February 2005

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Finding God in a 2417 world • Spending time like Jesus • Time warped • The blessing of Sabbath rest

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2005

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When I was a kid, one of my cousins gave our grandpa a $1 bill for his birthday and instructed him to "spend it wisely." The grownups laughed and Grandpa did-spend it wisely that is. He bought $1 worth of seed potatoes, planted them in a special spot in the garden and that summer showed us kids how many potatoes came from that dollar. And "spend it wisely" became a popular phrase in our family.

The feature articles this month encourage us to "spend it wisely"-but in this case it's time rather than money that we are to invest with care. The writers remind us that a biblical model of time stewardship is essential to our spiritual well-being and to the lives of our children. Christine Sine encourages us to live according to God's rhythm rather than by the noisy tempo of our culture. Lynn Bergsma Friesen's article emphasizes the importance of prayer as a way to regulate the flow of our days. Steve Granger cautions us against hurry sickness and Harry Huebner calls us to shape our lives by the biblical ideas of work and Sabbath rest.

The question at the root of this topiC is why we do all that we do. What is driving us? When all is said and done, God is all that matters and he should be our heart's pursuit. But if we kept a log of our days, most of us would have to admit that other priorities guide our days. We spend our time chasing down things to fill the Godsized hole in our lives rather than pursuing a relationship with him.

We forget that when we "spend it wisely" the result far exceeds our initial investment. May these articles prompt us to rethink our priorities.

International news dominates our news reports, beginning with the response to December's Indian Ocean tsunami. Mennonites have been involved in relief efforts in India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Indonesia, including MBMS International workers who spent four days recovering the dead in Thailand. An update on the situation in Vietnam where Mennonites have been persecuted and church workers imprisoned and profiles of four Mennonite Brethren churches modeling the new approach to denominational mission work are also included. We talked with Don Morris about his vision for ministry as the new director of Mission USA/lntegrated Ministries and excerpts of that interview are also published.

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QUOTE "Ifyou want to make good use ofyour time, you've got to know what's most important and then give it all you've got. " Lee Iacocca

COMING • FEB. 5-6 Leadership Board meeting, Shell Beach, Calif.

• FEB. 7-8 New Pastors' Orientation, Shell Beach, Calif.

• MAY 1 U.S. Conference Sunday • MAY 14 Leadership Summit, Denver, Colo.

• MAY 15 Global Day of Prayer

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2005 CHRISTIAN

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FEATURES - Time stewardship 4 Finding God in a 2417 world

VOLUME 68, NUMBER 2

Living in time with God is a challenge when his rhythm and his ways are so often drowned out by the frenzied pace of our 24/7 lives. Establishing spiritual routines can help. BY CHRISTINE SINE

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WWJD: Spending time like Jesus How did Jesus spend his time? What if I followed his example? BY LYNN BERGSMA FRIESEN

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Time warped We all live with hurry sickness, a twisted and contorted version of God's original design for our lives. How do we get out of this time warp? BY STEVE GANGER

12 Taking the kids down with us Children today live like we time-warped adults do. Why? BY STEVE GANGER

14 The blessing of Sabbath rest Our lives are governed by the possible, the affordable, the fastest. What if we shaped our lives instead by a biblical understanding of work and Sabbath rest? BY HARRY HUEBNER

16 Confession of Faith: Work, rest and the Lord's Day

Inquiring Minds . . .. . .. .. . .... . . . . .. by Marvin Hein 18 Supporting troops

Ph'lip Side . . . .. . .. . ... . . . . ... . . . . . by Ph ilip Wiebe 19 •

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Nadine Friesen

NEWS WRITER Myra Holmes

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Elaine Ewert

MANDATE: The Christian Leader (lSSN 0009-5149) is published monthly by the U.S. Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches. The Christian Leader seeks to inform Mennonite Brethren members and churches of the events, activities, decisions and issues of their denomination, and to instruct, inspire and initiate dialogue so members will aspire to be faithful disciples of Christ as understood in the evangelical/Anabaptist theological tradition.

EDITORIAL POLICY: The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the position of the Christian Leader, the U.S. Conference Leadership Board or the Mennonite Brethren Church. Scripture references are from New International Version unless otherwise noted. The editors invite free-lance article submissions. A SASE must accompany articles.

DEPARTMENTS •

EDITOR Connie Faber

Second thoughts about New Year's resolutions

On the Journey .. . .... . ....... . . . by Rose Buschman 20 • Holiday meal becomes a global meeting place

Conference Call . .. . . . ....... .. . . . .. by Chuck Buller 21 • Networking the faith

Bodylife . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 • Waves of mercy . . . . . . . .. . . .. ... . . . . . . . .... . . . . . 22 • TREK member reflects on Thai relief work .. . . . .. . . . . . . 23 • MCC prepares largest aid package in its history . . . . . . . . .. 24 • Vietnamese court sets appeal date . . . .. . .. . .... . . . . .. 25 • Morris: A fisher of men . . . .. .. . ... . .. ... . . . . .. .. .. 26 • Taking ownership . . . .. . . .... . ... . .. . ... . . ...... . 28 In Brief . . . ... . .. .. .

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Church News & Notes .

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Editorial . . . . .. . .. . . . .

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READER PARTICIPATION: The editors invite readers to share their thoughts and opinions on topics relevant to the Mennonite Brethren Church using letters to the editor and Forum essays. Letters to the editor should be brief - 300 words or less - and on one subject.

Letters must be signed and include the writer's city and state. Letters will be edited for clarity, appropriateness and length. Letters will be published, as space allows, unless marked "Not for publication." Forum is open to members or attendees of Mennonite Brethren churches. Essays should not exceed 800 words, and should include the writer's name, address, home church and occupation.

COMMUNICATION: All correspondence, including change of address, should be addressed to the Christian Leader, Box 220, Hillsboro, KS 67063.

Phone: (620)947-5543. Fax: (620)947-3266. E-mail: christianleader@usmb.org.

SUBSCRIPTIONS: $18 for one year, $34 for two years and $50 for three years ($20, $38, $54 in Canada); $1 .50 per copy.

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POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Christian Leader, Box 220, Hillsboro, KS 67063. Periodicals postage paid at Hillsboro, Kansas.

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By Christine 5 in e Searchingfor spirituality in a hectic world? It's a challenge when the rhythm of God and his ways are so often drowned out by the frenzied pace of our 24/7 lives. Establishing spiritual routines midst the busyness of our culture can help us find God.

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We live in a fast paced cyber world, incessantly distracted by cell phones, e-mail and e-shopping. A glut of brilliant images cascades out of our computer screens at ever increasing speed. Quiet time for prayer and Bible study is totally foreign in a world where CDs, MP3s and eveathe passing traffic blare out their noisy messages and our favorite sports and trips to the mall compete with Sunday morning church. The quiet rhythms of God's word and God's ways are drowned out by the loud and often strident shouts of our culture.

Many of us know we are out of synch with God's ways but don't know how to tum off the noise. We have more tools than ever to steer our spiritual journeys but feel less in control. Bible versions abound, there are endless Christian Web sites to explore and countless Christian musicians to listen to. Yet time spent in prayer and Bible study has dropped precipitously in the last 10 years. Our culture continues to tum up both the volume and the pace every year.

Tragically, this disconnect from spiritual rhythms has dire consequences for all areas of life. Anxiety, depression and suicide are on the increase, and growing evidence suggests stress and the pressures of our overbooked schedules are major contributors. Even physical illnesses like high blood pressure, arthritis and the common cold are impacted by our spiritual well-being.

that the pace and rhythm of every day is a frantic beat. Even during days off or vacation we feel guilty if we don't check e-mail. God's intended rhythms are blurred by a world that tells us there is never time to slow down or take a break. These fuzzy boundaries drown out all other rhythms and provide little space for spiritual life.

The secular world competes with God's patterns to set the pace and flow of life-and we are convinced that these abnormal rhythms are normal. "Normal is getting dressed in clothes that you buy for work, driving through traffic in a car you are still paying for, in order to get to the job that you need so you can pay for the clothes, car and the house that you leave empty all day in order to afford to live in it," write John De Graaf, David Wann and Thomas H. Naylor in Afjluenza: The AI/-

from God's rhythms but even in competition with them as we face growing pressure to be plugged into work So-called time saving innovations crank up the pace of life to unimaginable levels, disrupting our impressions of time and space, of work and rest. Cell phones and email instantly link us to friends and colleagues half a world away any time of the day or night convincing us

tioning, central heating and artificial lighting all encourage us to ignore God's patterns. We no longer fast during Lent but go on obsessive spring diets instead. Our lives are fashioned more by the rhythms of pre-Christmas, Easter and midsummer sales than by the life, death and resurrection of Christ. Church and spiritual practices just add to the demands of our

How do we find the heaIt h spirituaI

rhythms we need to cope with the pressures and stresses of our busy lives amongst the many alternatives offered, without being overThe great disconnect whelmed by a new Consuming Epidemic.

The spiritual rhythms we need for a healthy life have Strawberries in winter, been severely disrupted and we haven't even noticed. apples in summer, air condi- set of commitments?

Our daily routines are increasingly not only disconnected un.

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busy lives and are often the first thing jettisoned when we feel exhausted.

Yet there is a growing spiritual hunger in our world.

People from all walks of life are searching for a more spiritually focused rhythm to live by. Many look back to the life ofJesus and to monastic traditions of the past and creatively adapt these practices to the modem world. Others experiment with routines and traditions from a variety of religions-Buddhism, Hindu and Muslim to name but a few. Still others develop a patchwork quilt, drawing bits and pieces from all over to contribute to a spirituality that is unique for them in their particular setting.

So how do we escape the growing pressures and stresses of our secular culture? How do we avoid the insidious messages encouraging us to find our purpose, life meaning and even our spirituality in what we buy and consume? Most of us don't want to retreat to a monastery and we don't want spirituality that is not rooted in our Christian faith. How do we find the healthy spiritual rhythms we need to cope with the pres-

sures and stresses of our busy lives amongst the many alternatives offered, without being overwhelmed by a new set of commitments?

Anchoring our souls It is our spiritual practices that anchor our souls.

When our faith does not provide these rituals the secular culture quickly jumps in with its quasi-spiritual offerings. Massage therapy, aromatherapy, and a day at the local health spa all tantalize us with the promise of peace and relief from our stressed-out lives. Tragically Christians are just as likely to buy into these rhythms as non-Christians.

We are just entering the season of the church calendar known as Lent. This season is meant to be a time of reflection and refOCUSing to prepare us for the joyous celebration of Easter and the resurrection. Fasting during Lent was once a way Christians freed up time and resources to focus on God's priorities. Spring cleaning was a ritual that symbolized the inner cleaning God was accomplishing in our lives to better enable us to be God's people reaching out into our needy world. Lent is a wonderful season to reflect on our priorities and consider how to reorder our schedules with a more spiritual emphasis.

My husband, Tom and I love to go on a prayer retreat during this season. We reflect on how well we have used our time and resources over the last year and evaluate our accomplishments in the light of God's kingdom purposes. We also spend time listening to God concerning the future and set goals for the follOWing year that reflect our sense of biblical call, not just for our vocation but for every area of life. Then throughout the year we take time on Sunday morning before church to journal and to check up on our progress.

Mennonite Brethren anthropologist Paul Hiebert identifies two types of spiritual rituals or routines we all need to maintain our spiritual focus and to enable us to live at a healthy and balanced pace-restorative rituals and rituals of transformation.

The power of restoration Restorative rituals are activities we perform regularly to renew our faith in what we believe and to rebuild our connections to the religious community in which these beliefs are expressed. Daily prayer, Sunday church and celebrations of faith at Christmas and Easter are all restorative rituals that can refocus our priorities on the values of our Christian faith. Not surprisingly the secular culture provides an increasing array of its own rituals that compete with these. The morning news, Sunday sports and gala seasonal sales can all drag our focus away from Christ and God's priorities.

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When Matthew recognized his need for daily faith observances he decided to set aside five minutes four times a day for prayer and reflection. When he first got out of bed he recited a short prayer and read a psalm.

Before work he sat in his car for a few minutes thinking about the day and praying for his coUeagues and customers. He asked God how he could be God's love and compassion to them. When he returned home at night Matthew again spent a few minutes sitting in the car. This time he focused on his family and how he could be God's love and compassion to his wife and children. At night before bed he read a gospel passage and reflected on what he had accomplished for God during the day. He ended with a short prayer releasing the day to God. Matthew says this practice revolutionized his life. "Now everything I do feels connected to God and God's purposes," he says. " I enter each day excited by what God can accomplish in and through my life."

Rituals to grow by The second type of practice needed to create healthy spiritual rhythms is what Hiebert calls rituals of transformation. He explains that these rituals "cut through the established way of doing things and restore a measure of flexibility and personal intimacy." They provide a structure that enables us to change and grow. Prayer retreats, pilgrimages and mission trips are all transformative rituals that enable us to mature as Christian disciples. Our consumer culture very intentionally proVides rituals that focus us on its materialistic values. We need to counteract just as intentionally with practices that focus on God's biblical values.

For Tom and me, our regular prayer retreats provide the structure that has enabled us to adopt a whole new rhythm of life. Increasingly, we pace our activities more in synch with our connection to the life, death and resurrection of Christ than to the dictates of the secular culture.

Christmas is one season Tom and I totally reordered as a result of our prayer retreats. Neither of us grew up in a liturgical church, but in the last few years we have embraced Advent and the tradition of the Advent wreath with great enthusiasm. Each morning before breakfast we light the appropriate candles and read the Scriptures for the day from the Book of Common Prayer. It focuses us beyond the consumerism to the real celebration-the coming of Christ. We also like to enter into the celebration aspects of the season, however. We hold an annual Advent party that focuses on our anticipation of the return of Christ and the coming of God's kingdom in all its fullness when all things will be made new.

One family I know established a rhythm of Christian

We are just entering

service revolving around the school year to provide a means of transforming their lives. At the beginning of the school year, when they were buying clothes and books for their own kids, they donated money to an organization that provided books and school supplies for inner city kids who lacked resources for their own books. At Thanksgiving, in gratitude for their education, they contributed to a literacy program for young girls in Africa. During the second half of the year they tutored at-risk kids in their own community who had no access to computers and over the summer months they went on a mission trip to Mexico. Not only did it change the focus of their lives but their children all did better at school. Teaching others meant they learned too.

As we enter this Lenten season, perhaps you would like to reflect on your priorities and think about ways to reorder your schedules with a more spiritual emphasis.

Maybe you would like to go on a 1V fast to tum your attention away from the sales that so insidiously draw us into the consumer culture. Or consider a prayer retreat to help focus your life more intentionally on the values of your faith. Deal with the overwhelming pressures of consumerism by developing some short rituals for you and your family to use throughout the year that enable you to enter into the joy of Christ's birth and the wonder of God coming into our world to dwell among us . • Christine Sine is an Australian physician who with her husband Tom Sine serves with Mustard Seed Associates (wwwmsainfo.org), an organization committed to "creating a network of the followers ofJesus who are searchingfor a different path to celebrate faith and make a difference in the world. " Readers may remember that the MB Foundation sponsored a workshop presented by the Sines prior to the 2002 u.s. Conference convention. This article is adapted from Christine's recent book Sacred Rhythms: Finding a Peaceful Pace in a Hectic World

the season of the

church calendar

known as Lent. (It) is a wonderful season to reflect on our pri-

orities and consider

how to reorder our schedules with a more spiritual

emphasis.

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y

ynn

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WWJD: Spending time like Jesus When it comes to time, we are wealthy. How should we spend this valuable resource?

"Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers righteousness on you. "-Hosea 10:12

solitude. Most of these, however, were interrupted by crowds clamoring for his time and attention.

But this is only a surface look. The focus of Jesus' ministry-the sick, the poor and the outcast-was not an accident. It grew out of his intimate relationship with God and his knowledge of Scripture. Throughout the gospels, Jesus is quoting, paraphrasing and interpreting the Hebrew Scriptures. EvenJesus' final words on the cross are from a psalm, the prayer book of the Jewish people.

The events of Jesus' life clearly have been compressed by the gospel accounts. Nevertheless, if we use Jesus as a model for how we spend our time, our lives might be busy, but they won't be spent on self or in the pursuit of wealth. They will, however, flow out of a life grounded in Scripture and prayer.

Yet many of us don't have time for activities that we already value highly, including physical fitness or regular family mealtimes. Where would regular mOrning and evening prayer fit in?

Corinne Ware has a different approach to "praying the hours" in her book Saint Benedict on the Freeway.

For Ware, "stopping from time to time to reference God is not so much an addition of duties or of committing more time as it is a new way to see what it is that we are already dOing. It is a way to see that all is holy, and that God is in all things."

This way of experienCing God enriches us now and "prepares us for the years when age takes away stamina and perhaps health .... Praying the hours over many years grounds us in a familiarity with the presence of God that does not leave us, rather, it grows. It is an acquired skill and the best preparation we can make," writes Ware.

What might happen if we incorporate the insights of Boers and Ware in our daily lives? We can expect that time spent in prayer and meditation will transform our lives, enabling us to challenge the frantic self-indulgence of our culture. Such a transformation has the potential to bring much-needed healing and hope to ourselves, our families, our communities and our world.•

Our time is indeed a gift. Compared with many of our fellow world citizens, we have achieved staggering wealth. Most of us do not spend our entire days working Simply to feed our families. But rather than heed the words of Hosea-using our time to sow righteousness and to seek God-we (mis-) use the gift of time acquiring larger houses, more possessions and more enrichment experiences for our kids. Have we lost all sense of proportion, allowing our values about our time to be formed nearly entirely by our consumer culture rather than by God and Scripture?

In his book The Rhythm of God's Grace: Uncovering Morning and Evening Hours ofPrayer, Arthur Paul Boers writes that as a pastor he saw "that our experience of time today is a huge spiritual problem." Intuitively we know this to be true. When we ask our friends how they are dOing, the most common answer is "busy." And my sense is that we experience our busyness as exhausting, not life-giving. We're too busy, and we know it.

We need to transform our lives and our values from within. How can this happen? Boers suggests that we need to recover the practice of "sanctifying"-setting apart-time. For Boers, this happens tangibly through prayer. "In morning and evening prayers, we set apart certain times, hours and moments to pray, sanctifying them by interrupting regular schedules," writes Boer.

"In so dOing, we resist and even break the tyranny of time, whether it be others' agenda or our own compulsions and misplaced priorities."

Offering time, says Boers, is an important sacrifice.

Giving our time to God through the disciplined practice of prayer and meditation on Scripture will in turn shape our values and our choices.

Boers notes that the practice of morning and evening prayer is as old as the church itself. But when I looked at the gospels for a glimpse of how Jesus "managed" his time, I found records of a hectic pace that rivals our own!

Lynn Bergsma Friesen is a member of Waterloo North The gospels portray Jesus' three years of adult minMennonite Church in Ontario. This article was first istry proceeding at nearly breakneck speed. Jesus' teachprinted in TimbreL a magazine for Mennonite women, ing, preaching and healing ministries are only occasionand is reprinted here with permission. ally punctuated by periods of withdrawal for prayer and

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Steve Cianger

Our hurried lifestyles are a twisted and contorted version of God's original design. We are no longer able to fulfill God's original purpose for our lives. How do we get out of this time warp?

A man named Agur had reached his wit's end. "I am so tired and worn out. I can't think straight. Sometimes I don't feel human. I don't even know God anymore," he writes in ProVo 30:1-3 (paraphrased).

Does that sound like someone you know? Everyone you know? Does it sound like you? If so, you are one of millions of Americans who have lost their way by losing control of time. Consequently instead of you controlling time it is time that now controls you.

While leading stewardship of time workshops over the past several years, I have met people from all over the country, from all walks of life, who have story after story about how they no longer have time for the things that matter most to them. But what concerns me most is how many people are experiencing a personal detachment from God.

They feel alone. Like Agur from Proverbs 30, they desperately want to find God but are unsure where to begin.

Living that way is warped-twisted and contorted from God's original design. And like most things that become warped-think of a plastic lid that gets caught in the wrong part of your dishwasher-our ability to fulfill God's original purpose becomes severely handicapped or even incapacitated.

Inexplicably though, when we see the plates of our everyday lives bending from the weight of our schedules and commitments, frequently our response is to add even more to it. With so many living increasingly hectic lifestyles, this must be what's normal, right? There is nothing normal in being overcommitted and overspent with your time.

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What's the issue?

In the New Testament there is no direct tie to the concept of busyness. In fact, it is idleness that is often challenged (2 Thess. 3:6-7,11; 1 Tim. 5:13). Being busy is not an inherently bad thing.

The standard definition of busy is "sustaining much activity." I picture the circus juggler who is keeping four or five balls in the air. His hands move quickly, his eyes focus and he plants his legs. There is a lot in motion, but it is all working together to produce the desired effect.

Most of us are "sustaining much activity" on a regular basis too, juggling the things of life everyday. However, if busyness is not an inherently bad thing and most of us are able to keep the balls from crashing to the ground, then what's the problem?

We cross the line when our busyness has no endpoint in sight and a never ending cycle of activity snares us. Consumed with doing, we become distracted and disengaged from being who God made us to be. When we're drowning in our doing then busyness quickly degenerates into something deeper and more difficult to manage.

Mad rush In his highly-acclaimed book The Life You've Always Wanted, John Ortberg shares an idea that helps define our condition of hyperactivity. In studying Jesus' life, Ortberg notes that Jesus was a very busy person. However, in his busyness, Jesus was never hurried. Ortberg suggests the real problem today is we are hurried. This indicates not so much a disordered schedule but a disordered heart.

Mull that over. Busyness versus hurriedness. Being busy implies keeping up with things. But being hurried

feels like we're living on the edge. Sustaining much activity versus being swept away by a tidal wave.

King David was nearing the end of his life when he wrote Psalm 39. This was a man "after God's own heart" who certainly experienced many of life's peaks and valleys. In this very personal psalm, David laments the brevity of life and ponders the outcome of all our earthly activities.

"Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered, and that my life is fleeing away. My life is no longer than the width of my hand. An entire lifetime is just a moment to you; human existence is but a breath. We are merely moving shadows, and aU our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth for someone else to spend" (Ps. 39:4-6).

David reminds us life is fleeting and fragile-a "vanishing mist" according to James Games 4:14). But David's most poignant perspective concerns time's futility. Calling us "moving shadows" ("phantoms" in the NIV), David notes that "all our busy rushing ends in nothing." Ultimately whatever we do here on earth stays here. So it's not how much we do but what we do that matters.

It is interesting that both David's frustration and ultimate conclusion are shared by Solomon. David laments that though we hurriedly gather wealth, it's pointless because once we die it all goes to someone else. Solomon has the same concern and is "disgusted" that all his hard work would pass on to others (Eccles.

2: 18). David's final conclusion? His only hope is God (ps. 39:7) . Solomon's final conclusion? Fear God and obey his commands (Eccles. 12:13). Two ofthe richest and most powerful kings in Israel's history suggest that all of our "busy rushing" is purposeless and just leads to

r.,ffJ:... Pontius' Puddle SO··· DOVOO FEEL LESS STRESS YO\)R

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a bunch of stuff we transfer to somebody's else's storage bin. God is all that matters in the end.

Am I sick?

When busyness turns to hurriedness, our behaviors and attitudes change. The less stable our lives, the less stable we become. In fact, the resulting mindset and lifestyle is in several ways an illness.

It is easy to read my body's signals and determine when I am physically sick. But reading the signals of my heart and soul to determine my spiritual well-being? Hurriedness is a subtle sickness, a malady lying just below the surface, out of sight. We don't necessarily feel different because we see everyone else around us operating in overdrive too. But just because a large number of people are living this way does not eliminate the risk to our wellbeing.

When hurried people look around and see nothing but other hurried people, our human logic kicks in and declares: We can't all be sick. But we can. And we are. What is now called "hurry sickness" has infected many of us. I have yet to meet someone who is not hurry sick to some degree.

Social scientists have a list of symptoms for what they term "hurry sickness."

Symptoms include reading faster, talking faster, nodding or gesturing to speed up another person, chafing when waiting in lines, seeing if others get out of a line before you do, multitasking, panicking when your PDA, day planner or cell phone is misplaced, being surrounded by clutter and seeking information only, not wisdom.

The final symptoms of hurry sickness are known as "sunset fatigue." Sunset fatigue encompasses the all too common reality that at the end <;>f the day the people who matter most to us get the table scraps of our

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hearts and minds. We reconnect with those we love when we are physically, emotionally and spiritually wiped out.

The fallout can be painful: harsh words; continuing to rush at home; self-destructive escape habits; and a loss of awe and wonder with the world. We are just too tired to care by the end of the day.

Addided to time On a deeper level, our hurried lifestyles result in far more than talking faster or becoming overly attached to our Palm Pilot. Christian counselor Pamela Evans suggests that for many people overcommitment is an addiction. Initially we recoil from that idea. Addictions are reserved for alcoholics and drug abusers, and are chemical and/or behavioral in nature. But Evans suggests that an addiction with spiritual roots is possible when we do

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not steward our time properly.

The word "addiction" comes from the Latin addictus, which means to be "given over." It derives its meaning from Roman law which permitted handing over a debtor to his creditor as a slave. Part of the struggle is that in many ways we are slaves to time. We have been handed over--or we have handed ourselves over-to this rival god that governs our lives like alcohol, cocaine, pornography and gambling have been known to do.

The first step in combating any addiction is acknowledging it. Since addiction carries such a negative stigma in our society, we are apt to deny such a problem in our lives. Yet we must dig deeply and ask ourselves the question: Do we control time, or does it control us?

If the latter, then we are by definition "addicted"-handed over-to time.

The S-word We've considered our hurriedness as a general sickness and an addiction. We're all guilty of some of this.

But there is one more possibility that Jesus suggests, and it is by far the most convicting. In typical fashion, Jesus

isn't afraid to call our "hurry sickness" what it is: sin.

In the gospel of Luke, Jesus is dining with Levi and his friends. The Pharisees are beside themselves since this motley crew is among the lowest of the low. Jesus' association with them is an affront to proper religious living in the Pharisees' minds (Luke 5:27-30). Jesus confronts the Pharisees. He reminds them that "healthy" people do not need a doctor, sick people do (v. 31). In this case, Jesus comes for the unrighteous, to heal them of their sins.

It's no different with us. Jesus longs to dine with each of us, even though our lives are completely out of synch with God's plan for them. It is interesting that he does not say the tax collectors are without faults.

Jesus simply reminds the self-righteous that his mission is all about people who are sinners. The word Jesus uses here for "sick" -kawas-means to "be in a bad state."

Does this describe our time stewardship today?

Could it be that we are "in a bad state" with our hurriedness? The implications are hard to escape. As much as we dislike confronting sin in our lives, poor time stew-

Taking the kids down with us OVER 20 YEARS AGO, in his groundbreaking book 1be Hurried Child, David Elkind warned of the consequences for society as a whole if the speed of children's lives did not dramatically slow down. Instead of slOwing down have seen a dramatic increase in the pace of life and the number of things to do.

God designed children to have a head full of questions and a heart full of wonder. In fact, Jesus often found children to have great spiritual sensitivity because they were more likely to accept him fully as Savior (Matt. 19:14). In many ways, they were still pure and innocent.

But these days, what child

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has time to be a true child? The peer pressure on both parents and children is suffocating. The message today is: You better enroll Jenny and Jeremy in as many extracurricular activities as you can, or they will never be well-rounded adults. As Elkind suggested, there is no longer room for late bloomers. Children either achieve success early or are labeled a loser. In response, culture starts shoving harder for more and more activity. Band isn't enough. Soccer isn't enough. To really be someone our children must be active in soccer, band, art, dance, baseball, scouts, clubs, drama, etc. In essence they must live like us time-warped adults do. I see two particular trends that bode ill for our culture.

LEADER

• Minivan fa.milies. In the 1990s, 10 million minivans were sold in the U.S. Even though minivan sales have dropped recently, sales of SUVs have more than filled the gap.

Whether a minivan or Suv, these vehicles are great for carting equipment and children.

They have become a fleet of modem day shuttles for our youth.

Unfortunately, too many families are spending more time in their van than at home.

The house is full only after a long day of school, practices, games and eating on the run. A recent Harvard Medical School study reported less than half of all children eat a meal with their family every day, and one in five kids never eat a meal

with their family. And eating McDonald's in the car en route to practice does not count. In many instances, our homes are becoming nothing more than refueling stations and technology centers for lives lived outside their walls.

• The TIger syndrome.

Few people have not seen the clip from the old Tonight Show when Johnny Carson hosted a three-year-old named Eldrick Woods. The smiling toddler took a small golf club and whacked a golf ball across the studio to the delight of Carson and his audience. All one needs to say today is "Tiger" and immediately everyone knows that the three-year-old grew up to be a golfing phenomenon.

TIME

ardship is sinful. When we consider that sin means to be separated from God, then when we become enslaved to time we become split from God because no one can serve two masters.

Separation from God, however, is not looked upon with urgency these days because so many are separated from him. When we see hurry sickness as a normal part of everyday life, we have given the illness its full power because we no longer look for an antidote. I worry when we think that living in overload is just the way it is. Someone who is "Simply overloaded" often does not see his depth of need. So when Jesus offers his hand, they rarely take it. Jesus said it is sick people who need a doctor, but too many of us today don't even realize we are sick.

Your doctor has walked into the exam room. ''You are very sick," he begins. ''You are getting more sick each day. And it has come to my attention that you are infecting your children, too."

Your heart is heavy. You know what's coming next. ''You have two options," your doctor continues. ''You can keep living this way and become even more ill, or you can make the changes necessary right now to stop

Soon children who were barely walking were having golf clubs thrust into their hands.

Baseball bats, hockey sticks, piano keyboards-you name·it.

The impetus for parents now is to make sure Jeremy and Jenny get a jump start on the other kids in mastering, not just playing, a sport or skill.

Here is a serious question for all of us. If you think the world today is rude, hardpressed, selfish and impatient what will the world be like in 20 years when this youngest generation grows up having known only adult schedules and lifestyles? You think it's bad now? You can't even imagine what lies ahead.

A five-year-old who is taught how to shout at other drivers in traffic. A second grader who does her home-

STEWARDSHIP

living this way."

This is it. Do you admit the depth of your illness? Are you able to see that just because everyone else lives this way too doesn't mean it is a healthy way to live? Are you willing to make a change?

If the doctor had told you that you had cancer or diabetes, you would do exacdy what he told you next: a change in diet, drug therapy, surgery-whatever. Your "doctor" is speaking. His name is Jesus, and you are suffering from hurry sickness. Jesus doesn't want you to live for time anymore. He wants you to live for God. There is a better way awaiting you .•

Steve Ganger is director ofstewardship education at Mennonite Mutual Aid in Goshen, Ind. Ibis article is adapted from his book Tune Warped, the first book in MMA's Living Stewardship series that features Bible studies on different aspects ofholistic stewardship. New books on stewardship ofmoney and talent will be released later in 2005. Tune Warped can be purchased online from MMA at www.mma-on/ine.orgJresources, or by calling (800) 3487468, ext. 269.

work at 10:30 p.m. because she has volleyball practice and piano lessons after school. A toddler who is forced to Swing a baseball bat each night to perfect his technique. Walks in the woods? Riding bikes with friends? Lying under a summer sky seeing shapes in the clouds? Forget it. There is no time for these trivial pursuits anymore. There's not even time for talking. Studies show that the average child today spends less than five minutes per day talking with his or her parents.

In so many painful and destructive ways we adults, who are "Simply overloaded" have passed on the disease of hurry sickness to our children.

We are sick, we refuse to admit it and worst of all we're taking the kids down with us.-SG FEB R U A R Y

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TIME STEWARDSHIP

By

H a r ry

Huebner

rr'he 6fessing of

rest

Sa

Our fives are driven by the work we do-and how fast we can do it. What

if

we shayed our fives instead by the bibfica( notion of the Sabbath?

We are people obsessed with the clock. Be on time! Don't go overtime. Time is money. Time's up. Things have to move forward and things must move fast! We are' a restless people. Our labor has produced a device-the clock-and we have become its slaves. We are a clock-wise people. Or are we? (Wise, that is?)

What if instead of the clock we shaped our lives by Sabbath rest? I suspect that this is hard for us to imagine, so let me try an analogy. Several years ago, I spent a few days with an Amish bishop and his family in Ohio. After living and worshipping with them, I made the observation that Amish life is governed by the horse. The horse determines so much of what they do-the pace, the distance they can travel, the speed, the very style of life.

The Amish agreed, and they were proud of it.

They said they fear for us "modem Mennonites" because we have no horse to limit us, no way to protect ourselves from the pace of the world.

They may well be right. We are governed by speed. We find waiting incredibly hard. We glorify 14 • THE CHRISTIAN

LEADER

immediate results. Our lives are governed by the possible, the affordable, the fastest.

I'm not going to suggest that we throwaway our clocks and buy horses. That may be good for the horse and buggy industry but it would likely kill us as an urban community and destroy many of our cherished institutions. Can you imagine going to church by horse and buggy? But then, the Amish do not "go to church;" they talk about "the church meeting" on Sunday morning. "Meeting" is an altogether more local, communal notion. Going to church, especially our favorite church that may be across town, requires at least some speed.

What would it mean to have our lives shaped instead by the biblical notion of work and Sabbath rest? How might we reflect the image of God in our work and rest? Let's look at this idea from three vantage points, beginning with the creation story where the Sabbath is first introduced.

Creation In the creation story, God worked for six days, then God rested. Fast worker, you might say. Or

I

TIME STEWARDSHIP

Peoyfe who keey re8u{ar Sa66ath rest are 6etter and haYy'ier workers. yracticefosters community when a{{ within the8rouy set aside the same day. nice job, in a short time! But that's not the point. Speed has nothing to do with it.

One of the ways that the story functions in the biblical imagination is to set a pattern-a kind of rhythm-for wholesome living. We have that pattern entrenched in our practices to this day-for example, the seven-day week, with six days of work followed by a day of rest.

The fourth commandment enshrines this pattern: "Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God .. .. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and consecrated it" (Ex. 20:811).

Why should we do it? Because God did it. And because this pattern has a lot to say for itself. It is a way of keeping human energy flowing so we can do our work healthily. People who keep regular Sabbath rest are better and happier workers. This practice fosters community when all within the group set aside the same day.

Yet, the creation story is not just a morality play suggesting that we order our lives the way God does. The story defines the created order itself, and our role within it. We are not meant to work perpetually. We will not last.

We need rest.

But not only that. Ifwe work without end we will think that everything depends upon us. And that is sin, for it excludes God. The point of the creation story is that God is the basis of all of life. And God invites us into God's work. Not everything depends upon us.

God can use both our work and our rest. Even when we are doing nothing we are in God's care and God may be working through us. How we do nothing is as important as how we do something!

The creation story and the Sabbath story tell us that we can afford to rest because the work is not ours-it is God's. We can afford to work, because the work is not ours, it is God's. We can rest not merely in order to become more efficient workers on Monday morning, but we can rest because whether we work or rest God gives the blessing.

Sabbath year The second vantage point is the tradition of the Sabbath year: The story of creation not only sets a pattern for individual work habits, it sets up a pattern for justice. We cannot understand the biblical view of justice without understanding our work as Sabbath rest.

Leviticus 25 sets up the model for how to understand work in the Promised Land. As the children of Israel were wandering in the desert they knew that their

survival depended on God's hand. They had no way to produce their own food, or their own security; they were entirely at the mercy of God's care.

But once they settled in a fertile land, it was much harder to see that God gave them what they had. Think of the contrast. In a desert you can't work-you do not have any resources to produce anything. When you get to fertile land everything changes. Now you are the producer! The temptation is great to make happen what you want to have happen.

The Leviticus passage is a way of imagining our work through the Sabbath. Sabbath rest governed the Israelites in the desert and it was intended to continue in the promised land. The land is a wonderful resource, an opportunity for food and security. As immigrant people we can identify with the joy that comes with receiving the gift ofland.

The land functions as a symbol much like the Garden of Eden did in the creation story. The opportunity to make something with our own hands is one of God's greatest gifts to us. But how do we keep this wonderful gift from going awry? How do we keep it from becoming a curse instead of a blessing? One answer is the Sabbath year.

"When you enter the land that I am giving you, the land shall observe a Sabbath for the Lord" (Lev. 25:2).

Then follow the details: after six years you shall leave your fields fallow for one year, and you shall set your prisoners free, and forgive your debtors their debt. After seven cycles of seven years, you shall return the land to its original ownership clan.

"What a number that would do on our economy," you say. When I ask my students to redefine the rules for the game of Monopoly according to the Sabbath year, they come back and say, "It destroys the game. You just go on and on. No one ever wins." Bingo! That's right.

When you have Sabbath rest define your work, you don't work to destroy the other; your work builds up both you and the other. When Sabbath rest defines work-as the creation story, the Mosaic commandments, and the provisions of the Sabbath year all suggest-then redemption is embedded right into our work routines.

When Sabbath rest defines our work we recognize that the success of our labors depends on God's bleSSing, and God cannot bless injustice. When Sabbath rest is the focal point of our efforts, then grace characterizes our work.

Salvation by grace This gets me to the last vantage point: Salvation by grace through faith . The Jewish leaders lived by the Sabbath commandment and condemned Jesus for healing on FEB R U A R Y

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the Sabbath. It is so easy to make the detailed keeping of the law our possession, our weapon to forward God's cause.

But Jesus is a master of disallowing anyone to take control away from God-whether through power, production, wealth, piety, or the keeping of the law. The Sabbath is good, but not in itself; it is good in that it points to God as the one from whom our blessings flow.

The Sabbath is the very symbol of God's gift of life to us. To use it as a way of withholding God's grace is diabolical. How better to show that than to heal someone-extend God's grace-on a Sabbath day.

When the New Testament writers use the phrase "salvation by grace through faith" they are not inventing a new theology. They are using new words to communicate the relationship between work and rest that exists throughout scripture.

In the final analysis, the relationship between our work and God's blessing is not a relationship of cause and effect, but one of our faithfulness and God's blessing. It is not what we do that makes our work worthwhile, it is what we allow God to do through us, whether we work or not.

A recent article I wrote in the Canadian Menno-

nite on "Being stuck with our parents" seems to have struck a chord with people whose parents are aging. I have been particularly struck with one response: How could my mother-in-law still be a sign of God's grace to us even when she could do nothing, say nothing, or perhaps even think nothing?

Surely the answer is that under God we cannot be reduced to the work we do, but rather to what we allow God to do through us. And when we do nothing at all, God may still be doing much through us, perhaps even more than when we do a lot.

The story of creation with the emphasis on Sabbath rest teaches us that we should not reduce our work to what we can accomplish with our own hands.

For the ongoing challenge remains to open our hands and our minds, whether we work or we don't, and place them into God's creative and redemptive care.

The blessing will follow. .

Harry Huebner teaches theology and philosophy at Canadian Mennonite University in Winnipeg, Man. This article is adapted from a sermon given at Charleswood Mennonite Church in Winnipeg on Labor Day weekend 2004. It was first published in the Canadian Mennonite, the publication ofMennonite Church Canada.

Mennonite Brethren Confession of Faith: Article 16

Work, rest and the Lord's Day WE BELIEVE THAT GOD'S act of creation is the model for human activity. While sin has corrupted work and rest, redeemed people are called to restore labor and rest to their proper place.

resources to glorify God and to serve others. Because they bear the name of Christ, all believers are called to work honestly and diligently and to treat others with respect and dignity.

is an act of trust, reminding humans that it is not their work but God who sustains them. Rest is an act of hope, anticipating the future rest assured by the resurrection of Jesus.

Day, believers joyfully devote themselves to worship, instruction in the Word, prayer, breaking of bread, fellowship and service. They limit their labor to work of necessity and deeds of mercy.

Work As creatures made in the

Rest As God rested on the sev-

The Lord's Day

image of God, Christians imitate the Creator by working faithfully as they are able. They are to use their abilities and

enth day, people are called to observe regular times of rest.

Rest is an act of thankfulness for what God has provided. It

Genesis 1:26-2:3; Genesis 2:15; Genesis 3: 14·19; Exodus 20:8-11; Leviticus 25:1·7; Deuteronomy 5:12·15; Psalm 46: 10; Psalm 95:6-11; Ecclesiastes 3:13; Mark 2:23·3:6; Luke 24: 1·36; Acts 2:4247; Acts 20:7; Romans 14:5-10; 1 Corinthians 16:2; Eph. esians 6:5·9; Colossians 2: 16-17; Colossians 3:224: 1; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-10; Hebrews 4: 1·10; Hebrews 10:23·25; Revelation 1:10

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CHRISTIAN

LEADER

Following the New Testament example, believers gather to commemorate the resurrection of Christ on the first day of the week. On the Lord's

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INQUIRING MINDS BY

MARVIN

HEIN

Questions about faith & life Supporting troops when one believes they are fighting an unjustified war

Q

It is common to see on backs of cars or trucks a yellow decal urging us to "support our troops." How do you lend that support if you are persuaded the troops are fighting an unjustified war of imperial aggression?

(Calif.)

A

Since the question is addressed to those not in favor of our country's preemptive strike in Iraq, I asked more than a half dozen friends of that persuasion how they would support or pray for the troops.

The answers in one sense were varied.

One said, "I could not pray for the U.S . troops nor the leaders who threw them into this war." When pressed, this respondent relented somewhat and said he would pray for the safety of the soldiers involved.

Admittedly it is not easy to pray supportively for men and women carrying out an activity you believe strongly is wrong. More than one person, however, conceded "it makes all the difference in the world if one has a loved one who is in harm's way." Another admitted not having prayed for the troops "until a few of them have become personal acquaintances."

My resource people were almost unanimous in several respects. As believers we suffer with the suffering. We empathize with wounded and maimed troops and with the families and friends of those who die or are wounded. Not to pray for these would be a contradiction.

But I would not pray that our soldiers be good snipers! In fact, I believe I should pray for soldiers on both sides of

I believe I should pray for soldiers on both sides of the conflict. I believe terrorists do terribly evil things, but Iraqi mothers, grandmothers, children and loved ones cherish their soldiers as much as Americans do. the conflict. I believe terrorists do terribly evil things, but Iraqi mothers, grandmothers, children and loved ones cherish their soldiers as much as Americans do. It is by God's grace that we were born under a democratic government. What if we had been born in Iraq? "There, but for the grace of God, go I." Another thing on which there was agreement is that we may well pray for the troops since we see them as "victims" of a system, of the machine we call ''war.''

We can pray for the safety and protection of all the troops, regardless of which side they represent, though we all know war is hell and some will be killed. We can pray that they will all be allowed to return home as soon as pOSSible-that there may be a peaceful resolution to the conf)ict.

There is also strong feeling that we would do well to pray that military/political leaders in charge (on both sides) make wise decisions that minimize

......-........................................... .............................................................................

.

Have a question about a Bible passage, ..

E-mail at mheinl@fresno.edu or send your to "Inquiring Mtnds, c/o Marvin Hem, 3036 East Magill Avenue, Fresno, CA 93710.

18 • THE CHRISTIAN

LEADER

bloodshed. We can pray that leaders around the world, and citizens as well recognize the futility of war and and that they begin to understand that violence only begets more violence and hatred. We can pray that governments, including ours, will recognize that the monies spent on instruments of warmillions for just one plane-be used for more humane enterprises.

I have to confess, and most of my friends agree, that when I spot the decal urging me to support the troops, I hear a trick question that demands I make a choice. "Support our troops" seems to be asking me 'fue you an American or not?"

It implies that if I am not for the war I am not a good citizen. The suggestion to "support" leaves no room for me as a follower of Jesus to be cautious as a dove and hopefully wise as a serpent, trying to listen to God's call for me to be first of all one who lives by Jesus' kingdom laws and to still be a good citizen of this earthly kingdom. I feel boxed in! I hear someone saying: "If you are not for us, you are against us."

Finally, the New Testament calls us to pray "for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness" (1 Tim. 2:1-2). So I need to pray for government leaders who think desperately different about the war. My prayers should include those whom we perceive to be our enemies. Jesus said we should. My prayers should also include my brothers and sisters in Christ who will disagree strongly with what I have just written.

And I will pray for myself that I will hold all persons to be objects of God's undeserved love, no matter their color, race or nationality. I will pray that at least in a small way I can copy his love .•

PH'UP SIDE BY

PHILIP

WIEBE

Second thoughts about New Year's resolutions Could taking stock and setting goals help fill a void?

DRIVING THROUGH TOWN ONE

number of special observances the people followed yearly. One was the Day of Atonerecent January evening, I noticed quite a ment on which the people were to "hold a crowd at one of our local fitness centers. sacred assembly and deny yourselves, and ''That place is hopping," I commented to present an offering made to the LORD" my wife.

(Lev. 23:27).

This was for the fOrgiveness "Of course," Kim replied. "New Year's of sins.

One would presume such a day resolutions." would have inspired reflection and resoluOh yeah, I hadn't thought of that.

Apparendy January is a hot month for new tion about ways to live a more God-pleasgym memberships. Probably around April, ing life.

In the New Testament a new kind of I reflected, the crowds would start thinobservance was established that also relatningout. ed to sin and forgiveness: the Lord's SupThat's often the way it is with New per.

In view of]esus' body and blood, sacYear's Resolutions. People plan to make rificed for the salvation of humanity, one some changes, undertake some improvewas urged: "You should examine yourself ments, tum over some new leaves (whatbefore eating the bread and drinking from ever that means). But often the initial the cup" (1 Cor. 11:28 NL1).

Today when enthusiasm turns to apathy, when it hits we participate in communion, it usually home that healthy habits demand the most comes with the expectation that resoluannoying thing known to modem society: tions will be made to follow Jesus in a long-term commitment. worthy manner.

That's why I stopped making New During days past when our culture Year's resolutions long ago. Why bother? If was largely churchgoing, there used to be something is worth doing, it should be regular patterns of reflection and renewal done all year round. It shouldn't be subbased on the historic Christian year. Some ject to annual rallying cries for the purchurches still follow the calendar, but othpose of drumming up fresh interest and ers have pretty much gotten away from it. commitment.

In the latter case, Christmas and Easter are Or should it? the only special observances left.

ChristLately I've been having second mas is the warm-fuzzy holiday, free of spirithoughts about New Year's resolutions. tual demands.

Easter is more conducive to Maybe they're not so bad after all. For a contemplation, but the old Lenten purlong time I've held my anti-resolution phisuits have become rare in today's church losophy, but now I wonder if there's life. another reason I don't like the practice.

Maybe New Year's resolutions help Laziness. Those people who hit the gym in January and fade out by April? I'd probably fill the void. People need to take stock and set new goals on a regular basis. be one of them.

I'm even beginning to think many So maybe I could stand to make a "cliched" resolutions have more substance few New Year's resolutions for a change, and stick with them. Losing weight certain- than it may seem. Take losing weight, for instance. Maybe for some it's just about ly wouldn't hurt, for starters. looking good in skinny pants, but for othActually, fresh starts, new commiters it's about feeling better and getting ments and inspirational milestones are healthier. It's going against the gluttonous biblical. The Old Testament records a

trends of our increasingly obese culture and practicing moderation and self-control. For a person of faith such as myself; there is also the aspect of stewardship, of being a better caretaker of this God-given vessel. These sound like meaningful goals tome.

Another common New Year's resolution is to take up some activity or hobby to help one de-stress and enjoy life more. So what's wrong with that? For all of its obsession with entertainment, our culture is still largely a stressed-out, rat-raced, workaholic crowd. I sure can be that way, with work, meetings, ministry activities, family commitments and home maintenance taking all my time. Currendy the leisure activities I regularly pursue for health and enjoyment are, uh, let me think, well, I'll let you know if I think of any. The lack of such pursuits are likely one of the reasons I'm not doing so great right now at "Sabbath"-resting before God from human works and strivings, Simply to enjoy his presence and blessings.

A big resolution people make these days is to simplify. Get organized, clear out the clutter and avoid getting so overscheduled. Those are good ones. When Jesus told the rich young man to "sell your possessions and give to the poor" (Matt.

19:21), perhaps the crux of his message was, "Simplify!" The man was too wrapped up in worldly possessions and priorities.

Just like so many are today. We collect more stuff than we know what to do with and commit to more things than we can follow through on. Probably simplifying our lives should be a New Month's resolution, made 12 times a year.

I could go on. The point is I've been too critical of New Year's resolutions and really should be more open to their value.

And you never know, one year I might even make some.•

FEB R U A R Y

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ON THE ]OUHNEY BY

ROSE

BUSCHMAN

Holiday meal becomes a global meeting place Firsthand encounters with internationals an educational experience THIS PAST THANKSGIVING WE had people from a number of different backgrounds over for our family celebration. Our children and grandchildren came as well as my sister and her family. A cousin and her husband, whom my sister doesn't ever remember meeting, also came. We invited a Pakistani scientist, my husband's former graduate student, and his bride of two months to come and share our celebration. Finally we found another couple, who also knew the Pakistani couple, to join us. Because so many people didn't know each other we all wore name tags. I cooked a turkey and beef roast, mashed potatoes and gravy, dressing and sweet potato casserole. Several guests brought their favorite side dishes and desserts to add to the feast.

We had asked our Pakistani friends to bring their wedding pictures so we could learn more about the five day celebration they had in their home country.

Our six-year-old granddaughter, who loves to play princess, was spellbound as she and her mother sat with the new bride and looked at pictures of all the fabulous dresses-one for each day-that the bride had worn. We all enjoyed hearing accounts of the 500 to 600 guests who came to the celebrations. I was glad I didn't have to plan for all the food that would be required. We all had a wonderful time sharing and learning.

Several years ago we invited a Chinese couple that worked at the university experiment station with my husband to share our family Thanksgiving celebration. In addition, we had them over several other times. They even attended our church service once at our invitation. We didn't know until much later that they had never heard of Christianity before, had never knowingly met Christians, nor

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knew anything about the Bible or Christ.

After they moved away they came in contact with Chinese Christians in their new community and attended their church. Soon the entire family accepted Christ and became active there. More recendy we visited them in Dallas and attended their Chinese language Sunday morning service. When I recognized a hymn tune, I sang along in English while everyone else sang in Chinese. That's how it will be in heaven, I thought to myself, when we will all stand around the throne of God from every tribe, nation and tongue and sing praises to God together (Rev. 7:9-12) .

In his bQokA Mind For Missions Paul Borthwick recommends that we get firsthand experience with people from other cultures that live in our communities. "The world has come to us and we are the losers if we do not take advantage of the learning opportunities God has placed before us," he writes. To become a world class Christian, we must be wiDing to learn from them.

For my husband and me, the last few years have been a real eye-opener as we have waited with the young Pakistani scientist while his family back in his home country, with his consent, searched for a wife for him. This fall we visited the young couple in their home here in the U.S. and shared a very special meal which the young bride prepared for us.

While living in Morocco we visited in the home of a scientist who had spent several years in the U.S. studying for an advanced degree. During the time of her stay in the U.S. she rented a room in a Christian home. The Muslim scientist spoke very highly of her Christian landlady. "She always wanted to know when I had tests, important meetings or projects

LEADER

due so she could pray for me," said the scientist. Furthermore, this world class Christian had been very interested to learn about the scientist's family and culture. In so doing, she made a positive impact on her own life as well as that of the Moroccan scientist.

Unfortunately, not all foreign students have such a positive experience.

One young Hindu exchange student asked to be removed from a Christian home because the family insisted that she attend church with them every Sunday. It is one thing to invite and quite another to require. I would have requested to be removed, too, if I had been pressured to attend Friday prayers in the mosque during my stay in North Africa.

Several years ago we had a group of Chinese university students over for Christmas. Some had been in this country for up to five years and had never been in an American home before. The women were particularly interested to learn how to set a table American-style and complemented us on how good our food tasted. Up to that point their experience with American food was in the university cafeteria or at fast-food restaurants.

On Christmas Eve, after we watched a movie together, one of the men said, "Tell us why Christmas is so important to you." Others nodded in agreement and so we had the opportunity to share with them the story of Jesus' birth and what his message means to us. The next day several even attended a Sunday morning worship service with us.

We can learn to be world class Christians in our own communities. If we ask him, God wiD direct our thinking and our actions as we search for ways to reach out to the foreigners around us . •

CONfEHENCE CALL CHUCK

BULLER,

EXECUTIVE

DIRECTOR

Networking the faith Making room for new ideas while serving an unchanging God NETWORKING IS A RELATIVELY NEW word in the American lexicon. It incorporates the ideas of connecting people, ideas and programs rather than creating them. God has only made so many truly creative people who actually know how to make new things. This is especially true of the church. The church is not like a new technology. Our Lord is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb. 13:7).

How the church gets shaped, packaged and presented changes but not the essential story of redemption. This often causes tension in local congregations.

Some pastors and creative lay leaders want to try new forms and mistakenly believe the presentation of those forms has the same significance as the Gospel itself The average layperson may wonder why it is so important to change. IfJesus hasn't changed in 2,000 years then why the big fuss! The battle lines are qUickly drawn.

I think that churches caught in the cycle of debate about change would do well to consider the concept of networking. To completely change metaphors, it's a bit like learning to cook a new dish.

When you put together entirely new ingredients, using the best information and knowledge created by other creative culinary experts, you arrive at entirely new flavors and presentations of food.

But it's still food-fuel for the body, pleasure for the taste buds and extra pounds for the average American. Some people prefer to never change their diets. Others can't wait to hear about a new restaurant or recipe. Some like drive-through, others prefer white linen.

In the end, everyone needs to eat.

Jesus told us he is the "bread of life".

You really can't live without him. He thankfully did not describe himself as

varieties of bread, or discuss the possible spreads you might want to use. He simply said, "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life ... " Oohn 6:54).

In the history of the Christian church, God has allowed his followers amazing latitude in how they practice that command. Some use crackers, others real bread. Some use Merlot, others use Welch's grape juice. Mercifully, God has allowed us the freedom of worship he placed in us at the point of our creation.

God's decision to create freethinking, non-robotic human beings ended up being both the blessing and the curse for how his communities of faith develop.

The great part of being postmodern is that we now live in a world that is connected internationally and "informationally." That's why the worship songs don't sound very different in Kansas and Kentucky. That's why you hear ministers preaching the same series in every state in the union. The network of Christian resources has exploded with the advent of the Internet.

The downside is that there is even less motivation for preachers, lay leaders and church attendees to do any original thinking, reading, praying or discerning.

We are qUickly becoming the "Church Vanilla" as a part of the larger American landscape. When I was in seminary we were encouraged to "skip a meal and buy a book." Now you can go to an Internet cafe anywhere in the world and go online. The upside to all of this is the opportunity to network. No longer do leaders enjoy the excuse of remote geography, few resources or stale ideology. We have never been more connected to resources than we are today.

In my mind this is increasingly the key role of the denomination. We no

longer have an exclusive task to create all necessary programs and opportunities but to discern what is out there that would be helpful and in keeping with our theology. While we guard the institutions that we have created in the last 100 years, we also push them to acknowledge that they are part of a growing Christian marketplace where networking is the norm and not the exception.

This new and postmodern world represents both an exciting and scary time for the Mennonite Brethren family.

The opportunity to network new ideas and ministry resources will produce a great deal of change. Thankfully, we serve an unchanging God. Lest you think change means that everything must be new and different, think again. It is still true that what goes around comes around. Last week, together with my daughter, I attended a nonMB church in Fresno, Calif., that appeals to the college crowd and young families.

About a thousand such faces fill the auditorium Sundays at 5:00 and 7:00 p.m. As I expected, candles were burning, creating a golden ember on the darkened stage. The band warmed us up with some "hot" worship music. Then came the great surprise. The pastor preached a 35-minute, verse-by-verse exposition of Rev. 1:9-18. My heart was warmed, my mind was challenged and I suddenly felt quite at home. I still know how to preach that kind of sermon and I easily know how to listen to it as well. So did 1,000 college kids!

This postmodern world is full of opportunity and possible disasters, all at the same time. Thankfully, God will build his church, Jesus is timeless and consuming him as Lord still leads to eternal life!.

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targets Thailand for relief. church planting projed

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BMS International, the Mennonite Brethren global mission agency for North American churches, is targeting its response to the devastating December 26 Indian Ocean tsunami to countries in which there are Mennonite Brethren churches and MBMSI personnel. The agency is focusing its efforts on Thailand and is working in India and Indonesia with its partners and MB churches to determine how best to respond to the crisis.

Thailand While MBMSI workers in Thailand do not live in regions hit by the tsunami, Team 2000 has taken the lead in finding ways to provide relief in the country. Members of MBMSI's TREK program have assisted them. A TREK team of 10 North American

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young adults is working with the team for several months. The three families comprising Team 2000 live in southern Thailand while another family works in northern Thailand. The tsunami hit the western coast of Thailand on the Andaman Sea. Initially Team 2000 members assisted Thai families attending their church that had relatives in the affected area of the country. Then in early January, as a result of a meeting in early January between Ricky Sanchez of Team 2000 and the governor of Chonburi, the MB workers were given plane tickets to the Phuket area for Sanchez, team member Andy Owen, a Thai woman attending their church and the TREK team.

The 13 MB volunteers spent an emotional four days recovering bodies, photographing them for identification and wrap-

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ping them for burial. They also sorted and folded donated clothing and filled out missing person forms. The team's work has been highlighted by various news agencies in North America including an interview on "Good Morning America."

"Please continue to pray for the TREK team and the support they give to Team 2000," says TREK director Sam Dick. "God has brought them together for such a time as this ... . And I anticipate as we wait and listen to his voice guide us as a mission agency that we are going to see many desperate people come, for the first time, into a relationship with their loving Creator and Father."

Following their team's trip to Southern Thailand MBMSI has launched "Operation Rebuilding Lives," a plan that calls for the rebuilding of 10 Thai homes in the

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, NTER-MENNONITE AND MENNONITE BRETHREN groups were quick to respond after the tsunami waves washed over coastal areas of South Asia Dec. 26, leaving between 158,000 and 221,000 people dead In 11 countries and millions more missing, homeless and Injured. Leader coverage focuses on the response as of late January of MBMS Intematlonal and Asian MBs and Mennonite Central Committee, a relief, service and peace agency of North American Mennonite and Brethren In Christ churches. Mennonite response to the crisis has focused on Thailand, Indonesia, Srllm\ka and India.

Mennonite World Conference, a worldwide community of Anabaptlst-f'elated churches, Is also among the groups supportin, tsunami victims. Its efforts focus on sharing news between the global Anabaptist famJIy and communicating with churches affected by the crisis. "We commit ourselves to help get out the word ••• so that we, your community In other parts of the world, may be generous In supportln, your efforts," says Nancy Heisey, MWC president, in a letter to Indonesian churches in early January.

Phangnga region of Phuket. The long-term goal is to prepare the way for a future church plant in Southern Thailand. Team 2000's vision for the plan is that their congregation in Chonburi will be connected to the emerging church. The Chonburi church is sending its pastor and some members to help this dream become a reality.

While the Thai government in midJanuary was reducing the number of new organization, we do want to plant churchvolunteer groups, the governor of Phangnes in a holistic way-a way that meets the ga, the worst hit area in Southern Thaispiritual, physical, mental, and emotional land, assured MBMSI personnel that they I needs of individuals for whom Jesus Christ could come and help with teams of up to I died," says the agency in a news release 15 people. about its efforts.

Response of MBs in the U.S. and MBMSI is accepting donations for Canada to the plan has been "overwhelmOperation Rebuilding Lives. Materials for ing," says the agency. The first team of 16 I each new home will cost $2,700. Donavolunteers left for Thailand January 15 to I tions are also being accepted to cover the spend two weeks helping in the relief volunteers' costs. The agency is requesting effort and beginning the reconstruction of I funds designated to the Urgent Ministry homes. The participants from the U.S. and Relief Fund for ongoing redevelopment Canada included medical personnel, conwork and anticipates that this will be the struction professionals and food, health I biggest need over time. and pastoral coordinators. Plans are for a India and Indonesia second team to leave January 28 for two In India, which has the largest numweeks to finish the work. The first team ber of MBs in the world, none of the MB will also assess further needs so that churches were affected. The MB DevelopMBMSI can determine whether a third ment Organization had plans early after team is needed. the disaster to travel to the affected areas "While MBMSI is not primarily a relief

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to assess needs and determine how the India MB church could help. Long-term redevelopment is anticipated to be the biggest need. Darren Duerksen with the MBMSI New Delhi Team was waiting in mid-January for further details fromJ.L. David, director of the MB Development Organization.

In Indonesia, MBMSI has been in touch with PIPKA, the Indonesia Mennonite mission board and MBMSI's partner in that country, as well as Mennonite Central Committee to determine how MBs can be of help. "From Indonesia I can report that our churches in North Sumatra, as well as in other areas so far have not suffered casualties," says Frits Triman of PIPKA. PIPKA and MCC are exploring ways that MBMSI can partner with them to strengthen the church's witness in the Aceh region through the disaster.-from MBMSI reports byJoanna Felts

TREK member reflects on Thai relief work Katrina Grabner, a Canadian who is currently in 1bailand with MBMS International's TREKprogram, e-mailed thisfirstperson account of her experiences assisting with tsunami relief efforts in Southern 1bailand. TREK, an acronym for Training, Resourcing and Extending the Kingdom, places teams ofyoung adults in ninemonth ministry assignments.

WE WERE IN THE PHANGNGA AREA, the hardest hit area in Thailand, for three full days. There are around 3,800 dead in

the area and over 2,400 missing. The destruction caused by the tsunami is unbelievable. We went to one village that had been completely destroyed. There were large boats in the middle of the village. It looked like a garbage dump had exploded.

There was a huge need for volunteers to help put corpses into body bags and coffins. Foreigners are not usually allowed to do this gruesome task at the temples, but the situation was so desperate that they needed volunteers to do

this. Our hour at the temple, moving the corpses into body bags and into coffins, was by far the most difficult task for our team as there was just row upon row of decomposing bodies at the temples. The smell of death was everywhere. We could only handle an hour of this because it takes so much out of a person, both physically and emotionally. As we moved the bodies there was no escaping the reality that we all face physical death on this earth . • FEB R U A R Y

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MCC prepares largest aid package in its history

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"It's everything we thought it would be ••• and more!"

Tsunami response to provide immediate and long-term aid in three countries

people are reported killed by the waves, MENNONITE CENTRAL COMMITTEE IS $75,000 has already been distributed to an preparing a $10 million response package for ecumenical consortium ofIndonesian and immediate and long-tenn response to the late international agencies coordinating a December Asia earthquake and tsunamis. This response to the disaster. The funds have gone is the single largest MCC response to war, famine or natural disaster in its 85-year history. to renting storage warehouses in Jakarta for relief supplies, transporting and distributing "The generous outpouring of donations and support has been humbling," says Ronald material resources, sending 125 Indonesian medical volunteers, including 25 doctors, to J.R. Mathies, MCC executive director. ''We field hospitals in the disaster area, purchasing praise God for these gifts and will put them all to use bringing hope and dignity to people medicines for field hospitals, assisting in the evacuation of injured people and purchasing who have suffered so much." clean water equipment.

The current response includes $1 milAs MCC workers report on the psycholion in material aid, some of which is being logical trauma suffered by tsunami survivors, airlifted to the region. The remaining funds MCC is also preparing to train trauma counwill be directed toward intennediate and long-term response efforts proposed by MCC selors in IndoneSia, India and Sri Lanka.

Three experienced trauma counselors will be partners and assessment teams in the region. sent to affected areas to train groups of local The $10 million response package is people to attend to psychological needs. nearly double MCC's response to Hurricane MCC is also prOviding $11,000 for a partMitch in 1998 and three times the funding available during the 1984-85 Ethiopia famine. ner organization, West Bengal Volunteer In the short tenn MCC contributed Health Association, to send doctors to make health assessments and do trauma counseling $22,000 through its partner Social Unit for on India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands in Community Health and Improvement in the Bay of Bengal.

India for rice, blankets, clothing and other In early January, MCC Indonesia co-repitems. The items are being distributed to approximately 6,000 people in five villages resentatives Dan and Jeanne Jantzi reported that the loss of life has overwhelmed the abilialong the coast in southern India. The first ty of communities to mourn the dead. distribution phase has been completed.

"Most people we talked to in the camps An additional $25,000 in funds for meeting immediate food needs was contributed to are just numb," theJantzis wrote in an e-mail following their visit to Banda Aceh. "They sit a longtime MCC partner, the Church's Auxilwithout any energy to rebuild or to do anyiary for Social Action. Through the Canadian thing."

Foodgrains Bank, MCC is providing 2,000 metric tons of locally purchased grain for disMary Oxley, an MCC worker in Sri Lanka, tribution by CASA. reports that some survivors already are meetMCC also helped to fund a Church ing to discuss trauma counseling. "Some of World Service airlift of medical supplies and the features of this particular trauma are the huge number of bodies that will never be blankets to Sri Lanka and Indonesia. Last found, making the grieving process for indimonth MCC also shipped 1,500 relief kits to viduals much more protracted," Oxley Indonesia.

In Indonesia, where more than 94,000 writes.-from MGG reports

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Vietnamese court sets February appeal date for imprisoned leaders

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brothers report abuse while in prison

oncern for the welfare of imprisoned Vietnamese Mennonite church leaders following reports of their maltreatment was tempered last month with news that an appeal for the release of Pastor Nguyen Hong Quang and Pham 1"!fgoc Thach was to be heard Feb. 2.

A Vietnamese lawyer, who asked to remain anonymous, says that Quang and his fellow workers are not criminals guilty of the charges brought against them, but victims of a regime that oppresses religion and other human rights.

In a Jan. 15 telephone conversation with Mennonite World Conference personnel, a Vietnamese Mennonite leader urged the international faith community to contact the government and the court on behalf of Quang and Thach, requesting that the hearings be open and that members of the church be permitted to attend.

Quang and Thach are two of the "Mennonite Six" arrested last year and tried Nov. 12, 2004, on charges related to resisting officers of the law doing their duty. Thach and Quang were sentenced to two and three years in prison respectively.

Nguyen Van Phuon was sentenced to 12 months; his appeal has been denied.

Brothers Nguyen Huu Nghia and Nguyen Thanh Nhan were sentenced to nine months imprisonment, basically the time they had already served, and were released in early December.

Concern for the welfare of Le Thi Hong Lien, also sentenced in November to one year in prison, remains high. Reports indicate that she has been beaten, is suffering from total mental collapse and has been denied treatment. DuringJanuary her parents were regularly denied access to her when they attempted to visit. They

believe authorities fear , floor, and did not receive the warm clothes they will report their their families brought for them. daughter's mistreatment.

The men also suffered verbal abuse Lien's plight has capand were forced to squat motionless in tured the attention of tight places for long periods of time with Amnesty International and only their toes touching the ground. Often Lien in January the organization when they were at the point of exhaustion, urged individuals to contact the Prime officers brought documents for them to Minister and President of Vietnam on her sign, admitting to crimes or implicating behalf. Amnesty International considers Quang, a top Mennonite leader and an her a prisoner of conscience, imprisoned advocate of human rights and religious solely for the peaceful exercise of her funfreedom in the communist-ruled nation. damental rights to freedom of expression They refused, but sometimes their signaand association and a victim of torture and tures were forged. They were moved to ill-treatment. three different prisons; the abuse continSince their release, the Nguyen brothued at each location. ers have been speaking out about the batNot since Ethiopia in the 1980s have tering they suffered, both at the hands of Mennonites endured repression like they correction officers and of other prisoners experienced in Vietnam during 2004. In who received food and cigarettes as addition to the six arrests, made as part of rewards for beating up the young Mennoa government crackdown on unauthorized nites. Medical examinations since their religious groups, a house-church meeting release have identified severe physical place was destroyed, church services distrauma, including potentially life-threatenrupted, property seized and believers ing damage to their bodies. harassed, threatened and beaten. In spite "I don't know what hell is like, but in of the recent crackdown, church leaders the months past I feel as if I have been in report that Mennonite congregations hell," says Nghia. throughout the country, including that of imprisoned pastor Nguyen Hong Quang, Despite their ordeal, the faith of both men remains strong. held Christmas services. Even though peo"I am not only suffering in my body, but ple were reluctant to come to services for also in my spirit and soul .... But I always fear of arrest, the largest gathering numbelieve that the Lord of heaven will keep bered 350 people, while another drew 100 and preserve me and that the Lord will bring believers and a third 70. a revival to our country," says Nhan.

Mennonite World Conference has Both men also report savage beatings made repeated appeals to the Vietnamese and kicking over all parts of their bodies government regarding the treatment of the from the moment of their arrests. The six leaders. AJanuary appeal asked authorabuse often continued until they fainted or ities to end the mistreatment, to provide lapsed into convulsions. Splashes of cold the best possible medical treatment for water revived them and the beatings conLien and to quash the sentences against tinued. They were denied adequate food those remaining in prison.-from MWC and water, forced to sleep on the cement report

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Morris: A fisher of men New director calls on MBs to "pursue what the Lord wants us to do"

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hen Don Morris, the newly appointed director ofMission USA and Integrated Ministries, recently visited with a Leader staff member about his new assignment, the conversation covered a variety of tOPics relevant to Morris' multifaceted assignment: providing leadership to national Mennonite Brethren efforts in church planting, fostering church health and welcoming immigrant congregations to fellowship. The conversation also quickly revealed Morris' passion for reaching lost people with the good news ofJesus Christ. Below are excerpts of the interview focusing on his first months of work and his ministry philosophy. As specific MUSA and 1M projects get underway, we'll talk with Morris again about the nuts and bolts of the ministry he heads.

CL: Since becoming the diredor of M ission USA/Integrated Ministries. how have you spent your time?

OM: I've enjoyed the last five months immensely. I scratch my head and wonder why, and then realize this is what God wants me to be doing now. In light of that, I want to learn what I need to be doing as quickly as I can.

I've been doing a lot of

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traveling, trying to get a handle on two different facets of this ministry. First are the Integrated Ministries churches. The other is gathering fresh ideas for church planting opportunities.

CL: Any surprises in the first months?

OM: I think most people recognize that things with MUSA had been put on hold for a period of time. I was surprised by how much we have missed the really strong charge of MUSA, the passion and the zeal that is a part of church growth. I sense a

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real desire to get that going again. I've been surprised by how many church growth opportunities there are, to the point that we can't do them all-we're going to have to pick and choose. That's exciting.

CL: What is on your heart as you consider this new assignment?

OM: From the very beginning MUSA has been about understanding what it means for us to be a people who are reaching out and reaching to our neighbors. Scripture says Jesus expressed his purpose very directly-to seek and save the lost. To fulfill that purpose he created the church. So the church's purpose has to follow Jesus' purpose: to seek and to save the lost. I think we've replaced that with "to fulfill what I want, what I need and what's meaningful for me."

To some degree that's important because we want to grow as God's people.

But unless we latch on to Jesus' purpose statement, we've just

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absolutely and totally missed it as a church. My philosophy of ministry, of what MUSA is all about, is to be that which Jesus is all about. And what Jesus is all about is seeking those that are lost and bringing them to salvation.

For me personally that means I want to be used up. I don't intend to neglect my family but I want to be spent because this is too important.

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I would like to start one new church in each district, year after year I after year.

CL: So let's say we U.S. MBs really grab hold of this mindset. It's the year 2010 and you are writing a MUSAlIM report. What do you hope risks. I'm a risk taker because I've seen you will be saying?

God do great things. Then it's not so much DM: I hope I'm saying how rewarding of a risk as it's being willing to step out in it is to see that our churches have a mindfaith. set of birthing new churches. That we have all kinds of baby churches just getting CL: What are some things you've started. That daughter churches are growseen God do? ing. That our people are excited because DM: Anytime somebody steps back we're seeing changes in people who previand says, "Only God could have done that. ously were hurting.

We couldn't and we didn't; it was just the I hope individuals are giving account Lord"-that's a big thing. of how they developed a relationship with In my own life it's been changing my someone so that that person came to desire to be on the farm forever to being understand their need for a Savior. I hope so uneasy because I knew God was calling that these stories are so many we can't me to something I would never have count them. dreamed of doing: being involved in fullI hope we will be talking about a new time ministry. For us at Pine Acres (the freshness that's come to several of our church in Weatherford, Okla., Morris led churches that previously were really strug- I until this fall) it was seeing God give a gling. group of people a vision and seeing that vision come about.

CL: You don't have any numbers attached to these goals. Can you be CL: Why is it so important to plant more specific? new MB churches?

DM: I would like to start one new DM: New churches are four times church in each district, year after year after more effective than existing churches in year. At least one, and hopefully more than bringing people into relationship with that. To get that done is a huge undertakJesus. That doesn't mean that existing ing so we as God's people will need to churches don't have a ministry to nonsupport that with prayer and finances.

Christians, but new churches have a freshI steer away from saying let's have so ness about them that lost people seem to many churches by 2010. I think we need to be drawn to. pursue on a regular basis what the Lord We MBs don't have a monopoly on Nants us to do. Who knows how many the message of Jesus. But I believe in our lew churches that will be! theology and the diScipleship we teach. In The one thing we don't want to do is MB churches the Bible is taught and lived :0 do nothing. We want to do something. out-discipleship. That's what drew my \nd that's going to mean taking some

wife and me to the MBs in the 70s. This is one of our strengths. There are other groups that I think are better at evangelism, and so we need to catch up. But when we evangelize, I think our pursuit of what it means to be a true follower of Jesus Christ is what people are looking for, even though they may not fully recognize it or know what's wrong in their lives.

CL: In addition to church growth, you are also working with Integrated Ministries, churches in our conference comprised of immigrant people. What priorities have you identified in 1M work?

DM: The most immediate is to build a relationship base with these churches. I think there's been a disconnect in a lot of these situations. Some 1M churches have simply joined our denomination for the financial benefit, and we need to pursue relationships that go beyond providing financial assistance. We have situations where churches don't necessarily believe themselves to be MB. That's sad. Longterm, as we add 1M churches, we're looking for new churches that truly want to be MB. CL: People have often said the "integrated" part of 1M is not a reality.

What are your thoughts on that?

DM: I would love it if we could develop deeper relationships with 1M churches to where they feel like they belong to us and we to them. That's not happening now. One of the things that has bothered me for years is going to conventions and seeing Slavs or Koreans or Ethiopians sitting at tables all by themselves. We Anglos have to take an active part in bridging the gap.

These relationships can be extremely rich. Some of these people have amazing stories. They've gone through trials that the rest of us could learn from and have made a difference in their community in dynamic ways. These churches report numerous salvations and baptisms. They have something going that we could learn from and we need to be doing that. • FEB R U A R Y

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action. "We are connected to a family and want to work at mission together," Friesen says.

Months after U.S. delegates gave their nod of approval to both the vision statement and the funding model, Friesen says that he sees encouraging signs that churches are taking ownership of missions, but also sees "lots of room to grow here."

Following are four "encouraging signs"-examples of churches that are intentionally investing in mission by fOCUSing their vision, by shifting their funding and by sending and supporting missionaries, both short and long-term.

Taking ownership - - ._ - - - _._._ - - - -

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Four churches that have answered the challenge to own MB mission work

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hen churches are healthy, "there's no limit on what you can do in mission," according to Randy Friesen, general director of MBMS International. To challenge U.S. and Canadian Mennonite Brethren churches to go beyond the "norm," both literally and figuratively, MBMSI is changing. They are asking churches to own the mission vision in a new and deeper way: "We're changing as a mission and we want to invite you to lifechange with us," Friesen says.

The changes were reflected in a new vision statement and relational funding model proposed by MBMSI and approved by delegates at the U.S. Conference convention in July 2004. Friesen says that both proposals were born out of "a recognition that ownership needs to be much

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more strongly held in the local church and also that the vision for mission flows out of healthy churches."

While it was once possible for local churches to simply send their financial "norms' and ask the agency to make the decisions and do the work, current changes mean churches will have more input into where money goes, will build relationships with missionaries and will send people on short and long-term missions assignments. "We're asking congregations to increase their missional investment, both in people and in resources," Friesen says.

The changes do not mean that MBMSI is abdicating their leadership role.

MBMSI has over 100 years of experience and wisdom and can provide a wealth of counsel and resources to put vision into

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FOCUSED VISION: SHAFTER (CALIF.) MB CHURCH A logical first step in owning mission vision is clearly defining that vision.

Shafter (Calif) MB Church is one of several congregations that have participated in a workshop designed to focus a congregation's global vision.

Design Your Impact workshops were created by DualReach, an organization that provides missions training, consulting and resources. Representatives from MBMSI have been trained as workshop facilitators to help churches explore strengths, focus mission vision, and incorporate that vision into congregational life.

Shafter's church council participated in a DYI workshop as part of their annual retreat June 12, 2004. Ron Penner and Harold Ens of MBMSI facilitated the workshop.

"God has our church here for a reason," says pastor Pat Coyle. The workshop helped them discover their unique gifts and resources, then use that information to sharpen their focus.

Coyle says the intent was to focus on a few missions areas for greater effectiveness. Shafter chose two areas of missions focus: missionaries in Burkino Faso and local and international Hispanic ministry: The congregation already had a relationship with MBMSI missionaries Phil and Carol Bergen, translators in Burkino Faso. As a result of the DYI workshop,

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Relational giving means more than a they chose to concentrate their energies line item in the budget, however. The and resources to support the Bergens.

Coyle says they hope to improve commuchurch is making a genuine effort to get nication with the Bergens and eventually to know the missionaries in order to sup· send short-term teams to help with speI port them most effectively. For example, during their annual harvest mission festi· cial projects.

A desire for Hispanic ministry comes val they arranged for brief phone converfrom their community's large Hispanic sations with both the Hallmans and the population. Although that demographic is Schmidts. The church is helping with specific projects, such as a vehicle fund. not reflected in the congregation, Coyle says, "Our people really do have a heart Janzen says they also hope to send shortterm teams to visit and help these misfor the Hispanic people." As a result of sionaries in the future. the DYI workshop, Shafter has strengthened its relationship with its Hispanic sisJanzen says the shift toward relational funding has been a good way for the ter church, Iglesia Companerismo Criscongregation to connect with missions in tiano, in order to cooperatively reach the a deeper way. "I think people really Hispanic community in Shafter. appreciate having this kind of relationCoyle says that the discussions startship with the missionary," he says. "(Relaed by the workshop have continued to tional funding) intensifies that relationinfluence the church. "From a purely outship." reach standpOint, whether it's across the street or around the world, (the workSENDING AND SUPPORTING THEIR OWN: shop was) a good experience," he says.

GRULLA MB CHURCH, LA GRULLA, TEX. Grulla MB Church, La Grulla, Tex., a INVESTING MORE THAN MONEY: FAIRVIEW (OKLA.) MB CH URCH congregation of about 125 near the The congregation at Fairview (Okla.)

Texas/Mexico border, sent one of their MB Church has responded to MBMSI's own as long-term missionaries last sumcall to relational funding by intentionally mer. Rolando and Laura Mireles are curdesignating funds to specific missionaries rently serving with MBMSI as part of a and building relationships with those missionaries.

Like many U.S. churches, Fairview had a long-standing missions budget based on "norms" set by the conference.

With the help of their MBMSI area direc· tor, Mike 'futzy, the church has transitioned to funding based on relationships with two MBMSI missionary families.

The church now designates funds for Craig and Bridget Hallman in the Middle East and Russell and Elizabeth Schmidt in Thailand. The church already had a rela· tionship with the Hallmans, having supported them for several years under the old funding model. The relationship with the Schmidts is new, a direct result of the church's shift toward relational giving.

The transition was fairly simple, according to pastor Gary Janzen, with a financial commitment similar to their previous commitment.

new church planting team in Guadalajara, Mexico. Grulla MB continues to actively support the Mireles family through prayer, giving, short-term missions visits and relationships.

The congregation's support begins with finances. Pastor Walter Heidenreich says Grulla is a generous church that eagerly responds to the financial needs of its missionaries. "When you give to missions, it doesn't mean that you will have less money in your church," he says. "God will reward 100 percent."

Their support goes beyond their wallets, however. "We are helping them in a personal way," says Heidenreich. The congregation prays for the Mireles family in their weekly prayer meetings, corresponds with them and sends gifts to encourage them. The Mireles family is invited to visit often, and their needs and joys are shared with the congregation.

Just as the church responds readily to financial needs, they respond to physical needs. Last summer, for example, a small team from Grulla went to help with the construction of a kitchen and restroom in Guadalajara.

While the congregation is enthusiastic about supporting the Mireles family and

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proud to have sent one of their own, Heidenreich notes that more can be done. He hopes that the church will one day expand its vision even farther and raise up missionaries to go to non-Spanish-speaking cultures. ''We are very happy that they are in Mexico," he says. "Our goal is to send more people out."

SHORT-TERM PROJECT, BIG IMPACT: THE BRIDGE BIBLE CHURCH, BAKERSFIELD, CALI F. Although barely over a year old, The Bridge Bible Church, Bakersfield, Calif, is already reaching out globally. The church sent a short-term missions team to serve at the MBMSI Thailand Retreat and Consultation held October 24-31 in Pattaya Park, Thailand. The conference was a coming together of regional miSSionaries, local leaders and mission representatives. The Bridge's team of six went specifically to serve the missionary families by caring for and teaching their children.

Outreach is built into the DNA of this young church. The Bridge began with a core group from parent church Laurelglen Bible Church of Bakersfield. Pastor Jeff Gowling says that having a mature group from a healthy church meant a heart for ministry was there from the beginning. The church emphasizes local outreach, with goals for growth into the thousands and plans on active missions involvement as they grow.

This particular missions project resonated with the church because they are family-oriented, with a large proportion of young families both in the community and the congregation. Children's ministry is an emerging strength of the church, so a mission project that focused on the needs of families and children "just seemed to fit," Gowling says.

The entire congregation supported the project through donations of money and extensive supplies, through prayer and by caring for the spouses and families of the team members during the trip.

The team went not just to babYSit, according to team member Sara Goens, but to provide a quality program and allow the kids to have fun. Children met in age-level groups for morning sessions, then came together later in the day for more activities centered around a fun "Thailympics" theme.

The project had a big impact on individual participants, miSSionary families and the church body.

Goens says the enthusiasm of the missionaries they met was contagious and she came home with a new awareness of her own mission field at home. Another participant calls it "life changing" and hopes to serve overseas again. The missionary families expressed gratitude for the team's quality service through letters and a video. Gowling says that a positive first mission experience for the church will undoubtedly encourage more involvement down the road. "Perhaps that paved the way for others to go, as well," he says.-by Myra Holmes

30 •

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NEWS FROM THE MENNONITE BRETHREN WORLD

Two Ukrainian church plants projected for 2005

T

he Ukraine is emerging among Mennonite Brethren as a church planting priority, reports MBMS International, the North American cross-cultural mission agency.

The Ukraine, the former homeland of many Mennonite people, has become a major mission field for many church planting agencies in the past 15 years.

Several churches have already been established in the Molochna and Chortitza areas in the past few years and several others are being proposed.

MBMSI is presently planning for two church planting projects in 2005 in locations with strong historic Mennonite roots. An evangelism approach that will be used to launch the churches is two-week evangelism campaigns staffed by Disciple Making International volunteers. The Ukraine 2005 DMI

campaigns are set for May and September.

The Crimea proposal is in the Tchongrav village and is projected to be house churches. Plans are to have the church planter disciple the converts from the DMI campaign in the context of a new church. "We are praying for a church planting couple for this Crimea church plant challenge, says DMI Director James Nikkel.

"The plan is for a cluster of church plants to be established in the Crimea as the Lord provides funds and workers."

The second church plant in the planning stage is in the village of Lichtenau in Molochna. Many Mennonites remember Lichtenau for its railroad station that became the site of both escape and capture of many Mennonites during the revolution years.

"There is something very significant that happens by way

MBBS faculty promoted THE MB BIBUCAL Seminary board paid tribute in November to the ministry and contributions of three faculty members by promoting them in rank. Mark Baker and Jon Isaak were promoted from assistant to associate professor. Tim Geddert was promoted from associate to full professor and was

recognized Dec. 17 at a reception on the Fresno campus.

"Promotion in the seminary is a recognition and celebration of effective ministry and significant contributions," says Academic Dean James Pankratz. "It is one way of affirming faculty who exemplify the mission, values and ideals of the seminary."

I

of witness integrity when people who have been severely persecuted in a given country can extend forgiveness and return with the gospel message," says Nikkel. "This is what is happening for us in the Ukraine."

Current Mennonite congregations in the Ukraine include two churches begun by MBs: the Kutuzovka church,

restored and dedicated in 1999, and the Rueckenau/Balkovoye church, dedicated in 2004. 1\vo other churches, Zaporozhye and Kherson, were started by the Mennonite Church. These four churches work together under the umbrella of Christian Union of Mennonite Churches, an all-Mennonite agency organized in 2004.-MBMSI/DMI

Geddert has served as a faculty member in New Testament studies since 1986. His publications have been primarily oriented to the church and its use of SCripture to deal with contemporary issues.

Baker has served as a faculty member in mission and theology since 1999. His research and writing have been stimulated by his experience in campus ministries and in local congregations

in the u.S. and Central America and address how theological understanding of God and Christ affects Christian discipleship.

Isaak has served as a faculty member in New Testament since 1998. His research and publications have focused on the Bible. His current writing project is a commentary on Romans commissioned by Kindred Productions, the North American MB publisher.-MBBS FEB R U A R Y

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MORE Military service to be addressed NEWS CHUCK BULLER, U.S. CONFERENCE

Direction online Direction, the academic journal of North American Mennonite Brethren, has c0mpleted its back issue digitizatlon project, announced general editor Doug Miller Jan. 12. Thlrty·three years of issues are now available on the journal's Web site.

Users may search the entire corpus of articles and book reviews by title, subject, author and text string, Including Scripture references. In addition to published texts, the site includes Information about the journal, style guidelines and examples for writers, along with contact and subscription information. The DIrection Web address is www.directlonjournal.org. The journal, published semiannually and supported by the U.S. and Cana- I dian MB conferences and by six MB educational Institutions, was founded in 1972 as a medium for research and conversation on issues of importance to the church.-Dl

KP announces new benefit Kindred Productions, the publishing arm of North American Mennonite Brethren, announced In January a new arrangement with Baker Publishing Group, Zondervan and Group Publishing that allows KP to offer a srnall discount on orders from these publishers. The arrangement opens new opportunities for KP to partner with pastors and churches In ministry, says Marilyn Hudson of Kindred.-KP

MCC food aid totals ,. Mennonite Central Committee provided food aid totaling $6.9 million to 28 countries in 2004. At $1.5 million for the year Sudan received the most MCC food aid of any country, followed by Ethiopia and India. In 2004, MCC shipped a total of 6,939 metric tons of grains, beans, peas and lentils and 280 metric tons of canned meat. MCC spent $1.6 million to purchase local foods for relief and $534,000 on sustainable food production projects.-MCC

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executive director, and other leaders from Anabaptist denominations are working with Mennonite Central Committee U.S. to plan a consultation that will address contingency planning in case of a U.S. military draft. The consultation, to be held March 4-5, in Elgin, Ill., will also address how to respond to an increase in military recruitment efforts and how to promote a culture of volunteerism among youth. Invited participants include denominational leaders, Anabaptist youth and representatives from agencies and educational institutions.

"The consultation will include education on selective service requirements, updates on recruiting efforts and wideranging conversations about alternatives to military service," says MCC U.S. Executive Director Rolando Santiago, who co-wrote the consultation proposal with MCC peace

educator Titus Peachey.

The idea comes in a time of war, sparked in part by heightened military recruitment efforts and rumors of a military draft. Santiago says he and Peachey want to emphasize planning across denominations for alternative service and increased education about options other. than the military. The proposal says that the option of joining the military is often most attractive in economically depressed communities, especially communities of color.

In addition to Buller, the planning group for the consultation includes representatives from Mennonite Church USA, Brethren in Christ Church of North America, Church of the Brethren, MCC U.S. and the Council of Moderators and Secretaries, an Anabaptist group of denominational leaders.-MCC

MCC aids Iraqis from Fallujah MENNONITE CENTRAL COMMITTEE has provided relief supplies and food for 400 Iraqi families that fled Fallujah as U.S. forces battled insurgents there in November driving nearly 250,000 people from their homes. The families live in Liwaa 26, a camp about 30 miles from Fallujah where they took refuge in the days before fighting began.

An MCC partner organization that wishes not to be identified assessed Liwaa 26 and distributed the aid. It found that residents of the camp, an abandoned Iraqi military post, suffered from inadequate food, water, heat and sanitation. MCC's aid, valued at $21,000, included plastic sheeting, blankets, stoves, lamps, clothes, hygiene kits, tomato paste, cooking oil, kidney beans and lentils.

A 48-year-old schoolteacher in Liwaa 26 described his family 's sit-

LEADER

uation to an aid worker and expressed his thanks. "I have three sons and a daughter .... When we escaped the armed conflicts in Fallujah, we didn't have the time to bring anything with us, and we haven't received any governmental food rations in the last three months .... You are the first people to bring any food and other supplies to this abandoned camp."-MCC

...

CHURCH NEWS

CHURCH Membership

Fellowship

Edmond, Okla. (Memorial Road}Zachary Buller, Heather Canfield, Byron Detweiler, Emily Semands, Sarah Friesen, Meghan Haftman and Megan Hulshizer were baptized and welcomed to membership Dec. 5.

Gary and Barbara Hook, Mike Leslie, Dave and Wendy Sparks and Vern and Fran Young were received as members.

Dinuba, calif.-The January UnClassic Mixed Doubles Tennis Tournament, sponsored by the church's men's ministry, was held Jan. 8.

Fresno, calif. (North Fresno)-Jim and Marilyn Slentz and Steve and Lois Ewert were welcomed to membership Dec. 12.

Enid, Okla.-Chris Anderson, Shannon Mueller and Courtney Anderson were baptized and welcomed to membership Dec. 26.

Debbie Mueller was received as a member.

Buhler, Kan.-Lloyd Kelsey, Misti Corn, John and Elaine Ratzlaff and Glenda Matney were welcomed to membership Dec. 26.

Clovis, calif. (College Community)Lewis Regier was received into membership Jan. 9.

Salem, Ore. (Kingwood Bible)Jennifer Kistler was baptized and received into membership. Ruth Eldredge, Michael and Tanya Kerner, Craig Kistler, Dorine Skarmas and Joe Smith were welcomed into membership through testimony.

Pacific District Conference- Regional gatherings were held during January to highlight MB ministries in the western U.S. Sessions included fellowship meals, worship and information presented by district leaders.

Celebrations Ferndale, Wash. (Good News Fellowship)-The church will celebrate its 25th Anniversary March 6.

Ministry Salem, Ore. (Kingwood Bible)-A new food bank ministry began in fall and continues as a positive outreach.

About 60 postcards were sent to nearby neighbors inviting them to come at a specific time to receive a bag of groceries; information about church events is also included.

Olathe, Kan. (Community Bible)Blood pressure screenings were held between Sunday school and worship services Dec. 12.

Visalia, Calif. (Neighbomood)-A third worship service opportunity will begin in February on Saturday

NEWS FROM OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES

nights due to growth in the congregation and the challenges of space on the church campus. The new service will include children's programming.

Nurture Dinuba, Calif.-Sunday Evening Enrichment, a new format for Sunday evening services, began in January. It includes a spiritual gifts class, praise time with a variety of speakers and music, Marriage Mechanics designed for married couples and a Crown Financial Concepts course.

Buhler, Kan.-Beginning in January, a self-led, come-and-go prayer meeting with prayer guides provided will be held every week. The congregation is also invited to join Pastor Brent Warkentin Saturday mornings to read through the Bible and journal.

Rapid City, S.D. (Bible Fellowship)-A mission workshop, led by Mike Yutzy of MBMS International, was held for the mission committee and other leaders Jan. 7-8. The goal of the five-hour workshop is to help churches realize their missions potential.

Henderson, Neb.-AII church boards metJan. 17 with Don Morris, Mission USA director.

Workers Dinuba, Calif.-Brent and Sabrina Sawatzky began serving as youth pastor couple in January.

Reedley, Calif.-Bill Allison began serving as pastor of music and worship Jan. 2. Bill and his wife Diane have a son, Will.

Fresno. calif. (North Fresno)-Bob Plett began serving as worship leader and choir director of the traditional service Jan. 9.

Worship Tacoma, Wash. (Slavic Christian Center)-Jon Wiebe of MB Foundation and Loan Fund, spoke on the connection between faith and finances at the Dec. 18 worship service.

Bakersfield, Calif. (Heritage Bible)Jon Isaak, MB Biblical Seminar associate professor of New Testament was the guest speaker Dec. 26.

Clovis, Calif. (College Community)Mikha Joedhiswara, pastor for 17 years at Gereja Kristen Muria Indonesia, a Mennonite church of 3,000, was the guest speaker Jan. 2.

He is presently serving as Pastor in Residence at the Fresno Pacific University Center for Peacemaking and Conflict Studies while he and his family are in the U.S. for a sabbatical.

Wiebe remembered as educator and churchman EDUCATOR AND churchnan Joel A. Wiebe died Dec. L6, 2004, at the age of 77. The work of the church and its nstitutions, both at the confer!nce and local level, was a pri)rity for Wiebe.

Wiebe was involved in siglificant shifts in Mennonite Jrethren higher education. He erved three stints with the U.S. :onference Board of Educaion-from 1954 to 1957, from 962 to 1965 and from 1978 Intil the BOE was disbanded a

year later follOwing the decision to regionalize ownership of Tabor College and Fresno Pacific University. He was on the faculty of Pacific Bible Institute, now FPU, in the late 1950s and of TC in the mid 1960s. He also served Fresno (Calif) Christian School and Heritage Academy in Bakersfield. In 1989 Wiebe took early retirement and spent the next four years serving FPU in a variety of interim roles, earning him the tide "Permanent Interim." In

1994 he completed the official story of FPU's 50-year history.

Wiebe also served the denomination as secretary for the Pacific District Conference, the U.S. Conference and the binational General Conference and as a member of agency boards. Known as one who loved and collected jokes, Wiebe often laughed that his tenure in anyone church was short and only until he was discovered for what he really was.

He had the distinction of being

a member of and serving at 10 different MB churches.

Wiebe was born Dec. 31, 1926, to H.D. and Gertrude Klaassen Wiebe in Com, Okla.

OnJuly 11, 1947, he married Lucille EIrich, who survives. He is also survived by two daughters, Barbara and husband Ralph Klein and Pati and husband Don Funk; one son, Jay and wife Annette; one brother, James Wiebe, eight grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

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Deaths BECKER. ALVINA, J., Marion, S.D., member of the former Silver Lake MB Church, was born March 14, 1912, to John W. and Katie Derks Deckert near Marion, S.D., and died Jan . 10, 2005, at the age of 92 years.

On Sept. 16, 1932, she married Edward J. Becker, who predeceased her. She is survived by three sons, Arden and wife Carolyn of Marion, S.D.; Jeral and wife Wanda of St. Louis, Mo., and Norman and wife Karen of Portland, Ore.; one brother, Maynard Deckert, of Marion, S.D., six grandchildren and six great grandchildren.

DOANE. EDNA ELEANOR MARTENS, Fairview, Okla., member of Fairview MB Church, was born April 8, 1912, to Henry and Mary Patzkowsky Martens in Balko, Okla., and died Dec. 21, 2004, at the age of 92. On Aug . 1, 1937, she married Emmett Doane, who predeceased her. She is survived by one sister, Rena Karber of Fairview, one niece and two nephews.

EDIGER. JOEL H., Hillsboro, Kan ., member of Hillsboro MB Church, was born July 11, 1926, to Frank C. and Martha Ediger and died Dec. 23, 2004, at the age of 78. He is survived by his wife Lois; four sons, Larry and wife Nancy of Overland Park, Kan., Gerald of Hillsboro, Lyle and wife

Rhonda and Allen and wife Robin, all of Hillsboro; two brothers, Frank and wife Elvina of Hillsboro and Walter and wife Wanda of Bella Vista, Ark., 10 grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

GOLBEK. TINA HELEN, Reedley, Calif., member of Dinuba MB Church, was born Jan. 13, 1918, to Nickolai Peter and Anna Harms Enns and died May 5, 2004, at the age of 86. She was married to George Reimer and Noah Golbek, both who predeceased her.

She is survived by one brother, Nick and wife Rosemary Enns of Kingsburg, Calif.; stepchildren, George and wife Katherine Reimer of Minneapolis, Minn., Martha and husband Don Enns of Reedley, Virginia Rogalsky of Camarillo, Calif., Priscilla and husband Ken Eirich of Fresno, Calif., Janice and husband Bob Erickson of Kingsburg, Calif., and Bill and wife Nancy Golbek of Fresno, Calif.

ISAAC. EDNA, Dinuba, Calif., member of Dinuba MB Church, was born April 1, 1924 in Montezuma, Kan., to Leonard and Lydia Johnson and died Dec. 22, 2004. On May 6,1945, she married Clarence A. Isaac, who pred.eceased her. She is survived by one daughter, Judy and husband Bill Regehr of Georgia; one son, Stanley and wife Ann of Dinuba; one sister, Anna Lee Smith of Dinuba; three brothers, Leland Johnson of Wright,

CLEARINGHOUSE Concert The West Coast Mennonite Men's Chorus announces the following spring concerts: Sunday, April 3 (MCC Sale weekend) at The People's Church, Fresno, Calif., 6:00 p .m.; Sunday. April 10 at Laurelglen Bible Church, Bakersfield, Calif., 4:00 p.m.; Saturday, April 23, Presbyterian Church of the Roses, Santa Rosa, Calif., 7:00 p.m.

Bible Mennonite Brethren Church Cordell, Oklahoma

1DOth Anniversary Celebration Sat. &Sun., March 19-20 Registration Sat. beginning at 2 pm

Cookbooks and history books available for purchase

KLASSEN, RUTH, Reedley, Calif., member of Reedley MB Church, was born July 8, 1917, in Hillsboro, Kan., and died Dec. 4,2004, at the age of 87.

She is survived by family members, Esther Thompson of Cochran, Ga., Verdena Orrico of Whittier, Calif., and Victor Klassen of Lodi, Calif.

NIKKEI.., JOHN BENJAMIN, Corn, Okla., member of Corn MB Church, was born May 18, 1907, to John P. and Agnes Boese Nikkel in Alfalfa, Okla., and died Dec. 21, 2004, at the age of 97. On Jan. 10, 1932, he married Agnes Heinrichs, who predeceased him. He is survived by one daughter, Janie Webb of Corn; three sons, Monroe and wife Barbara, Wes and wife Karen, all of Wichita, Kan., and Harvey and wife Linda of Jenison, Mich.; two brothers, EIVern and wife Greta of Corn and Lorn of Dickinson, Tex.; one sister Matilda Siemens of Corn, eight grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.

Schrag Graber in rural Freeman and died Jan. 7, 2005, at the age of 95.

On Aug. 13, 1931, she married Edward G. Tschetter, who predeceased her. She is survived by one daughter, Norma and husband Vernon Parlier of Merced, Calif.; one son Kennet h and wife Joyce of Lakeville, Minn., four grandchildren, a step grandchild and five great grandchildren.

FIRST MB CHURCH WICHITA, KANSAS announces the opening of a full-time position as

SENIOR For more information or to

TSCHmER, TILLIE P., Freeman, S.D., member of Salem MB Church, was born Oct. 8, 1909, to Peter and Freni

submit a resume contact Jason Klassen at jklassen3@cox.net

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EDITORIAL

Everyday conversations This issue of the Leader prompts me to think about a number of things. The articles on the stewardship of time help me reexamine the schedule our family keeps, the impact it has on the kids and the priorities it reveals. The articles about the tsunami relief efforts and news of the abuse imprisoned Vietnamese Mennonites have endured nudge me to remember those who suffer and to respond in some way to their plight.

Then there is the reminder from Mission USA director Don Morris that it is a Christian's responsibility to introduce people to Jesus Christ. Morris hopes that because of a renewed emphasis among Mennonite Brethren on personal evangelism there will soon be "so many stories we can't count them" about people who develop friendships with other people for the purpose of sharing the Savior with them. Morris' vision is inspiring-a denomination of healthy and reproducing congregations comprised of people committed to personal evangelism. Morris' vision is convicting-it requires us to not just expect others to be committed to personal evangelism but to be those kinds of people ourselves.

It is tempting to think that Morris isn't talking to those of us who live in small towns. His challenge, we say, is really meant for people who live in large cities and in urban areas. Our small communities have an abundance of churches, everyone we know goes to one of those churches and we really don't have the time to find the seemingly few folks who don't.

But a closer look reveals a different story. For those of us with children in public schools, our kids provide natural bridges to families who don't go to church and who don't know the Lord.

And we have to admit that we may very well have regular contact with people with whom we have never struck up the kind of conversation that leads to a discussion about spiritual matters. People like the waitress at a local restaurant, the manager of the men's clothing store or the clerk at the city office. Truth be told, there is a good chance we small town dwellers know more non-Christians than we think.

But how do I turn an everyday conversation with a nonChristian to spiritual things? Talking with people I see on a regular basis is not like striking up a one-time conversation with a stranger. Witnessing to someone from my community means developing an on-gOing relationship. How can we nurture such a friendship?

When my cousin and her family visited over Thanksgiving, Ann's husband Jeff spotted Dan Brown's The DaVinci Code on our

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bookshelf. He was really interested in our take on the book because people at the computer game company where he works were reading and talking about the book. It was clear to Jeff that Brown's book misrepresents Christianity and church history. It was also clear to him that his non-Christian coworkers were very interested in talking about spiritual things thanks to this best seller.

This winter our family participated in a wedding along with a number of people we know are not Christians. For weeks prior to the wedding my prayer was that God would give me an opportunity to share Christ with one of these non-Christians. As the weekend progressed I realized that since people's minds were preoccupied with wedding details, having a conversation about spiritual matters was going to be difficult. It was a disheartening discovery. And then my husband noticed that the groom's father was reading The DaVinci Code. Maybe the book could be an entree to the kind of conversation for which I had prayed.

I wish I could say that a wonderful conversation took place with the help of Brown's book. It didn't-the weekend wedding schedule was just too hectic. However, the weekend experience did help crystallize my thinking about a couple of things regarding personal evangelism.

We cannot script our conversations with non-believing friends. Forcing certain openings into a conversation hoping that they will lead to an evangelistic opportunity can feel artificial for both parties. But when I engage in a conversation with an attitude that anticipates an opportunity to confess my faith, I will freely rely on God to guide my words and those words will come naturally.

One way to equip ourselves for conversations about spiritual matters with non-Christians is to be familiar with what people are ingesting about Christianity from our culture. Familiar enough that we can use what people are reading, listening to or seeing on TV to naturally talk with them about spiritual things. And that's why a book like Brown's The DaVinci Code is a good choice for a Christian looking for a way to talk with friends about spiritual things. Dan Brown's comments on his website reveal that while he is not an evangelical Christian, Brown is interested in getting people to talk about faith. That is an interest we share.

Thank you, Don Morris, for reminding us of the responsibility we have to share our faith with the people we interact with regularly. May we be sensitive to God's guiding Spirit as we endeavor to win some.