intellect, and emotions to God's purpose.
Prior to receiving the message from the angel, she probably had a much different life in mind for herself. Never would she have planned to be ridiculed by her community for being pregnant before being married, or having a son who runs away to the temple and leaves her worrying for three days. She would never have imagined that "a sword would pierce her very soul" as she watched the child she birthed be crucified on a cross.
CHRI STMAS
But she acknowledged God's way and drew comfort and trust from it. She is an example of one who grasped the incomprehensible through faith Mary had faith in the promise of God and she acted on it.
Mary also remembers the promises God made to the people in the land of Israel and recognizes that now is the time of fulfillment. Throughout all of history that has passed and is yet to come, God has chosen to fulfill this promise of his Son now, with the help of Mary. She knows that God is mighty, that she is lowly and that God has chosen her. She is not ignorant in her faith. She is a humble and willing hostess to the greatest guest of all.
Mary is not only convinced of God's power in the past and present but also for the future. She is so sure of God's just dealings with the mighty and the lowly in future generations that she speaks the last part of her hymn in the past tense
"He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble . He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers" Cvv. 51-55).
Mary's heritage in God and her tradition of faith have given her assurance that God's people will not be forsaken God has made promises and covenants with his people and has never forgotten them. He has remembered Mary, a humble bond slave, and shown mercy to future generations by sending his son Why then would God not continue to intervene in the lives of his people forever? Only God can scatter the proud in heart, bring down rulers, exalt the humble, fill the hungry with food and send the rich away empty-handed. Only God can achieve a just society in the last days. The God of Mary is the God of Abraham, Miriam, Hannah, David and Job . He is the God of the past, the present and the future. It is this God who has blessed her womb and to whom she sings a hymn of praise.
Mary gives birth to the Christ child, nurtures him and watches him grow. But it is none of this that makes her a saint. In fact, all the while Joseph and Mary were raising a son, this son, Jesus, was receiving training and guidance from his true father in heaven. Mary's family ties to Jesus do not come only from her physical motherhood They also come from her faith in the one true God. Although Mary watched Jesus grow up, teach,
mJJ soul praises the fo rd and ff!.tJ spirit in godmJJ Savior, fo r he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.
Jrom now on all-.9"enerations will call me blessed, for the mighty One has done §eat thiQ9s for mehoW is his name, 'ff1S extends to those who fear him, from-.9"fneration to -.9"eneration, 1fe has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud In their Inmost thol!9hts,
1fe has brol!9ht down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble, 1fe has ftlled the hUJ!9fJJ wlthjood thiQ9s but has sent the rich aw@ empty, 1fe has helped his servant Jsrael, rememberlQ9 to be merciful to -abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers,
-fuke 1:46 55 (mD]
be mocked and killed, her faith was not shaken. In fact, Luke places her both in Jesus's pre- and postEaster community She is at the cross and in the upper room praying with the other disciples, waiting to receive the Holy Spirit. Mary is a woman of faith, a disciple of Christ who believed what was spoken to her
As has been stated many times, Mary's wthfulness made her blessed. Mary's wth was in the God she called Savior - the one who had acted wthfully in the past and had blessed her life with a miraculous child. A child who was ultimately the earth 's Messiah, the one in whom all could receive mercy. Mary's wthfulness is a model for us in a number of ways.
Mary continually had her focus upon God her Savior. God her Savior. I had to stop and think about this phrase . I do not usually think ofthe phrase "God is my Savior." For some reason or another, the phrase most common in my mind has been of "Jesus my Savior."
The story of Mary and her Magnificat has helped me to view the story of God and his people in a new light. Ultimately the story of the Bible is an account of God intervening in the lives of people. God is the initiator of covenants. God makes the promises God keeps the promises God is constantly drawing us into closer fellowship with himself. The ultimate
Wben God requests that I go somewhere or do something, I want tQ remember that this is not a foreign voice. I want the kind of faith that looks to God as my Savior and recognizes him as sovereign in my life.
connection that God makes with the world is the sending ofJesus Christ to live on earth. But even Christ, through his teachings, hearings, and miracles, commands that all glory and recognition be given to God the Father. It is through Jesus (and only him) that we can have a clearer sense of who God is It is God who desires to be a part of our lives. Another witness of wth is Mary's song to God. In it she mentions the people of God in the past, herself, the mighty and the humble, and future generations. All of these have an effect on the way she views God. God has intervened in the lives of all these people. God has remembered her, has blessed the poor and fed the hungry. God has done mighty deeds with his ann. Then she mentions her past and the people of her wth tradition. She remembers that God has done right by them and has fulfilled his promises It is in her acknowledgment of God's past actions that I find the most comfort. Mary did not hear the voice of an unknown God She did not whimsically choose to obey . She knew enough about the nature of the God who called her to
know that giving herself to him was the only reasonable thing to do She had no idea of the details that would follow. She did not know exactly what her son would be like, what he would do or that he would die a painful death. What she did know was that God was faithful.
I want to be more like Mary When God requests that I go somewhere or do something other than what I have planned, I want to remember that this is not a foreign voice I want the kind of faith that looks to God as my Savior and recognizes him as sovereign in my life I want to sing songs of praise to God, be obedient to his will, and believe in him to such a degree that my friends, coworkers and, someday, future generations can say they believe in my God .
As a community of wth I call us to remember this God who has guided the people of oW" past. I call us to remember that the same God who has been the Savior of our past is (and to use Mary's language, has been) the Savior of the future. We can have confidence that God will remember us, will provide food for the hungry, and lift up the humble. God will deal justly with the proud and the mighty. Most importantly I believe that as a community of wth it is our joy to remind each other of the ways God has worked in oW" lives in the past. We then remind each other that God is here now and will remain in our lives in the future God will and does continually choose to intervene in our lives, constantly drawing us into a closer relationship with himself I encourage each one of us to make a conscious effort to notice the way God has been a part of our lives. At the day's end, think back on your day and notice how God has been near. At the end of the week, take time to thank God for his presence.
Look around, too, at the people with whom you are in contact - your family, your colleagues, your small fellowship groups - and remind them of the ways God has been making himself known to you Also, let them know you have seen God at work in their lives.
If you stop to reflect on these times and ponder them in your heart like Mary, I guarantee your soul will swell with praises. And when this happens, grab a pencil and paper or a keyboard and write your own Magnificat.
Tiffany Friesen is a high school mathematics teacher. She is involved in worship leadership, youth ministry and small-group leadership. Ibis article is adapted by permission from All Are Witnesses, a collection of sermons by Mennonite Brethren women published by Kindred Productions (1996).
BY DEAN KLIEWER
Coping with the holiday season involves putting into practice some practical stress-reduction tips and strengthening our friendship networks. And for Christians, the root of all stress management is Jesus's invitation to rest in him.
HOLIDAYS STRESS US. WHY?
For one thing, we simply choose to be stressed at those times. We typically work hard to stretch our capabilities during holidays. Excess is the nonn. We spend money more freely. We eat much more than usual. We play harder, stay up later - in effect, we regularly seek to bum our candle at both ends.
In modest doses, stress is a central part of what gives life meaning. A football game, a suspenseful novel, a good play, or an effective TV drama - at root, these all stress us in desirable ways During the holidays, however, stress is amplified for many of us.
Overload or overcommitment sneaks up on us as we pack in more activities and accept too many responsibilities The negative fruit of procrastination may come to haunt us - take last-minute Christmas shopping for example.
Emotions intensify during the holidays Contradictory feelings or ambivalence appear more frequently, and we may feel the impact of several
emotions at the same time; some may be conflicting or even exact opposites When we buy a gift that overstretches our pocketbook, we can feel exhilaration and guilt at the same time.
When stresses pile up and come in waves, the combined impacts actually mUltiply our pain. Stress symptoms develop much like a channel that fonns at the top of an overflowing earthen dam. Water begins to flow over the top precisely at that vulnerable spot. We may develop physical symptoms like fatigue, headaches, backaches, allergies or stomach pain.
STRESS FOR BELIEVERS
During Christmas and Easter, holidays with heavy faith -related implications, Christians can be particularly vulnerable to stress.
Those holidays carry deep emotional and doctrinal weight for us . Appropriately, we invest great Significance in the events we celebrate, but unrealistically high expectations can lead to unfulfilled
We a/l must learn to be stewards of limited
expectations or disappointment We can personal resources. During holidaysfeel guilt or judge ourselves harshly if we do not feel the level of joy expected at these times. We even may find ourselves seriously depressed.
and every day of the year - we are pressed
Stress also increases among us when we do not experience fellowship with each other Our church relationships tend to be too superficial. Often, our dialogue with each other is on an acquaintance level. Participation in caring fellowship activity involves responsibility and exposure that we find threatening It requires a level of humility and trust which too often is not the norm among us. So we tend to avoid such interaction, which results in feelings of isolation, abandonment and resentment. These are amplified during holidays.
STRESS AND FAMILIES
Holidays also involve an accent on family and friendship relations, the very parts of our lives that typically have highest priorities. Relationship ingredients mixed with loaded faith-related meaning can fill our holiday mixing bowl. When we add in an overpacked schedule and heavily overloaded expectations, that mixture can be both sweet and sour.
Family-related stresses are real and powerful. The persistent pain of grief over the death of a loved one, ambivalence at family gatherings, reminders of past hurts, unresolved emotional issues - these might well be the most painful and most difficult to avoid of all our holiday stressors When certain Christmas or Easter themes appear, the old pain can come back. Issues from the past can interfere with present experience. If we have had a traumatic experience, years later the feelings associated with that experience can grab us anew with a strength seemingly undiminished by time. It's like an emotional bridge is built between
Pontius' Puddle
by that stewardship responsibility.
the old trauma and the current event. The earlier feeling is felt again in the present. Some family matters carry too much emotional baggage to permit us even to mention them when we get together at Christmastime. They can remain as unspoken monuments to broken relationships and unforgiven wrongs. The resulting lack of authentic dialogue may plague our family fellowship for years after the occurrence of the breach.
BEING GOOD STEWARDS OF STRESS
We all must learn to be stewards of limited personal resources. During holidays - and every day of the year - we are pressed by that stewardship responsibility. A marathon runner must learn to meter out energy over all 26-plus miles. Likewise we are challenged to become students of our own strengths and weaknesses. We ignore our limits at our own peril. If we do not learn how to set boundaries, we get into trouble. If we want to develop better coping skills, here are some hints to be more effective stewards of holiday stress.
LEARN MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES
To diminish stress, we must learn how to plan, organize, lead and control. Those activities define the management task. Applied with wisdom, both before and during holidays, these principles will reduce our stress level.
• Plan. Learn to do effective administrative work. Planning requires that we "imagineer"rehearse the steps we will take in the future. If we
bypass that creative task, we can paint ourselves into a comer
• Organize. Once we define the steps or plans for the holidays, we must place them into a logical or practical sequence. In business, we prepare PERT charts which show us what tasks must be completed before subsequent tasks can begin. We must constantly and effectively organize during the season.
• Lead. Too many of us define celebration as a time to abdicate responsibility, but during holidays there is a premium on wise intention in the way we celebrate Leading involves influencing people to move in a direction. One Christmas slogan has been that we keep in mind "The Reason for the Season." We should have a dream, define a worthwhile purpose, set attainable goals, select objectives consistent with those goals, and establish priorities and methods leading toward that dream. Those are key leadership tasks.
• Control. Management activity lives or dies with boundary-setting. If we wish to manage more effectively we must apply aU four principles. To plan, organize, and lead without setting limits is
futile Feedback is also a central part of controlling. Can you imagine an archer sharpening his skills at aU if he has no feedback about how close he comes to his tai1get? Without feedback he can't make any effective adjustment in his aim. So he can't control his effort. Setting realistic limits during holidays can help keep our stress experience in check.
STUDY DAM-TENDING
Earlier, I likened stress to water pressure behind a dam. As too much water accumulates, it taxes the defenses built into the dam. Uncontrolled water pressure can destroy the strongest dam. We are like the reservoir system, and our defensive or restraining capabilities are like the structural strength of the dam. We feel stress, more or less keenly, as increasing external and internal demands come upon us. And we cope with stress in ways similar to how a lake is managed.
• Strengthen personal integrity. To reduce stress, we can return to our roots, reaffirm our deepest convictions, sort our priorities, and adhere more closely to our primary mission. We can seek to protect ourselves from threat where we are vulnerable. Self-help and intentional personal-growth efforts like counseling, 12-step or a relationship with a mentor can lead to
"Illi'
BY R.J.
The clerk my putCha$e itlto net computer and asl{.eQ 70Y!d you ni¢ to wntp that for you?" " no, " cradlinS my brother's sweater "I want to dQ it myself " I drove home, anticipating the task ahead
After a year focused on the subject of prayer, I was eager for a more intimate relationship with my Savior. I studied books on meditation and read every prayer reference in my concordance I reserved more time during my daily devotions for intercession and recorded God's answers in my prayer journal. The practical suggestions of Dutch Sheets in his book, Intercessory Prayer , helped me understand the urgent need for prayer warriors , while the Richard Foster books underscored the importance of discipline . So I entered the month of December, determined to keep prayer as my focus during the busy holiday season
Wrapping Christmas presents had always been one of my favorite creative chores. I enjoyed matching ribbon to paper, curling the leftover strands of satiny color, and taping the identifying tag to the fin-
CHRISTMAS
During holidays I often lose track of the search for "soul rest." Jesus saw that as something worth seeking. The relationship to which he invites us can be a key to reducing holiday stress.
life-enhancing growth and change
• Divert upstream pressure. We must learn to say "no." It is easy to commit to more than you can handle. Decision-making must be wise and discerning. Only the highest priority activities can be maintained during times of stress overload DiverSionary strategies can help us avoid stress overload altogether.
• Release excess pressure. This entails housecleaning activity - ridding my schedule of nonessential current responsibilities. It is always wiser to do a few things well than to do several things poorly
• Channel stress. Transform stress into a useful product. Tension often can be invested in productive activity that reduces stress in some other area of our lives . Sleeplessness can provide an extraordinary opportunity for reading, working on
a project, or otherwise hard-to-find time for prayer, Bible reading or other study .
STRENGTHEN RELATIONSHIPS
Missed fellowship breeds dissatisfaction and a lack of vitality in our congregations. Effectively we can cease to be the church. Many structures in our church life seem to be designed to prevent meaningful interactive communication. We set up carefully organized forms and programs that put most of us into the spectator role We love to hear fine mUSiC, good sermons, and testimonies about folks who confess, repent, get right with God and with each other. We welcome stories of mutual caring and support, but may find it hard to put such caring into practice consistently.
It is high time to strengthen the care and support structures in our congregations. During our key holidays - and always - we must be the church. Each of us needs a net of supportive brothers and sisters with whom we spend quality time and who love and respect us enough to speak with honest feedback. Our relationship with God is not only vertical The mark of real fellowship with God is the level of love we have for our brothers and sisters To practice loving relationships means that we take time for prayer, sharing, and collaborative activity with each other. This is a must
ished product But now, the best part of wrapping my presents would be the prayer process I used
man .
Folding the sweater carefully, I straightened out any wrinkles that had squirmed into the fabric.
"Thank you , God , for your perfect orde r in everything You created the world in six days, you set the planets in a perfect cycle o f rotation, and you d e signed unique plans for each p erson 's life Everyth ing has a season and a purpose. As I fold this sweater, I ask you to help Phil keep his life in order, with you as his first priority. Bless him as the spiritual leader of his family Point out to him any sins that need confeSSion and keep the wrinkles of temptation from spoiling the beauty of his soul."
I tucked the sweater into the appropriate box
CHRISTMAS
We musl strengthen fellowship within our families. If I am in good fellowship with those close to me, stress is clearly minimized. When my brother or sister and I forgive each other and accept each other as we are, pressure on us is reduced. Keeping short accounts, seeking to resolve disputes quickly, acknowledging unpleasant realities, avoiding denial when faced with the truth - such healthy relationship-maintenance practices can minimize not only emotional stress, but sometimes even can reduce the frequency of physical illness as well.
SOUL REST
Particularly during holidays, we do well to major in discipleship. Learning management principles, studying stress reduction, a la dam tending, and increasing the vitality of our fellowship may provide us with some knowledge about how holiday stress can be reduced. Still, without the sort of paradigm shift that Jesus talked about with the woman at the well, with Nicodemus, and as he lived with his followers, we can remain stuck with holiday stress overload.
"Take my yoke upon you and learn of me." That is the invitation Jesus gave his disciples in Matthew 11:29-30. He says that his yoke is easy and his burden is light. He also declares that if we team
up with him, we "will find rest for our souls." This is real stress reduction.
During holidays I often lose track of the search for "soul rest." Jesus saw that as something worth seeking. The relationship to which he invites us can be a key to reducing holiday stress. He asks us to get into a harness with him. He asks us to work alongside him. Holidays - all our days - are transformed if we keep first things first.
I close with a passage from John 8:31-32. Neither this passage nor the passage from Matthew 28 is specifically pointed toward holiday stress. Still, both apply, particularly as we seek to be faithful stewards of the limited resources God has given to us We are promised that we will find rest, know the truth, and will be set free.
"If you obey my teaching, you are really my disciples; you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
•
Dean Kliewer is a member of the Reedley MB Church and is a clinical psychologist, licensed in California. He has associated with Tabor College, Prairie View Mental Health Center, and Link Care Center in Fresno . The full text of this article is available at http://www.mobynet.com/-drdean/ hstress. html
A masculine-looking bow adorned the top of the package "I have prayed for PhU's inner beauty, Lord Now I pray for his outer self, his adornment. Fill him with such grace that everyone he meets will see your love shining through his face He's handsome anyway, Fathe r, but give him your extra beauty, the face and bearing of a godly man."
The tag read, "To PhU from Rebecca " I taped it to the bottom left comer and prayed, "Thank
prayer to in world, a splendid reflection of the GQd he serves Thank you, Lord, for this gift and for the pleasure of giving it away Thank you also, for the free gift of salvation given to us by Jesus Christ Merry Christmas, Phil Merry Christmas, Jesus "
My task finishe d, I returned to the table to wrap another present and pray another prayer. During those moments, a Christmas chore became more than just another task, more than a dreaded job It became the sacred gift of prayer
Rebecca Tbesman is a free -lance writer living in Lawrence, [(an . She is a frequent contributor to tbeLeader
We often fo c us o n a sanitized version of the events surrounding Christ's birth. When we make room for the unwelcoming elements of that long-ago night we may a l so be prompted to give Jesus a more g en uine welcome in the here and now.
BY TIM GEDDERT
Imagine two scenes . ..
In the first, a four-year-old boy is being tucked into bed. Christmas is approaching, and Johnny is not ready to sleep. First he wants to know all about what will happen at Christmas. So he is told all about the tree and the presents, t he candles and the caroling, the special Christmas service and the family gathering, the turkey feast with all t he trimmings, and of course all the special Christmas cookies and candies.
In the second scene, Mary and Joseph are sitting on a dirt floor beside a thin mat on which the four-year-old boy Jesus is lying. He wants to hear once more the amazing story of what happened at the time of his birth. And they describe the events in full detail the circumstances, the events, the emotions, the people.
Imagine the two scenes. And then imagine that after these two four-year-olds heard their "bedtime story," they were given a chance to hear each other's bedtime story. Do you think they would recognize the few faint similarities? Would they ever imagine that one was derived from the other? I doubt it. I sometimes doubt if even the parents would make the connection
Now, don't get me wrong I am not about to criticize our cultural Christmas traditions . I happen to like them I even think Jesus would enjoy our Christmas celebrations, although we would of course make some quick modifications if we really expected him to join in!
Some people are troubled by all the "pagan" rituals that we have incorporated into our celebrating And we can hardly deny that the majority of our Christmas rituals have very questionable origins Even the timing of the celebration was determined more by pagan festivals than by historical facts. The trees we set up, the decorations we give them, the candles and the lights and the bells and
the wreaths of holly have very tenuous connections to anything that happened in Bethlehem the night Jesus was born . The roots of many of our traditions are easier to find in the paganism of second- and thirdcentury Rome, or in the superstitions of medieval Europe.
But I am not troubled by that. So what if most of our treasured Christmas traditions have a tarnished origin? Has it not been God's task throughout the ages to take the things of our tarnished humanity and find ways of redeeming and sanctifying them? Didn't Jesus himself receive even people with highly questionable backgrounds and tum them into gifts of grace to the body of Christ? What a wonder that Jesus could redeem Simon the Zealot, Levi the tax-collector, Mary Magdalene the demon-possessed, you and me! Didn't the touch ofJesus - sometimes even his glanceoften sanctify that which would otherwise be very ordinary or even very unacceptable? In his hands and in his storytelling everything became special ... lilies of the field, birds of the air, coins, mustard seeds, boats, donkeys, a cup, a basin, even a cross.
I thank God for the rich treasures we have in our Christmas traditions. I care little how they began. I choose to invest them with meaning and allow Jesus to sanctify them The evergreen tree will be a symbol of the eternal life God gives. The decorations will symbolize the special things God has done to make our lives beautiful. The gifts will be expressions of God's love poured out and shared in the family and among friends . The candles will be symbols of Jesus, the light of the world , and motivators encouraging me to be a light, too.
So I am not troubled by the rituals and the symbols. God has redeemed them as he has redeemed you and me, and if he can use us, he can use them.
But two other things trouble me about the difference between our celebrating and the original event in Bethlehem.
One is our ''whitewashing'' of the old story. We paint right over the cracks and make everything sanitary and clean. We romanticize it . We imagine that Mary and Joseph must have been thrilled to have such a picturesque place for a maternity ward We imagine animals smiling and stepping aside for the honorable couple, keeping quiet whenever the baby slept, and of course courteously going outside to take care of personal business. After all, the stable had to remain sweet-smelling and sanitary
What if it was not at all like that? What if
Joseph was kept up all night chasing over-curious goats from the baby? What if moos and baas kept everyone awake? What if the place reeked with the stench of a filthy bam? What if Mary could not sleep as she worried about the health of her child in such an environment? What if it was dreadfully cold with the wind howling through open windows? Or what if there was no stable at all, only a manger up against a hillside or in a small cave?
What if it was all Mary and Joseph could do to keep from becoming bitter towards their heavenly Father? He had made such wonderful promises to them . Now he seemingly abandoned them when the day of fulfillment arrived.
What if the very environment in which Jesus was born was one more in a series of proofs that Jesus came to a hostile world? Herod had no room for him, the innkeeper had no room and in the end, very few people did! When we make the stable so inviting, we hide the terrible facts. Is it our way of pretending that humankind really did treat Jesus quite well? Maybe it is even our way of pretending that we put Jesus in a central place in our Christmas celebrations.
I am often guilty of exactly that . The world had no room for Jesus, and I often have no room either no room in my busy day to listen to God, no room in my plans to let him guide me, no room in my self-suffiCiency to let him help me no room at the Christmas feast for fellowship, praise, and worship .. . no room at our family gift exchanges to remember God ' s gifts no room in
the busy schedule of choir practices and performances and parties to be drawn closer to God.
This year I want to imagine a very smelly, uninviting stable a realistic picture of what Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus really faced. And I want that realistic picture to push me to a realistic appraisal of how welcome I really make Jesus feel in my ordinary days and my Christmas Day.
Something else troubles me about our way of celebrating Christmas. We anticipate it for weeks, but when it arrives and we focus on the meaning of the season, we find ourselves always looking backwards.
We have it all figured out. In Old Testament times people looked forward. In New Testament times people looked around. And now we look back. That is how we keep Jesus in the center, right? Wrong!
To be sure , the Old Testament saints looked forward. They held on to a promise. It gave them hope and sustained them in difficult times. They remembered a glorious past, but even more importantly, they fixed their eyes on a glorious future. God had promised to send a "greater than Moses" and a "greater than David ." He had promised a New Day!
New Testament saints looked around and saw God fulfilling promises, but they never stopped looking forward. They anticipated with eagerness what God would do, now that the New Day had dawned. All we have to do is read the accounts of Zechariah and Elizabeth, Mary and Joseph, the shepherds and the wise men, Simeon and Anna to see that their real joy lay in the rekindling of their own hopes for the future The coming of John and Jesus was a beginning but the golden age lay up ahead.
To celebrate Christmas as a remembrance only is to miss one of the main points. Our celebration should be a glorious anticipation of what God will
Puddle
yet do now that Jesus has come . It should be a time of refocusing our vision for what God will still do, and of recommitting ourselves to join his work.
So often we try to recapture the magic of an age gone by. We want to experience again the wonder of the first Christmas - so we forget the smells in the stable. We want to be inspired again by the dynamic of the early church - so we forget their quarrels. We want to feel again the enthusiasm of our earlier walk with God - so we forget those early defeats We imagine the golden age is in the past. It's not . It's up ahead .
The Messiah came as a humble, rejected human being, but he has now gone ahead, and we await his future coming in glory. The church had a remarkable beginning, but it is in the future that it will be fully prepared as a bride for her husband. Our own pilgrimages began with a very special encounter between God and us, but he desires to lead us on from glory to glory. The golden age is never in the past. It is always ahead We anticipate it and walk toward it.
If Christmas turns our eyes only to the past, we have heard only a part of its message. It calls us to "lift up our heads, for our redemption is drawing near."
This Christmas I will let the rituals and the symbols, whatever their origin, remind me of God's gifts and his call. I will let my imagination include the unsanitary, unwelcoming elements of that first night and ask God to make my welcome ofjesus more genuine. And I will look back only long enough to catch the vision again and have my gaze turned forward once more.
Tim Geddert is associate professor ofNew Testament at MB Biblical Seminary in Fresno, Calif., where he has served since 1986. Ibis article is reprinted by permission.from the MB Herald, the Canadian Conference Mennonite Brethren magazine.
not a destination.
God's abundance, and giving back in celebration, is part of the journey toward better stewardship - one you'll enjoy your entire life. Its joys and opportunities can be found in the choices you make every day.
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Find out how MMA can walk with you toward better stewardship. Request our free guide, "Stewardship needs along your journey" by calling your MMA counselor or 1-800-348-7468. We'll talk about possible stewardship solutions for your life.
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Following natural instincts
I appreciated Ken McDuffs review of the Ezzo parenting method in the October Leader. I am a mother who has been blessed to have been able to nurse my children, and am in awe of the intense mother-child bond God has given us. It has given me a greater appreciation of mother's milk as the perfect infant food, and of each child as a unique creation . Whenever possible we have avoided watching the clock, particularly when my children depended upon me for their only source of nutrition
Ezzo's assertion that infant nursings be no more frequent than every 3 hours is probably based on an artificial formula feeding schedule, which has been our society's norm for over 2 generations. Most professionals now recognize that nursing infants usually are meant to be fed more frequently and that each infant's nursing pattern and ability is different. To me, that's how God made babies. God did not create clocks, money, or our busy schedules to which Ezzo expects our babies to conform. It is our culture that views children as a nuisance and an intrusion into an adultcentered world
Without taking classes or consulting experts we did go with our God-given parental intuition in holding our children, carrying them, and even sleeping with them. We did what we felt best for our family. Ezzo characterizes our parenting choices as permissive, destructive to family schedules and sleep. That has not been borne out in our situation, where we now have children with regular bedtimes, who wait to eat (usu -
& Pontius' Puddle
ally), and who trust us to comfort them when it is needed. Our children know right from wrong , and know of consequences We never lost much sleep, nor did our marriage suffer as a result As a matter of fact, giving to our children has brought us closer to each other.
What is more disturbing is that Ezzo views their "way" as being more Bible centered, as being "God's way ." In Isaiah 66:11-13, we see a vivid word picture of our Lord as a comforting presence , where Israel will "nurse and be satisfied, " where "you (Israel) will nurse and be carried on her arm and dandled on her knees. As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you "
In Lamentations 4:3, God chastises the people for their heartlessness, for literally withholding milk from their young In the account of Moses found in the bullrushes Pharoah's daughter sends for someone to nurse him . That is the only account of an infant crying in the Bible - and look at how it was handled! Hannah nursed Samuel until he was old enough to walk to the temple. As we look through scripture, we never see God turning his back on those who truly seek him, who cry out for him Even Christ did not tum away children who impulsively approached him.
Some parts of parenting philosophies may be helpful in individual situations, but beware of slavish dependence on experts and "to-do" lists, whether Ezzo, Sears, Ferber or others. Cathy Coon Bitikofer Manhattan, Kan.
A man of insight
Thank you for mentioning the late Rich Mullins in the October issue's "First Words ." As one whose life was greatly impacted by the insights of this man, I am always encouraged when I hear of others who have been touched by his words. Would that more people could have heard what he had to say. I agree that such people as Rich can really help us in our understanding of what it means to follow Jesus and to grow in our faith.
Janet Friesen
e-mail
Farewell
News takes a little longer to get this far from Hillsboro, so I just learned of Don Ratzlaffs resignation. Let me add my belated farewell to this exceptional editor.
In my opinion, he has done our denomination a tremendous service by providing us a forum to discuss issues, regardless of how difficult. I imagine that most of us have read some letter in the Leader and said, "Why should that nonsense be printed?!" but I'm sure Don understood that true unity welcomes diversity.
Open discord is far less treacherous than unspoken discord. I strongly encourage the Leader to continue in his tradition of healthy openness.
As a fellow media person, I was amazed at Don's productivity, especially in the days of twice-monthly publishing. I still don't know how he did it, especially with such high quality. I suspect that most people didn't realize how exceptional he was in this regard. A warm farewell to Don and welcome to Carmen Andres.
Carmen, whatever you do, don't take our bellyaching to heart. It's a sure sign that you're doing a good job!
Craig A. Hal/man Karachi, Pakistan
BY PHILIP WIEBE
Nothing for something
There is a prevailing sense these days that somehow we all deserve to receive more than we give.
As THE USER of a free e-mail service that supports itself by selling advertising space, I get some interesting ads from
left are to become smarter and richer Well, lucky me. I've gotten another e-mail that informs me that I can "obtain a prosperous future and secure the admiration of all" by acquiring a diploma from a "prestigious nonaccredited university. " I can do this , amazingly, with "no time to time. Recently I received one for "a breakthrough herbal product that creates immediate, permanent fat loss" without "the pain and expense" of exercise or liposuction surgery.
How nice. In contrast to those weight-loss methods that actually take some effort, the ad explains, "our revolutionary gel is gently rubbed into the skin."
Now, as a 40-year-old who spends an inordinate amount of time parked in a desk (or dining room) chair, certainly I could stand to shed a few pounds. But I admit to feeling a tad skeptical that this "revolutionary gel" could really help me lose weight. As the saying goes, when things seem too good to be true, they usually are.
Which also applies to another email ad I got, with the heading, "Attract Women Easily!" I can do this, the ad claims, by wearing a product called Androstenone Pheromone Concentrate. Apparently it will "miraculously increase" my attractiveness by sending out a "natural chemical signal" that will "compel women toward me " The fabulous result is that I will be able to "meet more women then (sic) I ever imagined."
Never mind that I'm already married and have no interest (believe me) in attracting more women. The product will also "reenergize my existing relationship!" All without lifting a finger - except, of course, to write a paltry check for $19.95 .
Now that I've discovered the secrets of becoming slimmer and more attractive, I guess the only goals
tests, no classes, no interviews." The diploma would be based on my "life experience" and - no less importantly, I suspect - my ability to pay "as little as $125."
By now you've undoubtedly noticed the same pattern I did when receiving these messages: they all offer something for nothing. Or almost nothing, anyway, other than a modest outlay of cash Which would certainly come easier than the immodest amount of work it would take to achieve these items in real life, where losing weight takes exercise and proper nutrition rather than herbal gel rubbed gently into the skin. And where developing a relationship with a potential or existing mate takes time and effort rather than a quick dab of Androstenone Pheromone Concentrate. And where getting a college diploma takes several years of study rather than plunking down an easy $125.
We live in a culture that loves "something for nothing." Or at least "a lot for a little." Beyond obvious bastions of this found in state-run lotteries, cut-rate shopping centers and Wall Street, the concept has slyly worked itself into everyday life. The sense prevails these days that somehow we all deserve to receive more than we give . People should love us, entertain us, and pay us well, regard-
less of the amount of effort we're putting in ourselves. And if things don't work out in my favor - well, you' ll be hearing from my lawyer.
The "somethin g-for-nothing" mentality has even pervaded the church. We like our spirituality quick and easy, ou r church life smooth and streamlined, our rela tionships clean and tidy And for these small efforts, of course, we expect great rewards of growth, depth arid blessing.
Now, it 's true that at the center of our faith lies the ultimate "somethingfor-nothi ng " proposition . "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God" (Eph . 2:8). But in our day o f quick Christianity and instant spirituality, perhaps we need to be reminded that much about the faith could be described as "nothing for something." We are called to give without expecting anything back (Lk. 6:35), and spend ourselves on behalf of others (Is 58: 10) We are called to keep praying even when nothing seems to be happening (lk. 18: 1), and remain faithful even through trouble (Heb. 12:3) These are not acts that bring immediate or obvious rewards - which may be why we have such a hard time doing them.
The Christmas season is an especially good time to think about "nothing for something." We generally associate Christmas with sweetness and light, but Paul's sobering words reflect the deeper meaning of the season : "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedie n t to death - even death on a cross! " (Phil. 2:5-8) .
It's t he ultimate "nothing for something" - Jesus became nothi n g not only to give us life , but also to show us how to live
INQUIRING MINDS
BY MARVIN HEIN
QIs divorce sin? And if a pastor ever advises divorce under grievous Circumstances, is he/she counseling people to sin? (California)
AThe Mennonite Brethren Church has stated its views on divorce and remarriage, but the answers to these questions have not always been altogether definitive nor satisfying to many people.
The newly revised Confession of Faith will say something like this: "The community of faith blesses and nurtures marriage relationships, and makes every effort to bring reconciliation to troubled marriages. Sin, however, will sometimes lead to divorce, a violation of God's intention for marriage. With truth and compassion the family of God offers hope and healing "
It is obvious that this statement does not answer many of the questions surrounding the issue of divorce and remarriage. Happily, there will be more suggestions given in the commentary and pastoral application that will eventually accompany the Confession of Faith
There is some clarity about divorce and God 's view of it even in the Old Testament. In Malachi 2, when the Lord answers Israel's question about why he has abandoned them, God speaks very directly. He says his abandonment is the result of their failure to keep the vows ''you and your wife made to each other on your wedding day" (2: 14). Subsequently he advises Israel to guard against breaking covenants and to remain loyal to their wives. And then he states categorically: "For I hate divorce!"
I would say divorce is sin because it always happens as a result of one or both parties breaking their covenant . At the same time, in Hosea 2:2, God uses divorce language when he says of Israel : " for she is no longer my wife, and I am no longer her husband."
The New Testament, and perhaps the Old as well, always majors in taking the high road, the ideal. Those ideals sound so categorical to us. They don't seem to leave room for life as it really is. With that approach it would seem that divorce is always sin.
It is interesting to note, however, that in the Hosea passage, in spite of Israel's many sins, the Lord continues by saying that he will ''win her back again" (2:14) and will return her former splendor to her and in a coming day Israel will call the Lord her husband (2 :16).
The New Testament seems to take much the same approach. It clearly pronounces divorce as sin, but admits that sometimes it may be preferable to continued hostility. The Bible says couples are to live at peace (1 Cor. 7), but when that is impOSSible, separation may well be preferred. Sometimes, it seems to me, divorce is the lesser of two evils.
The Bible seems to recognize the reality of divorce . It teaches that divorce is sin, but follows with words like: "but if they divorce " And there the problem gets even more difficult What follows after the quote in the previous sentence is: "let her remain single or else go back to him. And the husband must not leave his wife" (1 Cor. 7:11).
The inquirer added a second question: "Is remarriage after divorce adultery?" How are we to understand the plain words ofLuke 16:18: "Anyone who divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery."
Those are hard words. A balancing factor may be Paul's words to the unmarried. He urges them, at least once in particular, not to marry And then he says in effect: "It is better to marry than to bum with lust" (1 Cor. 7 :9). While directed to people who have never married, it seems to me
Have a question about a Bible passage, doctrine, conference policy, or other spiritual issue? Send it to "Inquiring Minds, " c/o Marvin Hein, 4812 E. Butler, Fresno, CA 93727.
that some other passages might indicate that the same principle could apply to those divorced who cannot control their passions That, though, also opens the way to shallow excuses. Does a pastor sin by encouraging separation? No, not if biblical grounds exist. Does a pastor sin byencouraging divorce? I have never encouraged divorce, but I have understood at times why it seems inevitable A pastor lives in a terrible bind. He is committed to obeying the Word. He is also committed to serving people wherever he finds them My prayers go out for the sCripturally based shepherd who finds that perhaps half of the marriages he is asked to perform involve divorced persons. And my professor friend reminds me that divorce was probably more rampant in the culture in which Paul's words were written than in ours.
Readers will notice, no doubt, that I have avoided discussion about the "exception clauses" in Matthew. That is deliberate. With a bit of urging, this could be the subject of another column. For now, let me simply state that I'm not at all certain that these exceptions are what we usually consider them to be. In their original setting, another behavior seems to be indicated
What can be said with certainty is that the times in which we live oUght to move us to major in preventive measures. We need to teach our youth the sacredness of marital vows, sexual purity before and after marriage, and how to resolve differences if and when they arise.
ON THE JOURNEY
BY ROSE BUSCHMAN
Violence as entertainment
We need to confront the culture of violence as entertainment .... We need to find alternatives to using the 1V as a babysitter.
UST THIS WEEK another catalog arrived in the mail from a company that sends me lots of them Since I occasionally order something from this company, I started paging through it. My eyes just bulged when I saw the
How can we undo the damage that has been done to our children by all of this and prevent further damage from happening?
We need to begin at home. For starters, we need latest gizmo advertised in the toy section to be selective in what our
Do you know that for $14.99 you children are allowed to watch and can buy a Virtual Reality Laser Attack play with If we teach them that Dual Play Set that will allow your child brushing their teeth, washing hands and his friend to play "Let's shoot each before meals , getting enough sleep other and see who kills whom first"? and eating the right foods are imporThis kit is intended for children ages 5 tant, then why is "illl(ing) your mind and up, and includes two laser guns with those things that are true, noble, and two blast vests which make an right, pure, lovely and honorable" exploding sound after sequential hits. (Phil. 4:8 Good News) not equally There are even reset buttons which important? Parents need to take conallow for additional hits. But you must trol of the ON and OFF buttons on buy it now because after 12/29/98 the their TV. In a Family Circus cartoon price goes up to $29.99 this week the children find "CLOSED" While making a quick stop at a signs taped to the TV and computer local discount store the other day I monitors and mom tells them: saw an alcove of video games filled "Because it's a beautiful day and I with children shooting at "human" want you all to play outside." targets that were gyrating all over the screens . These children held their laser guns and shot to their heart's content until their time was up and a message on the screen said they should put some more money into the slots.
David Grossman in his article, "Trained to Kill" (Christianity Today, Aug. 10, 1998) says that we are training our children to become killers who don't even realize the deadliness of their actions when they pick up a real gun and shoot. Playing video games trains children to shoot with remarkable accuracy. Letting children watch all the serious violence that is present in so many TV shows and movies today conditions them to accept such violence as OK. Violence becomes entertainment and fun for them.
,.....-v viewing for preschool children .1 needs to be very carefully monitored. The violence they see is not make-believe to them - it is real. Grossman says that children as young as 18 months of age can begin to discern what is happening on the screen I recently watched a two-year-old react to some violent scenes on TV. His mother tried to keep him busy with some play activities, but he kept sneaking glances back at the TV. He was well aware of what was going on in spite of his mother'S attempts to distract him
As young children watch TV they make "friends" with the actors and then when they see them killed, it is like a friend being killed. Grossman strongly suggests that preschool chil-
dren should watch only age-appropriate videos, and even those need to be carefully screened
We need to find alternatives to using the TV as a baby-sitter These are our children we are talking about. Furthermore, it is important that we, as adults, model appropriate viewing habits ourselves . What kind of a message are we sending when our children see us watching "NYPD Blue"?
We need to confront the culture of violence as entertainment. Recently in my classroom a high school senior laughed during a news report of the civilians killed in Kosovo. I immediately told him: "That is inappropriate behavior. It is not right for you to laugh when people are dying. I'd appreciate it if you didn't do that any more." So far , he hasn't, at least not when I'm around.
The tremendous proliferation of guns in our society and in our homes frightens me. Gun control is a red flag for many people, including some Christians.
But with the increase in violent acts, especially by gun-toting children , don't we need to rethink our attitudes toward guns in our homes? We have got to find a way to make guns less accessible to children. As a schoolteacher, I feel that we need legislation that holds adults responsible for their guns . When a first grader brings a gun to school (loaded, no less!) the adult owner should be held accountable and liable.
What about toy guns? According to "What Counts : The Complete Harper's Index" (1991) Americans spend $100 million on toy guns every year. Why do we think our children need to play with guns and pretend to kill each other? Don't we have too much of the real stuff already?
For each of us the answers to the questions raised here may be different but they are too important to ignore. As Christians we need to start thinking about and doing what we can to be the "salt of the earth" and halt the violence in our society.
Toward a more perfect Confession
BY JIM COGGINS
• Mennonite Brethren leaders labor together to edit the Confession of Faith
WHEN OVER 100 Mennonite Brethren leaders gathered in a church gym to discuss the Confession of Faith, they weren't quite sure what to expect. What they got was a lot of hard work - and a spiritually uplifting experience
MB conference leaders and theologians from Canada and the United States were invited to refine the Confession of Faith by the General Conference Board of Faith and Life. They met Oct . 29-31, at Dalhousie MB Community Church in Calgary, Alberta . BFL had hoped for an attendance of 100 at the consultation - 104 were present, including 15 women.
The process of rewriting the MB Confession of Faith began in 1987, when BFL wrote or rewrote three articles to revise the 1975 Confession In 1993, they received permission to revise the entire Confession Several articles were revised and approved
along the way, and a draft of the remaining articles was presented to the 1997 General Conference convention .
The draft received numerous criticisms and suggestions, and a drastically revised draft was presented in spring 1998 . BFL invited theologians and conference leaders to meet in Calgary to refine the draft further.
The extended weekend in Calgary was not just a prolonged argument about theology BFL had planned it carefully
The meeting began Thursday afternoon with an hour and a half of prayer Further sessions of extensive prayer were held each morning, with shorter prayers throughout the day The assembled theologians also worshipped through the Confession, by singing and using a series of responsive readings prepared as a companion piece to the Confession.
Two sermons by senior MB leaders set the tone for the discussion. General Conference Executive Secretary Marvin Hein told the delegates that as evangeliCals, Mennonite Brethren are wrongly suspicious of theological thinking -a
Changes to the Confession of Faith summarized
WHILE THE FULL RANGE of the changes made will be published in the final draft, a few of the i ssues regarding each article reviewed require ment i on (The current MB Confession of Faith and the version that the delegation worked with are available on the Internet at http ://www mbconf org)
Article 1: God
• Concern expressed that some metaphors" God comforts like a mother, trains and disciplines like a father, and persists i n covenant love like a faithful husband" - promoted stereotypes of family roles . The phrases were defended as biblical and w i ll probably stay
• Concern expressed that " God is a consuming fi r e, unapproachable in holiness" would not be understood by seekers and might keep them from coming to God But, again, the phrases were defended as biblical and necessary to expres s the awesomeness of God in an age when "the popula r notion of God i s too tame ." The phrases will probably st ay
• Wording will be added to stress that Jesus i s si nless and et e rnal.
• Wording will be added to stress the " indwell i ng and empowering" nature of the Holy Spir it
Article 4: Sin and Evil
• Considerable discussion about how to express the balance be t ween human responsibility and the enslav i ng power of sin
Article 5: Salvation
• Language will be added on Jesus' s death on the cross and forg i veness of sin to balance the draft ' s fo cus on freedom from the bondage of sin
Article 10: Discipleship
• Co n siderable debate about " Disciples avoid lawsu its " It was po i nted out that lawsuits are sometimes necessary in o rd er to collect insurance, but the phrase will stay
Bible scholar David Ewert preached one of the messages during the consultation.
marriage is needed of theology and practice, mind and heart As Anabaptist evangelicals, thinking and acting in a Christian way are inescapably communal and should be done through the faith community acting together, not through individual Christians thinking and acting on their own.
Revered MB Bible scholar David Ewert preached on "Workers Together on God's Field" from 1 Corinthians 3:5-9. He pointed out five characteristics of God's workers: the diversity of the workers (we all have different gifts but all are necessary); the lowliness of workers (humility does not mean that we despise ourselves but that we are totally dependent on God for our effectiveness); the unity of the workers (we have a common purpose); the dignity of the workers (God calls us His coworkers, and it is a great honor to serve in His kingdom); and the reward for the workers (we are to work hard, and God keeps a record of our humble efforts)
The participants spent long hours working through complex theological arguments in a process that was both stimulating and mind-numbing.
Beginning Thursday afternoon, delegates worked through each article of the Confession, line by line and word by word, in groups of eight around tables.
Their suggestions for changes were handed in to a listening committee of Val Rempel and Gerry Ediger, who analyzed them, accepted obvious corrections and reported back with issues which had been raised by a number of groups and which needed further discussion by the entire group.
The attendees also fellowshipped actively during meals and other breaks, which were relatively short. Occasionally the sessions were lightened by laughter.
• In this article and several others , language will be added emphasizing concern for the poor and efforts to correct injustice .
• Efforts made to clarify "Disciples maintain sexual chastity and marital faithfulness and reject illicit premarital, extramarital, and homosexual behavior . " There seemed little disagreement over the MB position, but concern about how the sentence should be phrased so that it would not be misunderstood (For instance, rejecting "illicit homosexual behavior" does not mean that some homosexual sexual activity is "licit" or acceptable )
• language will be added about the joy of discipleship .
Article 11. Marriage and Family
• Discussion about whether, in describing marriage, the right balance is achieved between male headship (expressed as "The relationship between Christ and the church provides a model for the r e lationship between a husband and wife") and "mutual submission ." The conse nsus was that a good balance already exists in the wording .
• Discussion about what it means for the church to offer "hope and healing" in situations of divorce
As they worked through the Confession, the delegation never divided into camps on any issue. Rather, all worked together to express precisely what the Bible teaches Often the struggle was to achieve the right balance of biblical teachings.
By the end of the day on Saturday, quite a few changes had beeb made and a number of additions accepted to the articles
Directions for further change were agreed on, many verses were suggested
• Debate on "Parents are to discipline children kindly and gently " Does this properly express disapproval of abuse while still upholding the parental responsibility to discipline their chi l dren?
Article 12: Society and State
• Much debate focused on "We deplore the loss of life in the exercise of state -sanctioned violence against enemies and lawbreakers ." It was suggested that even those who accept capital punishment could still deplore it, but others wondered if the statement denied the state's biblically defined right to use force Others wondered if the statement adequately addressed other kinds of injustice imposed by the state The statement was accepted with a number of suggested changes
• Is it necessary to keep the prohibition against swearing oaths when the real New Testament concern i s truthtelling? It was generally felt the prohibition should stay
Article 14: The Sandity of Human Life
• Considerable debate about how to balan ce t he p r o hibition against euthanasia with complex decisions about
Val Rempel and Jerry Ediger report their findings as the listening committee.
for inclusion in the list of texts at the bottom of the articles, and many other items were suggested for inclusion in the pastoral application/commentary that is being written to accompany and interpret the Confession . The final details were left to BFL to work out. (For a summary of the changes made or suggested, see page
sion, not to advance their own ideas. Toward the end of the consultation, Hein noted that, by his count, 66 participants had already spoken from the floor. No individual or group dominated discussion .
• The consultation demonstrated that Mennonite Brethren really are a below.)
The meetings achieved not completion, but con-
final session, Saskatchewan pastor Arnie Armstrong said that he did not come from an MB background, but that he was very impressed by the open, civil discussion and was very pleased with how Mennonite Brethren worked together at something that can be very difficult.
"1 wish many of our people could
are processed in a spirit of brotherhood. "
deep satisfaction with the how delicate issues reworked Confession Hein had stated that the purpose of the meeting was to produce "an imperfect but more accurate Confession of Faith."
sensus. Article by article, be here and see participants expressed biblical people. Time after time, the phrases were heard, "What does the Bible say?" or "That's biblical." Time after time, delegates quoted from memory or read Bible verses to suggest changes and additions. The discussion demonstrated a very high degree
This was clearly achieved. After BFL revises the Confession with changes asked for at the consultation, it will be presented to the 1999 General Conference convention in July for ratification.
A remarkable aspect of the consultation is that it was,conducted exactly the way Anabaptist theological discussions are supposed to be held.
• Participants worked as a community, not as individuals or competing interest groups .They worked together to achieve the best confes-
-JEAN THEORET of Bible knowledge on the part of the assembled Mennonite Brethren leaders.
It was mentioned several times in the closing session how productive the process itself had been. Virtually every participant left with a higher knowledge and understanding of the Bible and Christian theology. It was an education to be there
• The discussion was characterized by humility, mutual submission, love and peace. In a moving moment in the
Similarly, Jean Theoret of Quebec noted that Mennonite Brethren sometimes think their tradition is a burden but that it is actually much harder for Quebec Mennonite Brethren, who have no strong Christian tradition "I wish many of our people could be here and see how delicate issues are processed in a spirit of brotherhood, " Theoret said.
Near the end of the consultation, BFL chair Lynn Jost noted that his daughter had misunderstood him to say that he was going to Calvary instead of Calgary. In light of the criticism the first draft of the Confession received, he wondered if the misunderstanding was prophetic. Instead, Jost and his BFL colleagues were praised and thanked by participant after participant for their hard work and spirit of humility in accepting corrections to their draft . '
Jim Coggins is editor of the Mennonite Brethren Herald, a magazine of the Canadian Conference.
"pulling the plug" which are necessitated by medical advances that can prolong life indefinitely and go to church on Saturday? To what extent does the concept of the Sabbath day apply to the Lord's Day?
• Generally decided to keep in the prohibition against suicide as helpful in preventing suicides, although the pastoral application will offer advice on dealing compassionately with the surviving family members
Artide 15: Stewardship
• Should the article be more specific about tithing?
• Should the call for Ita lifestyle of simplicity" be dropped since we do such a poor job of achieving this? It was decided to keep the statement because we need the biblical commands in these areas even (or especially) when we fail to live up to them .
• Should stewardship of time and energy also be included, or should this article focus only on stewardship of material resources since th is is so needed in our day?
Article 16: Work and Rest and the Lord's Day
• Considerable discussion on the purpose of Sunday - is it for rest when pastors often work hardest on that day? Is it for worship when some people have to work on Sunday
Article 17: Christianity and Other Faiths
• Decision to rewrite "E lements of truth can be found in other religions" in order to stress that only Christianity expresses the full truth; the concern was that the statement as written m ight be misunderstood
• Similar concerns expressed about the meaning of "God is free to communicate with people i n ways that are beyond human comprehension ."
• Considerable debate about the balance between "those who reject the gospel are under div i ne judgment" and "the fate of those who have never heard the gospel is in God's hands " - JC
CDC: Planting new churches takes center stage
• New ministries in Nebraska and Minnesota spark excitement
CREATING AND maintaining healthy churches was the focus Nov. 6-8 at the Central District Conference convention hosted by the Lustre (Mont.) MB Church. The remote location contributed to a smaller crowd , but didn't diminish enthusiasm for planting new churches and growing healthy congregations.
Growing congregations
Delegates heard an enthusiastic report from Rod Anderson, pastor of the Rolling Hills Church plant in Papillion, Neb ., which was recognized as an emerging congregation at last year's convention . Papillion is growing rapidly and Anderson said the vacancy rate for all housing is currently just over five percent
The congregation meets in a rented facility that during the week houses a Christian music store owned by several church members. On Saturday nights and Sunday mornings the store is transformed into a sanctuary. The CDC is working with the congregation to determine whether to purchase the facility and expand the space they have ,
or to look for a different facility
Attendance at Rolling Hills Church averages 68 and Anderson's goal is to double that number by next fall Anderson said he and his staff are targeting young people for the Saturday service, while the Sunday service targets young families.
Anderson said his congregation ' s fervor for the Lord was reignited due to the recent baptism of Ed Haas . Haas was driving around town one day on his job route when he began feeling an overwhelming sense of the presence of God He pulled his truck over and began to cry, overcome by his need for the Savior. He sought forgiveness and committed himself to God. Anderson said Haas had been to church several times before his conversion and had heard the Gospel, yet he placed his faith in God on his own
Delegates were given the opportunity to participate in the ministry of RHC when an offering was taken toward the $5,000 needed to add a worship leader to the staff of Rolling Hills . Delegates heard about another growing ministry in Nebraska : that of
Faith Bible Church in urban Omaha. The church is made up of three congregations; a Hispanic congregation called Iglesia Auqa Viva; a "BoomerBuilder" congregation targeting people ages 33-60; and a congregation called Wellspring, targeting people ages 1433. James Epp, pastor of Wellspring, talked about the challenges of innercity ministry Steve Stout recounted testimonies of lives changed through Good Neighbor Ministries, a ministry arm of the congregation .
The newest CDC ministry venture is targeted for Minneapolis -St.Paul, Minn., a church-plant goal introduced at last year's conference. Phil GlanZer, chair of the Church Planting Committee, said demographic studies reveal that the area is diverse in culture, race and economics.
Mountain Lake MB Church and New Hope MB Church, both in Minn. , will be working with the CPC to plant a church. The committee is currently searching for two church-planter couples: a pastor and a worship leader. The effort is a partnership of the CDC and Mission USA, the national resourcing ministry for renewal and outreach
Existing churches targeted
The Church Planting Committee works not only in church planting but also in church renewal . Glanzer reported that to more efficiently facilitate church planting and renewal, two new members had been appointed to the CPC and the group had divided into two subcommittees The committees report to one another and work together on some projects They have operated this way for a year and will work with two subcommittees for another year
Another church renewal champion is CDC minister Clint Grenz. Grenz said that several Central District churches have participated in Mission Analysis, a church-renewal tool promoted by Mission USA. He encouraged all churches to take the self-study, which targets eight essential elements to church growth.
Finances and other business
In other bUSiness , George Klassen of the Board of Trustees addressed how the CDC will fund church planting and renewal.
"Planting a church in Papillion is
With a photo of the Twin Cities before them. the Church Planting Committee presents demographic data about the city they hope will be home to a new MB church plant.
IN BRIEF
PUBLISHED : Wally Kroeke r, editor of Th e Marketpla ce and former editor of the Christi an Leader i s th e a u thor of "God 's Week has Seve n Days: Monda y Mu sings for Marketplace Ch risti ans ." He suggests that a ll of life is Go d's domain and that wh en peo ple go t o work , God is on th e job wit h t hem and all t hey do is done in t h e p resence of the Al mighty. Th e book contains 52 short w ee k ly musin gs fo r everyone with wor k to do Kroeker shows the common threa d s that link jobs and faith. (Herald Press)
CELEBRATE: The Pac ific District Confe re nce Wome n' s M issionary Service cel ebrat ed 50 ye ars of service at their annua l meeting Nov 7 During the past 50 ye ars, indi vidual churches have raise d $294,1 86 for budgeted PDC entiti es and individual WMS circles have raised $835,5 36 more for o t her con ference and community projec t s In tot a l, WMS has raised $1,1 29,72 2 for various Mennonite Brethr e n ministries, said Barbara Janze n , WMS president In addition to missi o n reports , participant s viewed a video reviewing highlights of the past 50 years . The video was narrated by many of the past WMS presidents as part of the program (POC WMS)
WORKERS: Mennonite Central Committee workers who had evacuated the Democratic Republic of Congo in early August are now back in Kinshasa . They had evacuated to South Africa when Congolese rebels trying to overthrow the government were advancing toward the capital. The rebels were driven back, but at the end of August some fighting took place in the city, including areas where Congolese Mennonites live MCC is contributing money to help provide food for hungry people, primarily Mennonites , in Kinshasa Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission and MBMS International are also contributing funds Representatives from the three Congolese Mennonite conferences will distribute the locally purchased food (MCC)
expensive," he said. "And if we're going to plant a church in Minneapolis, that, too. is going to be expensive. It's a very big project for a conference our size Does God want us to do it? I'm convinced he does. And if he wants us to do it, are the resources here to do it? I'm convinced they are. Are we ready for the challenge? It's one thing to sit here and vote for the budget ; it's another to grab hold of it and say. 'I'm with it ·
Klassen challenged delegates to increase church giving in order to help support these new churches Already. churches gave $4,000 more this year than last. ending the year in the black However. Klassen said the church-giving norms were not met for this past year
Klassen recommended on behalf of the trustees that the CDC transfer $20,000 from receipts to the church grant fund. This fund is available for congregations wanting to expand their facilities, as the Rolling Hills Church plans, or to church plants, such as in the Twin Cities. Delegates approved the transfer
Also approved was the $185,500 budget for 1999 This is $10,000 less than last year's budget; the CDC spent less last year than was budgeted
Small group emphasis
Delegates learned about healthy new
churches and church planting not only in business sessions, but also in worship times. Keynote speaker Larry Martens, pastor of the North Fresno Church, Fresno, Calif., explained how congregations of any size can use small groups to tum a crowd to a community Martens said a critical problem in the church is assimilating people into the congregation; helping people feel a part of the community of faith . "I don't know any other way to do that more effectively than to get them involved in small groups," he said.
Martens encouraged pastors to delegate ministry responsibilities through small groups, creating "manageable spans of care" for themselves. He said in small groups, lay leaders can minister to the body and reach more people
Martens said studies show that Americans want to be in small groups because of the need for human community the human quest for spirituality
They feel detached and alienated and are searching for meaning and purpose in their lives. He used passages from the Book of Acts to explain how small groups were effective in the early church
He said small groups are effective when five elements are incorporatedlove. worship, learning , serving and reaching. - Natalee Roth
James Epp and Steve Stout of Faith Bible Church entertain and inform delegates about inner-city ministry in Omaha, Neb.
poe: Delegates aim to keep busy while they wait
• Delegates challenged to do God's work in the western states
THE THEME was "While We Wait," but no one showed signs of idling at the Pacific District Conference convention Nov 6-7 Speakers celebrated the work of the churches and challenged de legates to keep busy for the Lord . Roger Poppen, conference chainnan reminded delegates in the keynote address that Jesus is coming soon . "What do we do while we wait?" he asked . "We can either waste time, or we can do something productive ." Noting one way to be productive while believers await Christ's return , Poppen cited the new PDC mission statement"PDC exists to assist member churches in church health, church planting, and leadership development. "
Jose Elizondo, pastor of Iglesia EI Buen Pastor in Orange Cove, Calif., offered a strategy for the church while it waits "Our objective is that the world may believe that God sent Jesus This job of evangelism has no end There are always more fields and the harvest is ready "
For a strategy, Elizondo offered "unity through the Holy Spirit." Noting that the PDC worships in 10 different languages , he stressed the need for a focus on unity and pointed to the tactic of love to accomplish this . "We are to love each other, and that is how we are supposed to reach the world "
The delegates actually practiced waiting Friday afternoon when plane delays kept speaker Berhanu Waldemariam from arriving until minutes before the end of the second session Waldemariam, pastor of Bethel Ethiopian Church in Seattle, Wash , reminded delegates that "the world expects a lot from the church. There is a lot to accomplish ... . There are people who don ' t know what the Bible is or who Jesus is "
Christians also need to work while they wait, he said "We keep sending missionaries, hiring pastors. " Waldemariam also added, "While we are waiting, we need to be excited ."
Throughout the afternoon, seve ral boards illustrated that they had been busy during the last year Many expressed joy at God ' s continued blessing of their work. Ba r bara Janzen , chairpe r son of Women's Miss ionary Service , reported that WMS was celebrating 50 years of service on Saturday. She calculated that for the 50 years of its existence, WMS has contributed over $1 million to the church . Friday night ' s Home Missions banquet continued in the theme of working while we wait, featuring an overall look at church planting throughout the conference.
Dave Thiessen, s ecretary of the Board of H ome Miss ions, ope ned the evening with a fictional MB Stock Exchange. In the business worl d, business is good if stock prices are up and money is coming in, Thiessen explained "H ow can we measure how
well the church is doing? If people are coming into the church, business is good . " He introduced banquet attendees to some "hot new properties" on the MBSE. "Their value is going up, " Thiessen said of the PDC church plants . Paul Robie , church planter in Draper, Utah, told of the difficulties of planting a Mennonite Brethren church in Utah. When the church started last year , he said, they had four peoplehe, his wife and their two sons. At the church opening on October 11, there were 60 people. "I feel totally supporte d. 1 feel prayed for," Robie said Durwin and Beve rlee Keck spoke about their experiences planting a church in La Mirada, Calif. Working in the heart of Southern California is "almost foreign missions," Durwin said. "We sometimes lose track of how dramatically our culture has changed "
In the past, Keck said, evangelism meant bringing people to Christ, then bringing them into the church community Now, "you bring them into the community, and they decide whether they want to follow Christ They're looking to see if we ' re leading authentic lives "
Mark Thompson, pastor of ShoreLife Community Church in Capitola, Calif ,
Gary Wall. conference secretary. leads in prayer for Ubaby boomer" pastors and Dinuba MB Church pastor Bob Vogt. who recently announced his retirement.
reported that 95 per cent of people in Santa Cruz County are unchurched. Thompson described various things they are doing to reach the community, including innovative ways to reach youth. Associate pastor Dave Cree described a ministry to young people that began with a skateboarding ramp in the church parking lot.
The evening also included inspirational testimonies from Northwest Community Church in Bakersfield, Calif., and Spirit in the Desert Community Church in Phoenix, Ariz.
Allen Carden, president of Fresno Pacific University, turned the focus to the PDC's younger members on Saturday morning. "At Fresno Pacific we have been blessed by an incredibly talented student body - musically, athletically, academically," he said.
Carden brought Dennis Janzen, head coach of the highly ranked FPU volleyball team, to the stage. Janzen told delegates, "There's a lot more going on than just volleyball." He offered as an example the story of two team members from China. Having no experience with Christianity in their home country, the members of the team offered spiritual guidance, culminating in a baptism last year
Several students also offered their testimonies and appreciation of FPU
Carden also highlighted record-setting enrollment figures, including the largest-ever freshman class and the largest total enrollment. Other accomplishments included the dedication of East Hall, a five-story residence building with classrooms and offices; construction on a new track facility; and a $6.4 million gift from the AlMS Education Foundation for science, math and technology facilities, scholarships and faculty positions. A strategic planning process is underway, Carden added, as well as a feasibility study for offering doctorates.
As the final session got underway Saturday afternoon, Pastor Hang Ku Shim of Joong Ang Korean Church urged delegates one last time to be diligent while waiting for the Lord's return. He reminded them that the clock of human age was ticking "In light ofthe time left," he said through a translator. "We have to work hard for the Lord."
Keeping with the theme, delegates showed no desire to wait on confer-
ence business, readily accepting three churches into the conference: Light of the Gospel Church in Spokane, Wash., a Slavic church , and Iglesia Sinai in Sun Valley, Calif. and Christian Fellowship Church in South Shafter, Calif., both Hispanic churches.
The delegates also passed nearly all proposals and reports without comment or dissent. Among the proposals that passed was an Executive Board recommendation that Jose Elizondo be hired as a part-time associate district minister, giving special attention to
Hispanic congregations.
Delegates also voted to increase the maximum amount allowed for a church-planting grant from $50,000 to $75,000. The conference closed with a focus on those who have been working diligently "while we wait." Gary Wall, conference secretary, called the "baby boomer" pastors to the stage. "We want to recognize those who came before us," Wall said, leading the group in prayer for Dinuba MB Church pastor Bob Vogt, who recently announced his retirement. -len Fransen
Tabor celebrates new building, distinguished alum
Almost 90 years ago, Tabor College's first president, H.W. Lohrenz, began talking about building a science facility just north of where the School's Administration Building stands. That dream was formally realized Oct. 17, when the Solomon L. Loewen Natural Science Center was dedicated. The celebration culminated a three-year, $3.28 million capital campaign. ABOVE: An estimated 500 alumni and friends of the college gathered outside the building for the dedication service hosted by Larry Nikkel, interim president. RIGHT: During the ceremony, Han-
nington Pamba (pictured with Nikkel) was presented the Alumni Merit Award for his work in scientific research. Pamba, a 1962 graduate, is dean of the faculty of medicine at the University of Nairobi in Kenya and is a leading participant on an international consortium of five universities conducting AIDS research.
Vision of Outreach and Renewal is Promoted by Mission USA
Executive Director Ed Boschman has the responsibility of taking the Mission USA vision to Mennonite Brethren churches throughout the u.s . During the year Boschman has travelled in all of the five districts, visiting new church plants, working with target churches and encouraging renewal and growth strategies at church and conference events Above, he makes his first visit as Mission USA Executive Director to the LAMB conference convention in McAllen, Texas in early February.
Boschman welcomes attenders in a light rain to the opening celebration for the Copper Hills Commun ity Church in Phoenix, Arizona on March 15 . CHCC was the first of four new churches in which Mission USA partnered that celebrated opening public worship services this year
MISSION USA BOARD:
Ed Boschman, Phoenix, AI. , Chuck Buller, YlSOlia, CA.
Karin Enns, Dinuba, CA
LoreHo J05I, Aurora, NE
Brad Klassen, Glendale, AI.
Nancy Laverty, Jones, OK
Stephen Reimer, Shafter, CA
Randy Steinert, Bakersfield, CA
TIm Sullivan, HiUsboro, KS
Gary Wall, Lodi, CA
(linton Grenz, Bismark, ND
Bruce Porter, Fresno, CA
Roland Reimer, Wichita, KS. (Iinl Seibel, Hillsboro, KS
Phil Glanzer, New Hope, MN
Joe Johns, Weatherford, OK
Ex Officio Members: Henry Dick, Fresno, CA. Jim Westgate, Fresno, CA
IN BRIEF
GROWTH: Dan Quisenberry, the Kansas City Royals ' relief pitcher who died in September of brain cancer, credited his spiritual growth to the time he spent at Fresno Pacific University . He studied at FPU during the 1978 off-season . Although a Christian when he began his two-quarter stint at FPU, Quisenberry said, "It was at FPC where I think I learned the most about theology And now, though I'm not a Mennonite Brethren, I think more in MB terms " Quisenberry played in the major leagues from 1979 to 1990 and is a member of the Royals' hall of fame (FPU)
COUNSELING : Mennonite Central Committee recently donated money to "People for Peace," a Kenyan organization that is providing emergency family counseling to some of the thousands of Kenyans affected by the Aug. 7 bombing of the U S Embassy in Nairobi. Over 250 Kenyans died in the blast and over 5,000 were hurt Joseph Ngala, head of People for Peace, plans to use the funds to bring together eight to 10 .families for two to three days Specialists in psychology, psychiatry and religion will conduct and facilitate sessions Ngala hopes to run at least three such sessions. (MCC)
DEDICATION: Mennonite Central Committee hosted a dedication and open house of its new Central States regional facility, Oct 11 The new building in North Newton, Kan , houses regional offices of MCC and Ten Thousand Villages It also features an enlarged material -resources center and warehouse Some 750 people attended the weekend ceremony. (MCC)
VOLUNTEERS: David and Ruth Schale, both doctors, along with their children, spent five weeks in Kenya at Tenwek Hospital last summer. Both are members of Heritage Bible Church in Bakersfield, Calif . They worked in radiology and family practice at the mission hospital. They took medical equipment and supplies and plan to return in two years (Heritage Bible Church)
MCC responds to Mitch damage in hard-hit Central America
• 20,000 hurricane relief kits urgently needed; MCC authorizes up to $ 7 million in relief and rehabilitation assistance
Mennonite Central Committee has announced an urgent call for funds and relief kits in response to Hurricane Mitch which devastated Central America the last week of October.
Hurricane Mitch has been described as the worst natural catastrophe ever to hit Central America. The death toll following the storm continues to rise, but figures in mid-November stood at nearly 11,000 dead, 13,000 missing (and presumed dead) and 2.8 million homeless across Central America.
MCC has authorized up to $1 million for relief and rehabilitation. The agency anticipates that requests may exceed that amount as plans continue to develop. Donations for the Hurricane Mitch relief effort should be marked 5900-2030, Hurricane Mitch.
MCC initially asked constituents to prepare 3,000 hurricane relief kits but upped that number to 20,000 in light of the requests from MCC partners in Honduras and Nicaragua.
Nearly 2,000 kits were received by Nov. 12 and the first shipment was sent the last week of November. A second shipment is scheduled before Christmas.
Other relief efforts initiated last month include the shipment of various supplies, financial contributions to partner organizations and personnel assigned to develop relief plans.
• Honduras received a number of relief shipments in November, including two 45-foot containers filled with canned beef, shoes, milk powder, laundry soap, clothing, medicine and 20,000 water purification tablets. Earlier in November, MCC shipped 22 tons of MCC canned meat, blankets, soap and food from Texas.
MCC also plans to provide food together with Canadian Foodgrains Bank of Winnipeg, Man. , and water purification equipment and medicines accessed through Interchurch Medical Association of New Windsor, Md.
• Cloister Water of Lancaster, Pa., donated 628 gallons of bottled water for use in Honduras and Mennonite
Spanish Lookout Colony in Belize donated 88,000 pounds of rice and 44,000 pounds of corn to MCC for shipment to Honduras. MCC purchased another 44,000 pounds of red beans from Spanish Lookout.
• MCC has provided $40,000 to the Honduran Social Action Commission and $10,000 to Mujeres Amigas Miles Apart for local flood relief efforts. The MAMA Project in San Pedro Sula, Honduras , is working in areas near San Pedro where flooding is a chronic problem.
Nicaraguan partner, The Nicaraguan Evangelical Committee for Development Aid, has received $5,000 from MCC for relief efforts.
MCC has also responded to requests for relief assistance from partners in El Salvador and Guatemala. In ·El Salvador, MCC has promised up to $10,000 to local Mennonite relief committees and in Guatemala, $3,000 has gone to assist hurricane victims in areas where MCC works.
• MCC is sending four alumni to Central America to assist workers and partners there in developing plans for relief and long-term rehabilitation in the wake of the hurricane. Jacob
Canned meat and other relief supplies are being shipped by MCC to Honduras following Hurricane Mitch.
Shiere, of Drachten, Netherlands and a member of the Dutch Mennonite Church; Jim Hershberger, a member of Community Mennonite Church in Linville, Va.; Jon Nofziger, a member of Ft. Gary Mennonite Church in Winnipeg, Man.; and Luke Schrock-Hurst, a pastor and member of Pittsburgh (Penn.) Mennonite Church, left for Honduras and Nicaragua in midNovember.
George and Lois Zimmerman, Eastern Mennonite Missions workers based in Guatemala, and Olga Azurdia , who works for Kokoten, an MCC partner in Guatemala, will be assisting MCC workers in the region.
All MCC workers in Central America are accounted for. Many are currently involved in relief efforts in their communities. -John M. Spidalier, MCC News
CHURCH NOTES
• Baptism/membership
HILLSBORO, Kan. (Ebenfeld)-Roger and Stephanie Sinclair were baptized and received as new members Oct. 4. Jim and Laurie Braden, Jonathan Maxfield and Brent and Heidi Thurston were received as members by testimony.
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (Laurelglen Bible)Accepted into membership Oct. 25 were Don and Debbie Camp, Connie Mongold, Carol, Phil and Tanya Stangland, Christina and Chad Dimon, Ken and DorisAnn Hestley, MaryLou White, Desiree Bogan, Edwin and Kaye Camp, Heidi Hudson, Jana Shugart, Jay Varvel, Catherine McKenzie and Connie Schmidt. Baptized and received into membership were Tatum Balfanz, Christian Barrett, Karen Bono , Meaghan Carey, Anna Cartmell, Kristen Cater, Shellie Thomas, Krista-Lee Zankoski, Dee Bailey, Susan Catlett, Andrew Tabangcora, Bea Thomas, Linda Miller and Paul and Nancy Dumke.
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (Rosedale Bible)Paul and Linda Bloomquist, Mike and Nancy Suorez and Jim and Carol Wanke joined the church Sept. 6
ENID, Okla.-The congregation hosted a reception for Lynford and Ruby Becker Sept 13 and welcomed them as members The Beckers served as pastoral couple at the church 18 years ago and recently returned to the community.
COLLINSVILLE, Okla. (Westport)-Allison
Baltzer was received into membership by testimony .Oct . 25. Jeri Lyn Barker, Justin Becker, Angelina Brown, Elizabeth Brush, Mindy Goodnight and Gayle Wolfe were baptized and received into membership by testimony
FRESNO, Calif. (Butler)-Nathanael Fast transferred his membership recently.
OLATHE, Kan. (Community Bible)-Pam Hall, Brett Hall, Kari and Kelsey Allen were baptized Sept. 27. Brett, Kari and Kelsey were also received into membership.
VISALIA, Calif. (Neighborhood)-Greg and Anna Borboa, Curtis Ward, Steve, Tracy and Steven Fulleylove, Michelle Johnson, Samantha Elliott, Dustin Janzen, James Wiest , Haley McNabb, Michael Friend, Steven McFarlane, Jacqualine Allen, Kendal Campbell, Elliot Cavale, Allison Zulik, Crystal SchuH and Whitney Bartsch were baptized and received as members Sept 20. Steve Dillard, Caroline Love, Terry Benson, Lea Ward and Donna McFarlane joined by transfer of membership.
INDIAHOMA. Okla. (post Oak)-Alice lonetree, Kendall Mithlo, Aubrey Mithlo and Scott Lorsan were baptized Oct. 18. Marty Bird was also received into membership
REEDLEY, Callf.-Baptized and received into membership recently were Myriah Bacon,
Ryan Conrad, Cary and Kami Crum, Jerin Kliewer, Carla Quinonez, 0 ]. Scharbach and Jeremy Warkentin. Received into membership were Tina Krahn, Randy and Karlene Puckett and Glen and Jennifer Quiring.
• Celebration
TOPEKA, Kan.-The congregation celebrated its 40th anniversary Nov. 20-22 with a variety of activities Ernie Friesen, on the pastoral staff at First MB Church, Wichita, Kan , and Roland Reimer, Southern District minister, were the speakers. Saturday evening activities included a reception for former members and testimonies by former pastors and members.
DENVER, Colo. (Garden Park)-Jonathan and Alice Bartel celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary Sept. 26
FREEMAN, S.D. (Salem)-Reuben and Alma Wollman celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary Oct 11.
HILLSBORO, Kan (Ebenfeld)-Dean and Clarabelle McGillivary celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary Oct. 18 with a reception.
• Fellowship
HILLSBORO, Kan. (Ebenfeld)-The church hosted a community SongFest Oct 11.
MBMS International invites applications for
PROGRAM DIRECTOR
MBMS International, the global mission agency of the MB Church in Canada and the United States, seeks an associate director of programs for its office in Fresno, Calif., effective June 1, 1999.
Duties include management of development projects, program budgets, and four regional directors, as well as serving on the Administrative Council.
The successful candidate will have a master's degree or equivalent training and experience, and be an MB church member who is in agreement with the MB Confession of Faith.
Send resumes and inquiries to: Harold Ens, General Director, MBMS International 4867 E. Townsend Ave., Fresno, CA 93727-5006 Phone 1-888-866-6267 / Fax (209) 251-1432
Ralph Seibel, a professional musician from Georgia, was the guest performer. Seibe l had attended the church when he was growing up. The H arvest Missions Festival was Nov. 8 , with guest speakers Phone Keo Keovilay and Dale Warkentin
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (Heritage Bible)The 5th annual Heritage Fun Fair was Oct 31, with game booths, candy and prizes.
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (Laurelglen Bible)The congregation had a harvest celebration Oct 25, featuring dinner and a program.
CLOVIS, Calif. (College Community)-The congregation celebrated All-Saints Day Nov. the service, people remembered saints who have gone before them
FRESNO, Calif. (Fig Garden)-A family fun night was held at the church Oct 18.
KINGSBURG, Calif.-Women were invited to attend a m ini-conference on the Bible Oct. 2 -3 called "Portrait of jesus," with Brenda Peterson as the speaker.
SAN JOSE, Calif (Lincoln Glen) - The church hosted the tenth annual International Gift Faire Oct. 16-17, The event is a project ofTen Thousand Villages.
FERNDALE, Wash. (Good News Fellowship)-The men's retreat was Oct. 2·3 with speaker Tim Dailey.
CORDELL, Okla. (Bible)-The Harvest Missions Conference Oct. 11 featured MBMS International worker Russell Schmidt as the speaker.
INMAN, Kan. (Zoar)- The Harvest and Mission Festival was Oct. 18. Rob Reimer, pastor of Community Bible Church in Olathe , Kan ., was the speaker .
OLATHE, Kan. (Community Bible)-The fall party was a pizza potluck Oct. 3 with storytelling and singing The Halloween alternative activity Oct. 31, included games and pizza at the church
ADAMS, Okla.-The Harvest/Missions Festival was Oct. 25 Steve Fast from MBMS International was the speaker.
ENID, Okla.-The Missions Emphasis Sunday Oct. 25 included the Russell Schmidt family as guest speakers.
FREEMAN, S.D (Salem)-The Harvest Mission Festival , Oct. 18, was a joint service with Silver Lake MB Church . Ed Boschman , Mission USA executive director, was the guest speaker.
YALE, S.D. (Bethe l)-The Harvest-Mission Festival was Nov 1, with speakers Elizabeth
Tieszen, a retired missionary with MBMS International and Peter Thomas, pastor of Faith Bible Church iu Omaha, Neb.
DELFT, Minn. (Carson)- The annual Harvest Fest was Oct. 18 with guest speaker Phil Glanzer, pastor of New Hope (Minn.) MB Church.
MOUNTAIN LAKE, Minn.-Oct. 25 was the Harvest and Missions Festival with Lynn jost, Tabor College Bible faculty member, and Herb and Ruth Friesen, MB missionaries, serving as guest speakers
HARVEY, N.D.-Oct. 25 was the harvest festival with guest speaker jim Weems, pastor of the Gettysburg, S D congregation
• Workers
INMAN, Kan. (Zoar)-An installation service was held Oct 11 for Steve Sulouff, the new youth pastor.
MINOT, N.D. (Bible FeUowship)-The congregation had an installation service Sept. 20 for pastor Gordon and Luise Kroeker and family. Clint Grenz , Central District minister, officiated.
• DEATHS
CODAPONY, LOLA, Indiahoma, Okla., a member of the Post Oak MB Church, was born in 1912 , to Codopony and Tachey at Indiahoma, and died Sept. 28, 1998.
BOETTCHER, EDWARD OLIVER, Reedley, Calif , a member of the Reedley MB Church, was born Aug. 7, 1915, at Pomona, Calif., and died Oct. 14, 1998, at the age of 83. On june 7, 1947, he was married to Eleanor Wardall, who survives. He is also survived by a niece, Karen Boettcher-Chizek of Nevada City, and several cousins
EDIGER, PETE F., Inman, Kan., a member of the Zoar MB Church, Inman, was born jan . 4, 1914, to Solomon P. and Agnes Friesen Ediger near Inman and died Nov. 4, 1998, at the age of 84. On Aug. 18, 1935, he was married to Martha Friesen, who survives. He is also survived by a son, Robert and wife Pat of Oroville, Calif.; a daughter, Rowene and husband Gail Simmonds of Salina, Kan.j three sisters, Anna Schmidt, Linda Guhr and Ester Nikkel; seven grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
EITZEN , HARRY D., Hillsboro, Kan., a member of the Parkview MB Church, Hillsboro, was born july 17, 1908, to Daniel and Helena Becker Eitzen near Hillsboro, and died Sept 15, 1998, at the age of 90 On April 26 , 1931, he was married to Esther Winter, who predeceased him in 1998. He is survived by two daughters, Myrna and hus-
band Victor Jost of Hillsboro and Kay Viergever of Fort Worth, Texas; one son-inlaw , Harold and wife Patricia Krause of Tomball, Texas; a sister, Helen Seibel of Hillsboro; a brother, Abe Eitzen of Fairview, Okla.; five grandchildren and six greatgrandchildren .
FLAMING, OTTO SCHAPANSKY, Corn , Okla., a member of the Corn MB Church, was born March 2, 1906, to George Bert and Mary Schapansky Flaming at Com, and died Sept 27, 1998, at the age of92 On April 10, 1926, he was married to Marianna Penner, who predeceased him in 1970 . He is survived by three sons, Emery and wife Leota of Oklahoma City, Archie and wife Lois of Cordell, Okla. , and Bert and wife Judy of Glennallen, Alaska; a brother, Frank of Cordell; a sister, Alice Swaim of Happy Camp, Calif. ; seven grandchildren, a stepgrandson; and eight great-grandchildren ; two step-great-grandchildren; and one stepgreat-great-grandchild
FRANTZ, JOHN B_ , Hillsboro, Kan , a member of the Hillsboro MB Church , was born Nov 24, 1914, to Ben H. and Anna Unruh Frantz near Durham, Kan , and died Oct 15, 1998, at the age of83 On Nov 23,1941, he was married to Irene Lucille Senner, who survives He is also survived by a daughter, Sheryl and husband Larry Cole of Phillipsburg, Kan ; a son, Terry and wife Cindy of
Phill ipsburg ; a brother , Ben of O kl aho m a; and three grandchild ren .
JOST, SAM , Owasso , Okl a . , a me m ber of the Westpor t MB Ch urc h , Co ll insville, Okla ., was b orn Se pt 15 , 19 15 , an d d ie d Oct . 5, 1998, at the age of 83 . On March 20 , 1938, he was married to Helen Fra nz, who predeceased him in 1995. He is survived by a son , Jerry; three daughters, Jean Cunningh am , Patsy Spencer an d Pam Bush ; two brothers, Bert and Ben ; two sisters, Evelyn Baltzer and Blondine H iebert; and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren
KELLY, ROBER T , Indiahoma , Okla , a member of the Post Oak MB Church , was born to Robert and Marjorie Ke lly at Los Angeles, Calif , and died Aug 28, 1998
The Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church is in search of candidates for the position of senior pastor. Candidates gifted in providing leadership for a congregat ion with an average attendance of over 500 and experienced in directing a multiple pastoral staff are invited to send a resume to: Pastoral Search Committee, Daryle Baltzer (Chm.), 104 S Washington, Hillsboro , KS 67063.
Bethany Bible I nstitute invites applications for t h e position of PRESIDENT
Bethany Bible Institute is committed to training d i sciples of Jesus Christ and is supported by the Saskatchewan and Alberta Mennonite Brethren conferences, as well as the Evangelical Mennonite Mission Conference of Saskatchewan The school has a present enrollment of about 150 students and offers a three-year bachelor of Christian ministries degree as well as a two -year diploma of biblical studies. Bethany has candidate status with the Accrediting Association of Bible colleges.
The successful candidate will:
• be committed to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior
• support the Mennonite Brethren Confession of Faith
• have an Anabaptist/evangelical theological perspective
• have demonstrated leadership ability
• have strong interpersonal, team building, and communication skills
• have the ability to develop and maintain good constituency relationships
• have demonstrated administrative skills
• possess the minimum of a master's degree
Presidential duties will include administ rative responsibilities, constituency relationship-building, as well as classroom instruct i on. The position commences in July 1999.
Please address all resumes and inquires by Jan 15, 1999, to : A.J. Poettcker (Search Committee Chair), c/o Lakeview Bible Church, 1505-29th St 5 , Lethbridge, AB T1 K 2X6; phone 403 -327 - 5854; fax 403 -327 -0902 .
KRUGER, AGATH A, Bakersfield , Calif., a member of Heritage Bible Church, Bakersfield, was born May 12, 190 5, to David and Sara h Bo ise Friese n at Pueb lo , Co lo., and die d Sept 24, 1998, at the age o f 93 On Marc h 23 , 19 32 , sh e was married to Alfred Kru ge r, w ho pre d eceased he r in 1970 Sh e is s u rvive d by a son , David Corde l.
PEN NER, ARNOLD H "D UTC H ," Inman, Ka n. , a m e mb e r o f th e Zoar MB Church, Inman , was born Sept . 3 , 1920 , to Henry F. an d Aganeth a Wall Penner at Lus h ton, Neb., and d ied Oct . 10, 1998, a t the age of 78 . On Nov 26 , 194 1, h e was married to Kathe rine Fr iese n, who survives He is also survived by
The Mennonite Brethren Biblical Se minary invites app li cations and nominations for a full -time
BC Center Directorl
Associate Dean.
Responsib ilities will inclu de overs ight of the MBSS British Columbia sem inary prog ram in partnersh ip with ACTS and the BC Conference of MB Churches, and teaching half time in the ACTSand MBBSBC cu rri culu m
Qualifications:
• Comm itment to th e miss ion of MBBC BC and to Anabaptist theology as expressed in the Mennon ite Brethre n Confess ion of Fa ith
• Astrong and compe ll ing vision for congregation-based pastoral leadersh ip formation.
• Avision and comm itment to tra in the next generationsfor church leadership
• A Ph D or DMin. degree in one of the theolog ical disci plines
• Proven admin istrative abilities
• Demonstrated ab ility to teach
• Proven ability in pub lic commun ication and churc h re lat ions
• Experience with progra msof superv ised min istries or a knowledge of the discipline of field educati on
• Significant pastora l or other church-re lated exper ience
• Proven re lational skil lsthat wou ld contribute to st udent recruitment. stude nt re lationships. co ll aborative wo rk in a sem inary consortium. and the pro motionof sem inary education in variousconstituencies
• Demonstrated ab ility to worle with churches agencies, and institutions that refl ect the dive rsity of MBBS and th e MB Conference of Churc hes
• Fam iliarity with the va rious BC ch urches and educational ent ities. both withi n and outs ide the MB de nom ination
Starting Date: Thi s ass ignmen t will beg in no later tha n June/J uly, 1999.
Application: Nom in ations and app li cations shou ld be submitted by Dec. 15, 1998 Nom inations shou ld incl ude a brief resume of the nom inee ; applicat ions must in cl ude a cover letter, a curr icu lum vi tae, and th e na mes and addresses of fou r professiona l re ferences.
Plea se se nd appl icatio ns to:
Dr. Henry J. Schmidt, President, MBBS 4824 E Butl er Ave • Fresno, CA 93727
Confide nt ia l fax: (209) 452- 1763
Telephone: (209) 25 1-8628 or 1-800-25 1-6227
E- mail: mbsemi nary@aol. com
Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary is Equal Opportunity Employer.
two sons, Phil and wife Sharon of Palisade, Colo and Tim and wife Mary of Tijeras, N M. ; three daughters , Judy and husband Ken Froese of McPherson, Kan , Ruth and husband Dee Friesen of Albuquerque, N M , and Debbie and hu sband Kenny Wiens of Lyons , Kan ; two s isters, Helen and husband, Leigh McKinley of Phoenix, Ariz , and Jane and husband Harvey Toews of McPherson, Kan .; eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
PENNER, HENRY, Hillsboro, Kan , a member of the Hillsboro MB Church, was born March 29, 1917, to Zachariah and Mary Balzer Penner near Canada, Kan , and died Nov. 1, 1998, at the age of 81 On April 15, 1946, he was married to Esther Penner, who survives He is also survived by three daughters , Jan and husband Jim Davis and Bev Schor, both of Marion, Kan , and Angie and husband Gary Duerksen of Goesse l, Kan ; and five grandchildren
REMPEL, JOHN C , Mountain Lake , Minn , of the Mountain Lake MB Church, was born June 11, 1911, to Abraham F and Sarah Classen Rempel at Meade, Kan ., and died Sept 15, 1998, at the age of 87 On Sept 30, 1937, he was married to Margaret Ewert , who survives He is also survived by a son , Marvin and wife Grace of Kalona, Iowa ; a brother, Pete of Salem, Ore.; two sisters , Helena Balzer and Rose Rempel, both of Salem, Ore. ; a sister-in-law, Helen Rempel of Denver, Colo ; and two grandchildren.
is accepting applications for FIELD REPRESENTATIVE
This full-time position is responsible for our activity on the West Coast and would be based in Central California.
DUTIES:
To encourage and assist Christians throughout the U S. Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches in faithful stewardship. Specific responsibilities include stewardship education , individual counseling, planned giving, charitable estate planning and Foundation-related activity.
QUALIFICATIONS:
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Demonstrated ability to communicate
• Aptitude for detail work
• Willingness to learn
• Christian commitment and desire "'" ',,", to promote of the Mennonite Brethren
DIRECT INQUIRIES TO:
SIEMENS, HARRY JAMES, San Jose, Calif., a member of Lincoln Glen Church, San Jose ,
CLEARINGHOUSE
Have a position to fill? Looking for a new employment or ministry opportunity? Have a gathering or celebration to promote? Reach U S Mennonite Brethren through a Clearinghouse classified ad The charge is 40 cents per word, wi th a $15 minimum Withhold payment until an invoice is received.
POSITION AVAILA B LE
JANITOR-CUSTODIAN-Fairv i ew Mennonite Brethren Church is looking for a retired couple who would be interested in joining our ministry in this capacity. Send resume to Fairview Mennonite Brethren Church, Attn Jr Regier. 1600 East State Road, Fairview, OK 73737 , 580-227-2760
was born Jan 7, 1921, to George Henry and Helen Braun Siemens at Reedley, Calif , and died Sept 30, 1998, at the age of 77. OnJan 25 , 1946, he was married to Ruby Linda Wiens, who survives He is also survived by three daughters, Laura and husband Dennis Taylor, Barbara and husband Gary Bruckner and Carole Farber ; four brothers, John, William and wife Louise , Robert and wife Betty and Richard and wife Roseanne; three sisters, Betty and husband Virgil Johnson, Verna and husband Wesley Reddig and Dorothy; and five grandchildren
WALKER, PAULINE EMILY, San Jose, Calif., a member of the Heritage Bible Church, San Jose, was born Jan 2, 1914, to Glenn and Velma May Woodworth at Kinsman, Ohio, and died Sept 17, 1998, at the age of 84 She was married to Hugh A Walker, who predeceased her in 1996 She is survived by four daughters, Peg and husband Pat Molohon of Palatine, Ill., Marilyn and husband Gus Romagni of Savannah , Ga., Lois and husband Larry Waite and Connie and husband John Rooke , both of Bakersfield; two sons , Hugh Jr and wife Erna of Salt Lake City, Utah , and Dan and wife Evelyn of West Chester, Penn ; sisters , Vivian Barrett of Mesila Park , N M. and Doris and husband Howard Forster of Florence, Ariz.; 17 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.
WILLEMS, LYDIA KIEHN, Inman, Kan. , of the Zoar MB Church, Inman, was born July 13, 1913, to Peter and Mary Karber Kiehn at Tsao Hsien, China, and died Oct. 14, 1998, at the age of 85 On Aug 2, 1936, she was married to David H Willems, who survives. She is also survived by three sons, Don and wife Lucene of Inman, Noel and wife Sarah of Columbia, Tenn , and Paul and wife Carol of Pescadero, Calif ; five grandchildren ; and three great-grandchildren . •
THE FOLLOWING i s an alphabetical index of the major articles and events recorded in the Christian Leader in 1998. The notations following each entry indicate the volu m e number, issue number and page number For example, the volume number fo r 1998 is 61 , the next numbe rs in the first entry below indicate the n inth issue of the year a nd that the article begins on page 30 of that issue. Following the article is an index of authors who have written feature articles during the past 12 mont h s
BODYLIFE
Andres named new Leader editor, 61 :9:30
Butler MB Church models mult icongregationa I approac h, 61 :7 :22
Celebrate ' 98 Coverage : Unity in La Mirada, 61 :8 : 18
Confess i on of Faith: human l i f e, 61 : 1:26
Confession of Faith : sin, 61 :2 :26
Confession of Faith : stewardship, 61 :3:28
Church plant in Papi ll ion, NE arr ives early, 61 :5:20
Civ i l war affects Congo l ese MBs, 6 1: 11 :29
Civ il war continues i n Congo, 61 : 10 :23
Commentary: Lov i ng the embassy bombe r s, 61 : 10:24
Contemporary worsh ip m inistry unites youth/adu lts, 61 :2:24
Contributions from U S churches hit 16year high 6 1:7 :29
CDC: Planting new churches takes center stage, 61 : 12 :23
CPT campaign for h i gher wages leads to job loss in Ha it i, 61 :4:30
District convention prev i ew, 61 : 10:22
Estes planners expect 2,000-plus in 1999, 61 :3 :28
Farewe ll to Dan Friesen , a ' man for a ll people,' 61 :8 :26
Floods lead to relief efforts by Pe r u MBs, 61 :2 :28
FPU hosts special programs for specia l peopie, 61 : 10:26
Fresno pastor uses new freedoms to spread gospel in Laos, 61 :4:28
General Conference convention bound f or Wichita, 61 : 11 :26
General Conference task force prepares report, 61 : 11 :20
Grace Bible Church : vis i o n a n d vitality 61 :10:20
Growth venture faces fund i ng challenge (US Conference), 61 :4 :26
Halloween : Church parties are all treat, no trick , 61 : 10 : 18
Harvey MB Church celebrates 100 yea r s, 61 :8 :25
Indones i an churches warned of more harrassement, attacks, 61 :4:29
Jim Pankratz named dean at MB Biblical Seminary, 61 :6 :28
Journey Community Church reaches out to Generation X, 61 :9 :24
Laying claim to a rich min i stry in Phoenix's Copper Hills, 61:2:21
MBs minister through MEDA job training for immigrants in Fresno, 61 :5:22
MBs bid farewell to J B Toews, 61 :6:23
MBB5 addresses training in Canada , 61 : 11 :22
MBMSI gains and loses staff, 61 : 11 :24
MBMSI board meetings, 61:6:27
MBM51 to launch new programs, 61 :7:28
MCC to aid vict i ms of violence in Mexico, 61 : 1:28
MCC responds to Hurricane Mitch, 61 : 12 :28
Member's passing unites a congregation , 61:2 :22
Mennonites surpass 1 million membership mark,61 :3 :26
Miracles on the way to Memorial Road , 61:2 : 16
Mission adjusts name, adapts new logo, 61 :3 :27
M ission board approves administrative changes, 61 : 11 :24
Mission to Mormans to be cross -cultural, 61 :3:22
Neufelds serve w i th MD5, 61 : 10 :24
Neighborhood Church moves i nto new facilities, 61 :5:28
PDC : Keep ing busy wh i le we wait, 6 1: 12 :25
Oklahoma churches merge, 61 :9 :32
See You at the Pol e d raws MB youth , 61 :9 :31
Short-term MBMSI workers evacuated f rom Congo, 61 : 1 1:30
Sider challenges aid g r oups to serve poor, 61 :4:31
Tabor College board endorses strategic plan 61 :6:28
Tabor College president resigns, 61 :7:27
Teachers in war-torn Sudan have a chall enging ro l e, 61 :5:24
Tieszen retires after 41 years in Colombia, 61 : 11 :30
Topeka MB Church focuses on small groups, 61 :9 :27
Toward a more perfect Confessio n, 61 : 12:20
Tribal leaders key to church understand i ng , 61 : 11 :31
We i ght -loss program good for more than waist, 61 : 11 :28
Working for change in urban Omaha (Faith Bible Church), 61 : 1:20
YMI mission trip (Mexico), 61 :3 :24
1997: Global awareness tops agenda , 61 : 1:24
DEATHS
Adrian, Cornelius J , 61 :5:31
Anderson , Gerald A , 61 :5:31
Balzer, Arnie David , 61 :8 :30
Balzer, Lydia M Kliewer, 61 :6 :32
Balzer, Martha Margaret Thiessen, 61 :9 :33
Barkman, Betty Jane, 61 : 11 :34
Bartel, Tillie, 61 : 1:30
Beard sley, Leon, 61 :6 :32
Be i er, Anna Koslowsky 61:10:28
Belcher, Elresa Katherine H Richert, 61 : 10:28
Bergen , Nellie, 61 : 1:30
Block, Jacob " Jake" N ., 61 :9 :33
Boettcher, Edward Oliver, 61:12 :30
Brandt Elizabeth 61 : 11 :35
Buller, Katherine Jost, 61 :5:31
Cl assen, Martha K Friesen, 61 : 11 :35
Cline, Donald Cliffor d, 61 : 1:30
Codapony, Lola, 61 : 12:30
Cornel sen, Herbert, 61 :5:31
Dick John G 61 :5:31
Di ck, Marie Gossen, 61 :3 :31
Duerksen, Irene, 61 :6 :32
Duerksen , Wesley, 61 :2:30
Ediger, Elizabeth, 61 :5:31
Ediger, Pete F , 61 : 12 :30
Eitzen, Esther Helen Winte r, 61 :5:31
Ei tzen, Harry D., 61 : 12:30
Eitzen, Peter D. , 61 :5:31
Entz, Ruth, 61 :6 :32
Esau, John, 61 :8 :30
Esau, Linda, 61 :2 :30
Fast, Elizabeth Epp, 61 :2:30
Flaming, Elmer "E W. " W. , 61:8:30
Flaming, Otto Schapansky, 61 : 12 :31
Foth, Beverly, 61 :3 :31
Fransen, Amanda, 61 :5:32
Frantz, John B., 61 : 12 :31
Friesen, Daniel Erstes, 61 :6 :32
Fr i esen, Orland M ., 61 :5:32
Glanzer, Mary Entz, 61 :6:33
Goering, Mary E., 61 :3 :31
Goertzen, Bernard J , 61 : 5:32
Goertzen, Herman, 61 :6 :33
Goins, Mabrie Lee, 61 :3 :31
Golbek, Esther Katherine, 61 :2 :30
Gross, Sarah J., 61 :6 :33
Guenther, Elsie, 61 : 11 :35
Harms, Andrew 0 ., 61 :6 :33
Harms, Ella, 61 :5:32
Harms, Jonas " Joe" R., 61 :8 :30
Hauff, Albert, 61 :6 :33
Hauff Marie Magdalene 61 :5 :32
Heinr ichs, Harold Eugene, 6 1:5 :32
Heinrichs, Leroy Allen , 61 :9 :33
INDEX
He itmann, William F , 61 :3 :31
Hode l. Paul C , 61 :5 :33
Hooge, Helen, 61 :9 :33
Houchin , Dick, 61 :5:33
Hubert, Alvina Vollmer, 61 :3 :31
Isaac, Clarence A ., 61 :2 :30
Isaak Joann Reimer 61 :5:33
Jantz, Harvey, 61 :9 :33
Janzen, Henry H , 61 : 1:30
Janzen, Henry L., 61 :3 :32
Janzen, Henry P 61 :8:30
Javorsky, Adolph, 61 :5 :33
Jost, Frances F. , 61 : 1:30
Jost, Sam, 61 : 12 :31
Just Clifford, 61 : 1:31
Karber, Albert, 61 :3 :32
Ke lly, Robert, 61 : 12 :31
Klaassen, Anna Claire Kleinsasser, 61 : 10:28
Klassen, Adel i ne, 61 :3 :32
Klassen, Jacob Jr , 61 :6:33
Kohfeld, Henry August, 61 :2 :31
Kopper, Erv in Arthur, 61:1:31
Krahn , Martha Warkentin, 61 :8 :31
Kroeker, Lorraine M Olfert, 6 1:9 :34
Kruger, Agatha , 61 : 12 :31
Lange, Paul Everett, 61 :2 :31
Leppke, Harold Ivan, 61 :8:31
Loewen, Archie c., 61 :5:33
Loewen, Enid L., 61 :3:32
Loewen, Sadie, 61 : 11 :35
Martens Olga, 61 :5 :33
Martin, Albert "Marty" J. , 61 :6 :33
Miller, Jeanne L Kaufman , 61:10 :29
Neufeld, Sarah, 61 :5:34
Olson, Anna B , 61 :6:34
Pankratz , Rosella , 61 :2 :31
Patzkowsky Dorothy Jean 61 : 10:29
Pauls, Frank, 61 :2 :32
Pauls, Peter " Pete" N , 61 :8 :31
Penner, Arnold H "Dutch," 61 : 12 :31
Penner, Daniel Solomon, 61:5 :34
Penner, Henry, 61 : 12 :32
pfeiffer, Frieda, 61 :5:34
Ratz l aff, John N , 61 :3 :32
Regehr, Edna L. Duerksen, 61 :6 :34
Regier, Charlene, 61 :10:29
Reimche, Esther, 61:1 :32
Reimche, Roy, 61 : 1:32
Reimer, David, 61:6 :34
Reimer, Esther, 61:3:33
Reimer, Esther Rose Huwa, 61 :2 :32
Reimer, Nettie Goertzen, 61 :3 :33
Rempel , John C , 61 : 12 :32
Richert, Minn i e, 61 :5:34
Robson, Colton, 61 :6:34
Roth, Louise E., 61 : 1:33
Sanders, Margaret 61 :6:34
Schale, Frieda , 61 : 10:29
Schimke, Elizabeth, 61 :6 :35
Schm i dt, Eva, 61 : 10:29
Seibel , He l en 5ifferman
Seibel, Rachel Loewen , 61 :6 :35
Siemens, Harry James, 61 : 12 :32
Toews, Evelyn F Loewen Boese, 61:11 :35
Toews, John Benjamin "J.B. " , 61:6 :35
Trentham, B.C., 61 :5:34
Vogt, Anna Suderman, 61:10 :29
Voth, Carol, 61 :5:34
Wahl, Olga, 61 :2:32
Walker, Pauline Emily, 61 :12 :32
Wall, Sara, 61 :3 :33
Walter, Erv i n J 61 :6 :35
Wedel, Ruben, 61 :6 :35
Wichert, Loyd Don, 61 :8 :31
Wiens, Alice Karber, 61:2 :33
Willems, Anna Wilfrieda Siemens, 61:10 :30
Willems, Arnold E., 61 :3:33
Willems, Helen Lena, 61 :2:33
Willems, Lydia Kiehn , 61 : 12 :32
EDITORIALS
A righteous irony, by Don Ratzlaff, 61 :3 :36
Caught between faith and reason, by Don Ratzlaff, 61 :4:36
Dispose or recycle?, by Natalee Roth, 61 : 11 :36
In and out, by Don Ratzlaff, 61 :5:36
Investing for the kingdom, by Don Ratzlaff, 61 :2 :36
Our voices, by Carmen Andres, 61 : 12 :36
Responding to the calL of affluence, by Don Ratzlaff, 61:7:36
The power of a name, by Conni e Faber, 61 :9:36
Thinking caps, by Connie Faber, 61 : 10:32
We should oppose capital punishment, by Don Ratzlaff, 61 : 1:36
Who can forget J.B.?, by Jim Holm, 61 :6 :36
FEATURES
A marriage vow for the congregation , by Ruth Isaac Wiederkeh r, 61 : 11:6
man King, 61 :3 :7
A whitewashed Christmas, by Tim Geddert, 61:12 : 12
Aim i ng for celebration, 61 :6 :4
Amazing grace, by Alan Kauffman, 61 :2 :9
Baskets of fa ith , by Delores Friesen, 6 1:9 :4
Dad is fading away, by R.J. Thesman , 61:9:11
Desert wondering, by Don Ratz l aff, 61 :4 :9
Do you have a Kingdom Expansion Attitude? by Craig Sider, 61 :4 :4
Does the Bible offer a verdict? Q&A with Elmer A Martens and John H Redekop, 61 : 1:7
Generational generosity, 61 :8 :4
Heavenly Joy, by Brenda Deason , 61 :9:10
Homosexuality: Respond ing with compassion and clarity, 61 :7:7
Hope for the traditional family , by John M. Drescher, 61 :5: 11
In the aftermath of ter r o r, (Interview with Paul Klassen) 61 : 1:4
It' s j ust stuff, by Lauren Sill as told to Natalee Roth, 61 :8 : 10
In search of mentors, by Michael Spinelli, 61 : 5:4
Lotteries : A shaky deal for Christians, 61 :7 :4
Making the mystery meaningful, by Connie Faber, 61 :3 : 10
Metamorphosis, by Herb Schroeder 61 :3:4
Miscarriage : Sharing the gr ief, healing the pain, by John Neufeld , 61 :9 :7
Mr. Sens i tive meets Mr Macho, by Ph i lip Wiebe, 61:5 :8
Scandal in the parsonage, by James L Snyder, 61 :4 : 13
Solving the volunteer puzzle, by Natalee Roth,61 : 10:6
The businesslike church? by Wally Kroeker, 61 : 10:4
The marriage covenant, by Allen Guenther, 61 : 11 :4
The one who is faithful to the faithful one, by TIffany Fr iesen, 61 : 12 :4
Thinking about divorce? by John Dresher, 61 : 11 :8
'Tis the season to be stressed? by Dean Kliewer, 61 : 12 :7
Transformed on death row, by Michael B Ross 61:1 :14
Unnatural act, by John Unger, 61 : 11 : 14
Video series helps people deal with divorce, by Natalee Roth 61:11 : 12
V i sion and revision (Interview with Lynn Jost),61 :7 : 10
What about divorce and remarriage? by Tony Campolo, 61 : 11 : 10
When the marketplace becomes ministry, by Wally Kroeker, 61 :2 :4
Why 'Growing Kids God's Way ' might not work, by Ken McDuff, 61 : 10 :9
Wrapped with prayer, by R.J Thesman, 61:12:9
FORUM
Are those revisions too radical? by Elmer Thiessen, 61:4 : 18
Invas ion at the breakfast table, by Kathy Heinrichs W i est, 61 : 10 : 14
INQUIRING MINDS by Marvin Hein
Church membership, 61 :8: 15
Cr emation , 61 :7: 17
Divorce, 61 : 12: 18
How well do we address " service," 61 :2 : 14
Hypnotism, 61 : 5: 17
Jesu s and " mammon , · 61 :1:17
Jesus and peacemaking, 61 :9:20
Oath -taking, 61 :7 : 17
Our silence on personal finance, 61 : 1: 17
Pastors and the presidential crisis, 61 : 10: 16
Praying to Jesus, 61 :5: 17
Saul and God's judgment, 61 : 11 : 18
The kingdom of God, 61 : 11 : 18
The power of mammon, 61 :4:21
Universalism, 61 :8 :15
Wife-husband relationship, 61 :9 :20
Women as leaders, 61 :4 :21
Young vs old?, 61:10 : 16
MEDIA MATTERS by Burton Buller
God stars in CBS time slot, 61 :3:34
Techno-faith , 61 :7 :34
" The Apostle" looks at fa i th , 61 :2 :34
The scent of authenticity, 61 : 1:34
A time to face our dy ing , by Ronda 5uder -
ON THE JOURNEY by Rose Buschma n
A lot of living, 61:9:21
Books that influenced me, 61 :2:15
Christmas fact and fiction, 61 : 1: 18
Confronting Violence as Entertainment, 61 : 12 : 19
God has a sense of humor, 61:7 : 18
Honesty begins at home, 61 :5: 18
las Vegas is for losers, 61 :4 :22
Mission trip worth the cost, 61 : 10: 17
Reaching the conScience, 61 :3:20
Understanding the vio lence, 61 : 11: 19
PEOPlE
Gaylord Goertze n: Bionic hear i ng, 6 1:9:22
Step by step, Bergens build a bridge 61 :4:24
PH'UP SIDE by Ph i li p Wiebe
Extraordinarily ordinary, 61 :9:18
Fi lling the marriage page, 61 : 11: 16
Getting the Word, 61 :2: 13
I'm not making this up, 61 :4:20
Intentionally unintentional, 61 :1 0: 15
living in the now later, 61 :5: 16
Millennium bugged, 61 :8 : 14
Nothing for something, 6 1: 12: 17
Resolution convo l usions, 61 : 1: 16
5ecret faith, 61:7:16
The vicarious life, 61 :3:19
INDEX OF AUTHORS
Campolo, Tony
What about divorce and remarriage?
61 : 11 : 10
Coggins, Jim
Toward a more perfect confess ion, 61 : 12 :20
Deason, Brenda
Heavenly Joy, 61 :9: 10
Drescher, John M
Hope for the trad itional family, 61 : 5: 11
Thinking about divorce?, 61 : 11 :8
Faber, Conn ie
Celebration of unity, 6:8: 18
Making the mystery meaningful, 61 :3: 10
Miracles on the way to Memoria l Road, 61 :2: 16
Mission to Mormans to be cross -cultura l, 61 :3:22
Friesen, Delores
Baskets of faith, 61 :9 :4
Friesen, Tiffany
The one who is faithfu l to the faithful one, 61:12:4
Miscarriage: Sharing the grief, healing the pain, 61 :9:7
Penner, Ben
YMI mission trip, 61 :3 :24
Ratzlaff, Don
Desert wondering, 61 :4:9
Ross, Michael B
Transformed on death row, 61 : 1:14
Roth, Natalee
It's just stuff (w it h lauren Sill), 61 :8: 10
On the road to fa i th in Ch rist with Journey, 61 :9:24
Small groups hit bull's-eye for Topeka congregation, 61 :9:27
Solving the volunteer puzzle 61:10:6
Video series helps people deal with divorce, 61:11 : 12
Working for change in urban Omaha,
61 : 1:20
Schroeder, Herb
MetamorphOSis, 61 :3:4
Sider, Craig
Do you have a Kingdom ExpanSion Attitude? 61:4 :4
Snyder, James l
Scandal in the parsonage , 61:4: 13
Sp inelli, Michael
In search of mentors, 61 :5:4
Thesman, RJ
Dad is fading away, 61 :9 : 11
Wrapped with prayer, 61 : 12:9
Unger, John
Unnatura l act, 61 : 11:14
Wiebe, Phi lip
Mr. Sensitive meets Mr Macho, 61 :5:8
Wiederkeh r, Ruth Isaac
A marriage vow for the congregation, 61 : 11 :6
Zuercher, Melanie A.
Step by step, Be rgens build a bridge, 61 :4 :24
Martina Oechsle - Portfolio
LET'S TAlK ABOUT IT
A GUIDE FOR GROUP INTERACTION
SESSION 1: The faithfulness of Mary
Based on "The one who is faithful to the faithful one, " page 4.
GET READY - Getting started
.If you had been Mary, what would have been your greatest challenge?
GET SET - Examining the issues
1. In what ways did Mary live out her faith?
2. How did Mary view herself in relation to God?
3. Review the words Mary uses to describe God. Which of those characteristics have you also experienced in your relationship with God?
GO - Applying ideas to the way we live
1. What are some of the ways God has led people who have been significant in your past?
2. Identify three examples of times when God has worked in your life in the past.
3. After reflecting on these things, spend time offering praise to God. You may want to do so by offering a verbal or written prayer, singing or writing your own Magnificat.
SESSION 2: Stress and the holidays
Based on "'Tis the season to be stressed?" page 7.
GET READY - Getting started
• What causes you the greatest stress during the holidays?
GET SET - Examining the issues
1. What reasons does Kliewer give for stress during the holidays? Do you agree?
2. In what ways may Christians feel more stress at Easter and Christmas than others?
3. Why is it we often have less time rather than more for relationships with others during the significant celebrations of the church year?
4. What does Kliewer mean by "soul rest"? Have you experienced it?
GO - Applying ideas to the way we live
1. Of the management principles given, which is your greatest challenge?
2. What is one specific thing you can do to choose not to be stressed during this Christmas season?
3. How can we help one another as believers to enjoy the holidays rather than just endure them?
4. What must be our priority in order to ensure "soul rest" during stressful times? encouragement? Based on On the Journey, page 19.
SESSION 3: "Playing" with violence
Based on "Violence as Entertainment, " page 19.
GET READY - Getting started
• What is something you intended to do today that didn't happen?
GET SET - Examining the issues
1. What does the article suggest happens when children play games that focus on killing and playing with guns?
2. What suggestions are given for tackling the problem?
3. What is the key danger for young children?
4. What is it that make guns and killing so attractive and intriguing to children?
GO - Applying ideas to the way we live
1. How does your congregation or your home teach the value of human life?
2. Do you think it is appropriate for children to have toy guns? Why or why not?
3. Do you think the issue is overstated or understated in the article?
SESSION 4: Tradition and Christmas
Based on "A whitewashed Christmas," page 12.
GET READY - Getting started
• What do you enjoy most about Christmas?
GET SET - Examining the issues
1. For what reasons is the author not troubled by our Christmas traditions that have pagan origins?
2. How do we "whitewash the old story"?
3. Why would we want to "whitewash" the circumstances of Christ's birth?
4. In what ways do our celebrations look backward more than forward?
GO - Applying ideas to the way we live
1. What are some ways in which we also have no room for Jesus?
2. What are some examples of celebrations in which Christmas has a forward look?
3. Review your Christmas traditions. How do they serve as reminders and symbols of God's message to us through Christ's birth and incarnation?
Our voices
no MONTHS AGO - on my first day as editor of the Christian Leader - I stepped onto a plane and set out on a three-week pilgrimage. I traveled through three different states and another country. I met Mennonite Brethren in small towns and big cities, from at least six different ethnicities and four nationalities, speaking in at least four different languages.
In Phoenix, Ariz., I met Ed Boschman of Mission USA not far from Copper Hills Community Church, one of the newest church plants in the U.S. Conference. I ate lunch with Gaylord and Peggy Goertzen in Hillsboro, Kan. - where Gaylord pastors the oldest Mennonite Brethren church in the U.S.
In Calgary, Alta., I spent three days with
America as they rewrote our Confession of Faith - which will be translated into French and Spanish.
differing opinions. But we know how to live with that. I know, because of what I saw at Dalhousie MB Community Church in Calgary. Gathered to rewrite our Confession of Faith, over 100 men and women spoke out of their own distinctive stories, their unique experiences.
Rewriting a Confession of Faith is tricky business. At Calgary, we were reminded that what we teach in our confession will determine the kind of disciples we will have. How do you write a confession that 100 people will agree onmuch less North American members of a denomination that worship in different ways in at least 14 different languages?
So, how did they do it?
The Word of God first and foremost our brothers and sisters from all over North The stories of our guided them. Everywhere I looked, heads were bent over Bibles, verses were quoted from memory. As each article was reviewed, scripture was collectively discerned - the community as a whole interpreted what scripture means. Wherever possible, biblical language was woven directly into the confession.
At the Pacific District Conference in Dinuba, Calif., I heard Berhanu Waldemarian, pastor of Bethel Ethiopian Church of Seattle, challenge us in his melodious voice to be excited for the Lord. Arturo Lopez, pastor of Iglesia Sinai in southern California, told us through a translator how his threeyear-old church birthed two churches in downtown Los Angeles and Long Beach.
community give us
a clearer vision of who we are and who weare to become - better followers of Christ.
I heard stories of others in our community - church members in South Dakota working with Native Americans and a Texas church hosting youth with a YMI program evangelizing across the border in Mexico. I read emails coming out of Honduras, where MCC workers are scrambling with others to patch together water, electrical, transportation, and food distribution systems destroyed by Hurricane Mitch.
All those voices - all a part of us. All spreading the gospel. All teaching others to follow Christ. And all seeking to be disciples of Christ. What an incredible community.
Although we are geographically far-flung, our voices connect us. The stories of our community give us a clearer vision of who we are and who we are to become - better followers of Christ. The southwestern deserts, the plains of Kansas, and the hurricane-ravaged coasts and mountains of Honduras are not disconnected places for us. Our brothers and sisters labor there.
From these stories, we also discover we are not without
They walked a holy walk. Humility, patience, straightforwardness, love, and integrity guided the colloquy. They acknowledged the differences between us, but set those aside to embrace the unity of the body. The u .S. Conference recently
adopted a statement on agreeing and disagreeing in loveto make every effort "to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Eph. 4:3). This was evident at Calgary. Those gathered were also committed to the church's mandate to preach the gospel and teach others to follow in Christ's footsteps. Many articles reference the importance of witnessing and ministering to people in our cities and towns, the victims of injustice and poverty, and members of our congregations.
As editor of the Leader, I am honored to provide a place for the voices of our community, a place for the stories to be told. The Leader is a place for people to speak their views, concerns and inSights, to discuss issues and challenges faced as a community or individually, and to organize and mobilize themselves. The Leader's role is to speak with integrityto enhance and inform our community even as it allows its members to explore and voice their opinions and views. In this way, the Leader remains available as an instrument of the Spirit in our community. -CA
