Traditions are important at Christmas, including the biblical retelling of Christ's birth. We read, recite or act out the story in order to hear the angels' message, run with the shepherds to see, ponder with Mary. In short, we relive the old story that never changes. Yet in our efforts to make the story come alive, we sometime add traditions of our own. What if we fill in the gaps different than we usually do?
14 CHRISTMAS ON PURPOSE?
by CL Readers
As disciples of Jesus Christ, we know that he is the reason for the season. And we also recognize that we must deliberately provide ways for Christ's message to infuse our Christmas season. Last year we invited Christian Leader readers to contribute to an article on being intentional about holiday traditions. This month you can read how seven readers answer the question: What do you do to keep your Christmas celebrations focused on Christ?
17 HAMBURGERS, FRENCH FRIES AND THE LAST SILENT NIGHT
by Laurie Oswald Robinson
Ignoring their mother's declining health, the Oswald family enjoys their traditional Christmas Eve dinner and attends the church candlelight service. In spite of the subdued celebration, Laurie, paying no heed to the ache in her heart, still hesitates to begin the real journey home. But when she looks back on this last Christmas Eve with her mom, Laurie remembers it as a feast of love.
19 CHRISTMAS IVY
by Jean Janzen
> FiRST WORDS
(from the editor!
SINCE JOINING THE CHRISTIAN LEADER STAFF 14 YEARS AGO, IT has been my privilege to work with a half-dozen college students who have sought internships with the magazine. This school year, Tabor College senior Jenny Gaskell is doing a communication internship with the magazine. Jenny will graduate with majors in communication studies and graphic design and a minor in painting.
Jenny has the distinction of being the first CL intern to work in the area of graphic design as well as writing. Supervising an intern specializing in design is a stretch since I am a writer and not a designer. So with this internship I'm both teacher and student, as I give Jenny feedback on her news writing and she educates me about the ins and ours of design. I think we will enjoy learning from each other.
Since 2003, the CL has contracted with Print Source Direct, a Hillsboro, Kan., publishing firm, to design the magazine, and Print Source staff member Elaine Ewert has been our designer. Last month, Elaine left Print Source to return to her earlier profession as an educator. I will miss Elaine's creative assistance and I wish her well in her work with young children and their families.
The December issue represents the work of several designers. Jenny created this month's cover and she incorporates the same typography into the introduction of our Christmas feature section. She will also be designing the January cover, and during the next months you will see more of Jenny's design work and her writing. Print Source Direct owner Joel Klaassen designed the content pages, and I appreciate his good work. Next month I anticipate working with the newest Print Source Direct designer, Shelley Plett, and look forward to seeing how her eye for design will enhance the publication.
When assistant editor Myra Holmes and I first began discussing what to include in the December news department, the unstable economic environment dominated national and local news. Given the exceptional economic turmoil of the past months, it seems appropriate to include something about this in the magazine Early in November Myra contacted a representative sample of Mennonite Brethren pastors and denominational ministry leaders and asked these folks to participate in an informal survey. You can read Myra's report on page 25. We also asked MB Foundation president Jon Wiebe to offer his perspective on how we as Christians can respond to the current financial crisis. Jon's reminder to think beyond the immediate is timely as for many of us money will be tight this holiday season.
> C L QUESTION
How much has the national economic downturn affected your family?
o Not much. We haven't really made any changes in budget or lifestyle.
o Some. We have made minor changes in budget or lifestyle.
o It's been huge! Life has turned upside-down and we're hurting.
Answer this question online at www.usmb.orglchristian-1eader. Survey results win be posted online.
> UP & COMING
• Jan. 25, 2009 - MWC World Fellowship Sunday
• April 29-30-National Board of Faith and Life meeting
• April30-May 1, 2009-Leadership Summit
• May 1-3, 2009 - Leadership Board meeting
• July 14-19, 2009-MWC World Assembly, Asuncion, Paraguay
Connie Faber EDITDR
Myra Holmes ASSISTANT EDITOR
Joel Klaassen GRAPHIC DESIGNER
The Christian Leader IISSN 0009- 5149) is published monthly by the U S Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches
MANDATE The Christian Leader seeks to inform Mennonite Brethren members and churches of the events, activitie s. decisions and issues of their denomination, and to in struc t, inspire and initiate dialogue so members wiU aspire t o be faithful disciples of Christ as understood in the evangelicaV Anabaptist theological tradition
ED ITORIAL POLICY The views expressed in th is publication do not necessarily represent the positi on of the Christian Leader the U S Conference Leadership Board or the Mennonite 8rethren Church Script ure references are from New International Version unless otherwise noted The editors invite freelance article submissions A SASE must accompany articles
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The 5 of India
There is more to India than people, poverty and pollution
'/\h you are going to India," he said. "I can tell you," he assured me, "you will see the three Ps."
What good fortune, I thought that October afternoon, and even providential to be talking with an Indian prior to my November visit to that country. Neilish had slipped in to the smallish seat next to me as we settled into the regional jet for the flight back to Bakersfield from Denver.
It turns out Neilish works for the largest ice cream pro-
L: -'; Hun ger fo r inti m..lcy with the Lord and a desire to be faithful to him wer e not in short s upply .
Sitting in the airport waiting for my Is-hour flight from Bangkok, Thailand, I could call on most anyone of my senses to awaken memories of my week in and around Hyderabad, located more or less in the center of India. Neilish was right of course, and I had not doubted him. But the experience of tasting, hearing, seeing and feeling the realities he described to me has been unbelievably more powerful than I imagined. duction unit on the planet, and it's located right in good old Bakersfield. He wondered if I had eaten any of the latest Dreyers ice cream products, and I was able to nod in
to pretty much the full menu. I guess it's good that he couldn't tell just by looking at me-at least that's what he said.
Neilish went on to tell me more about the three P's. People, poverty and pollution are what you will see, he said. Everywhere! With 1.3 billion people on that piece of the earth's pie, it seemed reasonable to imagine it. And I did try. We talked about the fact that about one-fifth of the global population lives on a not-so-large piece of land. And about how the big Indian cities are counted by millions and tens of millions. Neilish said he wished conditions were otherwise, both for the sake of his family who still lives there and more generally for his countrymen.
I asked him about the spiritual realities of his people and more particularly about his own. I asked whether he knew much about Jesus. Not really, he said, as only he could tum the words. He was interested enough to hear me out, so I filled him in. Of course he wasn't going anywhere and we were sitting pretty close together. He offered that it was good that we were learning from each other. I agreed.
What he didn't know was that my unspoken prayer was that my telling him the Jesus story would stick in his mind like a nagging broken record of truth. It would serve you well to check out the Bible and read the Jesus story for yourself, I suggested. He didn't jump on it, but you never know.
And now, for the first time in my life, I have been to India. I went to India as part of the annual meeting of the International Community of Mennonite Brethren. I represented the U.S. Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, one of 18 national Mennonite Brethren conferences in IS countries.
One of the things that intrigue me is how our Indian brothers and sisters shake their heads side to side to mean, "Yes, yes, of course, surely, good enough." I'm going to keep working at that.
I did experience a couple of Ps that Neilish hadn't alerted me to. We spent the better part of a day with about 1,500 men and women representing some 300,000 Jesusloving Indian Mennonite Brethren Christians The occasion was the 50th anniversary celebration of the formation of the Governing Council of the India MB Church.
After 60 years of effective evangelism inspired by a few faithful MB missionaries, there is much more to tell, but know this-they prayed. They prayed loud and long-all together and at once, in small groups and before and after anything and everything. And there were lots of things. For me, a sometimes-lightweight prayer warrior, there was a lesson in this.
If the fourth "P" was prayer, the next one was passion. The Indians have an abounding passion. It appears they have taken a spiritual stand against proverbial ignorance and apathy. Hunger for intimacy with the Lord and a desire to be faithful to him were not in short supply.
111 probably remember the three Ps Neilish briefed on but the other two are unforgettable. And they are more important. If you have a "p's and q's" list of any kind, it would be smart to check whether it includes the stuff that lasts.
-t Comment on Conference Call by going online to usmb.orglchristian-leader.
The trouble with blogs
How should MBBS respond to anonymous attacks?
BMBiblical Seminary faces a dilemma. A variety of blogs have recently popped up on the Internet critical of many evangelical seminaries, with a few choosing to focus specifically on MBBS. A blog, like a newspaper column, offers an opinion. Unlike a newspaper column, a blog can be anonymous. The blogs that are attacking MBBS and Mennonite Brethren conference leaders have no names attached. The blogs give the appearance of being placed by people who have taken classes at MBBS-Fresno, though this is uncertain.
How should a Christian institution confront such mischief? As indicated above, MBBS is not alone in facing this question At the Willow Creek Leadership Summit in August 2008 Bill Hybels made repeated reference to the pain at Willow Creek, the congregation he pastors, over blog attacks. MBBS too has puzzled over the right response
Our first response was to chuckle in amusement. The bloggers are clever but harmless, we thought. Then we learned that someone had sent the bloggers' URL address to many U.S. MB pastors-just ahead of the July national convention. When asked about the blogs, we tried to answer questions directly. Despite these bloggers' claims to the contrary, we are committed to the MB Confession of Faith and seek to teach the Bible faithfully. Questions continue to swirl.
We've hesitated to give the bloggers the satisfaction of a direct response We wonder: Does a response dignify their methods? Does a response create the impression that there might be some credence to their charges? And what about those who know nothing about the blogs? Will a response now create doubts about the reliability of MBBS? Will the old adage that "where there is smoke, there must be fire" be used to create suspicion about MBBS?
How do you deal with anonymous attacks on your character or against your friend? I appreciate the e-mail I got from an old friend yesterday with the subject line, "Praying for you." He says in part, "My heart has been praying for you a lot this morning. Yesterday (someone) raised concern over MBBS that stems from the blog that has been circulating. Blogs are often the passion of someone who has not checked carefully the information he is using to draw his conclusions. I am committed to doing my best to influence (them) to respond biblically. You have been a friend for a long time. I will protect that relationship. MBBS is my school and I will do my best to stop the slander that wants to take root."
The Internet is a tool that can be used for good or ill. While online communities can provide personal support, e-mail can also be a tool for evil. It can be tempting to forward a message without checking its validity. The Bible warns against false accusers. Ghost bloggers are part of a shadow community that may fan the fires of gossip.
For us at MBBS, the bottom line is that anonymous blogging fails to measure up to the biblical injunction to "speak the truth in love" (Eph. 4:15). The blogger controls the blog space. Attempts to enter a reasoned conversation can be met with contempt and false charges. Christian communication works in the light. Christ-like dialogue is candid but respectful.
Our aim at MBBS is to help pastors prepare for the contemporary world. We do this by helping them anticipate some of the tough questions they may face. Pastors need to be able to help other believers respond appropriately to the divisive issues that are raised in the "marketplace of ideas." At MBBS we think this means being aware of the various points of view-not just presenting "right answers" that will stop debates.
MBBS welcomes open discussion about the controversies of our time. We have invited the U.S. and Canadian Conference Boards of Faith and Life to converse with useven examine us. We would be pleased to have direct interaction with you, our supporters, to discuss any questions. An article addressing the theological issues raised by our critics is posted online at http://www.mbseminary.edu/newsIz008-n13·
I've shared openly with you about our dilemma. I welcome any opportunity to speak personally with you about these issues. We may not agree about every biblical interpretation, but as believers seeking to be faithful to the Bible and its interpretation in the MB Confession of Faith, we will be able to grow through meaningful and direct communication. I welcome your calls, e-mails and visits. Above all. I ask you to pray for MB Biblical Seminary. Please ask God that we will continue to be faithful to our mission of inspiring and equipping men and women to live as disciples of Jesus Christ and to serve and lead in the church and in the world.
-1J Comment on this commentary by going online to usmb.orglchristian-leader.
Lynn lost, acting MB Biblical Seminary president. can be reached at 559-452-1791 or ljost@mbseminary.edu.
MCC responds to Congo crisis
October violence displaces an additional 250,000
Mennonite Central Committee is accepting financial contributions to help provide relief to people affected by violence in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo. MCC is the peace, relief and service agency of North American Mennonites and is supported by Mennonite Brethren churches and individuals.
Armed conflict escalated rapidly in late October as a rebel group attacked the Congolese Army and advanced toward Goma, a major city in eastern Congo. About 800,000 people had already been displaced by longstanding conflicts in the region, and an additional 250,000 people were displaced in recent weeks, according to MCC staff members.
"The whole situation has now deteriorated drastically," says Willie Reimer, MCC's director of food, disaster and material resources programs . Reimer visited eastern Congo in July as part of an MCC assessment team.
The fighting has renewed fears that conflict in eastern Congo could spiral into an international war involving Congo's neighbors, as it did in 1998. That conflict, known as the Second Congo War, caused more than 5 million deaths through violence, starvation and disease, according to the International Rescue Committee.
MCC is helping to provide food and basic supplies to displaced people through the Church of Christ in Congo, a national council of churches known by its French acronym , ECC. In late October, MCC funded an ECC project that provided food and supplies, such as soap,
mosquito nets and cooking pots, to about ISO families in the Shasha displacement camp in Congo 's North Kivu province, says Suzanne Lind, MCC's Congo representative. MCC is also funding ECC projects providing aid to 50 widows in Goma and 200 women in the Mwenga displacement camp.
MCC is planning further response, says Reimer. Financial contributions for MCC's relief work in Congo should be designated "Congo emergency assistance" and may be made online at mcc.org/donate or through any MCC office.
-Tim Shenk/or MCC
55+ Gathering a demand event"
Some 165 seniors filled a conference center in Branson, Mo ., Oct. 27- 29 for the Southern District Conference's 55+ Gathering . "The Lord 's blessings were abundant as old friends met and new friends were made," says coordinator Roland Reimer "Inspiring singing, vibrant conversations and hearty laughter were plentiful as well as the luncheons and dinners , served buffet-style "
Jules Glanzer, president of Tabor College, was the keynote speaker and addressed the theme, "Building Bridges in Life, Faith and Church." One participant noted that Glanzer' s suggestions for understanding the emerging church were especially helpful. Chris Regier, worship pastor at Enid (Okla.) MB Church, and Steve Fast, director of discipleship at First MB Church, Wichita, Kan , led the singing
The group attended the Branson musical, " Noah " Other highlights included a "surprise" program with ice cream sundaes , various workshops and a showing of the movie "The Ultimate Gift " Attendees collected an offering of $2, 4II for the Tabor Centennial.
The biennial 55+ Gathering is "becoming a demand event by those attending," says Reimer Participant Ron Braun calls it "an enriching time together with friends new and old from across the Southern District Conference . ... I can 't wait for the next event. If everyone brings a friend in the future, we1l need a larger venue ." - from a report by Roland Reimer
TC announces restructuring
Tabor College President Jules Glanzer
has announced sweeping changes in the management, staffing and structure of the college, including the creation of a new executive team-comprised of the president, four vice presidents and the new position of provost-as well as the formation of a six-member faculty council. Tabor is the Mennonite Brethren liberal arts college headquartered in Hillsboro, Kan.
Glanzer says, "It is my desire that this new management structure and governance will increase the collaborative effort of leading Tabor College."
The six-member faculty council will meet monthly with the president, as will the student advisory group, comprised of students from the main campus and the School of Adult and Graduate Studies in Wichita, Kan.
The executive team, which will meet weekly to carry out the management function of the college, replaces the cabinet and administrative committee that had governed the college in the previous structure. The executive team includes the new position of provost, held by Lawrence Ressler, the former vice president of academics and student development. As provost, Ressler will serve as the point person on campus in
the absence of the president and will lead the faculty in a conversation regarding academic excellence.
Kirby Fadenrecht, formerly vice president for business and finance, has been named senior vice president for business and finance. Eric Codding, formerly dean of student development, has been named vice president of student life, learning and formation.
Rusty Allen, former vice president of enrollment management, assumes the position of vice president of athletics. Replacing Allen as vice president of enrollment management and marketing is Linda Cantwell, former associate professor of communication. Allen and Cantwell began serving in their new roles Sept I. Jim Elliott retains his position as vice president for advancement, in charge of fundraising for the college.
Glanzer presented the new organizational structure to the Tabor College Board of Directors in October. The reorganization will be in tested through the 2008-09 academic year and is subject to a review in September 2009 by a governance action team. The team will then recommend a permanent governance structure for the college, to be implemented at the beginning of the 2009-10 academic year. -TC
FPU begins BSN program
Registered nurses can complete a bachelor of science in nursing with a focus on leadership through a new program of Fresno Pacific University, the Mennonite Brethren-owned university headquartered in Fresno, Calif.
The university Board of Directors has approved the RN to BSN degree completion program. The first cohorts begin in February at the centers in North Fresno and Visalia.
Both the need and audience for the program are huge, says FPU More than 3,000 RNs have graduated in the nursestarved Central Valley in the last five years, according to program consultant Mariamma Mathai and Karen Cianci, dean of the School of Natural Sciences, which hosts the RN to BSN.
The RN designation, however, trains nurses only for entry-level work, mainly in hospitals. A bachelor's degree is needed
for supervision, administration and research, for careers as school and occupational nurses and for further study.
FPU's program will strengthen clinical skills and provide a broad academic foundation, as well as education in community and public health nursing. "BSN is the first level of higher education," Mathai says. "If they have a BSN they can go on to their master's and doctorate."
Other schools have BSN programs, but FPU offers added benefits. Cianci describes discussions with 20 nursing leaders, who cited the need for instruction in leadership and conflict resolution skills. "It's a servant leadership," Mathai adds.
Courses will be organized like other FPU degree completion programs: cohorts of 12 to 20 students will meet usually weekly for 18 months. More information is available at fresno.edu/BSN .FPU
PORTLAND PLANT CLOSED
A proposed church plant in a suburb of Portland, Ore., a project of Mission USA and the Pacific District Conference, has been discontinued. In an Oct. 31 announcement MUSA director Don Morris says, "I am saddened to report to you that one of our Mission USA church planters, Nathan Carlson, has concluded his ministry and the Portland, Ore., project has been discontinued. Nathan has admitted to conduct unbecoming of a minister of the gospel and in conflict with our faith and life convictions. We ask for your prayers for the Carlson family, for Nathan and his wife, Susan, and their children, Clayton and Lucy." The Carlsons moved to Milwaukie, Ore., in January 2008 and were expected to begin meeting with a core group in early 2009.MUSA/PDC
MEDA RECOGNIZED
Mennonite Economic Development Associates was one of three finalists in the nongovernment organizations (NGO) category for the 2008 Ontario Innovation Excellence Awards held Oct. 29 in Kitchener, Ontario. MEDA is an association of Christians in business and the professions. The awards "celebrate the imaginative spirit of Ontario's innovative leaders" with innovations that have or are likely to influence the market or change a thought process. MEDA was nominated for its leadership in creating a global microfinance industry. The specific innovation that was highlighted was MEDA Trust (www.medatrust.org), a Web-based tool that allows supporters to choose and follow a loan client from one of MEDA's microfinance partners. -MEDA
Ask a friend about her Christmas traditions and she will probably tell you about the program or party that is an annual highlight, the favorite holiday treats she eats once a year, her family's gift-giving practices, beloved holiday hymns and carols or a
special family holiday custom.
And if your friend is a Christian, it is likely that as you continue the conversation she will say that these Christmas traditions revolve around her faith in Jesus Christ. For Christians, a "traditional" Christmas is a celebration that testifies to a belief that is at the core of the Christian tradition. That God so loved the world that he gave us his beloved Son. That the Son willingly took on human nature in order to redeem a fallen world. The December feature articles invite us to make our Christmas practices an act of worship. Because when the celebration becomes something other than worship, it is also something other than Christmas.-CF
Do you hear what I hear?
Take a closer look at Luke 2 and find new meaning to old traditions
'fRADmoNs BECOME IMPORTANT AT CHRISTmas . We sing traditional Christmas songs. We enjoy family traditions we have inherited hom our childhood or developed in our own families. And we retell the old, old Christmas story that never changes. We read the story, perhaps recite it or act it out as in my family.
We relive with Mary and Joseph the long. grueling trip to Bethlehem that was just a bit much for a nine-month-pregnant woman and led to a short labor and delivery on the night of their artival in Bethlehem.
We respond with astonishment once more that the arriving king is not born in a palace, not even in a house or a hotel room, but in a bam. His first bed is a feeding trough!
We hear the angels' message, run with the shepherds to see, ponder with Mary. In short, we relive the old story that never changes.
We try to make the traditions come alive, and we supplement them with traditions of our own . Traditions about trees and gifts and guests and Christmas dinners and lots of things that are designed to make Christmas special but often make it a dizzying cycle of busy activiry and stressed nerves Perhaps the time has come to make some changes. And I don't mean only in the rtimmings we've added. What if we reimagined the Christmas story itself!
I don't mean that we should invent a new story. I mean that we should take the Bible very seriously
but fill in the gaps differently than we are accustomed to doing. Have you never noticed how much of the Christmas story we actually make up with our own imaginations?
• How many wise men are there? Who knows? The Bible doesn't tell us so we make it three. IOU know, standardize it so we can create the right number of figures for the Christmas display.
• Which animals are there in the stable? Who knows? The Bible doesn't tell us ... so we make it an ox and an ass. IOU know, "Ox and ass before him bow, and he is in the manger now." Oh yes, the little shepherd boy was carrying a lamb, wasn't he?
• We use great imagination on the evil innkeeper. He's the bad guy in the story. Whole Sunday school plays center on his opportunism (taking advantage of market conditions to quadruple his rates), his callous blindness (not recognizing the coming of the Lord of Glory), his hard-heartedness (not even finding room for an expecting couple) and his economic chauvinism. Poor carpenters just don't cut it; you have to be a Roman census official or a respected Jewish leader to find a room in his hotel on this busy night.
And so on and so on We use our imaginations to round out the bare details that Luke and Matthew supply. In fact, when we use our imaginations, we often imagine things that we know did not happen. The Bible says the shepherds came to a manger and the wise men came to a house. But it fits better under
the tree if we just put them all together Even though most people are convinced that the wise men came considerably later, we just put that star right up there and let it shine on the manger scene on the very first Christmas night.
And having created our images of Bethlehem, we let the story challenge us-challenge us to be as peaceful and calm as the shepherds on the hillside, as filled with worship and praise as the angels, as generous as the wise men, as contemplative as Mary and as obedient as Joseph.
It's a beautiful story, this one we've filled in for ourselves . Well, beautiful except for that old innkeeper. But we need him as our scapegoat. Mer all, the larger than life "good guys" in the story leave us with an impossible ideal.
the bam because the inn was full, or because the guest room was full? It comes out the same, doesn't it?" Well, here is where everything gets interesting More disappears from the story than just the inn-and of course with it, the evil innkeeper. There is no stable either.
Check your Bibles. Do they mention a stable? Nope.
"But," we protest, "there must have been a stable There was a manger and a manger means a stable. " Not necessarily.
Evidence from elsewhere in Scripture shows that a typical firstcentury Palestinian manger was not to be found in a stable, i.e. a separate building made just for animals. It is found in the living room of the family's large, one-room split-level house. The typical Palestinian peasant's house was one large room under a flat roof. It was built with two floor levels, an upper level where the family lived, ate and slept
We use our imagination s to round out the bare detaiLs that Luke and Matthew suppLy_
In fact, when we use our imaginations, we often imagin e things that we know did not happen.
One thing comforts us: At least we aren't as bad as the innkeeper.
I want to suggest a way of reimagining what happened. I begin with the question: " How did the innkeeper get into our story?" The New Testament doesn't mention an innkeeper.
Well, we get the idea of the innkeeper from the mention of the inn. "No room in the inn" must mean that some innkeeper didn't make room. But the story in Luke doesn't actually refer to an inn either-not in the original language at least. When Luke says, 'There was no room in the inn," he used a word that could mean "inn," but almost never does. It almost always means "guestroom," as the TNIV now translates the word.
The word used is kataluma, a word used exactly three times in the Bible. It is used once in Luke 2 and twice more to refer to the room in which Jesus had the Last Supper with his disciples. But they didn't go to an inn. Luke clearly describes the location as a 'large upper room" (Luke 22:1; d. Mark 14:14). It is a large guestroom built, as was common for Jewish families, on the top of a normal house.
So kataluma normally means "guestroom on top of a house." Moreover, when Luke wants to speak of an inn, he uses a different term, pandocheion. This is the term used in the parable of the good Samaritan. The injured man is taken to an inn (a pandocheion )-not a guestroom in a house And Jesus' parable even refers to an innkeeper, a pandocheus. It means the TNIV version correctly interprets what Luke wrote: "She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them." Baby Jesus was laid in a manger because other guests already occupied the guest room on top of the house!
Perhaps you are saying, "Inn, guest room - who cares? Why does it matter whether Joseph and Mary had to go to
and a lower level where the animals normally spent the night. And then, of course, there might be a guest room on the roof.
So where is the manger? In the most logical place in such a house: built into the floor of the living area, right next to the lower level where the animals are kept. Animals can stand in their lower level and eat hay from the manger built into the floor of the higher level.
A typical manger was in the living room of a house. So the stable disappears along with the innkeeper and his inn.
So then Luke 2 does not say, 'They had to go to a bam because the innkeeper was too hard-hearted to make a room available for the holy couple " Rather it says, 'They were taken right into the living room, because the guest room was already full."
The story is not about a full hotel , an evil innkeeper and the cold, dark bam. It is about a typical Palestinian house-one that makes room for the holy couple, even though the guest room is already occupied by other friends or relatives crowding into Bethlehem for the census.
If this way of reading the text is correct, what do we gain, and what do we lose?
Well, this way of reading the story actually saves us a lot of trouble. It makes more sense of what we read in the Bible.
We don't have to imagine that Jesus was born on the very night that Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem. The way Luke tells the story, it sounds rather as though Mary spent the last weeks or months of her pregnancy there. We don't have to wonder how Mary, who has relatives in the hill-country of Judea, and Joseph, who is a native son ofthe village, can't find a single family (let alone one oftheir many relatives) who will take them in for the night, or for a week, or perhaps for the last months of Mary's pregnancy. Weve had to imagine Mary and Joseph arriving the night of Jesus' birth in order to explain why they couldn't find a decent place to sleep
Best of all, we don't have to invent a new house that the family moves to after Jesus' birth, but before the wise men arrive After all, if
the shepherds came to a manger and the wise men to a house, we imagine Mary, Joseph and Jesus must have moved in the meantime. But with this new reading, they're in the same house all the time!
And this means the wise men and the shepherds might actually have gathered together to worship Jesus-rich and poor, Jew and Gentile worshiping the one born to be King. And we can even imagine that the star leading the wise men to the place Jesus lay shone over the house not months later, but on that first Christmas night.
And so, instead of reimaging the story in such a way that we have to throwaway all our manger scenes, we actually find a story that makes appropriate even those parts that we thought didn't quite represent what actually happened. We lose nothing. There is still a manger and there are animals, and we can argue there was even a stable, though it was part of the house.
Oh yes, we lose the evil innkeeper-our scapegoat. But then, maybe we can find better motivations for enjoying a meaningful Christmas than staying a couple steps ahead of that old scrooge. Yes, we lose the innkeeper. But we gain a wonderful picture of what it really means for Jesus to come down from heaven to join humanity-a picture of God coming down to identify with common folks like you and me, coming down right where we are, being born in a normal home like all the other babies in Bethlehem. There were probably any number of babies enjoying the soft hay of mangers in the living rooms of other crowded homes in Bethlehem that year.
So what does all this say about our Christmas celebrating? I referred to the reliving of the old Christmas story that never changes. Well, its essence never changes, but a little creative imagination might change some of the ways we think about it.
This reading of Luke 2 suggests a whole new internal motivarion and spiritual resource for celebrating a meaningful Christmas. It challenges us to open our own living rooms for Jesus, making room for him not in the bam, not in the inn, but in our living rooms, right where the family lives, where the pets roam, where we work and sleep and play and eat-even when our homes are packed full of guests. If a home in Bethlehem can make room for Jesus in the hustle and bustle of census time, surely we can do it in the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season.
This year I don't want to imagine Jesus lying out in a bam while we prepare our Christmas celebrations and go through the activities ofthe season. And I don't want to limit the worship part of Christmas to a few reverent trips out to that stable-you know, once or twice during church services and maybe Christmas Eve or Christmas morning before we open gifts.
Rather, I want to imagine Jesus living in our house as we celebrate. I want to imagine him joining me in the kitchen as I prepare part of our family meal. I want to imagine him present-not out there in the bam After all, they
Tim Geddert is professor of New Testament at MB Biblical Seminary, a position he assumed in 1986. He is a MBBS graduate and received his doctorate from Aberdeen University in Scotland. Geddert has experience in church planting and pastoral leadership. short-term mission experiences in several South American, European and African countries. immersion into Scottish culture and church life during doctoral studies and educational and pastoral ministry in Germany. He and his wife. Gertrud. are raising their family to be bilingual and bicultural (North American and German). Geddert has written several books and many articles on Mark's Gospel as well as on other topics. This article is adapted from a chapter in Double Take. published by Kindred Press and MB Biblical Seminary in 2007-
'1J Post your comments to this essay by going online to usmb orglchristian-leader.
called him Emmanuel, God with us-with us not only on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning but through all the hustle and bustle of the season.
[hristmas on pUrpOSf?
Readers' suggestions on keeping the focus of Christmas on Christ
MOST OF THE TIME WE WANT TO AVOID ACCIdents. I don't mean traffic accidents-although we try to steer clear of those. I'm thinking about the way things happen when we don't plan and just leave things to chance. Too many times a lack of planning or deliberate intent has a bad outcome, and we laughor cry-about the mishaps, catastrophes and even disasters that result.
I don't usually think of Christmas as a time that is devoid of planning-when things happen by accident. In fact, it's quite the opposite. We work ahead to decorate our homes and do all the baking that we associate with this time of year. We orchestrate gift shopping, wrapping and delivery and coordinate a full calendar of community, work, church and family programs, parties and events. In order to accomplish all the good stuff that makes our Christmas season memorable, we plan, plan and plan!
As disciples of Jesus Christ, we recognize that the
reason we're doing all of these things is to celebrate his birth. He is the Savior of all mankind, and celebrating his incarnation should reflect and worship him. Our Christmas celebrations are full and rich when they draw our attention to Jesus Christ and his message of grace, salvation, forgiveness and new life.
But our Christmas traditions and celebrations won't have this focus unless we intend them to. We can't leave something this important to chance. We must deliberately provide ways for Christ's message to infuse our Christmas season.
Last year we invited Christian Leader readers to contribute to an article on being intentional about holiday traditions by answering the question: What do you do to keep your Christmas celebrations focused on Christ? Some people replied informally while others wrote more detailed descriptions and even sent samples Read on and you will hear from seven readers. I am blessed by the way each of these individuals reflect on their Christmas traditions, and I trust you will be too. - Connie Faber
Focusing on Christ
Our daughters are 10 and seven . Here are some of our ideas for keeping Christ the focus of Christmas
• Our advent celebrations include a daily advent calendar with nativity characters to add to the scene and lighting an advent wreath candle each week and dis cussing the significance .
• We fill a "Jesus stocking" with notes telling of kind acts done by our family members " as unto the Lord ." When we open our stockings on Christmas morning, we also read what kind things we've done throughout the month Credit goes to Lisa Schmidt of Millard Bible Church , Omaha, Neb , for this idea
• I read aloud many books from our now extensive
collection of Christmas picture books that give further insight into the Christmas story - books by Max Lu cado like Alabaster's Song, The Crippled Lamb or Jacob's Gift; King of the Stable by Melody Carlson, Legend of the Candy Ca ne by Lori Walburg and Pine Tree Parable by Liz C urtis Higgs.
• Watching The Nativity movie as a family and sleeping in sleeping bags by the Christmas tree is something we started last year that I think well continue
• At meals from Christmas until Easter, we pull a couple Christm as cards, letters or pictures from our collection and pray for those friends.
Lois Wollman Menno, SD
Our Chri stm;:ls ar c full and rich when they draw oLlr ;.1ttention to fesus Christ and his 01 grace. s;'11vation . lor givcnes s and new life . .
Lessons from the nativity
It was early December about five years ago that Marlene and I were talking about the upcoming Christmas season My thoughts went back to the Christmases I shared with both sets of grandparents when I was a boy.
It was our custom to gather in the living room, and Grandpa would have someone read the Christmas story Then he would ask if any of the children had a reading , song or saying from the church program to share He would ask if any adult had something to say; then he would pray Next came the exciting part that most of us kids could hardly wait for - the presents. This routine went on year after year with both sets of grandparents
As Marlene and I were discussing our Christmas plans for our family, I suddenly realized that what goes around comes around Now I am the grandpa and the family comes to my house!
What could I do to make the Christmas story memorable for longer than the few minutes before the Christmas presents become the focus Marlene was putting up the nativity scene her mother had made for her when an idea came to me. Why not have a grandchild read the Christmas story, and then I choose one item from the set as an object lesson?
The first year I chose the star. I made a large star out of cardboard and covered it with tinfoil Our star had five points and I assigned a letter to each point The five letters spelled the word " Jesus," the reason the star shone so brightly that night. Jesus is the light of the world, I told the children . When I asked the kids to repeat what each point was , they didn't miss one - and they received a dollar for each point they remembered Even our youngest granddaughter, not yet one- year old, watched with interest what was going on
The next Christmas, I made a manger out of wood for each grandchild. The mangers had a false bottom where we hid a five - dollar bill. The lesson was that God used a simple, common feed bunk to give the world the greatest Christmas gift ever. If we accept Jesus Christ, God's gift to us, then God will use us too, even if we think that, like a manger, we can't do much.
The next year the camel had its tum as the object lesson and the year after that it was the angels I hear that already the older grandchildren are wondering what the '1esson" will be this Christmas. Grandpa is wondering too!
Wally Kroeker Hillsboro , Kan
Cards tell the story
I may ha ve fri en ds and family who have never received th e gift of Jesus as Savior and Lord So in 2006 my hu sband and I composed a C hri stmas card with our testimon ies telling how we were born into God's family Emers on and I are in our mid -70s, and since our health is uncertain we are t hinking more about eternity. How we love our friends and family and want them to be wi th us in heaven some day. This desire prompted us to share our sto rie s Now we gi ve the results to God to use and bl es s.
Ruth Neufeld Buhler, Kan
Alternative giving
For the past several years, th e members of my extended family and I have agreed that we have more materi al pos sess ions than we eve r wanted . So I suggested th at we stop exchanging gifts and instead give the amount we would have spent on gifts to the Lord's work Some family members were aghast at the suggestion while others thought it was a great idea
Each year I have given $1,000 either to missions or to a speci al project within my local church. I moved to Hillsboro from southern California in the summer of 2007, so my "alternative" Christmas gift last year went to a special proje ct connected with the new building of my church here in Hillsboro.
It has been a great blessing to give to the Lord's work and to keep him as the focus of Christmas And I must confess, it certainly beats going to all the stores and trying to select gifts for people who already have too much!
Stephen Vincent Hillsboro, Kan
Thinking of others
Our two sons are now grown, but when they were younger we lit an Advent candle with day-by-day marks We burned the candle at the evening meal, and they both looked forward to lighting it Then we would read through the Christmas cards we got that day and talk about the families who sent them. We tried to continue this through high school, although they were not as enthused by then We hoped this would help our sons think about others during the Christmas season
Lois
Wiens
Inman, Kan
Up tome
Two years ago I realized consciously for the first time that I no longer have any real Ch ristmas traditions and keeping Christ at the center is, well , up to me. My parents are divorced and so are my husband's . He grew up without Christ; I grew up with him. My dad used to read us the nativity story from Luke every Christmas Eve. No longer I miss that
My husband' s family is a mix of Christian, nothing and Mormon; mine is a mix of Christian and not sure what In trying to make everyone happy, we find ourselves driving to multiple houses in an effort to have a "family Christmas." Two years ago we spent C hristmas Day with my mom 's side of t he family. My husband and I organized a nativity skit with competing sides and had a fun quiz with questions about the nativity. It was the only way I could find to make Christ a part of the celebrations without once again being the "an noying Christian" of the family They seemed to enjoy it
Last year I did my own nativity reading of Matthew and Luke. It wasn't much - just me, my Bible and a cup of hot chocolate- but it was my one way of connecting to the real meaning of what this holiday, turned month of craziness, is all about
This year my ·husband and I will spend our first Christmas as parents . We welcomed our son, Maddox, into the world in October The responsibility to clothe and feed him and keep him well seems immense Yet, we know our responsibility includes' much more than that- introducing him to his Creator The Christmas season can playa large role in doing this and we look forward to seeing how our traditions are shaped by it.
Megan Richard Fresno, Calif
Carols and cookies
One of the things my family does to make Christmas about Jesus and God is to go caroling with two or three other families at a nursing home during the supper meal. Then our families have a potluck. We've done it for a few years now Ow family also memorizes Christmas hymns Each year we select one new hymn about the Christmas story, and we sing and memorize it during the Christmas season.
Another thing we have done is to bake Christmas cookies and then take plates of cookies to our neighborS to wish them a Merty Christmas It is one of the few times we have been in some of these neighbors' homes
MaryLyn Jones -Wiebe Fresno, Calif.
Hamburgers, french fries and the last silent night
A daughter's reflections on the last Christmas with her mother
Dear Mom,
It's been years since we spent our last Christmas together before you died. Everyone converged at my sister Jane's to celebrate Christmas Eve 1994 in the way that had been our ritual for decades. The table was laden with hamburgers and french fries.
That tradition, as strange at it was, had been set years before when the three oldest of your five children were small. You told me why: Manson (Iowa) Mennonite Church always held a Christmas Eve service, and you wanted to prepare something "easy" for the children in order to make it to the service on time.
The tradition stuck through the years, even when your five children grew up and moved away from home. I know you smile in heaven when you see how no matter where anyone is spending Christmas Eve, the hosting family always sets the table with the simple, ritual fare. Following supper, we share gifts and attend a candlelight service.
Deep down inside I knew you were dying-we all did. But there is something about celebrating Christmas Eve with the mother who birthed you that throws a veil of denial over the obvious. It was too jarring to let the dark shadow of your ebbing life cast a pall over what was already a more subdued celebration than usual.
Mom, I know now, many years later, that my heaviness came from
sensing the shortness not only of your breath due to your failing heart but of shortness of your days left on earth. The first sign came when I saw you pick at your plate of hamburger and fries, unable to eat. Even so, you tried your hardest to smile at your children, their spouses and your grandchildren.
You saved some of your most special smiles that night for Jordan Lee, the baby of my nephew, Seth, and his then-wife Dena. The baby was decked out in her Christmas finery, ready to eat her meal at her mother's breast. She was the last great-grandchild you
held. You seemed to know that out of all of us ing back towards you so we could mend our broken relationaround the table, she and you were closest to ship.
God. She had just come into the world, and you
In the dancing shadows of the firelight against your soon would leave it weary face, 1 again felt compelled to rush into your arms and
Then, there was the way your face looked to hold you and be held by you. But the heavy cloak of in the glow of the small fire of your candle as the denial-made heavier by my pride-held me in my seat on congregation sang Silent Night. The lines on the sofa across from you. To sing out my sadness, I picked up your face looked deeper, sadder. And the gaze of the guitar and sang an old family favorite. The words bounced your eyes turned inward to a place where only off the dark walls in lonely echoes, as I sang alone You sat you could go As I looked down the aisle at you silent, behind the emotional miles you had tried unsuccessstanding by Dad, your husband of 53 years, I fully to bridge one more time. wanted to stumble over family members Mom, you didn't feel well enough to come with me to between us and grab you and never let you go. I the airport, and I flew back to the city. Two months later, I wanted you to take me to that place inside your boarded another plane bound for Arizona and the hospital soul that experienced Christ's coming into the where you were dying. You had told Dad you wanted all of us world differently because of your impending to be together with you in the intensive care unit. All five of us exit. But fear held me in its grip, as I remained kids made it in time to say goodbye. glued to my spot.
My brothers, Neil and Brian, had to go back to work
Finally, there was the time in front of Jane's before you passed But my older sisters, Jane and Paula, and fire the night before I flew back to New York I stayed until the end. On a Sunday a couple of days before City where I'd lived for the last eight years. As you died, Dad, you and I had devotions together at your bedhad been our well-worn path since I had moved side. It was one of the last times you had a conversation with to that city without your blessing. you asked me us before you fell into a coma. In that time, you bequeathed yet again when I would "come home " I had your mother's ring and wedding ring to me as a symbol of hardened myself against this inevitable question your forgiveness and desire to complete the long journey that with my usual answer, 'Tm not sure-but God had kept us apart. will let me know when the time is right."
As morning sun bounced off the rings, the tiny bright
As the words came bumbling out with flash reminded me of the last Silent Night, and the tiny fire that guilt, they tasted like metal of a heavy chain flickered in your hands at church. That fire will forever bum wrapping itself around my heart. I moved to in my heart, reminding me of the tenacity of your loyalty. The New York because there was unresolved misun- flames of your last act of restoration reduced my bricks of derstanding and conflict between us, com- pride to the soft ashes of a pain remembered forever but pounded by lots of self-chosen sin and unre- healed always Your faithful love transformed the memories of solved emotional and spiritual wounds in my our last common Christmas Eve meal into a royal banquet of life. I fled home, family and church, hoping to belonging to God and to each other. outrun myself and all the pain inside. But it didn'twork.
Your ever-grateful daughter,
During my sojourn in the city, I reconnect- Laurie ed with God as a prodigal daughter who wanted no longer to eat pig's food . But there still were LAurie Oswald Robiman writes this letter to her mother, the late many miles between us. I had come home to my Dorothy Mae Egli Oswald, who died Feb. IS, 1995. Robimon is Heavenly Father in repentance for my sins Yet the youngest of five siblings, born to Dorothy and Paul Oswald, you, my earthly mother, still waited at the win- 89, who stiU lives in Mamon, Iowa, where the children were dow of your failing heart. You never ceased to raised. Robiman is afreelance writer from Newton, Kan., where watch for the first sign of me on that road com- she lives with her husband, Alfomo, and their foster daughter.
I vy -clings with a million feet, drinks dew that seeps into . the "9f tee ' Symbol of eternitj, they say, its tenacious stems climbing upward. seeking entry. ' At each tip, one pale tendril unfolds into leaf, then another, a quiet invasion . . Not to hold us here, but
National boards plan for future
BFL, Leadership Board gather in Denver for fall meeting
The two boards that govern and guide the U.S. Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches convened this fall in Denver, Colo. The Board of Faith and Life met Oct. 8-9 and the Leadership Board met Oct. 10-12 for the first time in the current fiscal year.
The October meeting was the second for the newly reestablished national Board of Faith and Life; the board had its first meeting in June. In addition to continuing its work on various organizational issues, the nine - member national BFL is involved with planning the 2010 National Pastors' Orientation, is reviewing the pastoral credentialing process and forms related to the process, is assessing the Memorandum of Understanding regarding the relationship between U.S. and Canadian BFL boards and is revising a series of pamphlets addressing various Mennonite Brethren history and beliefs as well as contemporary issues. (See report on page 22.)
As the Leadership Board met, they were eager to begin putting feet to the USC mission. At the USC convention in July, delegates affirmed the national mission statement: "We partner as one family to serve one Lord on one mission, for the transformation of individuals, families and communities." The nine-member board, which included several newly-elected members, spent the bulk of their time and energy brainstorming ways to implement that mission.
The board meetings came at a time of national tension as headlines tracked a falling economy This colored discussions but did not dampen enthusiasm for the conference mission. USC executive director Ed Boschman opened the meetings with a devotional based on I Peter 5 and a challenge to give worries to God. Similarly, a second devotional time led by board member Brian
Classen directed attention to the attributes of God as a firm foundation in times of distress.
Financial concern crept into several agenda items as board members sought to balance frugality with an increased investment in the vision. They noted in the financial report that church contributions, although similar to last year at this time, lag behind budget. The board noted areas where spending might be curtailed should income drop, but clearly the desire of the board was to do more, not less.
Based on U.S. Conference vision statements and input from last spring's Leadership Summit, the board's brainstorming focused on increased connections with local congregations, better communication and leadership development.
Growing out of the mission statement's focus on "one," the board expressed a desire
to increase connectedness and unity among U.S MB churches. The board noted increased personal contact will help congregations feel most connected to the U.S. Conference "extended family." They also noted an urgent need to improve relationships with the Integrated Ministries branch of the family-particularly Slavic congregations, which represent about 20 percent of U.S. Mennonite Brethren church membership. Integrated Ministries refers to nonEnglish speaking Mennonite Brethren congregations comprised of recent immigrants. Slavic and Ethiopian churches make up the bulk of these churches; Chinese, Japanese, Hmong, Korean and Indian congregations are also included.
To increase connectedness, the board will pursue adding staff to intentionally build relationships with Integrated Minis-
Leadership Board member Terry Hunt (left) works with Lianne Nikkel (right) and other volunteers from Trailhead Church in a Sunday afternoon service project.
tries churches. Boschman will also pursue a strategy to meet with leaders in individual churches for an intentional "call to partnership."
The board noted that Mission USA, the church planting and renewal branch of the conference, is an effective ministry that could grow considerably but is currently limited by personnel and finances. The board will explore ways to increase the reach of this ministry without increasing funding, perhaps through volunteer teams in each district to increase church renewal efforts. Both MUSA director Don Morris and Boschman were asked to prioritize personal connections with local congregations.
The board also brainstormed extensively about improving communication. There was a clear sense that current communication could be used more effectively to further the mission of the conference. Since the Christian Leader magazine is a primary means of communication among U.S. Mennonite Brethren, the board is exploring changes to the Leader to better communicate the denomination's vision and mission. Staff will bring recommendations to the board to revamp the Leader as part of a larger communications strategy, including possible changes in the magazine's publishing philosophy, frequency, design and content. Also included will be strategies for improving communication to Russian-speaking, Spanish-speaking and younger constituents.
Leadership development was another area that the board expressed a desire to pursue. They noted that MB Biblical Seminary already has in place effective programs for leadership development, such as Ministry Quest. The board will consult with the seminary's Ministry Quest program to explore collaboration in this area.
When they weren't brainstorming next steps, the board attended to various other business. One of the first orders of business was the selection of officers. According to the current governance model, board officers are to be affirmed by delegates at convention.
An oversight meant that this was not done at the July convention, so the board elected officers, acting as "convention in interim." Brian Classen, Papillion, Neb., served as chair for this initial meeting; thereafter Steve Schroeder, Hillsboro, Kan .• will serve as chair. Classen will serve as vicechair; Kathy Isaac, Garden City, Kan., will serve as secretary and Brad Barnes,
Bakersfield, Calif., will serve as treasurer. New board members Schroeder, Barnes and Matt Kolbert of Clovis, Calif, were welcomed. Other board members include: Terry Hunt, Lenoir, NC; Sue Kliewer, Auberry, Calif.; Rolando Mireles, Jr., Rio Grande City, Texas; and Vyacheslav Tsvirinko, Fresno, Calif. Also present were staff members Boschman, executive director; Morris of MUSA; Myra Holmes, assistant editor of the Leader; Donna Sullivan, administrative secretary; and Cindy Verharst, administtative assistant.
The board organized four subcommittees. Two formal subcommittees will address governance and finances. Two ad hoc committees will give staff focused input regarding Mission USA and the Christian Leader. A significant amount of time was dedicated to extended staff reports, designed to give a foundational understanding of the work of each staff member.
The board reviewed the summer National Pastors' Conference and National Convention and clarified a process for selecting USC board representatives for partner agencies. The board also accepted a request from Manhattan Mennonite, a con-
gregation affiliated with the U.S. Conference and Mennonite Church USA, for an amicable parting between their congregation and the U.S. Conference, viewing this as a unique situation.
Sunday afternoon a group of Leadership Board members and U.S. Conference staff joined members of Trailhead Church, a church plant project in neighboring Centennial, Colo., sponsored by Mission USA and the Southern District Conference, in a service project at a Denver school. The second Sunday of the month Trailhead does a service project in lieu of a worship service.
The school is located in central Denver and serves children who struggled in the public school system due to behavior, academic or family issues. The school is funded by donations and subsidies, and the teachers are Christians. The volunteers gave the building a much-needed coat of fresh paint.
The Leadership Board and Board of Faith and Life will next meet in spring in connection with the annual Leadership Summit. The meetings are planned for April 29-May 3 at a West Coast location.-Myra Holmes
• For use in adult Sunday school classes
• Great tool that teaches our beliefs as a worldwide MB family
• Challenging, revealing, instructive
130 pages of commentary and study prepared by 16 international MB leaders.
job is to be vigilant"
National BFL aims for communication, collaboration
The u.s. Conference Board of Faith and Life (BFL) convened for the first time in June, and that meeting marked the completion of a new U.S. Conference governance structure. Since 2002, the governance configuration has consisted of a ninemember Leadership Board; a national BFL was added in 2006, and its first members were appointed in early 2008.
BFL members are Larry Nikkel of Hillsboro, Kan., and president emeritus of Tabor College; Rod Anderson, pastor and church planter from Sioux Falls, SD; Michael Eldridge, a piano instructor from San Jose, Calif., who is pursuing doctoral studies at Fuller Theological Seminary; Roger Engbrecht, Central District Conference minister living in Sioux Falls; Tim
Geddert, MB Biblical Seminary faculty member living in Fresno, Calif.; Jennifer Greer, an administrative assistant living in Boone, NC; Tim Sullivan, Southern District Conference minister living in Wichita, Kan.; Gary Wall, Pacific District Conference minister living in Visalia, Calif., and Ed Boschman, U.S. Conference executive director.
A national theological board is fairly new to the U.S. Conference, and earlier efforts were somewhat hampered by duplicate efforts at district and national conference levels, says BFL chair Larry Nikkel. Consequently, one of Nikkel's goals is to create strong links between the regional and national theological boards with clearly delineated roles and responsibilities.
The BFL met again in October, and after two meetings Nikkel is optimistic that the current board configuration will provide good communication and collaboration and that the national BFL will contribute to the building of a healthy denomination. Christian Leader editor Connie Faber recently visited with Nikkel to discuss the role of a national BFL and the projects that are currently on the board's agenda.
CL: Why does a denomination need a Board of Faith and Life?
LN: Part of our job is to be vigilant, to be diligent in monitoring where we are, where we are going and what things may inappropriately threaten our theology and doctrine. A BFL is not really the theological police, but the job of this group is to be watchful of the tendency for us as individuals, churches and denominations to be caught up in the cultural and political storms of the time.
There is another side to vigilance that is also important. Vigilance is not just making sure that nothing ever changes. It is also making sure that what we believe, based on our interpretation of the teaching of Jesus,
and what we believe about the church is not lived in a vacuum. We are to help the church be relevant for the day in which we live. It is our job as a BFL to make sure that the doctrine we hold sacred is presented in a faithful but attractive manner so that we can be relevant in today's world. It is not denying change but working together so that what we believe is brought forward and is relevant in today's world.
CL: When the U.S. Conference . restructured its governance model, it took some time for the formation of the BFL to be determined. In the end, it was decided that district ministers plus six members would comprise the board. What do you see as the strengths of this configuration?
LN: We U.S. Mennonite Brethren have struggled to put together a functional organization. By this I mean that we haven't had well defined structures that fit together. Mostly they have operated independently of each other. For example, three of the five district conferences have their own faith and life boards and their own church planting boards, although the specific names vary. Until now these programmatic initiatives were never tied together. So the Southern District Conference Faith and Life Commission would predictably be working at the same issues as the Central District and the Pacific District. While church planting is now a cooperative effort between the national and district conference, faith and life work wasn't tied together at all. Well, it still isn't in terms of these commissions and boards coming together, but now the district ministers have been appointed to the national BFL.
National BFL chair Larry Nikkel reports to delegates at the 2008 National Convention this summer.
By having district ministers sit in on the national BFL we are starting to be aligned properly It just seems right that district initiatives, priorities and activities should somehow feed into or be connected to national priorities, initiatives and activities. This is the strength of having district ministers on the national BFL. We can work at who does what and who leads when.
For example, we are reviewing the credentialing process for pastors and are looking at the ordination questionnaire, the ministry questionnaire , the ministry application form and the pastoral covenant The district ministers know how they use these forms and so now we can work to clarify and revise these forms and how we use them throughout the denomination
CL: The current BFL members were appointed by the Leadership Board, as requested by delegates to the zoo6 National Convention. Tell us about this group.
LN: Only one member, Tim Geddert, has worked on a national BFL. The rest of us are first-timers We've all worked for the church and the conference in some way. Several of the members have been pastors, including the three district ministers. Three of us are more properly labeled as lay people. The board also includes the U.S . Conference executive director, Ed Boschman
I was rather perplexed as to why I would be asked to chair this board. I see the work of this board being so thoroughly steeped in theological issues that I didn't know why a person like me would be asked to serve here. Well, now that we've gotten started, I see that I bring something to the process and to the board and so do the other lay leaders.
I am also very much aware that as we take on the defense of or the definition of
theological issues, I will want to look to others to articulate or take the lead on some issues. We as a board also have to be willing to look at resources other than what' s on the board There is a richness in our denomination of people who can help us think about theological issues .
CL: To date, what has been the board's focus?
LN: We've met twice. The first thing we did was to invite Valerie Rempel (a member of the previous national BFL and a member of the Leadership Board) to brief us on the work of the BFL as she and others had worked at it and to facilitate a handoff.
We are reviewing the Memorandum of Understanding (regarding the relationship between the U .S. Conference BFL and the Canadian Conference BFL). One might think that we'd immediately pass something like this on to the Leadership Board with our OK. But we are new to this, and the group had lots of questions , so we have asked Canada to give us more time . We want to be thoughtful about this
We want to articulate the nature of the relationship between the BFL and the Leadership Board. We are separate groups, but we want to have a trusting and collaborative relationship . We want to covenant never to surprise each other.
U.S. Conference bylaws note an oversight relationship of the national BFL and MBMS International and MB Biblical Seminary, but the bylaws are not explicit about how this should occur. We will begin working at this at our next meeting when we will talk with the seminary.
The key issue for us ultimately is how we integrate faith and life. We want to be faithful and have integrity with who we are. We want to build healthy relationships within the conference, and we want to contribute to the building of a healthy denomination.
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Kindred initiates reward program
MB publisher temporarily closes U.S. shipping office
In recent months, Kindred Productions, the publishing company for the Mennonite Brethren churches of North America based in Winnipeg, Man., has implemented two significant changes. The Kindred Spirits Reward Program began in March, and the shipping office based in Hillsboro, Kan., was temporarily closed in July.
The Kindred Spirits Reward Program is designed to "give knowledge to those less fortunate," according to the Kindred Productions' Web site.
For every book purchased through Kindred Productions, the customer is able to donate 10 percent to a registered church or organization. The selected organization then receives credit to purchase additional Christian resources from Kindred Productions. For example, a $10 purchase results in one credit on reserve for the purchase of additional resources.
"We just want to be able to serve and support the churches, to help develop leaders within the churches and also to help the churches reach out into their own unique communities," says Yvonne Heinrichs, marketing coordinator for Kindred Productions.
Currently, there are 36 registered churches and organizations that can receive credits. The three U.S. registered members are MB Biblical Seminary, Fresno, Calif., Shafter (Calif.) MB Church, and First MB Church, Wichita, Kan.
"(There are) several U.S. churches that have been long-time supporters of Kindred Productions," says Elenore Doerksen, operations manager at Kindred Productions. "They are excited that their credits can go back toward their church."
In August, the School of Urban Leadership, Winnipeg, Man., benefited ftom the reward program. The mission of S.O.U.L. is to provide theological training
Yvonne Heinrichs and Elenore Doerksen serve U S. customers from the Kindred Productions office in Winnipeg, Man.
that is affordable, accessible and culturally relevant to Christians serving in the inner city. In line with its mission, S.O.U.L. used accumulated credits to receive the complete set of "Luminaire Studies" for a library expansion project.
"They were the first to make use of their Kindred Spirits Reward Program credits," Heinrichs says, "and they were the first featured story we told about how people are using the Kindred Spirits Reward Program credits."
According to Heinrichs and Doerksen, by redirecting Christian resource purchases from existing Internet or local bookstores, the is helping benefit ministry organizations around the world.
"(Customers) can choose where they want their support to go," Doerksen says. "So we're really just putting it back into the person's hands and saying we want your purchases to help out somebody, so you can decide where that's going to go."
By purchasing from Kindred Productions, the consumer additionally helps Kindred publish more materials by Mennonite Brethren authors.
"We're hoping that this program will help us be able to produce so much more material by our constituents," Doerksen says. "We have many people in Mennonite Brethren congregations that are so talented and have so much to offer. We'd just love to be able to put their stuff out in print, but it takes money to do that."
Ministry organizations become registered members by paying a minimal onetime fee. After registration, the organizations will be listed on the Kindred Productions Web site, www.kindredproductions.com. and consumers can choose to donate credits to the organization.
While Kindred Productions hopes its customers will notice the benefits of the reward program, they anticipate that changes in their shipping practices will have minimal impact on their U.S. customers
The Kindred Productions U.S. shipping office was located at 315 S. Lincoln and a part-time shipping clerk was employed to process and ship U S. orders. The Lincoln Street office building is owned by MB Foundation and serves as the agency's headquarters The office building also houses the
Christian Leader office and serves as the mailing address of the u.s. Conference .
Intended to be temporary, the closure of the Kindred Productions U.S. shipping office was motivated by finances
"We just financially had to make a decision at this time about that office, but we really, really want to have a presence in the U.S.," Doerksen says.
"We're still accepting mail to that address," Doerksen says, referring to 315 S. Lincoln. ':And MB Foundation has graciously agreed to forward that mail on to us in Winnipeg for now."
She continues: "In terms of getting their orders in and sending payments and getting their orders processed, (U.S. customers) should notice very little interruption in service."
One difference U.S customers will notice is an increase in shipping charges.
"We haven't figured out exactly how to handle that in the interim period, but we're trying to be sensitive about that," Doerksen says.
Kindred Productions gives shipping discounts when possible, and is looking into other interim possibilities, including driving packages into the U.S for shipment.
'We're about 1.5 hours from the U .S. border," Doerksen says, "so we're discussing the possibiliry of driving packages down to the U.S once or twice a week in order to cut down on some of the costs "
Some shipping costs are subsidized by money supplemented by the U.S. MB Conference.
"Money is still coming in from the U.S. Conference because we still are the publisher for all the U.S. churches as well as the Canadian churches," Doerksen says.
"Currently we are using that to both subsidize some of the shipping when it's possible, but also using some of the annual $10,000 supplement for advertising in the U .S.
"We do want to serve our U.S. customers even better than before," Doerksen says, "which is why we're trying to look at all the options as to where to locate a U.S. office and how to do that most economically
"We just needed to (close the U.S. office) right now so we could free up some funds and some time and just think about how can we do this better, how can we improve on what we had in the past." -by Malinda Just , CL reporter
Weathering the economic storm Survey shows MBs impacted
The u.s. is in the midst of an economic storm. In recent months, economic news has been eclipsed only by election news, and pundits says those elections were heavily influenced by the economy. Stocks and investments have plummeted to lows not seen in decades , while foreclosures and unemployment have skyrocketed Families are making major lifestyle changes to accommodate high fuel and grocery prices.
How are Mennonite Brethren congregations and ministries weathering this storm? The Christian Leader asked for input from denominational ministry partners as well as from 33 pastors representing various districts and church demographics . Half of the pastors replied to the electronic survey; they did so anonymously.
Although firm forecasts based on this unscientific sample would be unwise, here are some observations: While some congregations are feeling the pinch, most are cautious, not panicked. Some even view this as an opportunity for greater outreach. Similarly, Mennonite Brethren agencies focus on their vision for the future, even while they keep one eye on the budget.
Watching the skies-and the pennies
Only a few pastors in the Leader sample say their communities haven't noticed much difference since the economic tempest hit nationally. The rest say their communities are feeling the effects to one degree or another, with almost half saying that people in their communities are "really hurting" economically. Pastors commonly mention job loss and loss of investment or retirement funds as troublesome factors for folks in both their community and their congregation. There appears to be a loose correlation between demographics and the effect of the economy in the community Pastors who classify their congregation as "rural" are more likely to report that their community hasn't noticed much difference from the economic downturn. On the other hand, the
but optimistic
vast majority of those who say that people in their community are "really hurting" are from urban or suburban churches .
Among both large and small congregations, giving seems to drop as the effects of the economy are felt in the community. Not surprisingly, the pastors who report their communities are suffering economically are most likely to report a significant drop in giving, while those who say they have noticed little or no economic impact in their communities say giving is holding steady. If the community is battening down the hatches, churchgoers either don't feel free to give or don't have money to give
In some congregations, ministry has been affected by the economy. One congregation in a hard-hit community has cut staff. Another has left open staff positions unfilled and reduced spending where possible. Another is deferring facility expenses and asking ministries to keep expenses down .
One pastor of a large rural congregation says many in the congregation have lost jobs, and many retirees "have seen their retirement funds nosedive." Accordingly, giving has decreased dramatically. The church ended their last fiscal year in August narrowly in the red and has reduced budget for this next year by 33 percent.
Many are ke eping an eye on the economic clouds and watching spending more carefully this year. Even congregations in areas not especially hard-hit are wary One pastor of such a congregation says, "There is more of a caution and a wait-and-see attitude among some "
One pastor of a congregation that's seen a dramatic drop in giving seems to speak for others when he says , "We are watching our budget closely and not authorizing any extra spending "
Likewise, Mennonite Brethren agencies report caution - they're keeping an eye on the storm, too-but not panic
For example, Lynn Jost, acting president of MB Biblical Seminaty, says the seminary will continue to strive for good stew-
ardship and will be "even more fiscally frugal this year."
At MBMS International, U.S. giving to the global mission agency has softened in the last few months. Selwyn Uittenbosch, lead team member for finance, says that the agency is watching spending, but "we are not worried about these uncettain economic times. Certainly our Commander-in-Chief isn't cowering in fear; neither will we."
Help in the midst of the storm
In the midst of economic uncertainty, many Mennonite Brethren congregations are offering a safe haven for those battered by financial winds. Congregations are talking more about money and stewardship, either through sermons, stewardship classes or financial counseling services. And they're reaching out to those who are hurting, often through the deacon or benevolent fund. One large urban church has initiated an e-mail system for alerting the congregation to needs . The pastor says, "As each person gives a little, a big need can be met."
One pastor points out that intangible forms of support make a difference, too "Oftentimes being available to listen, pray with individuals and encourage individuals is an important part of the process," he says.
While retailers fret over holiday spending forecasts, some U.S. Mennonite
Pontius' Puddle
Brethren congregations see the holidays as an added opportunity to reach out. One congregation invited the needy from their community to attend their traditional Thanksgiving meal. Another, instead of selling tickets to their annual Christmas performance. will be taking the performance to a local, inner-city school. Single moms and homeless folks will be invited.
One pastor says the congregation has an increased awareness of community needs . "We will continue to do what we have been doing-bring the message of hope to our community-but the context of the message is providing hope through hard times," he says .
Keeping eternal perspective
Several pastors point out that tough
economic times, no matter how bad they seem, are not the end of the story. "We are seeking to encourage people to evaluate their priorities and again realize the value of investing in eternal things and things that matter when this life is over," says a pastor of a large rural church.
Another says, "We're seeing more than ever our need to be the church, not just go to church. God is opening up doors for us to share the love of Christ in a tangible way, and we are excited about the opportunities God will give us to let others know we are Christians by our love."
Likewise, Mennonite Brethren ministry partners say they're focusing on the long-term mission, not on the short-term storm. Jules Glanzer and Jim Elliott, speaking on behalf of Tabor College, remind the Mennonite Brethren family that "a gift to the college is an investment that will reap eternal rewards through the lives of students."
MB Foundation president Jon Wiebe says, ''The economy and the resulting challenges should cause us to realign our priorities on the eternal and not the temporal."
While the Leader survey isn't conclusive, it suggests that U . S. Mennonite Brethren are watching the One who calms storms, even when the rains batter and the winds howl. - Myra Holmes
> ESSAY
A perspective on the economy
When economic fortunes change, so should attitudes
"It was the best of times. it was the worst of times."-Opening line from A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. 1859.
Without question. the current economic landscape is a difficult one. It plays on our emotions. challenges our thinking and weakens our resolve. At MB Foundation. we have a unique perspective and are able to survey the landscape from a variety of vantage points.
We've heard from churches that are wondering how to pay staff and service debt in light of rising unemployment, declining investment portfolios and decreased generosity. We've had conversations with pastors who want to refinance their home loan and find their personal residence being valued at 30 percent of what it was a year ago. Then there is the donor in his 70'S who frankly stated that he "was born in the depression and now will finish his life during the depression." Truly, to many of us, these seem like "the worst of times."
I was reminded recently of a fascinating passage in Matt 8:23-27. My Bible identifies this section with the title, "Jesus Calms the Storm " But let's remember that before Jesus calmed the storm, the disciples were shaken to the very core and honestly thought they were going to drown. It was a furious storm and the waves swept over the boat. The disciples woke Jesus saying, "Lord. save us! We're going to drown!" It was "the worst of times" until Jesus "got up and rebuked the winds and the waves." Then it became the "best of times" as the disciples marveled at the Lord's power and the display of his provision.
What would it take for these to become "the best of times"? A rise in the stock market of 40 percent? Real estate or commodities shooting up 30 percent? A recent job loss. restored? To be the benefactor of some extravagant generosity this Christmas? All of these things are out of our control. What would be within our control?
I submit that what is needed is a change of perspective. The worst of times can become the best of times as we change the lens through which we view these times As in the story of Jesus calming the storm. the disciples received a new perspective. Why didn't they realize from the beginning that
they had no reason to fear, that the God of the universe was riding in their boat?
The apostle Paul recognizes this same challenge when he writes his young assistant in 1 Tim. 6:17-19 and gives him a blueprint for financial discipleship. He says to "command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain." Does anyone need to be convinced of this point today? I don't think so.
Now comes the new perspective. Paul goes on to say they should "put their hope in God." This will make the worst of times "the best of times." The church needs to rise up and agree that we have too often been arrogant about what we have, that we have placed our hope in wealth rather than in God. This 18o-degree shift will tum these worst of times into the best of times. Rather than being focused on the temporal
and stirred up by the present circumstances. we need to lay up treasure for ourselves as a firm foundation for the coming age. so that we may take hold of the life that is truly life.
During this Christmas season and in the midst of these difficult economic times, may our hearts. minds. emotions and pocketbooks reflect a perspective on the eternal. being confident in the God of the universe, who is trustworthy and good. I close with the words from one of my favorite worship songs: "and when the darkness closes in Lord, still I will say, blessed be the name of the Lord, blessed be his glorious name."
Jon C. Wiebe is president and chief executive officer of MB Foundation, the Mennonite Brethren stewardship ministry that works with people to "give meaning to money."
MBF has its corporate headquarters in Hillsboro, Kan , and an office in Fresno, Calif.
Hillsboro church opens day care
Day care and preschool meet community need
The opening of Kids Connection, a day care center and preschool, was a milestone event for Hillsboro (Kan.) MB Church. The commencing of classes in August results from the inspiration of several HMBC women who were burdened to address the community's need for a day care.
'We saw a need in the community and sought after a way to fulfill it," says Kim Klein, Kids Connection board chair and member of the Hillsboro congregation.
The day care is located in the north wing of the Hillsboro congregation's new facility. When a 2004 fire destroyed the congregation's downtown building, they intentionally built their new facility, located on the east edge of the city, to State of Kansas day care code in anticipation of beginning the day care.
The congregation formed a day care task force in March 2007 and that summer the congregation approved the task force recommendation to pursue the day care. In July the church elected a board of six women to preside over the formation of the school.
«Right now the board consists of only church members," says Klein. 'The goal is to get parents from the preschool, along with some community and church members working alongside each other."
Start-up for Kids Connection hit a bump as day care director Tracy Hefley began to work on licensing the day care for service. This process involves obtaining a form from the State of Kansas and complying with all the stipulations listed. The day care received the license only days before the opening day of classes, as processing dragged on longer than anticipated. 'We got it in the nick of time," Hefley says.
Spurring on the start-up was a generous donation from New Hope
Kids Connection, the Hillsboro (Kan.) MB Church day care and preschool, serves 60 children, including these three enjoying their snack.
MB Church, a congregation in greater Minneapolis, Minn., that sold its facility in 2007. New Hope PreKindergarten, which the Minnesota congregation operated for 40 years, contributed all their cubbies, shelving, toys, puzzles and manipulative items to Kids Connection.
Kids Connection operates Monday through Friday, with activities from 7 a.m. through 6 p.m. When the children arrive they play until all are present. Circle time follows as children learn about the calendar, weather, helpers, shapes, colors, stories, songs and a theme for the week. Content within the lessons parallels the theme for the week.
Next the children play outside, enjoy a snack, create with art and focus on math and science. The Bible lesson encourages retention as it correlates with the letter of the week. For example, the letter «F' is reiterated during the Bible story of Jesus feeding the five thousand with five loaves of bread and two fish.
Tracing and writing practice flow out of the Bible lesson, giving the children opportunity to recognize and familiarize themselves with the letter. Show and tell rounds out the school day.
The idea of affordable day care services was an integral piece of the initial dream. Children from low-income families are able to participate by means of financial aid.
'We try and make it so that anybody is able to come," says Hefley. «If they need help they can apply for a scholarship, and we have people in church that help out to that end."
Though the Kids Connection board elected to keep the business separate from the church, the day care is closely tied to the congregation and provides opportunities for the congregation to be involved. In addition to scholarships, the church also assists with utilities, office supplies and paper products.
'We are a separate entity from the church," says Hefley. 'We are incorporated in the church, but we're not under the charter.
«It's a way for the church members to get involved," she says. «I think it's a great mission because then we can help get (the students and their families) to come to the church."
The future looks bright for the day care, as the number of participants has reached 60, involving nearly 45 families.
«My vision is expanding what we have already," Hefley says. 'We are full in the rooms we have, and there is a big waiting list.
«I don't know where these people went before," says Hefley. 'The community didn't have a day care, and now we do." -Jenny Gaskell, newswriter
·We could plant more ",, MB churches in 20091 people
e t in eternity!
More with less
The current economy encourages me to check my focus
We are living in tough times. The past month we have experienced a serious financial crisis in our country that has reverberated around the world Collectively, many of us have lost a lot of money. Our retirement nest eggs aren't what they used to be. Furthermore, many people have lost their jobs.
About 15 years ago my husband and I seriously started saving money for our retirement. Every month there were automatic withdrawals from our paychecks into a savings plan. Those were the boom years, and we watched our nest egg grow.
When our quarterly reports arrived in the mail, I would look at the bottom line and say, Wow! I knew our retirement was secure, and it felt good
I am reminded of what Lynn Miller writes in his article, 'What your retirement planner doesn't tell you" (Christianity Today, April 2000). Instead of focusing on how much we want or think we need, he encourages us to think of living with "enough" rather than "all you can get."
Paul writes to Timothy: "A devout life does bring wealth, but it's the rich simplicity of being yourself before God. Since we entered the world penniless and will leave it penniless, if we have bread on the table and shoes on our feet, that's enough" (I Tim. 6:6-8, The Message). Miller says it's time for an attitude adjustment. Enough is good. Enough is sufficient. I don't need more. So now I'm thinking, "I've lost a lot of 'paper' money, but what I have left is all I need."
[J \Vhile I have no intention of returning to the 1eg<lhsm of the 1 do believe \ve can 1earn to do "more with 1ess."
When our financial statement for the end of September 2008 arrived it didn't look so good anymore, and I felt much less secure. I was reminded of something my father used to say, "Easy come, easy go." Our nest egg was on paper only, and now a significant chunk of it was gone. And that was before the October crash!
We are being told almost on a daily basis by the financial gurus that we need to cut back on our spending and lower our credit card debt. Tips about how to save money are everywhere: Don't live beyond your means. Eat more meals at home. Buy only what you need.
I am so thankful for my Mennonire heritage that taught me to be careful with my money and how to make it stretch as far as possible. While I have no intention of returning to the legalism of the 80S, I do believe we can learn to do "more with less." I have learned to shop for clothes at end-ofseason clearance sales We seldom eat out, saving this luxury for when we travel.
Last spring we replaced many of our light bulbs with the new energy efficient ones. We also adjusted our thermostat one degree for both heating and cooling. By just doing these things we have seen a substantial decrease in our utility bills. We have long since paid for the expense of the new light bulbs. Now our continued energy savings are "icing on the cake" and good for the environment as well.
The Web site globalrichlist.com has put a lot of things into perspective for me. On this site, I was asked to fill in my yearly income to find out where I fit in the world's hierarchy of rich people I was astounded at what I learned. Did you know that:
• If you make more than $47,500 per year, then you fit into the top I percent of the world's income category?
• If you make more than $25,300 per year you are in the top 10 percent category that earns 50 percent of the world's income?
• Three billion people live on less than $2 per day?
• 1.3 billion of these get by on less than $1 per day?
• Women make up 70 percent of this last category?
Obviously, it makes a big difference whether we compare ourselves with those who have more than we do or less My recent money losses pale in comparison to all the people who are struggling to survive on so little.
Brian K1outh, from Generous Life Ministries, has some interesting things to say:
"It's not the high cost of living, it's the cost of living too high , that gets most people in trouble."
'The most expensive vehicle to operate, per mile, is the shopping cart "
"Your bank and credit card statements are theological documents. They tell who and what you worship ."
In spite of the current economic downturn let's not forget our giving to the Lord. The prophet Malachi warns us not to rob God by withholding our tithes and offerings (Mal. 3:8). According to K1outh, ' There is no advantage to being the richest person in the cemetery. Our real worth is what will be ours in eternity."
One final thought: What are you giving Jesus for Christmas this year?
-1J Comment on this column by going to usmb orglchristian-leader
MB NEWS FROM ACROSS THE UNITED STATES]
Omaha church closes
Millard Bible Church , a Mennonite Brethren congregation in Omaha, Neb., ha s closed, and pastor Stuart Pederson has resigned Central District Conference district mini ster Roger Engbrecht writes in the district newsletter, - Because of division s that existed and the tremendous challenges facing the remaining members of the church , the District Ministries Council made a unanimous deci sion to close the doors at Millard Bible Church effective Sept 21 , 2008. This decision did not come easily, lightly or without prayer and much sou lsearching:
Millard was founded over 20 years ago and has had an excellent ministry to families and youth , says Engbrecht. Beginning th is month , the Millard facilities will be used by Millard 's growing daughter church, Shadow Lake Chu rc h of suburban Omaha, as a satellite campu s. "It is the desire of the District Ministries Council that as a district we continue with a strong presence in the greater Omaha area and tha t Chrisfs kingdom be advan ced,- Engbrecht writes - Myra Holmes
BAPTISM/MEMBERSHIP
Dinuba, Calif.-Brianna Burkhard, Wyatt Kruger, Shelby Kruger, Manuel Mejorado, Jaynessa Mejorado and J.R. Southard were baptized and received as members Nov. 2. Marc and Sondra Burkhard, Lois Kruger, John and Linda Lee and Janet Southard were also received as members Cimarron, Kan. (Valleyviewl-Rebecca Bartel, Jackie Byer, Talley Friesen, Kaitlyn Rempel, Cody Wendel and Lindsay Wendel were baptized and received as members Oct. 26.
Kingsburg, Calif.-Justin and Kristin Wood were received as members Oct. 26.
Littleton, Colo. (Belleview Communityl-Allen and Bobbi Joseph were received as members Oct. 19.
Mountain Lake, Minn. (Community Biblel-Gary Wallert, Sr., and Jenny Xaykosy were received as members Oct. 12.
Hesston, Kan.-Cassidy Burkholder and Matt Weaver were baptized Sept. 28.
Papillion, Neb. (Shadow Lake)-Sara Christensen. Kari James. Adam Brockmeier, Abbey Stoker, Tristin Christenson, Curt and Janice McKeever and Oscar and Heidi Black were recently baptized. Oscar and Heidi Black, Adam and Kara Brockmeier, Nick and Rachel Clymer, Scott and Gloria Fletcher, Randy and Tina Heth, Tyler and Chrissy Kersting, Dave and Sandy Kersting, Todd and Peggy McCaghy, Curt and Janice McKeever, Mike and Kimi Miller, David Miller
Jr.. Josh and Amy Muehlbauer, Dave and Becky Newman, Andrew and Jennifer Osborn, Marcus and Wendy Pearrow. Amanda Staley, Chad and Elaine Stoner, Tim and Kelly Sullivan, Tami Swan. Dan and Joan Trent, Sandy Walker and Den and Peggi Willis were received as members in September.
Rapid City, SD (Bible Fellowship)-The congregation celebrated 30 years Nov. 5.
FALL CELEBRATIONS
Kingsburg, Calif.-Volunteers manned three game booths at a community-wide Harvest Festival Oct. 31 at a local park. November was missions month. Hays, Kan. (North Oakl-The congregation held a trunk or treat event Oct. 31 .
Rapid City, SD (Bible Fellowship)-A "Fall Festival of Fun" Oct. 31 included a big maze, jumping castle, puppet show, balloon pop and free supper.
Shafter, Calif.-Church volunteers manned two game booths at a community-wide Harvest Parade and Carnival Oct. 31.
Bakersfield, Calif. (Laurelglenl-An Oct. 31 event. dubbed "Ashe Bashe" after the church's Ashe Road address, was open to the neighborhood and featured a dunk tank, obstacle course, kiddie tra in. giant maze and more.
Fresno, Calif. (Bethanyl-The church hosted a Halloween alternative Oct. 31 that included a German sausage dinner served by the youth.
Reedley, Calif.-A Fall Family Fun Nite Oct. 31 included food, games. music, face painting, bounce houses and a fire pit. College students held a costume bowling night Oct. 26.
Wichita, Kan. (Firstl-During the Oct. 29 "Family Night" families made "boo " gift bags, which were then delivered anonymously to friends or neighbors Balko, Okla. (Crossroads Bible Fellowship)-Oct. 29 was "Slime Time," a fall follow-up to vacation Bible school with game booths, activities, baked goods and candy. Oct. 24-26 was Harvest Missions Fest, with missionary speaker Dan Bradford. Activities included a prayer walk, chili cook-off, kids' tractor pull and tricycle races and an outdoor movie.
Inman, Kan. (Zoarl-Oct. 26 was Harvest Mission Sunday. with Craig Jost from MBMS International. Harvey, ND-A missionary preparing to go to Dagestan, a republic of Russia, was the speaker for the annual Harvest Missions Celebration Oct. 26
Minot, ND (Bible Fellowshipl-Oct. 26 was the annual Harvest Missions, with speaker Rick Wolgamott, pastor of Bethesda MB Church, Huron, SD.
Bridgewater, SD (SalemI-Oct. 26 was the annual Harvest Mission Festival, with a guest speaker in the morning service and a meal before the evening service. The morning offering supported conference ministries; the evening offering supported MBMS International.
Fairview, Okla.-The scheduled speaker for the Oct. 26 Harvest Missions Sunday was Tim Sullivan. Southern District minister.
Tulsa, Okla. (The Heartl-Invitations to the church's Fall Festival Oct. 25 were mailed to almost 2.000 households.
Sioux Falls, SD (Lincoln Hills)-More than 200 people attended the church's second annual "Family Fall Festival" Sept. 27, which included horse-drawn hay rides, a chili cook-off and apple pie contest.
FELLOWSHIP
Bakersfield, Calif. (Laurelglen)-Men held a flag football tournament Nov. 15.
Fresno, Calif. (Bethanyl-A family movie night Nov. 14 featured the Veggie Tales movie "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything:
Inman, Kan. (Zoarl-A women's evening retreat Nov 14, "My Soul Finds Rest," included a guest speaker. time of worship and dessert bar.
Hillsboro, Kan.-The church hosted a women's health night Nov. 11, sponsored by a local pharmacy
Dinuba, Calif.-A women 's "Country Fair" Nov. 3 included guest speaker Sheri Wiedenhoefer from Community Youth Ministries and a silent auction.
Littleton, Colo. (Belleview Communityl-Church women held an "Autumn Adornment" luncheon Oct. 26.
Fresno, Calif. (Butler)-Men chose between three options at an event Oct. 25: golfing, a motorcycle ride or a day hike/fishing trip
MINISTRY
Sioux Falls, SD (Christ Communityl-Volunteers worked Nov. 15 on the playground of the elementary school where they meet.
Capitola, Calif. (Shorelifel-Women meet monthly to prepare baked goods, which are then donated to a church outreach to middle school students
Fresno, Calif. (Bethanyl-Volunteers recently offered free oil changes to seniors and single moms.
Shafter, Calif.-Women collected items in November for a grocery shower for students at MB Biblical Seminary.
Marshall, Ark. (Martin Box/-Steve Prieb, representing MB BibLicaL Seminary, preached Oct. 26. A potluck followed the service.
Hillsboro, Kan. (Parkview/ - Terry Mortenson, from Answers in Genesis, was the guest speaker Oct. 19 for a free "Answers Conference" on the topic of creation and evoLution.
Kingsburg, CaUt.-Craig and Hope RowLey, a Lay coupLe from the community. spoke during the service Oct. 5.
Fresno, Calit. (North Fresno/-Cory SeibeL, ass istant professor of pastoraL ministries at MB BibLicaL Seminary, preached Oct. 5
TEACHING/NURTURE
Olathe, Kan.(Community Bible/-The chiLdren's ministry department presented a seminar Nov 2 and 9 on "Sharing Christ with Kids." The church was a poLling site for the Nov. 4 eLection; voLunteers brought cookies to welcome voters.
Papillion, Neb. (Shadow Lake/-The church has Launched a new Discovery CLass designed to introduce newcomers to the church's vision, Leadership and mission and to provide tooLs for spirituaL growth Some 40 peopLe attended the first class in September, and more than 35 attended the November class
Capitola, Calif. (Shorelife/-Congregants were encouraged to fast and pray Nov 3 for the eLections
Huron, SD (Bethesda/-Attendees wore name tags Nov. 2 to become acquainted with one another.
Dinuba, Calif.-A four-week prophecy seminar was heLd Sunday evenings Oct. 12-Nov. 2.
Topeka, Kan. (Cornerstone Community/ - The church hosted a time of prayer Nov. 2 for the eLections
Littleton, Colo. (Belleview Community/-A new men's study using the book "Tender Warrior" began Oct. 23.
Gettysburg, SD (Grace Bible/-The evening service Oct. 19 focused on prayer.
WORKERS
Fresno, Calit.(ButLer/ - David Martens is the new voLunteer worship leader.
Senior Pastor: Garden Valley Church, a Mennonite Brethren church in the diverse community of Garden City, in Southwest Kansas, is seeking a senior pastor to lead a group of approximately 150 believers Our church has a heart for the community in which God has placed us and a heart for missions-the world in which God has placed others Visit our Web site at www.gardenvalleychurch.com Send resumes and inquires to : Search Committee, c/o Garden Valley Church 1701 N. 3rd Street, Garden City, KS 67846 or e-mail search committeeiCIgardenvalleychurch com. (5/12)
Lead Pastor: Hillsboro MB Church, a congregation of 400+, is seeking a lead pastor with a vibrant relat ionship with Jesus Christ. The successful candidate is expected to bring spiritual vision and direction for the church's mission and programs, have positive relational skills and a strong preaching/teaching min istry. The lead pastor is one who desires to lead, develop and partner with other
Enid, Okla.-Toby Berg, the new student ministry pastor, began work Oct. 20 and was instalLed Nov. 23.
Edmond, Okla. (Providence Fellowship/-Jason Gilbow has resigned as pastor.
Collinsville, Okla. (Discovery Bible Fellowshipl-Mike Benson has accepted the caLL as youth pastor. His wife is Stephan ie Sacramento, Calit. (Ethiopian Christian FellowshiplRoberto Parks wilL end his service as youth pastor at the end of the year.
WORSHIP
Littleton, Colo. (Belleview Communityl - A focus on the persecuted chu rch Nov. 9 included opportunities to wr ite notes of encouragement or send BibLes to those in the persecuted church
Dinuba, Calif.-Those who intended to parti ci pate in communion Oct. 26 were encouraged to take a prayer wa l k through the church campus to prepare Stops included the library to read the biblicaL account of the Last Supper, the missionary board to pray for missionaries, a particular picture to pray for members of the church family, a painting of Jesus to confess sin and the communion table to take communion
Papillion, Neb. (Shadow Lakel-The church is using the facil ities of the former Millard Bible Church, Omaha, to launch a satellite campus, with practice services in December and a planned Launch for January 2009 The church has also begun a Saturday evening service to alLeviate overcrowding.
YOUTH
Sioux Falls, SD (Lincoln Hillsl-The church followed up their second annual Operation Prom Dress that served about 30 teen girls in spring, with Heart to Heart, an overnight teen girls retreat Oct. 24-25
Rapid City, SD (Bible Fellowshipl-Girls grades 6-12 heLd an "ALL Girls Retreat " Oct. 11-12.
DEATHS
BUXMAN, MARTHA WIEST, Dinuba, CaLif., of Bethany MB Church, Fresno, Calif., was born May 15, 1915, to Fred and Katherine Croissant Wiest in Loveland, Colo , and died Oct. 24, 2008, at the age of 93. On Dec. 29, 1935, she married Sam Buxman, who predeceased her May 29, 1976 She is survived by one son, Bob and wife
Barbara of Oregon; three daughters, Joan and husband James Heinrichs of ReedLey, Ca lif., CaroLyn and husband Larry Coner of Kingsburg , Calif , and Ruth and husband Paul Buxman of Dinuba; three sisters, ELsie Huwa of Colorado, Betty Isaak of Reedley, and lillian Isaak of RedLands, CaLif., seven grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren
GIENGER, SELMA. Be lLingham, Wash., member of Birch Bay Bible Community Church, Blaine, Wash , was born May 22, 1916, to Ferdinand and HeLena Koehn in TaLoga, Okla , and died Oct. 18, 2008, at the age of 92 On Nov. 18, 1942, she married Albert Gienger, who survives. She is also survived by one son, Loren and wife Adele of Blaine; one daughter, Patricia and husband Paul Berg of BLaine; one daughter-in-law, Peggy and husband Karl Ershinger, eight grandchiLdren and 14 great - grandchildren.
GOOSEN, PETE L., Fairview, OkLa., member of Fa irview MB Church, was born ApriL 16, 1919, to Pete and Susie Loewen Goosen in Hooker, Okla , and died Nov 2, 2008, at the age of 89. On July 21, 1940, he married ELsie Weis, who predeceased him in 2000. He is survived by one son, MerL of Oklahoma City, Okla ; one daughter, Janeth and husband James Watson of Sti lLwater, OkLa.; one sister, Elizabeth Ann Vancampen of Guymon, OkLa. , three grandchiLdren and three great - grandchiLdren
LUXON, EUGENE, Blaine, Wash, of Birch Bay BibLe Community Church , Blaine, was born June 30, 1935, to James and Marie Luxon in Wenatchee, Wash., and died Oct. 2, 2008, at the age of 73 On Oct. 25, 1957, he married Grace Manary, who survives. He also survived by his mother of Lynden, Wash. ; children Tim and wife BeverLy of Kirkland, Wash., Tralee and husband Samuel Randolph of Merced, Calif., Lane of Sumas, Wash., and Andrew of Merced, and two grandsons.
WITIENBERG, MARIA " MAGGIE," Bellingham, Wash , a member of Birch Bay BibLe Community Church, BLaine, Wash., was born JuLy 11, 1923, in VegreviLLe, ALta., to Adam and Magdalena Gienger and died Aug. 27, 2008, at the age of 85. On Nov. 20,1944, she married Arthur Wittenberg, who predeceased her March 10, 2008. She is survived by three daughters, Shirley and husband Roger Gransmore of Mission, BC; Rosemary Lindsay of BeLLingham, Wash , and Linda and husband Richard Boynton of SeaTac, Wash., and four grandchiLdren.
Cl earingHOUSE BmlmI
members of the pastoral staff and lay leadership team This intergenerational church is located in a progressive college town. Seminary graduate preferred. Please send resume to Pastoral Search Committee, Hillsboro MB Church, 300 Prairie Pointe, Hillsboro, KS 67063 or e-mail inquiries to : hmbcsearchiCIyahoo com. (8/12)
Faculty: Faculty position opening soon in the Marriage, Family & Child Counseling department at MB Biblical Seminary Join the team at MB Biblical Seminary's campus in Fresno, Calif., a community rooted in the Anabaptist and evangelical traditions. This pos ition will be at the assistant or associate professor level. In addition to a strong emphasis on the integration of counseling and the Christian faith, the seminary's MFCC program includes a priority of helping students grow in a wide range of areas not limited to academic achievement and counseling skills Teaching and mentoring are prioritized but research is encouraged MFCC fa culty func -
tions as part of an interdisciplinary team with Bible, Theology and Missions faculty For complete details and resume information, visit www.mbseminary.edu/employment. (4/ 11)
Executive Director: Mennonite Central Committee is accepting applications for the position of MCC Great Lakes Executive Director located in Goshen, Ind The director is responsible for all programs, staff and activities in the Great Lakes area and is responsible to the MCC Great Lakes board Familiarity with MCC constituen cy, strong relational administrat ive skills and cultural competency required Experience with budgeting and administration al so required Sign ificant travel time within the region To request a job description or to send a resume and letter of interest contact Becky Stahly at : rssiCImcc org or MCC Human Resources, P.O Box 500, Akron PA 17501 or call 717 -859-1151 Application review begins De c 10, 2008
by Philip Wiebe
Things to do this Christmas
Every holiday celebration can use some fresh ideas
The Christmas season is fun, but sometimes it can be kind of frustrating. Families that have a lot of holiday traditions, for example, can get bored with doing the same thing every year. They start to wonder, "How can we change things up?" People who always try something different for the holidays face another challenge. Eventually they run out of new ideas and ask, "What are we going to do now?"
Well, I'm here to help. Following are some fresh ideas for your holiday activity list.
First, you can have conversations with your friends. You might be thinking, "I always talk about Christmas with my friends." Maybe so, but do you talk about the reason for the season? No, not the joy of eggnog appearing on the supermarket shelves 1 mean Jesus Aha, forgot about him, didn't you?
A lot of people do. Strange as it seems, Jesus doesn't get that much publicity this time of year. Christmas is supposed to be
were, actually visited Jesus anywhere from months to a couple of years later at a house where his family was staying.
So if you have a nativity scene on display in your home, here's how to fix it. Just take the wise men from the stable and move them to the ceramic Christmas village you have in the other room. You could place them at the front door of a likely looking house where Jesus might be. Just look for the place with a star overhead.
The third thing you could do is raise a glass of beer in honor of the holidays. 'Whoa," you might be saying. "I won't drink beer in celebration of Christmas!" Well, you might not, but plenty of other people will. Apparently it isn't so taboo for people of faith to enjoy alcoholic beverages anymore. 1 read about a church in Washington, D.C., that even started offering its own house brew for the popular "pub lunches" it served after Sunday morning services. For a Christmas fundraiser the church also brewed a batch of spiced ale that sold out immediately. about his birth, but a lot of folks hardly notice. That's why I'm rehearsing the following script to slip into my conversations:
Me: So how are you going to celebrate the birthday of the most influential
Something I've noti ce d aboLlt Chri st mas p agean t s a nd scene') is that they don ' t ha ve a hi gh degre e ot bihlic.ll a c curac y . -
teacher in history, who was sentenced to death for his radical ideas yet lives again to save us from ourselves and help us live lives of thoughtful service rather than selfish materialism?
My friend: Whuh?
Me: 1 mean, how are you going to celebrate Christmas?
My friend: First I'm going to drag a pine tree into my house and hang stuff on it, then I'm going to string up enough lights on my house to illuminate a small nation, then I'm going to shop for odd presents, then I'm going eat enough to feed two small nations, and finally I'm going to wonder how 1 got born into such a weird family. You know, the usual.
Me: Yeah, same here.
The second thing you can do for the holidays is rearrange your nativity scene. Something I've noticed about Christmas pageants and nativity scenes is that they don't always have a high degree of biblical accuracy. Like, what's with the shepherds wearing bathrobes? 1 thought they were out in the fields watching their flocks, not just getting out of the shower. Even more puzzling are the "three wise men" that show up in the stable where Jesus was born. The Bible doesn't say there were three of those guys, or that they came to the manger. The wise men, however many there
1 also read about a Midwestern church that started to hold outreach gatherings at a microbrewery. As you might expect, those events went over well with the young adults the church was trying to reach. As you also might expect, it caused conniptions among the church's denominational authorities.
That's understandable on the grounds that Jesus wouldn't approve of doing ministry in a place where alcoholic beverages are enjoyed, right? He was at that wedding, for instance, where guests drank so much wine they ran out and Jesus had to make more .. .oh wait, that's not a good example of Jesus condemning drinking. Well, at the last supper Jesus passed wine around to his disciples and OK, another bad example. Hmm. Let me try to find the Bible verse that prohibits sharing the gospel in a microbrewery, and then 111 get back to you.
One more thing you could try this holiday season is going to the beach to search for the face of Jesus in a seashell. That's what one woman found in Florida, and she claims she's been having good luck ever since.
1 need to locate a shell like that. Since I'm heading out right now to find Christmas gifts for a bunch of people who don't need anything, 111 need all the luck 1 can get
JEJ Post your comments to this essay by going online to usmb orglchristian-leader.
Christmas bells
Does the violence in our world mock the bells of peace?
«There is no peace on earth, " I said, «For hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth, good will to men. "-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Iimagine American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow had a heavy heart Christmas Day 1863 when he wrote the poem, "Christmas Bells." The U.S. was in the midst of the bloody Civil War, and 40,000 soldiers had lost their lives six months prior at the battle of Gettysburg. The poem reflecrs Longfellow's anguish in the face of this ongoing war, as America was sti11 months away from General Robert E. Lee's April 1865 surrender to General Ulysses S. Grant.
Longfellow's poem reveals his deep antiwar convictions. He hears the Christmas Day bells playing the "old familiar carols," promising peace on earth, as the angels did when Jesus Christ was born. But immediately, Longfellow despairs as he realizes there is no peace, and
ty and his own faith in the ultimate triumph of righteousness when he wrote, 'The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, with peace on earth, good will to men."
There are times when I share Longfellow's distress over the absence of peace and the abundance of hate in our world today While war does not rage in my own country. other Mennonite Brethren are not so fortunate.
DR Congo is home to the second largest Mennonite Brethren national conference and so I grieve for the hundreds of thousands of Congolese who are fleeing eastern Congo to escape fighting and disease. I read with concern about the massive anti-Christian violence in India's eastern states because this country is home to almost 94.000 Mennonite Brethren and is the largest of all national MB conferences.
The list of countries where Christians live daily that hatred has again destroyed the dream of peace and brotherhood.
Longfellow clearly identifies the Union cause as synonymous with right and the Confederate cause as evil, which made his poem
Wh at are we to think of a wo rld so riddl e d wi th violence? Do we despair? No, we are to h ave faith in t
h e angels' mess age.
very unpopular in the South. When the poem was converted in 1872 to the Christmas carol, I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day, the offensive fourth and fifth stanzas were removed. The eliminated stanzas speak of thundering cannons drowning out the carols of peace and of households made forlorn by the violence of war
"Christmas Bells" not only reflecrs Longfellow's distress with the Civil War but also his own personal sorrows. Four years after their marriage, in 1835, his first wife died. He married his second wife, Fannie, in 1843 and the couple had five children. Eighteen years later, the same year the Civil War began, Fannie was sealing an envelope with wax when her dress caught fire. Despite her husband's desperate attempts to save her, she died the next day. Too ill from his bums and grief, Longfellow did not attend her funeral. Profoundly sad, Longfellow published nothing for the next two years.
Longfellow's sorrow was heightened when in November 1863 his oldest son Charles, a lieutenant in the Army of the Potomac, was severely wounded in the war. Charles knew his father disapproved, but he enlisted anyway. When Longfellow learned that his son is injured, he went to Washington. D.C. to care for him.
While Longfellow condemned the war and mourned the loss of his wife and his son's life-threatening injuries, his trust in God's ultimate sovereignty gave Longfellow hope. As Longfellow listened to the bells peal 'loud and deep," their constant and joyous ringing that Christmas Day expressed his belief in God and innate optimism that: "God is not dead, nor doth he sleep." Longfellow affirmed God's supreme authori-
with violence is much too long: In the Middle East the list includes Iraq. Iran, Lebanon. Israel and Palestine. In Africa I think of Zimbabwe. Somalia and Sudan; in South America the list includes Colombia and EI Salvador. I think of Asian countries like Afghanistan and Vietnam and European nations like Bosnia. Croatia and Serbia.
What are we to think of a world so riddled with violence? Do we despair? No, we are to have faith in the angels' message: "Glory to God in the highest. and on earth peace among men in whom he is pleased" (Luke 2:14). We are to have a faith that sees with a different set of eyes.
These eyes see a baby born in a manger as the promised Messiah, an itinerate preacher executed on a Roman cross as the resurrected Son of God and a world tom with violence as a place that will someday be restored. As Longfellow wrote in his original seventh verse. also omitted from the Christmas carol: 'Till. ringing. singing on its way. the world revolved from night to day, a voice. a chime, a chant sublime, of peace on earth, good will to men."-CF
'1J Post your comments to this editorial by going online to usmb orglchristian -leader.
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When the m en WENT into th e h ou se and SAW th e child with M ary, his mother, th ey KNELT down and WORSHIPPED Him Th ey took out their gifts of gold, frankin ce n se, and myrrh and GAVE them to Him.
