23 > Leaders eye dwindling reserves 24 > Reedley celebrates lOO years of God's faithfulness
> MCC concludes work in Botswana
> New Anabaptist curriculum in the works
> Enemies learn to be neighbors through "Women in Dialogue"
v ote
FEATURES
10 GROWING GODLY CHILDREN by Nadine Friesen
We can't assume that children will grow spiritually as they grow physically. Scripture tells us that we have both a privilege and a responsibility to provide for their spiritual growth
13 WHAT EVERY CHURCH MEMBER NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT TODAY 'S CHILDREN by ALan Aw This generation is different from past generations. Today's children face unique pressures and challenges.
15 BEYON D SUNDAY SC HOOL by Bruce ELwood Churches must partner with parents to see fruit that lasts in the lives of children.
17 MORE THAN WARM BODIES by Jo Schrock
Excellent children's ministry within the church requires passionate volunteers. How can a church find the right people for the job
> FiRST WORDS
(from the editor]
WHEN I WAS ASKED TO PLAN THIS ISSUE OF THE Leader as the guest editor, it didn't take long to choose children's ministry as a theme. Blame it on Liz. Because of her, I finally "get it."
Like many children's workers, I began participating in my church's children's ministry by default; I was available and the need was great. In the children's wing I could help simply by showing up and doing what I already knew how to do as a mother: give hugs, pick up crayons and pass out cookies.
Then I graduated from assistant teacher to teacher and was teamed with Liz
Liz pours herself into the children of our church every time she teaches Sunday school or meets children in the church halls. She pursues excellence as a teacher. No Saturday-night cramming for her; she begins preparing early in the week. She researches current trends and techniques to be the best teacher possible She has an amazing stash of posters, maps and Fisher-price people dressed in tiny robes and crowns to make Bible stories come alive for children.
More importantly, she loves "her kids" outside the classroom She greets them in the hallways, asks them about their lives and listens to them. She gets to know their families. She sheds tears when they quit coming to class or experience heartache. She prays for them
In short, she's passionate about children, and her passion is contagious .
As I work with Liz, I'm learning there's more to this thing called children's ministry than picking up crayons and handing out cookies. I finally understand that children present both an opportunity and a responsibility. I get it.
So for those who, like Liz, already believe children are a mission field we cannot afford to neglect and for those who wonder what that means, this issue explores the church's role in the spiritual growth of children. I hope youll get it, too. - MH
> QUOTABLE
"Our children will define the future, which makes them our most significant and enduring legacy. Mer all, God never told his followers to take over the world through force or intelligence . He simply told us to have children and then raise them to honor God in all they do. Therefore, you might logically conclude that bearing and raising children is not only our most enduring legacy but also one of our greatest personal responsibilities." - George Barna in Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions
> UP & COMING
• July 29-31 Southern District Conference convention , Denver, Colo
• Sept. 17-18North Carolina District Conference convention, Lenoir, N.C.
• Nov. 3-6 Central District Conference convention, Salem MB Church, Bridgewater, S D.
• Nov. 4-5 Pacific District Conference convention
JULY 2005
Connie Faber EDITOR
Myra Holmes GUEST EDITOR
Elaine Ewert GRAPHIC DESIGNER
MANDATE The Christian Leader IiSSN 0009 - 51491 is published monthly by the U S Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches The Christian Leader seeks to inform Mennonite Brethren mem bers and churches of the events act ivities de cisi ons an d issues of th eir denomina ti on , and to instruct, in spire and initiate dialogue so members will aspire to be faithful di sci ples of Christ as understood in the evangelicaVAnabaptis t theological tradition
EDITORIAL POLICY The views expressed in til is publication do not necessarily repre sent the po sition of the Christian Leader, the U S Confe re nce Leade rs hip Board or the Mennonite Brethren Church Scripture referen ces are from New International Version unle ss otherwi se noted The editors invite freelance article submi ssi ons A SASE must accompany articles.
READER PARTICIPATION Th e editors i nvite readers to share their thought s and opin i on s on topics relevant to the Mennoni te 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 mus t be signed and include the writer's city and state Letters will be edited for clarity, appropriateness and length Letters will be publi shed, as space allows, unless marked " Not for publication ." Forum i s 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 : christianleaderfclusmb org
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By Steve Prieb
Glue, vision and moving forward
We need each other. Farmers raise produce. truckers transport it and grocers sell it. We cannot survive alone. We need each other. Spiritual seed planted in the human heart and nurtured by a parent or teacher grows into spiritual maturity. Paul planted. Apollos watered, but God made it grow (I Cor. 3:6).
We need each other. But we who have a rich history of being a
At the Draper convention, the delegates agreed to try a streamlined leadership model so that we could all work together in a more effective manner A representative board, called the Leadership Board, was affirmed, as was another idea: an annual Leadership Summit.
The Leadership summit was to be a gathering of key representatives of all things MB-institutional, agency and district leaders along with the new Leadership Board. With these people together at the same time. vision could be shared, problems addressed and dreams for the future cast.
The first summit gathering took place in Denver. Colo., May 14. The challenge before us is this: How do diverse institutions and distriers of churches move in a unified manner as one body of Christ? We are a diverse group with separately incorporated boards who hold minimal legal accountability to each other. We do. how-
What is the spiritual "glu e" whi ch binds our chu r ch tog ether now? ever. hold the value of community. of . . . . shared purpose under Christ. The U.S. Is that glue slowly m elting and dri ppin g aw ay ? Conference has initiated working part-
community together. a people who covenanted to serve God and each other together, are at risk.
The Mennonite Brethren Church began as a revival movement in Russia in 1860. These people realized their need for a vital connection with God and each other. As these Mennonites met for Bible study and prayer. their bond of relationships grew strong, and they were nicknamed "the Brethren" for their love for one another. As these "Mennonite Brethren" grew in number and immigrated to North American. the bond remained.
The theological bond has become more diverse. Presently our faith is lived out in Anabaptist, evangelical and even charismatic ways. This was demonstrated at the 2004 U.S. Conference convention in Draper. Utah. The question is: What is the spiritual "glue" which binds our church together now? Is that glue slowly melting and dripping away?
Community is a biblical mandate. The Bible is full of "one another" statements, such as 'bonor one another" (Rom . 12:10) and "agree with one another" (I Cor 1:10). But how easily we function as "many" not "one." Too often each institution, each agency. each church body and each individual wants to do what is right in their own eyes without thought of how it affecrs the rest of Christ's body.
In a community of faith, there are peers with whom to exchange ideas, leaders available for counsel. institutions of higher learning that present a Christian worldview. A community of faith works togetherplanting churches and presenting the gospel to the world In a community of faith, we learn Christ-like living together.
A few years ago, the dissolution of the binational General Conference closed our formal partnership with the Canadian MBs and gave responsibility for the General Conference ministries such as MB Biblical Seminary and MBMS International to the national conferences Since then. the U.S. Conference has been working to bring a sense of community and unified direction to our varied distriers and institutions .
nerships that will allow the various MB entities to move together in common mission. Our goal is to continue the conversation begun in Denver to bring each district. agency and institution into a shared vision.
The apostle Paul wrote. "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world" (Rom. 12:1 - 2). The pattern of our culture is individualism. which causes
separation and isolation. The call of Scripture is that we may be one, united. sharing a common purpose.
As MBs we have a choice to make: We can face the future as a loose coalition of institutions. agencies, distriers and churches, or we can collectively build the future with Christ as central, the church as primary and all the agencies, institutions and distriers as supporting players to the central vision.
What will our future be as MBs? It depends on the choice we all make together.
Steve Prieb is chair of the U.S. Conference Leadership Board. He is pastor of Topeka (Kan.) MB Church.
> CONFERENCE CALL by
Mark your calendars
Chuck Buller
Get ready for the 2006 U.S. Conference convention
NoW for some exciting news: The next U.S. Conference convention will be hosted by the North Carolina Conference of MB Churches in Lenoir, NC Mark your calendars now for July 27-30, 2006, the dates for the convention and Pastors' Conference.
highway that is dotted with factory warehouses for America's most popular furniture builders. Brand names such as Broyhill dot the landscape with amazing showrooms that create interesting stewardship challenges.
As part of this event we are trusting God for the beginning of a new MB church plant in Lenoir, that summer. Wouldn't it be exciting if hundreds of us could attend the first interracial MB church plant in North Carolina to celebrate that in Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, black nor white?
God has some great things in store for these days together. We had a blessed time in Salt Lake City, Utah, last summer, and we believe that God will continue to grace us with his presence.
\Vouldn't 1t he exciting it hundreds ot us could attend the first church plant in l'\onh Carolin;] to celehrat e that in Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, hlack nor white?
While we are still working out details regarding accommodations, meeting spaces, speakers and musicians, we want you to get this event on your calendar now. This will be the first time in our history that North Carolina has had this opportunity to host a U.S. Conference convention, although they have been a part of the conference for well over half a century. Terry Hunt, acting moderator of the North Carolina Conference, reports a great deal of excitement in the North Carolina churches regarding this opportunity.
As one who has visited this conference of predominantly black churches, I can tell you that if you come, you will be well fed in your soul and in your body. You will enjoy worship that is uplifting and preaching that "primes the pump" for the heart of God. In addition you will have opportunity to visit one of our Slavic churches that continues to enjoy the blessings and challenges of rapid growth in Charlotte, NC.
The only perceived negative in all this is distance North Carolina is officially on the Eastern Seaboard of the U.S. and far removed from traditional Mennonite Brethren centers. Here's the good news: Air travel these days across the continent is priced similarly to regional airfares. Go online today and price a flight from your nearest international airport to Charlotte, NC - you will find prices very competitive. From Charlotte, NC, it is only a short hour and a half drive to Lenoir, N .C. It's just a little farther to the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains and Boone, NC, where we have another MB congregation
If you live in Oklahoma, Kansas or Nebraska you could also get there by car in no more than two days' drive, unless you get stuck in Branson or Nashville. A word to shoppers: Lenoir sits on a main
One of the important agenda items for our convention will be the possible approval of the new leadership structure which was given provisional approval last summer. Our Leadership Board has enjoyed a year of learning how to function as a unit to oversee the entire U.S. Conference. We have employed the services of a consultant, Les Stahlke, to help us fine-tune our bylaws and governance manual. We will present any changes to churches late this fall.
One of the things Les has encouraged us to do is reinstate a Board of Faith and Life to oversee matters of doctrine and practice-what he calls the "rudder of the ship " We appreciate this counsel and will be presenting this and additional changes to our original model.
One of the reasons we opted for a provisional leadership structure was so that we could learn the inherent flaws as well as the strengths of this governance board model. We would appreciate your prayers as we finalize this process in time for convention
I hope that every MB church will consider sending your pastor and at least one delegate to this grand event. If last summer's convention was any indication, God will once again surprise us with his presence and shower us with North Carolina blessings.
[ new 5 fro m the men non t e brethren worLd]
Global project to celebrate MB church
PauL Hiebert to co-edit anniversary history book
Paul Hiebert has been appointed coeditor of a Mennonite Brethren global history project that will coincide with the 2010 celebration of the 150th anniversary of the founding of the MB church in 1860. The North American MB Historical Commission and the International Commirtee of Mennonite Brethren announced Hiebert's appointment in May.
The history project grew out of discussions more than a year ago when ICOMB first considered how best to celebrate the anniversary of the MB church. Their initial vision included the possibility of producing a history in a variety of formats, including multilingual DVDs and web-based media. The main and initial project would be a book in several languages and written in popular style that could be used for group
study purposes.
Hiebert is a well-known missiologist and anthropologist who has taught at a number of institutions in North America and abroad, including MB Biblical Seminary in Fresno, Calif., Fuller Theological Seminary, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Chicago and Osmania University in Hyderabad, India. He has published many books and articles and was the general editor of a book series on MB missions and church growth.
The last comprehensive book on MB church history, A History of the Mennonite Brethren Church: A Pilgrim People by John A. Toews, was published in 1975. Since then many books and articles have been published on aspects of MB history, much of it produced by the Historical Commission and published by Kindred Productions
MBBS adds program
MB Biblical Seminary of Fresno, Calif., is adding a new program this fall in which graduates will receive a diploma in congregational care. The program was developed to meet the need for peer caregiving within congregations
'1\s our culture copes with stress, change and the breakdown of relationships, the community and the church are increasingly filled with hurting people," says Mary Shamshoian, director of MBBS's on-site counseling program.
The 30- unit diploma in congregational care will equip lay people for service in their congregation and the wider community. It will help them develop skills in care giving and provide an understanding of their role within the mission of the church and the caregiving professions of society,
"Many church leaders are recognizing that they are not equipped to handle the increasing volume of wounded people within their congregations and are looking for options to assist those who are hurting," says registrar Lori James.
The diploma in congregational care is one of four offered by the seminary, including diplomas in evangelism and church planting, Christian studies and integration. Courses in these diploma programs are accredited as part of the regular MBBS graduate program and can be included within a master of divinity degree or one of the seminary's master of arts degrees.-MBBS
An editorial committee including Peter Klassen, Abe Dueck and Bruce Guenther will assist Hiebert, who has requested that a co-editor be appointed. Writers for different sections will be selected from the various regions of the world where the MB church has become established. The project's sponsors hope to produce a book which does not simply reflect the work and perspective of North American MB missionaries and institutions abroad, but which allows the church in various cultures to introduce itself to the global MB community.-HC
50th anniversary celebration
The C onference of MB C hurches in Paraguay held 50th anniversary celebrations in Asuncion during Holy Week 2005 Festivities included worsh ip services and special presentations by various sectors of the conference .
A highlight of the week was a special service March 27 attended by people from all Mennonite Brethren churches in Paraguay as well as fonner missionaries . Paraguay 's President Nicanor Duatte Frutos and his family also attended . First lady Maria Gloria Penayo de Duarte Frutos is a member of the MB church
Latin American MB churches have a membership of over 2,600. In Paraguay there are 50 autonomous congregations and many new church plants MBs also operate a Bible institute, several schools and share in operating a radio starion.MWC
India MB development agency works with MCC
The Mennonite Brethren Development Organization in India's Andhra Pradesh province, an area where the Dec. 26, 2004, tsunami badly damaged the local economy, is working with Mennonite Central Committee to help survivors once again support their families MCC is providing some $139,000 to MBDO and Mennonite Christian Service Fellowship of India for the joint project.
Although only two villagers in the area died in the tsunami, the waters destroyed fishing boats and nets, ruined salt farmers' stockpiles of salt and damaged or destroyed local shops and other small businesses, says MCC India representative Twila Miller, who visited the area in late April .
The project will benefit more than 1,562 families in a dozen different villages. It will
provide money, food and new fishing boats and nets to families, as well as help families repair fishing boats. nets and thatch roofing for houses. The project began in March. and distributions were to be finished by the end of May.
Miller was on hand when distributions were made in several communities. For example. in Kradu Peddpalem 241 salt farmers received $40 each to help them return to harvesting salt from the sea Quite a few salt farmers were already indebted to moneylenders when the tsunami struck and will use these funds to help repay debts. Miller says Some farmers lost their stockpiled dried salt to the tsunami waves; all of them lost their salt beds. which are flat areas of land surrounded by two-foot mud walls into which underground water is pumped and from which salt is harvested -MCC
MDS ready for hurricanes
Recent investments in equipment and staff may soon payoff for Mennonite Disaster Service. headquartered in Akron. Penn given that the 2005 hurricane season is predicted to be above average The improvements will aid the agency as it responds to new needs and continues current projects
''I'm encouraged by our constituents' response in spite of four major hurricanes last year." says executive coordinator Kevin King. "Our largest challenge is to maintain our current projects and meet needs that might arise in future disasters."
Currently MDS has five active projects. including two in Florida in response to Hurricanes Charley. Frances and Jeanne. and another that will reopen in the northern Florida panhandle in September in response to ongoing needs created by Hurricane Ivan
MDS has invested more than $350.000 in equipment purchases over the past year .
Purchases included upgraded vehicles pickups, dump trailers. an industrial chipper and a specialized tracked skid loader with a grappler for dragging heavy trees .
The agency also invested in personnel and training Staff members were hired in communications and logistics and regular leadership training sessions were organized in Canada and the U S MDS hosted a regional directors' meeting. worked at investigation strategies and is holding an Experienced Project Leadership Forum next month to develop greater consistency between projects.
'Tm more comfortable now (that) we've firmed up our structure and know our roles in disaster investigation." says logistics coordinator Karla Amstutz.
To address the long-term need for volunteers. MDS has partnered with Hesston (Kan.) College to start a disaster management program The program will provide disaster response education and on-site experience. - MDS
CENTRAL STATES NAMES DIRECTOR
John Stoesz, of Philadelphia, Penn., has been appointed the executive director of Mennonite Central Committee Central States. Stoesz, a graduate of Bethel College in Newton, Kan., who grew up in Mountain Lake, Minn., will begin work at MCC's North Newton office in September. Stoesz most recently served as executive director of the Metropolitan Christian Council of Philadelphia, where he was active in the council's dismantling racism team and peacemaking committee and also focused on staff and board development.-MCC
CHRISTIANS HARASSED
Amnesty International reports that government security forces raided a May 28 wedding celebration in Asmara, Eritrea, and detained over 200 guests. All are reported to be members of Meserete Kristos, an evangelical Anabaptist church banned by the current government of Eritrea. According to Amnesty International, this kind of harassment and persecution is a feature of life in Eritrea. Since 2002 only Orthodox, Catholic and Lutheran churches have been allowed to operate and evangelical churches have been banned . Amnesty International reports that harassment of those defying the 2002 ban has intensified recently. Many members and leaders of these churches have been imprisoned and tortured.-MWC
MB IN LEAD ROLE
This month Don Martens of Winkler Man., and a member of Winkler MB Church, will assume the role of Christ in The Carpenter, Manitoba's outdoor Passion Play staged in Pembina Valley near La Riviere. Commenting on the role, Martens says, "Playing Christ onstage for me is relatively easy. For me, it's playing the part of Christ off the stage that is very difficult. .in my workplace and in my home " This year the play, staged by volunteer actors and crew, runs July 8-10 and 15-17.-Canadian Mennonite
(\ COl1le Jesus
, told his disciples to let the
children come-and come they do. They come through our church doors in droves, bringing energy and
innocence and childlike faith. They come to () midweek programs, Sunday school classes and
vacation Bible school. But do they come to Jesus
l when they come through our church doors? And do they continue to grow spiritually after they leave?
In this issue, we explore what it means for us as individuals and churches to nurture spiritual growth in children. We call this children's ministry, but it's more than that. It's more than Sunday school, more than an exciting VBS program. It involves understanding God's heart for children and the unique pressures children face in today's culture. It means empowering families to fulfill their God-given responsibilities outside the church walls. It means finding and equipping passionate volunteers so that our programs within the church have maximum impact. May these articles challenge us to invest in the lives of children. After all, if Jesus gave children high priority and invited them to come to him , how can we do less?
CHILDREN'$
Scripture teaches that we have both a privilege and a responsibility to provide for their spiritual growth.
WATCHING IDS GRANDmother prepare chicken one day and noticing that the chicken had two hearts, my three -year-old nephew asked, "Do you suppose Jes us could live in both of them?"
Another child said that he wouldn't mind going to heavenas long as he could be back for the weekend .
"Ge rtns and God, gertns and God," exclaimed a young child to mom . ''That's all I hear about around here, and I've never seen
A child's understanding of GOd and God's understanding of children are key to the spiritual health of our churches and families. The si mple faith and tough questiOns of kids can bring wisdom to all of us - if we pay attention and if we are faithful to both the privilege and the responsibility to provide for their spiritual nurture.
Some 31 million children between the ages of five and 12 live in the United States, according to George Barna, researcher for Christian ministries and author of Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions. Each is a unique creation of God, with personality, gifts, talents and passion unlike any other person on the face of the earth. We have the privilege of helping each become the one-of-a-kind person God created him or her to be.
If children are healthy, physical growth happens. We take some real risks if we assume
B Y NADINE FRIESEN
commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life." Each new generation must be taught so that God's people can continue to experience his blessing
The familiar directive, "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not tum from it" (Prov. 22:6), emphasizes the importance of spiritual nurture early in life. Barna has done extensive research on the spiritual development of children He says, "If people do not embrace Jesus Christ as their Savior before they reach their teenage years, the chance of their doing so at all is slim." Other research supports his assertion. A child's spiritual understanding may be questioned and even put aside in adolescence and early adulthood but will often
We can't assume that as our children naturally grow taller and more independent, they will also grow to understand God 's love and power and choose to model their lives after Jesus.
that spiritual growth will likewise happen naturally as long as conditions are right: reasonably good parents, fairly regular church attendance and a few prayers sprinkled in here and there. We can't assume that as our children naturally grow taller and more independent, they will also grow to understand God's love and power and choose to model their lives after Jesus.
The challenge of children
Spiritual nurture is guiding children to think and act like Jesus. That process will encompass the way they view God, themselves and others. It will result in a biblical worldview that impacts everything about them as children and can form their life perspective as adults. The command to pass on what we have been taught is given repeatedly in both the Old and New Testaments. Teaching children who God is and what he has done is part of our instruction for obedient living in the Old Testament: ''Teach them to your children and to their children after them" (Deut. 4:9 -10). In the New Testament, Jesus instructs his disciples, "Let the little children come to me" (Matt. 19: 14).
Deuteronomy 6:2 says we should teach children "so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and
resurface as a guide and stabilizing force in adulthood.
Children are born with an innate dependence on others. It is that dependence that Jesus affirmed when he said that those who are greatest in the kingdom are those who are like children (Matt. 18:4). But that dependence also makes them vulnerable. They can be pulled in unhealthy directions by our culture, by lack of positive adult nurture and by innate sinful tendencies. Children's sensitivity to God and vulnerability make it imperative for adults to provide spiritual nurture.
Jesus has strong warnings for those who lead children away from rather than toward God. He says it would be better for them to drown in the sea (Matt. 18:5-6). If a child's spiritual direction and perspective are most likely to be determined before the age of 13, we can't afford to miss any opportunities to model and teach the truths of God
Scripture gives direction for how to pass on spiritual truths in God's instructions to the people of Israel regarding Passover: '1\nd when your children ask you, 'What does this ceremony mean to you?' then tell them " (Exod. 12:26). Teachable moments come when we least expect them, but one of the best clues is "when they ask." Children's natural curiosity and endless questions can interfere with our supposedly more important agendas, or they can provide opportunities to tell the story of God and his work in our world.
We live much of our lives on the go Sometimes we feel we don't have time for spiritual nurture. Scripture says that all activities and aspects of our day can be teachable moments We are to carry God's truths in our hearts and impress them on our
CHI LDREN 'S Ininistry
children through the everyday experiences of life. A modem paraphrase of Deuteronomy 6:6-9 might read, ''Talk about what it
Spiritual growth is a lifelong adventure. We can't rush it or force it to take effect in the lives of the children we influence We must leave room for various stages and levels of understanding what it means to love God with all that we are
Jesus had little patience with the disciples who seemed to think that they and Jesus had more important things to do than to care for the chiLdren who got in the way of "real ministry."
means to know and love Jesus when you watch television or eat dinner together, when you drive to school or soccer practice, when you pray together at night or talk about a bad &iend day, when the children get up in the morning and don't want to brush their teeth or are so excited about a birthday they can't sleep any longer. Encourage your children to carry these truths in their hearts, to continue to repeat them even after getting the memory award in Sunday school. Wear scripture on your shirt or write it on your notebook."
Deuteronomy 31 :12-13 encourages us to nurture children when the people of God are assembled. The Israelites were to call together men, women and children "so that they can listen and learn to fear the Lord your God and follow carefully all the words of this law." The implications of our tendency to compartmentalize our churches according to age, program , schedule and preference warrant careful consideration. Interaction between the generations can be a powerful learning experience for all. Children are not the church of the future; they are the church of the present. We need to learn &om them and they &om us
and to &ee him to love us . We must also remember that each of us, child or adult, is transformed by the renewing of our minds (Rom. 12:1-2), a process that is accomplished through an individual's surrender and the work of the Holy Spiritneither of which can be controlled by us.
Jesus said, "Let them come" (Mark 10:14). Let them come with their questions. Let them come and watch your life and hear your stories of faith. Let them come and teach you by their simple yet profound ability to trust in God. Let them come even when their agenda isn't yours Extend the invitation to come even when they aren't sure they want to.
Jesus had little patience with the disciples who seemed to think that they and Jesus had more important things to do than care for the children who got in the way of "real ministry " Do we hinder children &om coming to Jesus because we have seemingly more important things to do? Answering questions about dogs and heaven or taking an extra 15 minutes at the end of the day to pray together may have more eternal significance and may represent faithful obedience to Christ in ways we don't imagine.
It is our privilege and responsibility to stay alert to the openness of children to receive the truth, love and transforming power of God in their lives. Just as Jesus warns those who cause children to lose their way, he also blesses those who welcome them: 'i\nd whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name, welcomes me" (Matt. 18:5).
The Psalmist said, 'We wiD not hide (God's teachings) &om our children; we wiD tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done" (Ps. 78:4). Let's likewise respond to the challenge to grow godly children .
Nadine Friesen served 26 years on the pastoral staff of Hillsboro (Kan.) MB Church in the area of discipleship ministries, which included oversight of all children's ministries
What every church member needs to know ABOUT TODAY'S CHILDREN
Today's ch ildren fac e unique chaLLenges. What do they ne ed from us?
IN 1875, A GIRL BY THE NAME of Mary Ellen was beaten and neglected by a couple with whom she had lived since infancy. Because there was no legal measure at the time to protect children, community leaders appealed to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The law did protect animals from abuse, so the complaint was accepted and protection was granted to Mary Ellen. It was not until the mid-1960s that laws regarding child abuse reporting were written in the U.S.
As a society, we have come a long way in understanding and valuing children, but we have a long way to go. The 21st century poses new challenges. Many questions about children are left unanswered as we navigate a world wounded by violence, terrorism and war In 1994 The National School Boards Association and American School Counselors reported:
• One in five children lives in a family with income below the poverty line.
• More than I million children are seriously abused each year.
• 12 percent of American children suffer from serious emotional disorders, but less than a third receive help
• A child is murdered every three hours . Without question this generation differs significantly from the last. In his book The Index of Leading Cultural Indicators, former secretary of education William Bennett says, "In 1940 teachers identified
the top problems in America's schools as talking out of tum, chewing gum, making noise, running in the halls, cutting in line, dress code violations and littering. In 1990, teachers identified the top problems of children as drug and alcohol abuse, pregnancy, suicide, rape, robbery and assault." Statistics also indicate that the fastest growing segment of the criminal population is children.
As the church, we face a choice. We can resign ourselves to the tides of social change, the violence woven into the fabric of our society and the cries of families living in poverty, or we can gather our strength - our spiritual strength-to envision new hope. We must wake from our slumber to participate in God's redemptive work among children and families.
Let us examine two predominate shifts in our culture that affect our children.
CHI REN ' S n1 in istry
Destructive values: Technological efficiency has created a generation of children who have less tolerance for waiting and frustration. Immediacy has become their battle cry. Consumerism and materialism encourage children and families to pursue things that are extrinsic in nature rather than developing intrinsic values to guide daily living. We are taught that more is better and faster is more efficient. Joan Chittister, a Benedictine sister, is right when she says, 'We are taught to want money, to retire as early as possible, to get ahead whatever the cost to others, to worship at the altar of the self and to be in control of everything and everyone at all times "
children growing up in a single-parent family or other family configuration, these risk factors can be offset by creating a web of support for our children. It is time for us to be mentors and advocates for children.
Today's children need hope and love. If we authentically give love and hope, we can help our children to embrace God's love and hope for humanity and to understand how that love and hope can transcend and transform our chaotic world It is time to get to know the children in our neighborhoods and in our churches, to
Technological efficiency has cr eated a generation of children who have less tolerance for waiting and frustration. Imm ediacy has become t heir battle cry.
These values are a recipe for destruction . They are precisely the values that have destroyed God's creation and deprived peasant farmers of their lands. These values have left babies dead in their mothers' bony arms , children sleeping in public parks and one in five preschoolers in the United States living in poverty.
As a result of these values, children in today's world are expected to grow, mature and make critical decisions at a young age. Therapists are seeing more psychosomatic symptoms in children related to anxiety-stomachaches, headaches, fevers and other physical symptoms. Eating disorders are being diagnosed in younger and younger children.
Hectic lifestyle: Another stark contrast between this generation and the last is an inability to be still and quiet. Children witness their parents' incessant need to chat on the cell phone while driving. Many carry cell phones themselves. Society has become louder and flooded with noise Sport utility vehicles and minivans are now equipped with DVD players and televisions. The American Pediatric Association has suggested that the "acceptable" average television viewing time for children is two hours per day, which in my opinion is too much. Instead of using technology to ftee up more time for the family, we have become slaves to technology When we do not use technology redemptively, we create a generation of children who lack social skills and creativity.
We exchange family game nights for more sporting events, yet childhood obesity is an epidemic. It is time to think about how we manage oilr family time and ask which pursuits are truly important and worthwhile for our children.
What do children need?
Today's children need warm, loving and stable homes in order to grow and thrive. They need a sense of safety- especially in a post9/11 world They need to be validated and heard Many psychologists and sociologists agree that, although there are some risk factors for
bend our knees and lend a listening ear. We must listen to them at their level instead of "talking down" to them.
Today's children need consistency, predictability and limits. Let our yes be yes and our no be no Parents who want to be their child's best friend are headed for disaster. Children need their parents to be parents-to set healthy boundaries and to admonish them in love.
Most importantly, today's children need stillness, rest, soulfulness and playfulness. It is time to tum off the telephone and television during dinner so that we can ask our children about their day without intrusion or distraction. It is time to fill our calendars with family game nights and community service instead of being soccer moms and dads . It is time to develop family rituals to honor the Sabbath and to reflect on our creative work. It is time to let our children be children.
An unknown author once said, "A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in or the kind of car I drove, but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child "
What kind of legacy will you and I leave behind for the next generation? Could your one life, my one life, possibly make any difference?
Alan Aw is a licensed marriage and family therapist who teaches courses on counseling children and child abuse at MB Biblical Seminary in Fresno, Calif His experience includes work as a therapist in schools and in an adolescent group home.
B Y B Rue E EL WOOD
Are our children's ministry programs producing th e kind of fruit we want?
Sunday School
AN EXCITING NEW WIND IS BLOWING IN CHilDREN'S MINISTRIES.
It's not a new program, curriculum or cutting-edge model. It's a larger philosophical shift. It's an emerging movement looking deeper into the past, present and future to effectively develop the next generation of ChriSt followers.
At the center of the discovery (or rediscovery) is this key thought: Parents playa central role in producing fruit that lasts-that is, young disciples who remain and grow in their faith.
This new shift requires courage in order to examine ministries, evaluate the results in the lives of children and, in many cases, make necessary adjustments. The research should give us pause. The data appears to show that much of the fruit of our labor within the church with children and youth is maturing in ways we never expected. It seems we may have been, in some ways, setting the future generation up to spiritually drift.
Admirably, many of our church leaders are showing growing interest and courage to do the tough job of honest evaluation. Are we really following the biblical mandate to provide parents with the support they need as they seek to "train up their children in the Lord," or did the church at some point assume that role? We need to re-evaluate the place and priority of the family in church ministry.
Reason to celebrate
From the early 1990S to the present, churches have made substantial financial and personnel investments in children's ministry. More MB churches have dedicated energy, leadership, resources and square footage to children's ministries than ever before. Undoubtedly children are a high priority-and for good reason. Children are more responsive than any other group. Christian sociologist and researcher George Barna found a 33 percent probability that a child presented with the gospel will respond. The same research indicated only a 4 percent likelihood that youth (ages 13 to 18) would respond and a 6 percent likelihood for all adults. The results are
clear: It is critical to reach children before they become entrenched in a secular worldview.
We have much to celebrate, because a great deal has been accomplished. Generally churches do strive to strategically reach the children in their community. Speak to those involved in children's ministries, and you will sense an ongoing drive to create more child-friendly environments. Classrooms and curriculum are increasingly age appropriate. Fun has graduated to a value of importance. We are passionate about making the Bible come alive in order to capture the hearts and minds of children. We long to lead children to follow
church walk away from the faith Even if they don't reject faith altogether, these young adults, faithfully churched as children, exhibit little evidence of true Christian character. Children who have grown up in Christian families simply don't look much different than those from unchurched homes. Where have we gone wrong? Why isn't the fruit growing?
Back to the roots
We don't have to look too far to see why the faith of many children from churched families is withering. For 2,000 years, faith transference has been rooted in parents who follow the biblical model laid out in Ephesians 6:4: "Bring them up in the training and instruction
Children who have grown up in Christian families simp ly don't look mu ch different than tho se from unchurched homes. Where have w e gone wrong? Wh y isn't the fruit growing?
Jesus. The numbets of children who attend our vacation Bible schools, midweek programs and thriving MB camping ministries are undeniably impressive.
Undoubtedly many children (and quite a few parents) have found personal faith in Jesus Christ through our church ministries. This is to be celebrated. Kingdom growth is what we should be about.
But today some of us ask: What kind of growth have we produced? In John 15:16, Jesus clearly describes the kind of fruit he wants us to produce: "I chose you to go and bear fruit-fruit that will last."
Jesus wants us to produce fruit that doesn't fall off but remains and matures Even though our "fruit production" numbers look impressive on paper, we need to examine the fruit retention (faith adherence) and the life transformation (godly character). Axe these initial faith commitments the beginning of lifelong spiritual growth?
Signs of spoilage
While it is true that many children are coming to faith in Christ, we seem to be producing children and youth that look and act more like the secular culture than the shining lights Paul spoke of in Philippians 2:15, where he says Christians are to "shine like stars in the univetse" in the midst of a "crooked and depraved generation "
Heartsick parents and church ministry leaders wonder why so many of our children raised in the
ofthe Lord."
Most church leaders understand and agree that parents should be in the lead role and that churches are called to assist in the training up process. However. with our recent focus and energy towards serving children's spiritual needs, many Christian parents are intimidated by their spiritual responsibility. Too many have been more than happy to hand their children's spiritual instruction off to the church. Some churches have taken this cue and assumed the role of primary spiritual trainer, forgetting that faith development must be centered in those who have the most influence on the life of the child-parents.
Barna's research looked at this issue in some depth He established three levels of influence. As we might intuitively guess, parents were in the top tier of influence, while the church was on the bottom tier. How can churches effectively disciple if they are the least influential in the lives of children? We can no longer be content with great curriculum, fun activities and engaging teaching. Even with deeply committed volunteers, we must respond to the Holy Spirit as he teaches us, reminding us who carries the primary spiritual responsibility of children - parents.
To see fruit that lasts, the church will need to consider more deeply how we can partner with the people who are most influential in the lives of children . As Mennonite Brethren we must recognize this critical need The church cannot replace parents. But it can equip parents and help us understand the critical role parents play in their children's faith future
Bruce Elwood is children's ministry director for the Canadian Conference of MB Churches and their Leader's Mentoring Network. For information about efforts to resource churches to equip parents, contact him at 1- 250- 766 -4395
warm 0 leS
Children's ministry requires volunteers-lots of them. Finding the right people for the job is a constant challenge.
MANY MINISTRY LEADERS PROWL for volunteers and pounce like a cat when they find one. They pressure parents, beg and lay on a thick layer of guilt. They make special announcements and call through the church directory. Too many give little thought to the real needs of ministry or to the ongoing support needed once volunteers are recruited.
The truth is, recruiting is never finished. Without a multitude of committed volunteers an effective children's ministry simply could not take place. As difficult as finding the right volunteers might be, it's even more difficult to retain and care for those volunteers.
For this article, let's back up a bit and think about what needs to happen before recruiting ever begins.
Share your vision. Your vision for ministry comes from God; it includes your passion , values and artitudes. Steve Alley, author of Growing a Healthy Children's Ministry, says, "Your ministry vision is a simple statement of the process by which your passion and God's plan come together to lead children to him in your church and community." People want to be a part of something dynamic. Be bold about sharing your passion and you will attract people to the ministry.
Decide exactly what you need. When was the last time you really mapped out what you need? Is it time to streamline and eliminate positions that are no longer necessary? Do you have too many teachers in some areas but not enough in other areas? You don't need warm bodies to fill a room; you need specific people to serve in specific places. You may solve your worker shortage problem by discovering you are trying to recruit for positions that you don't really need.
Pray without ceasing. A shortage of workers was nothing new to Jesus. In Luke 10:2 Jesus said, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." Ask God to bless you with the volunteers that will accomplish his purpose, then watch what happens!
Put job descriptions in writing. Being able to hand a job description to a potential volunteer shows that you have thought through what is needed. It puts you on the same page and gives you a launching point from which to dialogue. The job description identifies boundaries and expectations and allows your potential volunteer to make an informed decision.
Scrutinize the job description. Is it asking too much of some volunteers but not enough of others? Volunteers don't want to serve if they feel their time is wasted or if the job is simply too big.
Raise the bar high. People who work in children's ministry need to do everything with excellence. You want kids excited to come to church because it's the best place ever. That means your volunteers need to be not "just okay" but outstanding.
Know the strengths and weaknesses of the servants under your care Placing a volunteer in the wrong place is not going to work for anyone - not for the frustrated v6lunteer, for you or for the kids . Encourage their strengths and help them improve.
Maintain to retain. Do all you can to make sure that you have happy volunteers. Pray for them. Support and train them. Take care of facility and repair issues. Deal with discipline issues with children and/or
Are they spiritually and emotionally capable of working with kids? Plug them in right away; don't wait until the next recruiting push. Every church has people who are looking to plug in and do something worthwhile. Find them and they will be your most faithful and
People want to be part of something dyn a mic. Be bold about s haring your passion and you will attract people to the ministry.
parental frustrations in a timely manner. Maintain an exceptional resource center where supplies and support are available. Hold fun, purposeful teacher training events Spend time with volunteers Ask about their family and know their hobbies. Remain a servant yourself.
Recruit without ceasing. Always be looking for people. Watch how people interact with kids; do kids naturally gather around them? Look for people who are not involved, give them a job description and invite them down to the children's area. Get to know them.
consistent workers.
Finally, when recruiting volunteers, wait on God. His timing doesn't always match ours. Instead of frantically searching to fill gaps, follow the advice of Proverbs 3:5: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding ."
Embrace recruiting with an attitude of anticipation, then wait to see what God will do next.
To Schrock has been director of children's ministries at First MB Church of WIChita, [(an ., for IS years. She recently received a master's degree in children and family ministries from Bethel Seminary in St. Paul, Minn.
More about children's ministry
For those who want to dig deeper, prl nti ry influence in a child's life and Parenting from Inside Out by our feature writers share a few talk about flow to restore that basic Daniel J Siegel and Mary HartzelL of their favorite resources relationship to its rightful place 'Itt i'racher, 2004. A psychtatrj$t apd Children s Ministry magazine by Is I -a Lost use? Having the Hea rt' In early childhood expert explore how Group . This is an excellent resource of God for lhe Churchs Children by our own childhoOd experiences $hape for anyone who works with children Marva J , Daw Eerdmans. 1997 parenting skitls They offer ways for Also see their Web site, Dawn,. highlights the chaLLenges our: parents to themselves in www cmmag com presents tot our children and to b e better: parents. Growing a Healthy Children 5 gives Factical suggestiops; for 'ManSforming Children into Ministry: Step - by- Step Handbook to chur<:lles Anti parents as they gu{de Spiritual Champions by GeQrge Barna . Cultivating Christian Kids in any spiritual_elopment of children 2003. Sarna contends that it's Environment by Steve Alley Standard Life ep$ : Developing time for the church to come alongside Publishing. 2004 Children'S ministry No l!lrlshed ChillJfiln edited by ,David parents to help their-children beceme leaders will appreciate this cori)pre- Wiebe Kindre Productions Ufe spiritual ch8mpions, hensive reference with plenty of repro - Steps defines six areas f spiritual www,kid$tuf.com and ducibles, stories and examples . need for chUdren and 0 rs tOQls to We Hold On to Your Kids: 'Why, Parents assess effectiveness an d et goals in 'Provide infoRTIation about a u ique Need to Matter More Than Peers I by these areas See alsQ e Canadian iJ)proach to retChing alid heir Gordon Neufeld and GabOr Mate, MB Conference W site. families from t;brtn Point Commu ity House , 2005 The authors www mbcoJ1f.cEf/faithhu ding/chit - Church. Alpharetta Gil> at)q Buck he<td contend that parents sholikl' be., the ' Church. Atlanta. 'Ga.
Your Mennonite Brethren
Church without doors
Arabic response to M B media outreach creates a virtual church
When Sebastian, a Christian living in the Middle East, talks about church he does not refer to a building or a group of people he meets with face-to-face.
Church for Sebastian and hundreds of other Arabic -language believers who worship undercover is the teaching and nurture he receives and relationships he develops when sitting at his computer logged on to www.inarabic.org
Over the last few years, more than a million people have visited this Christian Arabic Web site, featured on television and radio programs produced jointly by MBMS International and Family Life
Two men watch television via satellite in a Bedouin tent in Saudi Arabia A program called "Come and See," produced by MBMS International and Family Life Network, serves Arabicspeaking communities around the globe.
Network, the Mennonite Brethren media ministry based in Winnipeg, Man.
These agencies serve Arabic-speaking communities in North America and beyond through radio, television and printed materials. The television programs, called "Come and See," are broadcast via satellite throughout North Africa, Europe and across the entire Middle East, reaching as far as Pakistan and Afghanistan.
When individuals are interested in additional information about the Christian faith, they are encouraged to contact FLN resource staff via the Web site. Staff members answer questions and provide further guidance in the Christian faith. For example, a doctoral student in Iran writes, "I had many questions and didn't believe anyone religion was best. But your answers really attract me to Jesus ."
Many also have chosen to embrace Christianity. In one e-
W hat W her e W hen
mail a young man says, "Christianity is totally banned in my country. But now I pray to Jesus and such peace fills my heart "
How does one disciple and care for these new beli eve rs, members of a virtual church? That question has prompted FLN and MBMSI staff members to organize two unique events in Arabic-speaking countries.
Next month the two agencies will host an Arab ic leadership consultation in the Middle East to which they have invited 180 selected leaders representing a variety of denominations and living in Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Jordan , Lebanon , Morocco , Algeria and Egypt.
'We go with a lot of trepidation ," says one MB lead er who for security reasons is withholding his name from print "Ou r meeting is unprecedented There is no theological textb ook to follow We want to listen , teach and discern the fu ture of the church in this new world we live in where Muslims' hearts are turning to Jesus. "
In August MBMSI and FLN are also hosting a conference for abused Arabic-speaking women to be hel d in the Middle East Women in leadership have been notified by pe rsonal invitation of the event and are asked to bring abused women with whom they have contact
Arabic staff of these agencies report that many girls marty at age 15 or 16, and that some are abducted into forced marriages . Sixty-five percent of women in Arabic-speaking countries are illiterate since women are not encouraged to attend sc hool.
'Women in these countries carty great emotional b urdens ," says Lewiza Youssef, who with her husband Samir co-prod uces FLN Arabic -language resources. " Many women ask, Does Jesus care about me? Although their husbands may abuse them , we want them to know their value, to know how much Jesus loves them."
FLN will be sending two cameramen to the Middle East this summer. Their purpose will be to film 150 "man-on- thestreet" interviews conducted by Samir and Lewiza Youssef.
A vital component of the FLN Arabic television and radio programs is the question and answer segments featuring ordinary Arabic-speaking people from various countries. Thanks to these segments the Youssefs, who serve as program hosts and producers, are now recognizable faces in countries where these programs are aired The couple requests prayer for their summer travels since they now will encounter new security challenges
Personal safety is an issue for many leaders of the virtual Arabic church. But their commitment to Christ and his church prompts them to continue
"I have been a refugee, driven from home I was at zerobut Jesus transformed my life and helped me have peace even if it's hell around me," says one virtual church leader. "My message for refugees and others is (that) it is okay to start from zero And the best way to start is with Jesus Christ "
This is the Gospel's simple but compe lli ng mes sage , whether shared in person or at the doorway of the virtu al church .-by Dorothy Siebert of Family Life Network
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Perfect harmony
Men's quartets are a strong voice in MB music tradition
There are no words that can describe the joy of sharing music with others," says Lawrence Foth, who sings with Personal Touch, one of the men's quartets that has been sharing music in Mennonite Brethren churches for many years.
Since the 1930S and 405, men's quartets have been an assumed part of music ministry within churches and MB schools. According to Jonah Kliewer, fortner chair of the music department at Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kan., men's quartets are "one major slice of the pie for MB music."
The Leader wanted to know more about the history and influence of these men's quartets . We ran a request for infortnation in the Leader for several months and received responses from 10 quartets (see sidebar). We sent each respondent a questionnaire and invired them to send a photo. The responses told of differences in singers, song titles and perfortnance venues, but clearly the hartnony of men's quartets has been a strong voice in MB worship.
The beginnings for many MB quartets came out of a need for special music for a specific occasion. That one occasion often led to years of singing together as the blend of voices was enjoyed by both singers and member.
The style of music featured by various MB quartets is in many ways quite similar and is described by the quartets as southern gospel. country, barbershop, "Gaither-style" and hymns. In earlier years many used the music of Stamps/Baxter and men's music arranged or written by MB musician Herbert Richert.
"Men's music is hard to find," says Ed Willems of Bethany Four, Fresno, Calif. He adds, "It hasn't changed much in the last
The for j\:fBqllartets came out of ;.1 need for special for ;1 specifIC I hat one OCc ..1Sl0n often led to years of singing t o gether as the hlend of voices w;]s enjoyed hy hoth singers anJ li s teners .
listeners. The Zoar Church Quartet of Inman, Kan ., for example, began with a request to sing at a local PTA meeting in 1949. The group was still singing together in April of this year.
MARK IV of Hillsboro (Kan.) MB Church is one of the longstanding groups that responded to our survey. They began when Jona Baltzer, director of a new young men's male chotus, suggested that a quartet also be started. Baltzer simply pointed at four men and said, ''You, you, you and you." The group began in 1954 and is still singing today.
Hearing a quartet from Canada inspired Reno Penner to begin the Lighthouse Quartet, Hillsboro, Kan., in 1974. "I have always enjoyed good gospel music and this quartet inspired me to organize one," Penner says. The Lighthouse Quartet has had a variety of singers and pianists over the years but continues to minister with Penner as the one original
MARK IV of Hillsboro, Kan., is one of several Mennonite Brethren quartets that has sung together for many years. Mark IV members are left to right Robert Loewen, Marvin Ratzlaff, Ray Franz and Kenney Jost.
20 years." For Bethany Four and other groups, the use of keyboard and other instrumentation has broadened their repertoire. Changes in the music style for Personal Touch of Topeka, Kan., came with the use of keyboard and the arrival of contemporary a capella sounds of groups like Glad and Acapella. The Garden Park quartet from Denver, Colo., used piano only for rehearsal and perfortned a capella with pitch pipe.
The selection of a group name has been an interesting process for some quartets. Ray Franz of MARK IV says their group was nicknamed "the funeral quartet" in early years; they have sung at over 200 funerals since the 1960s. Years later a church member used the first letter of each quartet member's name to come up with MARK Iv. Franz says, 'We also liked the name because Mark 4 is the story of the parable of the sowerour mission was to sow the seed of the gospel. Also, Allen Hagen, a member of the group, was the local Ford dealer and he sold Mark IVs. The name stuck."
A hospital visit led to the naming of PetSonal Touch 'We had just left the local hospital after singing for an elderly parent of one of our church members," says Lawrence Foth. 'We finished with 'Sweet, Sweet Spirit' and we suddenly realized that Fred, though gravely ill, had joined us with his big bass sound. There wasn't a dry eye in the room. We relived that moment as we left, sharing how very petSonal and touching it had been. In that moment we became PetSonal Touch."
"Martinizing Four- the cleanest sound in town" was the informal name of a former quartet from Koerner Heights Church, Newton, Kan. When Larry Martens, group member and then-pastor of Koerner Heights, was asked the name of their quartet before a name had been chosen, "He shrugged his shouldetS and off the cuff said, 'the Martinizing Four,"' says group member Jim Regier.
Some quartets choose their names to highlight their mission and purpose such as "Lighthouse Quartet," "Gospel MessengetS," "Exaltation!"
again."
The relationships of the spouses are also significant in the dynamics that hold a group together. 'J\ll in our group are good friends, along with our wives," says Ed Willems of Bethany Four. "Our wives have been a great support to us and have traveled with us on many toUtS, each helping in various ways."
Travel for most MB quartets that responded includes their local area and some neighboring states. Bethany Four has traveled most extensively, giving concerts throughout the United States and Canada.
Almost all of the groups who contacted the Leader have made recordings of their music. Personal Touch, who recently celebrated their 20th annivetSary, has made five gospel and two barbershop recordings. Bethany Four has recorded three albums and has just released a compilation of the three.
r·--1 Q u artets provided one of the first opp ortuniti es for peopl e within th e co n gregation to participate in music in a more mann e r.
Quartet music wasn't always part of MB music tradition. The beginning of quartet music within MB churches was influenced and "Reflections." ForothetS, the name ofthe church they atrended became part of their identification.
Of the groups that responded to our survey, the Zoar MB Church Quartet holds the distinction of having sung together for the longest time with the original membetS. They have been singing together since 1949. MARK IV has been together for 51 yeatS with all but one of the original membetS.
Camaraderie is part of what holds them together. Along with the joy of singing is the enjoyment of the friendships, spiritual support and accountability that develops among group membetS, particularly those who have been together for many yeatS and have traveled together.
Some groups that are no longer singing have held reunions because they still enjoy occasionally reviewing their music and renewing friendships. "When the (Martinizing Four) quartet formed in the 1970s, we were all in our late 20S and 30S. At our reunion last month, we had all matured to be gray or balding and in our late 50S and 60S," says Regier, who has sung with three MB quartets over the yeatS. "But it was great to be together
MB men's quartets
When the Leader requested information about men's quartets, we received responses from these groupsl Four, Fresno, Calif
Exaltation!, Central Kansas
Garden Park Quartet, Denver, Colo
Gospel Messengers, Shafter, Koerner Heights Quartet/Martinizing Four, Newton, Kan . -Lighthouse Quartet, Hillsboro, Kan . Personal Touch Quartet, Topeka, Kan . :MARK IV, H1Usboro, Kan
Reflections, Central Kansas Zoar MB Church Quartet, Inman, Kan
by several factotS. According to Jonah Kliewer, who was himself part of one of the early traveling quartets from Com (Okla.) Bible Academy, four-part harmony began arriving on the church music scene in the 1920S and 30S as traveling music groups introduced the harmony to churches.
Within the MB conference, Herbert Richert began introducing the harmony of men's voices to Tabor College. Richert has been described as the foremost leader of church music among U.S. MBs and served as chair of the Tabor College milsic department from 1935 to 1960.
Before Richert's influence, harmony wasn't necessarily welcome in MB churches. Kliewer says, "It was heresy, some thought, to sing parts when harmony fitSt entered the church, and that opinion would have been in place just one generation before the quartet movement began." Quartets provided one of the fitSt opportunities for people within the congregation to participate in music in a more individual manner. "Individual singing in the (MB) church was originally frowned upon," says Kliewer. "I don't know of any solo singing in the churches before Richert."
As quartets began to accompany college choitS on their tours, the quartets became a model for people in the churches who were spurred on to form their own groups until quartets became an integral part of MB music tradition.
While many would say quartet music has enhanced worship and praise in the past, the future is less certain. The majority of men who responded to the Leader questionnaire began singing in quartets in their 20S and 30S; most are now around age 70. Several present quartet membetS are encouraged by the efforts of Mennonite Men's Chorus to include young men's quartets in their concerts in recent yeatS.
'When men sing well there is a certain energy in the sound that seems to be appealing," says Kliewer. He anq othetS hope the four-part harmony will continue to resound in our churches. - by Nadine Friesen
Leaders eye dwindling reserves
U. S. Conference concludes 2004-05 fiscal year in red
Circumstances sometimes remind one that, "Every cloud has a silver lining." Or, in the case of the U.S Conference 2004-05 fiscal year-end report released last month, every silver lining has a cloud.
In many respects the USC can report a successful 50th anniversary year, including record financial support by its member churches At $468,948, church contributions for this past fiscal year are the highest on record and about 80 percent higher than a decade ago.
The year-end report also shows that special fundraising efforts in 2004-05 were successful in raising another $104,828.75, just 6 percent short of the fundraising goal of $110,575·
The 2004-05 fiscal year began with a clean financial slate thanks to a decision made duting the 2003-04 fiscal year by the Board of Church Ministries to eliminate the USC deficit cartied over from the previous year by transferring money from reserves to the operating fund. This transfer of $125,077 together with a grant of $50,000 from MB Foundation gave the USC an operating fund balance of $101,620 at the close of the 2003-04 fiscal year. An additional $50,000 grant was placed by MBF in an endowment for the conference.
The silver lining on the USC cloud extends beyond finances. During the past fiscal year, which runs June 1 through May 31, USC leaders planned and hosted several well-attended and well-received events.
A year ago this month, the USC held its first national pastors' conference followed by the biennial convention which in tum was followed by the first national 55-plus convention. The events were held in Draper, Utah, a predominately Mortnon suburb of Salt Lake City, and the first two were hosted by then six-year-old South Mountain Community Church. For many of the event participants, a highlight of the weekend was the opportunity to collectively celebrate a Mennonite Brethren church planting success story.
In February, 33 pastors attended a new pastors' orientation held in Shell Beach, Calif. The event was unique among previous orientations in that it was shorter and less lecture-oriented, and all on -site and transportation costs were covered by a group of anonymous donors. The purpose of the orientation is to introduce the MB church to pastoral staff members who are new to the denomination.
In May, the new USC Leadership Board hosted the Institutional Summit, a one-day gatheting of representatives from all U.S. MB entities, including the five district conferences, MB Biblical Seminary, MB Foundation, MBMS International, Fresno Pacific University and Tabor College The value of bringing together "all things MB" was affirtned when all but one entity sent a representative. The summit was also affirtned verbally by several participants'.
The Institutional Summit is a recommended feature of a new USC governance model approved by delegates to the 2004 convention. Delegates provisionally approved a new governance model and a new nine-member Leadership Board. A primary task of this new board is to develop a set of bylaws that will best reflect the broad vision of a staff-driven governance model that includes a single "super" board rather than individual ministry boards,
This past year the new Leadership Board worked diligently at their assigned tasks, meeting three times and holding regular telephone conference calls. As the board worked at developing bylaws for the new governance model several weaknesses were identified, including the lack of a board of faith and life. Last month the Leadership Board hired governance consultant Les Stahlke to guide them in developing bylaws and other governance documents . They anticipate bringing bylaws to the 2006 convention.
So what's the cloud that comes with the 2004-05 silver lining? That cloud is red ink and the long-range fiscal forecast.
The year-end reports confirtn what leaders had been working to avoid: a fiscal year ending in the red by $56,952. One reason for the deficit is that 2004 -05 conference expenses exceeded the amount budgeted by $1l,844 Holding four national events in one fiscal year was the key reason for the additional expenses, says bookkeeper Donna Sullivan. Although contributions from corporate and individual donors helped defray some event expenses, the number of events did impact the budget. Sullivan says the first year under a new governance model also brought several additional expenses, including the Institutional Summit.
A second factor in the deficit is that while church giving continued the upward trend, it was lower than budgeted by $32,052. Conference records indicate that while a number of congregations gave first-time gifts, more than half of the congregations in the USC did not conrtibute to the USC budget.
The year-end reports also show that the USC did not receive an MB Foundation grant in 2004 -05. In the past MBF has distributed earnings over expenses in the fortn of grants, the majority of which went to the USC. In his report at the recent Institutional Summit,
MBF chair Ken Neufeld reminded attendees that in 2002 MBF made the decision to comply with various securities registration requirements, including minimum capital requirements.
' This regulation has necessitated the stockpiling of what we once called 'excess earnings' and setting these funds aside as capital." said Neufeld. " We think it has been a very good strategy to take steps now to strengthen our viability into the future. Yet we realize this action has taken its toll on our ability to make grants ."
Since 1991, a total of $555,893 27 in grants has been made to the USc. During this time there were three years in which no grants were made, according to MBF. Since 1998 and until this most recent fiscal year, the USc has annually received an MBF grant Undesignated MBF grants since 1998 total $399,094 and average $57,000 per year; designated MBF grants of $52,738 were also received during the same time period
While a grant would have helped offset the additional expenses and the chu rch giving shortfall, the USC operating fund balance created in the previous fiscal year will absorb the $56,952 deficit, leaving approximately $44,668 in the operating fund.
And that fact is the other significant component to the 2004-05 fiscal cloud. Like Joseph in the Old Testament account of famine in Egypt, the USc has collected surplus resources during years of plenty in order to weather seasons of financial shortfall .
While Pharaoh's dream revealed that Egypt's famine would come to an end in seven years, denominational leaders contemplate the conference's dwindling reserves with no assurance that their stored resources will be sufficient.
In fact, with an operating fund balance of under $45,000 and a total of $108,803 in endowments, some conference leaders are projecting that at the current rate USC reserves will be depleted in three years.
Limited reserves was noted as a concern by the independent auditors who last month reviewed the national conference financial books The auditors encouraged conference leaders to develop a plan for improving the financial health of the denomination.
Conference leaders have already asked USC executive director Chuck Buller to focus primarily on fundraising for the next year or two. Buller "will be making some very focused decisions that will affect his day-to-day schedule," says USC chair Steve Prieb.
Reaffirming pattnerships among MB ministries will be a priority, says Prieb . 'This is important because our MB ministries are all reaching out to the same constituency for funding We must agree together how the funds of a limited constituency are best spent for the greatest good in expanding the Kingdom of God. The US C Leadership Board is actively engaged with other denominational leaders to address this concern," says Prieb. - by Connie Faber
Reedley turns
Congregation commits to continued outreach
In today's society, it's easy to credit success to hard work, luck or superstition However, for one Mennonite Brethren congregation, success has nothing to do with luck or superstition and everything to do with faith.
Reedley (Calif.) MB Church spent the weekend of June 11-12 "Honoring God's Faithfulness" in celebration of the congregation's centennial anniversary.
"Honoring God's faithfulness is an attempt to focus on God and what he has accomplished rather than what people have accomplished over 100 years," says Dennis Fast, senior pastor at Reedley. '1t is an attempt to honor God and no one person over the other, to acknowledge that we are the body of Christ and all gifts are important."
Honoring God's faithfulness isn't a new concept to the members of Reedley. The church's mission statement expresses the congregation's desire "to honor God by celebrating his love and by making disciples of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior."
With over 400 new members in the past seven years and a total membership of 1,330, Reedley is the largest MB church in the United States-a far cry from the 14 charter members
As the first MB church in California, the congregation grew significantly in the early years, says Fast. By the 1940s, Reedley had grown to over 1,000 people. When the growth started to level in the 1950S, Reedley began to plant churches in the area - a trend that continues today.
The current focus on outreach, says Fast, "reflects the mission and zeal the church exhibited early on."
In 1956 the Iglesia Fuente De Vida (Parlier, Calif.) was planted, followed by EI Faro Community Church (Reedley, Calif.) in 1962, Templo "La Paz" (Orosi, Calif ) in 1963, Iglesia EI Buen Pastor (Orange Cove, Calif ) in 1965, Templo De Oracion (Traver, Calif.) in 1982 and most recently, Grace Community Church (Sanger, Calif.) in 2000.
Additionally, the congregation founded Reedley Bible School in 1925. Now known as Immanuel Schools, it has over 600 students enrolled in kindergarten through 12th grade Reedley also had a role in founding Pacific Bible Institute, now known as Fresno Pacific University, in 1944.
The outreach and vision of Reedley is reason for celebration, says Pete Penner, chair of the centennial committee .
"When you look at the history of this church, you see that we're still really a big part of the community," says Penner. 'We have reached the community, which I think is a really good example of
what weve done in this 100-year span ."
To celebrate their history, the congregation gathered Saturday evening to look back at 100 years through video , personal stories, music and displays.
'The concept is to honor God's faithfulness by showing how God's message has been passed on from one generation to the next, " says Jim Gaede, a member of the program planning committee.
One aspect of the presentation highlighted stories of some of the founding families of Reedley, including Abraham A. Buhler, the first ordained minister of Reedley,
Former pastor Jim Holm gives the be nedi ct ion at th e Reedley (Calif ) MB Church cente nni al wo r ship se rv ice l ast mon th Following the prayer 20 new me mb e r s we re acce pte d.
as well as P. T. Harms, D. T Enns, Daniel Eitzen and Henry Pauls
The family stories were presented in the form of a video presentation.
Additionally, four groups of people representing men and women from ages 70 to 80, 40 to 50 and 20 to 30, shared testimonies about life at Reedley. These testimonies included early memories, times of testing , humorous memories changes and transitions and the strengths of Reedley. Two church members shared personal conversion stories. A fellowship meal followed the Sunday morning service.
" It is God's faithfulness that has been expressed in the faithfulness of hundreds of people for a hundred years," said Fast in his Sunday morning sermon
The congregation not only celebrated the past; they also looked forward to and celebrated the future
While the Sunday morning service included a ttibute to the former pastors of Reedley, it was primarily a time for the congregation to commit to the future of the church. The service included the com -
missioning of a short-term mission group to Costa Rica, the reception of 20 new members through baptism or transfer of membership and the opportunity for church members to sign a covenant recommitting themselves to following Christ and participating in the church.
The signing of a covenant was another step forward at Reedley. For the past several years, Fast has asked for increased commitment from the congregation For the past year, emphasis has been on commitment to prayer. Signing the centennial covenant was a response to the increasing commitment in the church, Fast says.
"I think we live in an age where people are more reluctant to make commitments than they used to be," he says. "People aren't looking to make commitments; they want to keep all of their options open. I think it's really crucial that we do continue to make commitments."
In his sermon based on Joshua 23:14 and 24:14-16, Fast said, "You become whatever you commit to. Your life is the sum total of your commitments. Commitments have eternal consequences because they not only reveal the present; they also determine your eternity."
Fast asked the congregation if they would be willing to make a commitment to God. He said that commitments show what is important in your life, sharpen the focus of your life and secure the destiny of your life.
Fast challenged the congregation to "ask Jesus to be the boss , the director, the Lord of your life today "
Members who chose to sign the covenant committed themselves to the following:
• To take a stand for Jesus Christ and his church.
• To embrace the mission that God has given his church.
• To determine to use life, gifts, talents and resources to celebrate Christ's life-giving.
• To set heart, mind and will on a course reflecting a passionate desire to know, follow and be like Christ.
• To renew commitment and belief that Jesus is the only way to God.
'The ultimate purpose [of signing the contract] is so that we can reach out to others and share that good news with other people," says Fast. "I think the call to commitment is built right into the mission of the church-celebrating God's love, being disciples of our Savior and Lord and continuing to expand and to grow and reach more people." - by Malinda Just staff writer
MCC concludes work in Botswana
Education projects at heart of work
Mennonite Central Committee will end more than three decades of service in Botswana this summer, closing its program and shifting those resources to other MCC work in Africa. Some 279 MCC workers have served in Botswana, which once had MCC 's largest program in Africa.
Botswana has changed dramatically since MCC workers first arrived in 1968, two years after the former British protectorate became independent. At that time Botswana was known as one of Africa 's most impoverished countries. Its need for teachers was so severe that in 1975 MCC teachers made up five percent of the secondary school teachers in the country.
Today, despite a high AIDS rate, the United Nations Human Development Index ranks Botswana above nearly all other Sub-Saharan African nations in an index that combines factors such as income, education and standard of living. The country's economy, spurred by profits from diamond mining, has grown. Its infrastructure now includes a well-developed school system, a health care system, a social welfare system and a transportation system.
In Botswana in April, MCC staff, partners and friends gathered in thanksgiving for the work that has been done in Botswana, the partnerships that have been forged and the friendships that have been built.
'We have benefited more than we have given, you have helped us to mature, grow and develop and have allowed us to take that journey in Botswana," Tesfa Dalellew, MCC's co-director for Africa programs, told the crowd. 'When we go, we are leaving God's people in God's hands."
Since the 1980s, MCC has worked in Botswana under the name Mennonite Ministries Botswana and in partnership with Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission. Next month the last MCC worker will leave Botswana, although AIMM will continue its work with African Independent Churches.
Education was a central MCC focus. Former MCC worker Norma Johnson recalls that in the 1970S about a third of primary school teachers in Botswana had little or no training. Some teachers had finished only primary school; others had gone to a year or two of secondary school.
MCC also worked with projects that provided affordable technical training. Building brigades, farming brigades and other efforts prepared graduates to practice a trade. 'They were heralded as the cutting edge of vocational and techn ical training," says MCC executive director Ron Mathies, who was an MCC worker in Swaziland. -MCC
An April thanksgiving service allowed MCC workers, friends and partners to bid their goodbyes and express gratitude for MCC ' s relationships in Botswana over the years.
New Anabaptist curriculum in the works
Focus will be on equipping families to grow in faith
New curriculum from Anabaptist publishers, to be released in fall 2006, will focus on strengthening the connection between church and home 'We're really interested in the link between home and congregation and also in equipping parents and others who care for children with the
tools they need for their children's faith formation," says Anna Speicher, project director and editor.
and other caregivers. According to Speicher, parents will not only learn the same text as children but will also be trained in how to guide their children into deeper faith formation throughout the week. The curriculum also provides tools for parents and caregivers to guide discussion. For example, a quarterly "talk about" gives discussion and activity ideas
"\Ve Jrc trying to bring WI1<lt we Jo on SundJY into the home. '- - ,\nnJ Speicher, project <.hrcctor.
The curriculum, called Gather 'Round: Hearing and Sharing God's Good News, will be co-published by Brethren Press, the publishing house of Church of the Brethren, and Mennonite Publishing Network, the publishing arm of Mennonite Church USA and Mennonite Church Canada. It will replace the current Jubilee curriculum.
Like Jubilee, the Gather 'Round curriculum will emphasize learning through Bible stories. Students will work systematically through the Bible in a four-year
God's qood news cycle Fall quarters will focus on the Old Testament, working roughly chronologically through the Old Testament over the course of four years. During winter and spring quarters, study focuses on the life of Jesus, timed to correspond with Advent and Lent celebrations. Each year of the four-year cycle will focus on a different gospel. Summer quarter studies will be thematic and will focus on themes such as parables, peace and Paul's journeys.
Building on this foundation, Gather 'Round hopes to strengthen the connection between home and congregation by offering resources for parents and caregivers and by engaging the entire congregation in studying the same themes.
Gather 'Round curriculum is aimed at all age groups from preschool through adults and includes a multiage curriculum for smaller congregations that may be unable to accommodate age-divided classes. All age groups will interact with the same Bible text on a given Sunday to facilitate interaction throughout the entire congregation. 'We're all on the same page, " says Speicher.
One of the class units is designed to equip parents
for the family. Ideas may be as simple as singing a song or reading a Scripture together.
Speicher says this strong home-church connection is a response to research that indicates parents want to be active in their children's faith development but often feel ill-equipped. "We are trying to bring what we do on Sunday into the home," she says.
Considerable thought has gone into understanding how children learn and how faith develops as the foundation for the curriculum. Marilyn Hudson, manager of Kindred Productions, points out that this same kind of theological and pedagogical foundation earned the Jubilee curriculum excellent ratings from an independent study group. Hudson says churches can expect the same high quality from Gather 'Round.
Gather 'Round will be published new each year, which allows the publisher to respond to input and make changes as necessary to continually strengthen the curriculum. It also means churches can purchase the curriculum a quarter or a year at a time, eliminating the large beginning investment necessary with Jubilee. ' We are really trying to be responsive to the needs of all congregations," Speicher says. Cost of the curriculum has yet to be determined.
Speicher points out that few denominational publishers are willing to take on a project of this magnitude, but she says it's important for Anabaptists to have access to curriculum that teaches denominational distinctives "If we're serious about the things we say we believe in, then we need to be teaching them to our children, too," she says
Speicher says Mennonite Brethren will find in Gather 'Round "a curriculum that respects children, that is helpful to teachers, that is looking for ways to really teach the Bible to children and help children apply that to their own lives, to help parents understand Scripture berter and help them think about how they can teach their children about important issues like peace and discipleship and stewardship and evangelism." She encourages MBs to "give it a try Take a look at it. I think MBs might like what they see."
Gather 'Round will be available for use in fall 2006 The first quarter will be available for examination in early 2006 Churches that wish to preview the curriculum at that time may contact Kindred Productions.
More information about Gather ' Round is available at www.gatherround.org .- Myra Holmes
hearinq &shori nq
Enemies learn to be neighbors through Women in Dialogue
MCC a catalyst for peace in Rwanda
Beatrice Uzanyabariyo once lived in a world where ethnicity did not matter. Uzanyabariyo, a 43-year-old farmer, recalls a time in rural notthwestern Rwanda when most people didn't care whether someone belonged to the Hutu ethnic majority or the Tutsi ethnic minority. Uzanyabariyo grew up in a Tutsi family, married a Hutu man at the age of 20 and raised eight children. 'We were living in peace," she says.
But in 1994 Rwanda convulsed in an enormous ethnic conflict. An extremist political movement called Hutu Power mobilized tens ofthousands of Hutus to kill the country's Tutsis as well as any Hutus that stood in their way.
This genocide claimed nearly a million lives in 100 days of killing throughout the country and caused incalculable suffering to those who survived. For Uzanyabariyo, the pain of that time will never be gone, but she is doing all she can to find healing.
Uzanyabariyo is a member of a group called Women in Dialogue, in which people from different sides of the Rwandan conflict work together on agricultural projects and discuss ways to move beyond the violence of the past.
Women in Dialogue has about 90 members in three locations. It is suppotted by Mennonite Centtal Committee, the relief, service and peace agency of Notth American
Beatrice Uzanyabariyo, left , i s a member of a group called Women in Dialogue, in which people from different sides of the Rwandan conflict work together on agricultural projects and discuss ways to move beyond the violence of the past. At right is another member, Melanie Nvugebarijane.
Mennonite and Brethren in Christ Churches. The Women in Dialogue groups are ttained in peacemaking by Peace House, an MCC partner organization that is a
ministry of Rwandan Evangelical Friends churches . MCC supports Peace House with about $48,000 a year. An MCC worker, Joshua Bazuin, of Mount Hope, Ont., serves with Peace House
When the genocide began in 1994, local Hutu extremists set up roadblocks in Ruhengeri and went from house to house to seize and execute Tutsis.
Uzanyabariyo was with her Tutsi family when these militants came for her father and brother 'They took them to the roadblock and they killed them ," she says. 'We all ran away then, and they came to kill my brother's four children."
With the help of her husband's family, Uzanyabariyo and her children hid in the forest for three months. "Sometimes it was in a pit covered by branches," she says. 'The people in the house, my husband's family, came and brought food at night."
Uzanyabariyo says she began to hate all Hutus, except for her husband and in-laws. After the genocide ended-when predominantly Tutsi rebel forces took over the country - Uzanyabariyo was consumed by anger
Through Women in Dialogue, Uzanyabariyo says she has let go of her anger. She now leads a team of women from the group who sell cassava flour to earn money to buy soap and salt for themselves.
Many members of the group have lost loved ones, some to the genocide and others to violence that occurred afrerward. They include Tutsis and Hutus, and many are either widows or have husbands in prison for genocide crimes. Several men who have served prison time and have been released are also members.
In the process of working and talking together, former enemies are learning to trust each other as neighbors. "If you have needs, your neighbor can help," Uzanyabariyo says. "When you're working together, it's really good ."
She says, "Because we have received workshops which base their teaching on the word of God and have seen that having hate in Rwanda is no solution, we decided to be together to build a new Rwanda. "- by Tim Shenk of MCC Communications
Sound bites to live by
"A Little is better than nothing" is my new mantra
Sound bites are short phrases or sentences designed to get our attention. Ad writers use them all the time. We are told that Coke is "the real thing" and that we should "think outside the bun." We are even assured that "Every kiss begins with Kay's " (They sell diamonds ) These sound bites are supposed to embed themselves into our minds so that we will buy these products the next
at a time, because a little is better than nothing. A second sound bite comes from Joel Osteen's book, Your Best Life Now While I have problems with some of his theology, I have also found some good advice. Osteen outlines seven steps to living at our full potential as Christians One of these steps he calls, "Live to give." That's quite a sound bite. He says that we exercise our faith through our time we shop.
A radio speaker recently used a sound bite that caught my ()11 1h;.11 da\' thi-; teacher needed to tell someon e ahout this in hi-; -lile. I t he re to give him my time ;)nd to li s ten .
attention: "A little is better than nothing." When discussing the need for busy mothers to take some time for themselves, I heard, "A little is better than nothing ." When the speaker talked about exercise, again I heard, "A little is better than nothing " That phrase was used at least IS to 20 times in the IO-minute program Now it has become a mantra of sorts for me.
When I got home, I noticed that our back yard needed attention. Weeds needed to be pulled, shrubs trimmed, berries pruned, flowers planted and mulch replenished. The task seemed overwhelming until I decided that a little is better than nothing. For the next week I practiced that principle 10, IS or 20 minutes at a time. I'm still not finished, but our yard looks much better, and I feel good about what I have accomplished.
This principle works for other things too. A short prayer while driving to the grocery store, a walk in the garden to pick flowers, a phone call or e-mail to a friend, or time spent on the patio listening to the birds all can benefit from "a little is better than nothing " When my kitchen cabinets need cleaning, I tackle them one drawer or one shelf at a time; a little is better than nothing Even this column is being written like that, a paragraph
giving and that we are created to give The chapter is full of ways we can practice giving, whether we give a smile, a hug, our things, our money or our time.
For example, we can listen when someone needs to talk. A year ago I did a month -long substitute teaching assignment at a local school. During my lunch hour a teacher came into the office and started talking . At one point I sensed that he was going in a serious direction, so I made a conscious decision to be quiet and listen I knew that he and his wife had two children-a daughter who was living with them and a son who was deceased. On this day he told me that his son had been murdered His murderer had been caught and was now in jail.
"I don't know what my son did, probably something bad, to get this man so angry that he killed him ," he told me . "My wife and I have decided that we need to get on with our lives " On that day this teacher needed to tell someone about this tragedy in his life I was there to give him my time and to listen.
The Bible is full of sound bites: "God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Cor. 9:7). "He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord" (Prov. 19:17). We are told to give "even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones" (Matt. 10:42), and, "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me" (Matt. 25:40)
The whole premise of 'uve to give" is that we concentrate more on being a blessing than being blessed. As I learn to ' uve to give" I keep reminding myself that "a little is better than nothing." Furthermore, as I discover how much fun it is to live this way, then the little will give way to more .
> INQUIRING MINDS
by Marvin Hein
Between the here and the hereafter
QWhatare deceased believers doing now? Do they live as spirits or in some other form? What is their relationship with other deceased believers? (Kansas)
AThese questions have occupied the mind of one surviving spouse during the past year. No doubt many survivors through the ages have asked these same questions. Unfortunately, the same questions will continue to be asked after I have "answered" them.
The Bible leaves us with a good bit of mystery sur-
rounding the state of deceased believers, which has led to all kinds of attempts to say more than people know and more than the Bible says. The whole dogma surrounding purgatory is, in my mind, a vain attempt to answer one or more of these questions.
As to what deceased believers are doing now, Revelation 14:1 indicates that deceased believers are happy and resting from their labors. Philippians 1:23 says they are "with Christ" which is "better by far." John's gospel (14:2) tells us they are "in the Father's
Rave a question about a Bible passage, doctrine, conference policy, or other spiritual issue? E-mail Marvin at marvinhein@sbcglobal net or send your question to "Inquiring Minds, " c/o Ma r vin Rein, 3036 East Magill Avenue, Fresno, CA 93710
house," and Paul states in 2 Corinthians 5:8 that they are "at home with the Lord."
There is one problem with these statements: Which of these promises apply to the post-resurrection portion of our heavenly existence and which apply during this pre-resurrection period? The Bible does not differentiate, so we don't know what occurs during the "intermediate" state. Is it too much to believe that some of the aspects of our post-resurrection life will be experienced before the resurrection as well?
I recently attended a neighbor's memorial service where the pastor graphically explained that, based on I Corinthians 15, we are now "nothing but a little brown seed," but when Christians die we instantaneously live in a beautiful, radiant body. I was pondering my inquirer's question as I listened to his powerful sermon, and then this question came to mind: If the departed believer receives this new body at death, what need is there for the resurrection of the body? This only added more mysteries to my thoughts about the afterlife.
What kind of bodily existence is given to believers after death? Do we live as spirits? A Bible student whom I trust suggests that the New Testament does not normally speak of our spirits being in heaven-now or in the future It speaks rather of "us" going to be with the Lord and "we" being rewarded for our labors. We must surely reject the "soul sleep" idea, and I am inclined to believe we will be real persons, not spirits. The answer is unclear in the Bible, but the language used seems to be that of personhood.
How will we relate to one another after death? I have sometimes said that if we can imagine the most perfect marriage relationship on earth, relationships in heaven will be far better as we relate to all fellow believers. I sometimes find it difficult to dialogue with fellow believers here on earth; that will be no problem in heaven. Most of us would be cautious when speaking to dignitaries in this life; in heaven we will sit with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob at the heavenly banquet table and, I assume, have perfect dialogue. The Bible teaches that we can look forward to a fellowship unsullied by sin with the hosts of saints.
Charles Wesley probably knew as little of the mysteries of heaven as we, but he imagined what it might be like when he wrote in a hymn, '1\nd if our fellowship below/ In Jesus be so sweet,! What heights of rapture shall we know/ When round his throne we meet?"
I realize I have not answered the questions. I may have raised more than I solved. One thing I do know: We will worship and serve him with all believers (Rev 22:3). Paul told the Corinthians, "Listen, I tell you a mystery" (I Cor. 15:51) He gave them all they needed to know. Some of the mystery remains , and so we must believe that God has told us all we need to know.
BAPTISM/MEMBERSHIP
Shafter, Calif.-Grant Nixon, Isaac Garza, Calvin Viss, Simon Viss and Eva Viss were baptized and received as members June 5 David Nixon, Erin Nixon, Bryson Nixon and Kyle Nixon were received as members.
Wichita, Kan, (Lighthouse Community ChurchlCory Holmes, Robby Penner, Chris and Samantha Smith, Thea Harrison, Jacob Paiva and Josh Paiva were baptized May 15. Cory Holmes, Robby Penner, Chris and Samantha Smith, Thea Harrison and Shanna Evans were received as members May 22.
Dinuba, Calif.- Tom and Marlene Elliott were received as members May 22.
Papillion, Neb. (Rolling Hillsl- There were 20 decisions for Christ at the Easter service During April and May, 30 individuals were received as members and seven people were baptized.
Enid, Okla.-Cristiana Edwards was baptized and received as an associate member May 15.
Gettysburg, SD (Grace Bible Churchl-James Langer, Bill and Sherri Witte, Dan and Cindy Forget and LaJean Hansen were baptized and received as members April 3. Cody Ritter, Julie Chilstrom and Phyllis Johnson were received as members.
CELEBRATIONS
Porcupine, SD (Lakota Gospel Churchl- The congregation dedicated their new facility June 19 A fellowship meal followed the service.
Hillsboro, Kan.-An all-church banquet June 5 featuring a children's musical was the first of three special Sunday capital campaign events. Commitment pledges for the new ministry center were collected June 12 and the following Sunday the pledge totals were announced and the three -year collection period began.
Hillsboro, Kan. (Parkviewl- The children of Isaac and Helen Thiessen celebrated the couple's 70th wedding anniversary with a family reception June 12
WORKERS
Wichita, Kan.(Ughthouse Community Churchl-The congregation celebrated five years of service by copastor Daren and wife Tina Busenitz. They are starting another church plant in the Wichita area.
Yale, SD (Bethell-Ernest Lambright and his wife Connie have been called as the pastoral couple. They most recently served a Mennonite church in Munich, N.D
Omaha, Neb. (Faith Biblel-Pastor John Schnell was ordained May 15 by the Central District Conference with district minister Roger Engbrecht officiating An open house followed the service Harvey, ND-Curtis Lautt and Preston Hall are summer youth interns.
Bakersfield, Calif. (Heritagel-Amy Toews, a Tabor College student, is a summer youth ministry intern Weatherford, Okla. (Pine Acresl-Brady Morris is a summer youth ministry intern.
Denver, Colo. (Ethiopian Evangelicall - Thomas Bayou began serving as a youth pastor intern May 22.
DEATHS
FRIESEN, EMMA SARAH WIEBE, Hillsboro, Kan., member of Hillsboro MB Church, was born Sept. 4, 1909, to Abraham J. and Susie Ewert Wiebe in Bingham Lake, Minn., and died June 11, 2005, at the age of 95. On March 19, 1931, she married Peter R. Friesen, who predeceased her in 1962 She is survived by one son, Gene and wife Carol of New Hope, Minn.; one daughter - in-law. Marlys Friesen of Omaha, Neb , two daughters, Nadine Friesen and Brenda and husband Rod Hamm, all of Hillsboro; siblings-in-law, June Wiebe, Luella Wiebe, Louise Friesen and Nick and Esther Kroeker, seven grandchildren, 15 great grandchildren and two great great grandchildren.
FRIESEN, ESTHER GOERTZEN, San Jose, Calif., member of Lincoln Glen MB Church, was born Oct. 17, 1922, to Bernard J. and Susan Goertzen in Hepburn. Sask , and died Jan 30, 2005. at the age of 82 On Feb. 7, 1947, she married Kenneth H. Friesen, who survives. She is also survived by one daughter, Kathy and husband Jo Pauls of Fresno, Calif., one son Kevin and wife Sharon of San Jose; one sister, Rubena of Florida; three grandchildren and one niece
HARDER, ELEANOR FRANCIS SCHLEHUBER, Hillsboro, Kan .• member of Hillsboro MB Church, was born Nov 14. 1919, to Herbert and Katherine Schlehuber and died May 13. 2005, at the age of 95 On Nov. 9,1945, she married Arnold G. Harder, who predeceased her. She is survived by two sons, Stanley and Arnold and wife Susan; three daughters, Ruth and husband Bradley Snapp, Rachel and husband Darold Shoesmith and Katherine; two brothers, Allen and Paul. eight brothers- and sisters - in-law and six grandchildren
HEIN, MARIE SUDERMAN, Fairview, Okla , member of Fairview MB Church, was born Sept. 11,1899, near Fairview to Dan and Margaret Becker Suderman and
died May 26, 2005, at the age of 105. She was the oldest living Mennonite Brethren in the U.S. and the oldest resident of Major County, Okla. On April 24, 1921, she was married to David Hein, who predeceased her in 1975. She is survived by one son, Marvin and wife Mary Helen of Fresno Calif ; one daughter, Frances and husband Lyndon Wahl of Fairview; two sisters-in -law, 10 grandchildren, six great grandchildren and three great great grandchildren
ISBELL, JAMES L., of Lenoir, NC pastor in the North Carolina District Conference. died June 10, 2005, at the age of 70 He was born Nov. 26, 1934 in Watauga County, NC, to James Lillard Isbell, Sr.. and Ada Horton Isbell. He served the Boone MB Church for 20 years and served in ministry for over 30 years. He is survived by his wife Lucille; one son, Marshall Isbell of Sacramento, Calif.; one daughter, Chanfe Isbell Stucky and her fiance Raymond McDowell of Lenoir.
JANZEN, ETHEL G., Buhler, Kan., member of Buhler MB Church was born April 1, 1920, in McPherson County Kan., to David E and Tina Adrian Pauls and died May 29,2005, at the age of 85. On April 14, 1940, she married Frank Janzen, who predeceased her. She is survived by one daughter, Nancy and husband Mitch Hill of Lutz, Fla.; one son , Sam of Tampa, Fla., two granddaughters, six great grandchildren, one great great grandchild, two step grandsons and two step great grandchildren.
KLEIN, DANELDA ARDELL GOERTZEN, Hillsboro, Kan., member of Hillsboro MB Church, was born April 24, 1932, to Peter and Marie Thiessen Goertzen near Clyde, NO On June 15. 1951, she married Clayton Klein, who predeceased her. She is survived by five sons, Tim and wife Linda of Dinuba, Calif., Terry and wife Jody of Wichita, Kan., Tom and wife Kim of Valley Center, Kan., Todd and wife Kim of Hillsboro, and Tracy and wife Shawna of Wichita; four daughters, Rhoda and husband Bryan Toews of Reedley, Calif., DeVona and husband Craig Roble of Hillsboro, Connie and husband David Suderman of Hillsboro and Amy Klein of McPherson, Kan., and 26 grandchildren.
NEUFELD, LEON E., Balko Okla., member of Balko MB Church, was born Nov 18, 1922. near Balko, and died April 23, 2005, at the age of 82. On April 27, 1947. he married Viola Fadenrecht, who survives. He is also survived by one daughter, Kathleen of Carrboro, NC; two sisters, Mae Harder of Buhler, Kan and Dorothy Hagen of Hillsboro, Kan.; two brothers, Archie of Loveland, Colo., and Gaylen of Emporia, Kan , and two grandchildren
Pastor of Outreach and Evangelism. For information about Rosedale Bible church and for the job descript ion for this position, check out our Web site at rosedalebiblechurch com Please read that description before submitting your resume to : Search Committee, Rosedale Bible Church, 16000 Rosedale Highway, Bakersfield, CA 93314
Director of Advancement. MB Biblical Seminary seeks a Director of Advancement to lead the seminary's recruitment, public relations, alumni relations and donor development efforts Are you passionate about the seminary's mission of inspiring and equipping men and women to be disciples of Christ, and to serve and lead in the church and the world? Do you have the gifts and training to manage staff, prepare budgets and develop strategies and the indicators to measure progress? As a senior level position, the Director of Advancement will serve the seminary in all of its locations, be a member of the admin istrative team, and report to the president. This person will also be directly involved in donor development, alongside several donor development officers Salary and Benefits : Commensurate with job qualifications and experience Office location : Fresno, Calif or other loca· tion to be negotiated Applications will be accepted until a suitable candidate joins our team To learn more about the position or to apply, please contact Sharon Balint at 559 -452 - 1717 or sbalintlilmbseminary edu Visit us at www mbseminary eduI1/21
Insurance/Financial Services Sales. Are you looking for a career that combines your professional skills and your Christian fa ith values? If so, Mennonite Mutual Aid wants to talk with you We are a church-related organization whose primary mission is to help people manage their God-given gifts MMA is seeking sales professionals to help provide insurance and financial solutions to individuals and businesses, primarily associated with Mennonite and other Anabapt ist -related denominations Openings in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Kansas, Oregon and other states Excellent compensation and benefits packages To learn more, visit www mma -online orglcareers Fax or email resume to 574-537-6635 or hrlilmma-online org 14/101
Human Resources Director. Mennonite Central Committee is looking for a Human Resources Director based in Akron, Penn. The director leads a 14-member department that carries out much of the human resource function of MCC, including recruitment, screen ing , placement, training and care of workers ; compensation and benefits administration ; personnel policy development ; and maintenance of personnel data Qualifications include experience in personnel management and administration; knowledge of human resources polic ies, practices and tools; and solid skills in writing, problem - solving and negotiation Cross -cultural experien ce and prior Christian service preferred Candidates from diverse ra cial and ethnic backgrounds and/or bilingual ISpan ish/Englishl cand idates, and women are encouraged to
apply Contact Prem Dick Ipsdlllmcc orgi for a copy of the job description 14/41
Gte Of ttlinki
Dear Friends,
Thank you for your prayerful support and kindnesses for us during Dr. Richard Wall 's medical and spiritual journey Funeral services were held in Hillsboro April 2 at Parkview MB Church and on AprilS at Tabor College
If you were unable to attend either of the services, or attended and were not able to sign the registry, we would very much apprec iate your name and your relat ionship to Richard You may choose to send us a memory of Richard to be included in our book of remembrances Thank you
Blessings,
JoAnn, Jenny, and Julie Wall 301 S Washington Hillsboro, KS 67063
Burdell beorlag ill the commullitg o f Anoho.ptists meons mClJl1j thlllgs - to MAX- it medlll Cdrillg dlld lIupporUag our members with mutu41dic:i services. When the Lakota Gospel Church, a Native American MB congre g dtion on the Pine Ridge Reservdtion WdS destrotJ ed btJ lire mut ud l aid support went belJond the insu rance claim J ust dS the'l did with Lakotd, MAX wo rks with the churc h co mmunit\] to get the resources needed t o resume norma l liie as quickl'l dS possible The i nsu rance be/peel to rep/ace tb e cbu rc b b u t m u tual aiclbelpeel them "rebuild "
Jo i n the MAX " commun i h j" to da y 877-971-6300 • www.mutualaidexchan e.com
Rocking the vote
What's the difference between citizenship, membership and commitment?
Because I work for the Oregon Secretary of State, I regularly get e-mails containing web links to sites discussing agencyrelated issues. I recently received a link to an interesting article about non-citizen voting. This is already a hot issue in some places and soon will be in others
The article focuses on a bill introduced in the New York City Council "which would allow legal non -citizens, with six months or longer of New York City residency, to vote in all municipal elections." The article notes that other non -citizen voting movements have sprung up in states such as Massachusetts, Maryland and Illinois.
I was intrigued by the arguments presented in the article. Advocates say that legal non-citizens "deserve to be represented locally in government if they are expected to pay taxes and live with the decisions of elected officials."
Opponents counter, "It is reasonable for people to be citizens in order to vote There is something to be said for the commitment you make to your country."
Though I see both sides of the issue, I lean toward the idea that voting should remain a privilege of citizenship. Compared to the many nations that truly are inflexible and oppressive about immigration and citizenship, the U.S. looks pretty easy.
While pondering this subject, I made an obvious connection to member/non-member voting in churches. I can't speak for the church at large, but the churches I've atrended during my adult life have all followed the practice of members-only voting .
Now you might think that since I've already come out in favor of citizen voting for a country, I'd probably feel the same way regarding member voting in churches But I'm not so sure.
The pro and con arguments would likely follow lines similar to the citizen/non-citizen debate. On one hand, if a nonmember has called a church 'bome" for a reasonable period of time and has been faithful in atrendance and participation, why shouldn't he or she be able to vote? On the other hand, doesn't membership show a basic level of commitment that should be expected if churchgoers are to weigh in on important decisions?
Again, I can see both sides. Ive never had a problem putting my name on a church membership docket. But I've known other faithful churchgoers who did have a problem with it and never would become official members of their congregations. The funny thing is, these folks were probably more committed to the church and more involved in ministry than many who were listed on the membership books.
It occurs to me that signing on the dotted line probably has no bearing whatsoever on my commitment level to a congregation. For me it all starts with commitment to Jesus, and with that comes the inseparable commitment to his body of believers.
Here is where comparisons between citizens of a country and members of a church break down. As believers, "Our citizenship is in heaven" (Phil. 3:20) As members of God's church, 'We were all baptized by one Spirit into one body" (I Cor. 12:13)
I realize there is a difference between 'The Church" and "a church" when it comes to membership. Local church membership is partly an organizational matter. But we'd have to admit this practice comes more from man-made institutionalization than from any biblical mandate.
In the Acts church the mark of membership was simply salvation. 'i\nd the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved" (Acts 2:47). Later as chu rch decisions were made, everyone in the body of the saved was involved with support and approval of ministry direction (see Acts 6:5). There was no membership beyond being "members of one body" (Eph 4:25).
One of the difficulties we face these days is the casual commitments people make and break based on fads and feelings. So it's understandable that we'd want to stress the practices of church membership, the signing of covenants and so on. I really don't have any problem doing these things. What does trouble me is the assumption that these actions differentiate the truly committed from the marginally committed. They mayor they may not. The truest commitment is always to Jesus himself, in which case commitment to his body is a given
True confessions of a Sunday school teacher
Sometimes I want to quit
TIo confessions: First, every time I teach Sunday school, I want to quit. Investing in the spiritual training of children is hard work. Some weeks it takes all I have and more to try to corral the energy of a dozen third and fourth graders and challenge them and help them meet and get to know Jesus. The fun activity I plan is deemed "boring" by the kids. The spiritual principle I think is life -changing falls on seemingly deaf ears. At the end of our brief time together, the floor is full of cracker crumbs and the tables covered in glue and glitter, and it feels I have nothing more to show for my efforts than that.
But I won't quit, because I believe investing in the spiritual training of our children is critical to the future of the church. And I won't quit because-and here's my second confession-every time I teach Sunday school, I get more than I give.
The benefits of investing in children are apparently a well-kept secret. If everyone knew how much there is to gain from children's ministry, no church would struggle to find workers We wouldn't need an article like Jo Schrock's on how to find people to do the job right.
Jesus wasn't talking specifically about children's ministry when he said, "Give and it will be given to you," (Luke 6:38). But I think it applies Those who invest in the spiritual training of children receive "a good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over."
When I invest in children, my own faith is challenged. My middle school math teacher used to mercilessly make me explain why I solved the algebra problem this way or that. "You don't really know something until you can teach it to someone else," he said. He's right.
You can't bluff kids. Theyll know if I don't believe what I teach. In order to teach the children what it means to follow Jesus in their lives, I must be constantly learning what it means in my own life. My words will have credibility only if my faith is genuine. That challenges me.
When I invest in children, I learn from the children themselves. It's no coincidence that Jesus taught the value of childlike faith . In the eyes of a child, all the complicated theology of salvation and conversion is as simple and beautiful as expressed by one third-grade girl: "He washed my soul clean!"
Children have no patience with theological jargon, so their questions are often right on target, like when one of "my boys" intetrupted a lesson to blurt out, "What's the Bible all about, anyway?"
Even discipleship is simple and true - uncomfortably so - in the eyes of a child One girl saw a homeless man and said, 'Well, if he's hungry, we should feed him" - as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Precisely because teaching children is challenging, I must depend upon the Holy Spirit. Maybe someone out there is so brilliant and so captivating that chil-
dren's ministry comes easily. The kids in his or her class sit in rapt attention and every encounter runs smoothly. That's not my experience.
I have learned to approach each class in fear and trembling-not fear of the kids, but healthy fear of God. After all, I'm there because I believe he wants to meet with these children. It's wise to let him be in charge. I have learned the value of prayer and the foolishness of trying to do it all on my own.
And then there are the hugs. That in itself is a measure running over. Even after
they move on from my class, they are "my kids," precious in God's eyes and mine. Even after they're too cool for hugs, I get to watch them grow spiritually and become lifelong followers of Jesus.
Now you know . I'm no super saint. The benefits, "pressed down, shaken together and running over," keep me coming back for more.
So 111 clean up the cracker crumbs, the glue and glitter Then 111 take a deep breath, say a prayer and dive in again.-MH
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