This issue of the Leader invites us to rethink what it means for a congregation to be a community of faith. As part of the Anabaptist tradition, we Mennonite Brethren have an understanding of the church that is unique among evangelicals. Writers Danette Baltzer Roland and Philip A. Gunther reflect on their renewed appreciation for this heritage. As Michelle Ferguson's story illustrates, this emphasis on covenant community is something for which many people today long. The feature section concludes with an article by Michelle Hershberger in which she reminds us that our communities of faith are healthiest when they are places that welcome newcomers As she reflects on why welcoming new faces is at times challenging, Hershberger concludes that we may need to reconsider our definition of community.
Among the articles in BodyLife are reports on the ongoing response of MBMS International and Mennonite Central Committee to the December tsunami . Both agencies are posting regular updates on their Web sites.
Thanks to modem technology, those of us living outside Southeast Asia were able to qUickly witness the devastation of the tsunami. Instant photo and video footage is one reason why many MCC supporters contributed to the relief funds, says the agency. "I can see myself standing on that beach and 1 just wanted to do something," one donor said to the MCC staff member who took his phone call.
The relief efforts of many agencies were no doubt enhanced by the fact that many of us could literally picture the physical and emotional impact of the disaster. Unfortunately not every crisis gets as much press as this one did. In a February news release regarding the overwhelming response of constituents to the tsunami relief effort, MCC makes this request: "MCC now recommends contributing funds for other worthy projects, such as providing clean water in many parts of the world, supporting disadvantaged children seeking education, working for peace and reconciliation in areas of conflict, helping people with AIDS and fighting the causes of AIDS, and also for much other work supported by MCC's general fund." Let's take this gracious reminder to heart and be the body of Christ to the world.--CF
QUOTE
"I find somewhat baffling the great shock we evangelicals register when we catch the world acting, well , 'worldly. ' I mean, isn't that kind of the point? They're the 'world,' right? When you start with the assumption that the world is fallen, you ' re much less likely to be disappointed when you find it actually to be the case As for me, I'm anxiously awaiting the day the world registers great shock at the sight of Christians acting 'Christianly. "'-Phil Visher, VeggieTales creator, quoted on the Christianity Today Web site commenting on the recent debate regarding values portrayed on kid 's television shows.
COMING
_ MAY 1 U.S Conference Sunday MAY 14 Leadership Summit, Denver, Colo.
_ MAY 15 Global Day of Prayer
_JULY 28-29 Southern District Conference Pastors ' Advance, Denver, Colo
JULY 29 -31 Southern District Conference convention, Denver, Colo .
What makes a congregation attractive to newcomers? The answer has something to do with what makes for a successful choir. BY DANElTE
Community is a word we hear and use often, but do we know what it means? Writings of 16th century Anabaptist believers can enrich our understanding of the church as "community." BY PHILIP A. GUNTHER
JANZEN
A hurt and broken college sophomore comes to Fresno Pacific University looking for new life What she finds testifies to the power of community. BY MICHELLE
Ne w co mers are often attracted to a close community of faith. But the very thing that attracts also excludes . How can our congregations better welcome people? Is our definition of community part of the problem? BY MICHELE HERSHBERGER
12 Sidebar: Becoming a hospitable church
We know that a healthy church welcomes newcomers How can we incorporate hospitality into the mission of our congregations?
• Things I don't need to know
Minds
God's role in disasters such as the December
On the Journey
• Fam i ly to family Conference Call .
• Youth to gather in LA in 2007
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EDITORIAL POLICY: The views expressed in th i s publication do not necessarily represent the position of the Christian Leader, the U S. Conference Leadership Board or the Mennonite Brethren Church Scripture references are from New International Version unless otherwise noted The editors invite free-lance article submissions A SASE must accompany articles
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How do I explain why my local church seems to draw people? The answer may have something to do with what makes for a successful choir.
I was recently part of a discussion initiated by a teenager about what makes our local church unique . The ques tion was directed to a couple that is new to our congregation, and I was anxious to hear their perspective.
Dale mentioned our Sunday morning breakfast to the h omeless and the way we share leadership, including youth leading worship. Stacy talked about our Sunday morning sharing times and concluded by saying our church is "more open and welcoming than other churches " The teen that raised the question talked about a church she had attended previously. I know the church. It has a beautiful facility and boasts great activities. Who wouldn't like a church like that? Her analysis of her experience at this church was, "I hated it. They're mean there."
Even though we didn't talk about it in these terms, our list of what makes Garden Park MB Church unique had a lot to do with the sense of community that characterizes this congregation.
Th e Bible is filled with passages that outline the
characteristics of a community of believers . We read about loving one another, thinking of fellow believers before we think of ourselves, sharing with others and working out disputes. Jesus says in John 13:35, "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." In John 15:12,17 he says, "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another." Loving one another is a common thread in the New Testament and is uniquely expressed by Mennonite Brethren in our understanding of the church as a covenant community. When I talk with other evangelical Christians it seems that they struggle with the idea of church as community. Their view of community has more to do with being part of a church where they have friends and people that they feel comfortable with than loving people in the congregation as they are, conservative or liberal, black or white, man or woman, prostitute or pastor They are intrigued when I speak of my heritage, of
By Danette Baltzer Roland
belonging to a group of believers who hold that being a part of the body of Christ is as important as committing one's life to Christ. Early Anabaptists taught that each believer has access to the throne of God, and early Mennonites were a distinctly community-minded group that believed their faith was enacted in their love for others. They took seriously passages like 1 John 4:8, ''Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love."
So what does a community of believers look like? I think it's a lot like a choir.
I recently received a CD of selections recorded duringJonah Kliewer's tenure as the Tabor College concert choir conductor. I looked over the songs, hoping that one of the choirs of which I had been a member was featured One song, recorded in 1986-my senior year, caught my eye and I forwarded to that piece
I listened as the choir burst into joyful exaltation. Was this really our choir? It was so beautiful. The parts separated, the sopranos led with the melody and the altos followed in harmony. The tenors entered, joyfully sounding out their part. I closed my eyes and visualized Jonah standing in front of us, directing us to a full crescendo and then down to a whisper. We responded to his signals , 50 or 60 people singing out as one body, creating a beauty that transcended the individual voices.
As I listened, I was reminded of Paul's words in 1 Cor. 12. "For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body-Jews or Greeks, slaves or free-and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as God chose If all were a single member, where would the body be? But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one
another. If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it. Now you are the body of Christ and indiVidually members of it."
When I began listening to the CD I feared I would hear my voice above everyone else's. I came to school that year as a leader in choir, eager to leave my mark. I was one of two senior music majors and an experienced soloist with a strong voice. Somehow Jonah managed to curb my ambition and guided me in becoming part of the group. I learned to listen to the women around me, to value the voices so different from my own. I learned to watch the hand in front guiding us through the complicated measures of a song, keeping the tempo steady and leading each section in its entry. Some choir members struggled with keeping pitch while others had no sense of rhythm. But as I listened individual human failings, even my own, were lost in the group's unity.
The choir is a unique place, like the church, in which I choose to become a member. One body, one voice: rich and poor, women and men, black and white. We all have a part My presence in the choir precludes my singing. I could sing loudly, softly, off tune or off beat. But if I listen to the voices around me, follow the director's hand and allow the signals to lead me, I become a part of something bigger than myself; part of God's greater work in the world
As Mennonites, we have a distinct voice in the Christian community. We have historically held to the belief that community is central to the call of Christ. As Americans who value individualism, it is tempting to believe that it is only our personal walk that matters. But Scripture calls us to look beyond ourselves and to unite as a body of Christ in spite of our differences, to love one another and act as one voice though we sing different parts
Danette Baltzer Roland and her family attend Garden Park MB Church in Denver, Colo. She is a student at Denver Seminary.
Read more about •••
READING THROUGH THE EPISTLES and Revelation , I am struck by the number of passages that describe a faith community.-DBR
Living as a community: Col. 3:12-1 7; 1 Cor 11 : 17-22
Working out disputes: 1 Cor. 1:10-17, 3:1-17 ; 2 Cor. 13 : 11-13; Col 2:2 ; Phil. 1 :27,2:2,3 :15 , 4:2; Philemon
By Philip A. Gunther
A •• simple" definition
Recently I took a graduate class in theology at our local seminary. The class was comprised of believers from various evangelical traditions. We were asked to break into small groups and to define community from a Christian perspective.
Initially we felt quite sure that this was a fairly simple task. Soon it became apparent that this task was not so simple after all. After achieving no consensus in our small groups, we came together again as a whole class and another lengthy and unfruitful discussion followed.
church came with the responsibility to care for the needs of fellow believers . Historian Arnold Snyder writes that one of the four marks of the "visible community of saints" was "mutual aid." Menno Simons identified one of the six signs by which the true church of Christ may be known as unfeigned, brotherly love . To the Anabaptists the church was a brotherhood banded together by love and practicing mutual aid . The Anabaptists' model of church as a community was reflected in their understanding of salvation. In
Defining the word community appears to be a simple assignment. In fact, it is a challenging task.
We finally accepted the following as our joint definition of community: "People who, by God's grace, are distinct in that they are banded together as one in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit."
The discussion reminded me that I had taken for granted a very significant term. Community was a word I had heard and used often, especially within the context of congregational life, without knowing what was really being said.
I was invited by this same professor to share with the class my own faith tradition's understanding of church as community. In my preparation for this presentation, I was drawn to the Anabaptists of the 16th century, the ancestors of today's Mennonites. What I discovered in the writings of these 16th century believers enriched my life and produced gratitude to God for my heritage-the understanding of the church as "community."
Perhaps the most significant aspect of the Anabaptist concept of the church was that the church was not understood to be a formal institution like the Catholic and Protestant Volkskirch (mass church); rather it was understood to be a gathering of the faithful, a covenant community of saints, a fellowship, a community of the regenerated in Christ, a voluntary brotherhood. On his deathbed, Menno Simons is said to have claimed that nothing was as precious to him as the church.
The Anabaptist concept of the church as "community" was not simply some abstract theological idea; it had "hands." The Anabaptists lived out their convictions about the church as a fellowship of believers in tangible ways. Anabaptist leader Hans Hut, for example, wrote, "A Christian should have all things in common with his brother, that is, not allow him to suffer need For a Christian looks more to his neighbor than to himself. "
Anabaptist historian Robert Friedmann writes that this theology was the "discovery which made Anabaptism so forceful. " It was understood that membership in the
Catholicism grace and salvation came from God by way of an intermediary (the institutional church and ordained priest) while in Protestant churches this intermediary was
removed and the individual received redemption directly from God. In Anabaptism the conviction was that salvation came to the believing body as a whole; that is, that the church as a community of the faithful received salvation together. Friedmann wrote that for the Anabaptists brotherhood was not merely an ethical add-on to salvation but a necessary condition for any genuine restoration of God's image in humanity.
The idea of community also affected the way Anabaptists interpreted SCripture. They contended that this should always be done within the community of faith and not by individuals alone It was the gathered community of believers who should read, interpret, test and apply the Scriptures. Such a powerful witness was given by this community approach to the interpretation of Scripture that the Anabaptists became known as "hermeneutical communities"--<:ommunities in which they read the text and struggled for a common understanding.
The church as community was to many in the Reformation period a breath of fresh theological air. Sadly, for many believers today, the understanding of the church as community has become somewhat shallow. Yes, we frequently use the word and hear it regularly in our congregations . But is it really a part of us? The church as a "community of faith" was literally in our forefathers' blood; many of them died for this conviction.
In my experience, defining "community" was not an easy task. I had taken a fundamental principle of the church for granted Perhaps we would be wise to pause and ask ourselves the same question as a denomination that the seminary professor asked our class: How do you define community?
Philip A. Gunther is senior pastor of Parliament Community Church, a Mennonite Brethren church in Regina, Sask. This article was first published in the MB Herald
By Michelle Ferguson
<The OJ1Je'l
COmmu11Lt
What happens when a hurt and broken college sophomore is embraced by a supportive women's Bible study group and a loving Mennonite Brethren family? Healing and wholeness.
Sarah and I were on Highway 99 headed back to Fresno Pacific University. I sat thoughtfully in the passenger seat. "I-really wish you had a brother so that I could marry into your family," I said. We chuckled, but we both knew that it came from deep within me. In that moment I felt a stirring in my heart: life was seeping into my soul as I began to feel things I had never known before. It is not good to be alone
I transferred to FPU as a sophomore after bottoming out spiritually. During my freshman year, struggles I had pushed away in the excitement of my first years as a Christian refused to be ignored. I found myself face-toface with the part of me I feared and hated the most: I
In order to experience wholeness in Christ I was going to have to dig beneath the surface of my homosexuality and address the roots of my brokenness.
was overwhelmed by homosexual feelings for my roommate. I tried to ignore them. I tried to pray them away. I tried to convince myself I did not feel "that way" toward her. I felt discouraged and guilty. And when the opportunity arose to act on my feelings, I felt helpless to resist. I spent the rest of the school year struggling with the conflict between my behavior and my faith.
When I transferred to FPU and started my sophomore year in a new school with no friends,
I still had a whole host of "issues" to deal with. I had spent the summer in repentance before God, and as the school year began I took the first steps toward reconciliation with God and with myself I did not know how (or if) I was going to change, but I knew obedience to my Lord was imperative . The Word of God had cut that message into my heart, and I was determined to walk it out. That year I learned that homosexuality was not my main problem It was a symptom of wounds I had borne since childhood , and it was a desperate attempt to cope with the pain and emptiness I felt. In order to experience wholeness in Christ I was going to have to dig beneath the surface of my homosexuality and address the roots of my brokenness.
It may seem too simple to say that my real need was for genuine and intimate relationship , but the more I learn about myself and people in general the more I am convinced that the human need for connection should never be underestimated.
I did not grow up with strong or healthy relationships in my life. Seeing the dysfunction between my parents, at an early age I rejected connecting with them. I retreated within myself and detached from life. It was not safe to trust others. I kept everyone out in order to protect myself Within my walls was a lonely place to be. As a little girl I yearned for a friend. Someone to trust. Someone to know me for real who would love me. By the time I was in junior high school that yearning had translated into sexual attraction for other girls. I des-
perately wanted to connect with another girl, and somehow the intimacy of a romantiC/sexual relationship seemed to be the answer. I was dulling my loneliness and pain with alcohol and hoping for the perfect best friend to enter my life. I was drawn to "needy" people, and I was determined to fill their needs so that they could be happy. I did not realize that my desire to fill their need was really my way of coping with my unmet needs.
A vision of community
My second year at FPU I took an Anabaptist theology class. We read The Anabaptist VISion and wrote a paper reflecting on Harold Bender's summary of the distinctive elements of Anabaptism. This assignment helped me find the words for everything God was forming in me. Anabaptism gave me the language with which to articulate and hear the solution for my need. Within the context of community, defined as a voluntary and genuine brotherhood, I saw the possibility for healing and wholeness become a reality. I found my theological home.
For the next two years at FPU I sought out relationships in which to explore this new concept of community. I participated in an accountability and Bible study group with several other girls. We called ourselves On Belay. It was in this group that I formed relationships that taught me healthy same-sex friendship
As I grew in these friendships, I noticed deep changes occurring in me. As my basic needs for relationship began to be genuinely and appropriately filled, I struggled less and less with homosexuality. By the time I graduated I no longer identified myself as homosexual. My new understanding of relationships and the concept of community brought great healing and helped me reorient my life.
Home is where community is
On Belay gave me the opportunity to experience a new model for same-sex peer relationships that proved powerful. However, my deeper need was for family. Even though my parents' marriage and our family had been affected by my cOming into relationship with Jesus Christ, the history of those relationships caused me to look elsewhere for family community. God gave me such a community when Sarah Bergen, one of the girls in On Belay, introduced me to her family.
I automatically felt comfortable and welcomed by her parents Stan and LeeAnn and sisters Melissa and Laura. As I got to know Sarah's family, I was more and more amazed: I was seeing people who were the kind of family I had longed for all my life. It is no coincidence that the Bergen family is
rooted in Mennonite Brethren faith. Over the last five years I have seen the theology that won my heart worked out in the daily lives of this family. The Anabaptist focus on nachfolge Christi ("following") is embodied by the relationships between this father, mother and three daughters. As I met and became familiar with the extended Bergen families I realized that this was indeed a community from which to learn community.
In good Anabaptist fashion , I could only learn community by practicing community. The Bergens' extension of relationship to me each time I visited with Sarah reinforced the work God was doing in my life. Slowly I released and repented of my lifestyle of detachment and began forming authentic ties within the family. This has been a terrifying process at times. However, it is the way toward wholeness.
"You belong"
Last November I was struggling with seeing myself as part of the family instead of just "one of Sarah's friends she brings home." I wanted to belong, but I was still maintaining a measure of detachment. We sat around Stan and LeeAnn's dining room table and talked about my feelings. It was hard to be so honest, especially about my fears, but I knew I could trust them with my heart.
I cried, talked and shared about how I had never
really let people in before I told them that one way of keeping my distance was to hold on to the thought that I was only tied to the family through Sarah , that I did not have a place of my own LeeAnn reached across the table , took my hand and said, ''You belong in this family with or without Sarah. "
My heart trembled . She said it again , ' 'You belong in this family with or without Sarah ." My heart released its last bit of detachment and I let her words in Again , ''You belong in this family with or without Sarah ."
The depth of community
shared by the Bergens has been shaped by their commitment to Anabaptism
and my experience in the
Bergen community has shaped the Anabaptist identity to which I have committed myself This sounds like
My heart allowed itself h
to receive words of life ,
and a wound I had carried for years felt its first healing touch. LeeAnn repeated her words slightly different-
fi \I'd" 1
t e truest orm oJ lSCtple-
ship I could ever describe.
ly and added , ''You belong in this family. " I took my place in the family in that moment. LeeAnn and Sarah shed a few tears As Sarah and I got into the car to drive back home to Sacramento , Stan hugged me. Even when I started to let go , he held on. His prolonged embrace repeated LeeAnn ' s words in his own voice.
Power to transform
By no means has this family exhibited or offered perfection , but it has modeled a lifestyle of love , honesty, intimacy, sacrifice , commitment and interdependence that I have never seen before. Being welcomed into this family has also been my initiation into Mennonite faith and spirituality. The depth of community shared by the Bergens has been shaped by their commitment to Anabaptism and my experience in the Bergen community has shaped the Anabaptist identity to which I have committed myself. This sounds like the truest fonn of discipleship I could ever describe.
DiScipleship is not just Sunday schooling people to know the right things . It is binding oneself to others in community and living out the gospel. Harold Bender writes , "The Anabaptists could not understand a Christianity which made regeneration , holiness and love primarily a matter of intellect , of doctrinal belief, or of sub-
jective ' experience ,' rather than one of the transformation of life. They demanded an outward expression of the inner experience Repentance must be 'evidenced' by newness of behavior" (Ibe Anabaptist Vision , italics mine) .
As I sat in Shafter MB Church for the Christmas Eve service and heard Ruth Bergen share her story of dealing with cancer, I heard her telling a story more of community than anything else. After thanking everyone who had prayed , brought food to her home , visited and made visible other fonns of support , she said, "The kingdom of God is truly at hand ." I sat amidst that community and my heart said , With Bergens beside , in front and behind
me , I was surrounded with examples of the kingdom , of true brotherhood . Though we await the coming of the fullness of God ' s kingdom , it is in community that we live in that kingdom here and now and experience healing and wholeness
Ever since I began to feel life take hold in my heart through this community, I have heard a call to share my story with the larger Mennonite community. God ' s Spirit has prompted me to say "Now as to the love of the brethren , you have no need for anyone to write to you , for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another ; for indeed you do practice it But (I) urge you , brethren , to excel still more " (1 Thess. 4:9-10).
As Anabaptists we have a certain understanding of the community of God that can offer a prophetic voice in our day. We only need to live it out , to embody it By confession we do not truly have faith unless we are putting it into practice. Brothers and sisters , my life has been changed because of the power found in community. Let us live so as to continue to see God ' s power manifested in many others
Michelle Ferguson became a Christian at 15 and an Anabaptist five years later. She lives in Sacramento, Calif., and is currently a student at Fuller Theological Seminary. She is a 2002 Fresno Pacific University graduate.
By Michele Hershberger
The trouble with communi
Community is an essential part of our faith. Thro ughout Scripture the church is called to live as a ili red community of persons who celebrate together, sU-l?port e ach er, seek accountability together, listen to and Challe nge each other, forgive and heal each other. When people look at the church, the thing that usually matters to them first is not our doctrines or our worship, but rather how we live together.
Community and evangelism touch each other in two ways Some people hear and believe the Word first. They experience conversion; they repent of their former ways of doing and being; they make a complete turnaround that affects every part of their life. But because this is just the beginning of the journey, the first step of Chri s tian discipleship, they need the loving support and accountability of a faith community. So the second natural step is joining the faith community. Hospitality from those already in the community can be an important link in their faith development.
For others the reverse is true Our community life attracts them to Jesus They look at us in amazement. They see how different we are, how diverse our origins and opinions, and yet how we love each other. We work
together. We stay together in spite of the differences. The witness of our community life together gives indisputable proof that something powerful is here. Seeing that power at work, they desire that same love themselves . But what if our community doesn't attract people to Jesus? What if the neighbors and strangers among us look and see squabbling and pettiness? What if they see a disjoined group of people who really aren't community at all? It's
Our close communities of faith can be very attractive to newcomers. But the very thing that attracts also excludes. Rethin king our definition of community can help us welcome the stranger.
obvious that a little hospitality within the community is in order here, not the tea-and-cookies kind, but the kind that says, "I'm going to listen to you and respect who you are ."
I believe the greater problem with our faith communities lies not in the open-air fighting we do (which may be very healthy) but with the very closeness of our communities . The irony is that the very thing that draws many people to our Christian circles is the same thing that repels them once they get close enough Our closeness may also communicate that we are closed in How can we really be community and yet always have open doors?
Let's take a look at one scenario . Some new people in the neighborhood want to join my church They grew
up in a different theological background but they fed more at home with much of my church's beliefs They are particularly attracted to the community life. They love the fact that we all know each other and that we do so many things together. They even revel in our ethnicity ; they are interested in our history. They think it's great that we have some understanding for where we came from.
My community welcomes this couple and their children with open arms . We are friendly to them and seek to include them as much as we can. But the very thing that attracts them also puts them outside the circle. The very thing that they want so much to be a part of, they can't be a part of completely, no matter how hard they try, because they don't have the same last names They
Becoming a hospitable church
If it is true that hospitality is a key element of evangelism and that our communities actually suffer from their lack of strangers among them, what specific things can we begin working on to incorporate hospitality into our mission?
We can see our acts of hospitality as important ministry tasks , equal to the tasks of pastoring and evangelism. Our simple gifts of welcoming bring integrity to our words of witness. What we do and who we are in the marketplace speak as loudly as the Sunday morning sermon We must never forget that.
WelcOming ministries must see their roles in a new light. All of the welcOming details-signs about where bathrooms are , names tags for
the ushers , a follow-up visit from someone from the church-are acts of ministry. They are important ways of showing welcome and must continue But these actions are only the tip of the iceberg. A congregation can wear nametags and bake bread for visitors and be as friendly as can be , and still never draw a stranger in . They will be friendly but not friends . The church hospitality committee must work with the church leadership to help the congregation redefine who they are as a body. This committee must work to educate the congregation about their own need of the stranger. They must help the church take a hard look at their attitudes. If this doesn't happen , all the nametags in the world won ' t make a difference
The congregation needs to reexamine its welcoming rituals. How do church rituals , especially baptism and communion , communicate both receptivity and confrontation? First, they must be intentional There must be overt welcome and invitation to join the church The congregation needs to call people to commitment, call people to join the church , call people to begin a relationship with Jesus and call people to recommit their lives to God.
But our invitation can stop there . We must be intentional in our mentoring, our passing on of the faith We need to tell the story in ways that fit the needs of the seekers We can ' t dilute the message , yet we must make the message accessible to the ones joining us. We
must do this in many different ways and at many different times of the year. Seekers may experience the confrontation in Sunday school, in the worship time, in a small group session , in a mentoring relationship or in a variety of other places. The task may seem overwhelming, but to a congregation who sees their main goal as welcoming the stranger, the time and energy needed for the task seem right . The actual baptism service needs to be tailored to fit the experience of the people being baptized. Allow them to help plan the baptism ; ask them to pick songs and words that fit their experience Make the language simple and accessible to all Then , after one year, throw a party for all the newly baptized. Celebrate their welcome
don't catch the inside jokes.
The community attrads and repels.
So what is the problem here? Is ethnicity itself the culprit? I used to believe that and I worked hard to downplay that aspect of community life I did so, however, with a heavy heart, for I was proud of my heritage, and there are pieces of truth in the old traditions But upon reflection , I found I could not abandon my ethnicity at all, just as I cannot abandon my freckles or curly hair. It's part of who I am, who we as a community are . We cannot be other than who we are.
The problem is also larger than the individual members of the community or even the neighbors who try to join community The concept of community itself is vital Community and the hospitality it implies are biblical
mandates, the arena through which God has chosen to bring abundance .
There's something else afoot. It's how we define community that hurts us. In his book In the Company of Strangers, Parker Palmer talks about the myth of intimacy. Inherent in that myth is the idea that the church community is a bastion of warmth and intimacy, a place of close family relations. Church as a family is a fine idea, but church as the ideal family can be very harmful. Says Palmer, "When an idealized image of family is imposed upon the church, our experience in the congregation becomes constricted Now the church-where we might experience creative conflict, heterogeneity and freedom for innovation-becomes dominated by the expectation of closeness and warmth."
into the kingdom again!
We must be sensitive to the special demands of a postmodem society. Our pluralistic society frowns upon anyone who claims to know the truth. Absolutes grate against our sensibility. Christians find it difficult, then, to witness about Jesus. Hospitality is one answer to this dilemma. "Hospitality offers a way to be a Christian and yet communicate in inviting ways to the society around us," says Mark Diller Harder. Hospitality emphasizes listening to the guest and supplying the needs of our guests-including their need to hear our values and beliefs. In true hospitality, the guests know where we stand, yet are free to accept our values or move on.
We must encourage a transfer of leadership. Real hospitality means ministry with people, not ministry to people.
We can be very welcoming when newcomers first join our faith communities, but when it comes times for them to join the inner circle of the community, to be part of the power structure , many congregations start backing off.
There are many reasons why we don ' t let new believers or young adults come into the inner circle of the community. They have new ideas that threaten us. They want to change that beloved carpet we picked out 20 years ago. They force us to share the power we worked so hard to get for ourselves at one time. We forget how we felt when we were the outsiders wanting to put that carpet on
the bare floor in the first place
But welcome lasts forever. We must welcome others because we love them , not because they fulfill our need to be needed. Hospitality says that we must share the ministry. To be a healthy church of
the future we must not only share ministry but also actively cultivate the leadership skills of those who wait on the outside of the circle. Like Barnabas and Ananias we have the opportunity to nurture the next Pauls.-MH
My imaginary neighbors and my imaginary community both suffer from the same disease. We see the larger society as a fragmented, disintegrating mess and we want an alternative that is the opposite in every respect. Instead of conflict, we want comfort; instead of criticism and competition, we want affirmation and goodwill; instead of nameless wandering, we want identity.
Instead of strangers, we want intimacy.
But to get that kind of "family," we have to be really careful whom we let in. Unlike the early church, we are more concerned with who will fit our intimacy needs than who will really follow Jesus with their lives People who are like us, who believe the same things we do, and who grew up like we did are okay. We want people who feel like family, people who won't rock any boats. So how can we really welcome strangers into our midst? They will change our identity-and if that happens, then maybe we won't be community anymore.
God did not call us to this kind of family. It's not even a realistic picture of our own biological families. We call ourselves sisters and brothers in the church, but do we really allow each other to act as we do with our own brothers and sisters? Family members fight; family members grab for power; family members can come from the same home and yet be very different from each other. There are times when families are strangers to each other. The problem with many church communities is that they buy into the myth of intimacy: everyone needs to be warm and intimate. To protect the myth, we set up unreasonable and inhospitable standards for acceptance into the community. This is not fair to the stranger who wants to join us Pride in an ethnic origin is great, but it should not be the community norm . Living together
without conflict is wonderful, but don't expect that to be the standard for true community life. We need some degree of familiarity, but not to the extent that we all have to have the same background and think exactly alike. We need healthy, constructive fights; we need the differences strangers bring to us. Without new perspective, we lose the fresh wind of the Spirit who pushes us to grow beyond our narrow worldview.
When strangers come into our midst, we feel threatened They might sing the wrong kind of songs. They might question our theology and point out some of our weaknesses. They might, with their very presence, make us uncomfortable because of different social or economic positions They will, invariably, change who we are That feels like a threat to the community.
What feels so threatening is our only hope for survival. Strangers keep us from making our wonderful ethnicity into an idol. Strangers save us from the stranglehold of the myth of intimacy, that high expectation no community can ever truly attain. Strangers force us to look at and deal with the conflicts that are there anyway, just under the surface. Most important, strangers, because they are different, show us a new face of God.
In our incredibly diverse world, with our unique mission of reconciliation, the task of appreciating the difference the stranger brings to us is impossible except through Christ. We seek to reconcile people, not by erasing diversity or by creating an ideal community, but by "holding fast to the recognition that Christ alone, as the presence of God for us, can reconcile us, by grace through faith," writes Patrick Keifert.
A congregation can infuse hospitality into its mission in many ways. We can see our hospitality as an important ministry calling. Welcoming committees and other church leaders can help the congregation see its great need for the stranger in their midst. Rituals such as invitations to faith and baptism can become more intentional in their welcoming. Congregations can bring their message to a pluralistic society in an inviting way through hospitality. Leadership can be developed in young adults and new believers
Like Barnabas and Ananias we have the opportunity to nurture the next Pauls . Their efforts and our efforts, empowered by the Holy Spirit, will reap huge rewards. Michelle Hershberger is chair of the Bible department at Hesston (Kan.) College. Ibis article is excerpted from A Christian View of Hospitality written by Hershberger when she was project associate of Ibe Giving Project, a stewardship education effort among Mennonite churches. Ibis article is used by permission. Copyright (c)1999 by Herald Press, Scottdale, Penn. 15683
WHAT READERS SAY
God as God
I agree with Chuck Buller's statements about God (Conference Call, January 2005) The question, ''What does this Scripture teach us about God?" seems not to be asked. So we tend to have impoverished thoughts of God's character and attributes, of his sovereignty and holiness, of his wrath and judgment as well as his love and mercy, of his great eternal purposes as well as his careful attention to our daily needs.
One conservative Christian magazine recendy published a critique of Christian education in our evangelical churches under the tide: "The God who is absent." After looking at Sunday school materials from the main evangelical pUblishing companies, the author concluded that only a few lessons really addressed the subject of who God is. Not so long ago the VBS director in one of our churches in retrospect said that VBS material often emphasizes things and activity and does not give enough time for teaching about God.
Recendy I participated in a Bible study on the life of Jacob. It was well prepared and led by a graduate of one of the leading evangelical seminaries. We learned many things about Jacob. However God was only mentioned in passing, even in the passage where he appeared to Jacob in a dream. The leader failed to focus on God as the main actor in that story. There is litde, if anything, we can learn from Jacob, Abraham or Moses It is God who matters. We learn that it is God who takes the initiative to reveal himself to his chosen people, to
The Christian Leader welcomes brief letters on topics relevant to the Mennonite Brethren Church. Letters to the editor should be brief - 300 words or less - and on one subject Letters must be signed and include the writer's city and state. Letters will be edited for clarity, appropriateness and length. Letters will be published, as space allows, unless marked "Not for publication. " Send letters to Christian Leader, Po. Box 220, Hillsboro, KS 67063 (e-mail: editor@usmb org)
discipline them and to keep them on track to fulfill his eternal purposes.
Let us bring God back into the center of the picture so that we learn to know him: his holiness, sovereignty, power, mercy and grace. Then our faith will have Someone to hold on to. That is the lesson that Jacob, Abraham and others had to learn direcdy from God. We cannot learn it from them but only directly from God himself
Paul C. Friesen North Newton, Kan.
Political party differences
1 disagree with Philip Wiebe's statement that there is no difference between the Republicans and Democrats (Ph'lip Side, November 2004) There are numerous examples of their differences.
Wiebe is also wrong to paint Jesus as a nonjudging Savior. Who called the Pharisees and Sadducees a den of snakes and a pile of dead men's bones? And how about the event in the temple where Jesus got angry? He made a whip, turned over tables and yelled at them to get out of the temple. This sounds like he was making a judgment. 1 Cor. 5:12 says we are not to judge people outside the body of believers (the world) but we are to judge those in the body (those sitting in the pew.)
Wiebe is again wrong when he says that our Lord says that a top priority of (governments) is to care for the poor and hurting God set up governments and their main purpose is to protect citizens from all enemies foreign and domestic. Their primary goal, therefore, is not to help the poor and hurting This should be the responsibility of the church. Yet Christ also reminded his disciples that they would always have the poor and hurting among them, but "I will not always be with you ."
Wiebe also makes a misleading statement when he says that a large number of registered Democrats are churchgoing Christians. Research tells me that only 40 percent of registered Democrats are churchgoers and of that percentage a very
small number claim to be born-again believers. I get the impression from Wiebe that being a liberal and a Christian is not such a bad thing. I beg to differ I believe the church has been blinded by liberals who don't believe there is a time to go to war and to execute those found guilty of murder, rape, kidnapping and so on. I am proud of our troops and saddened by those that paid the ultimate price to give us the freedom we enjoy and take for granted. Freedom isn't free.
Gene Kliewer Ritzville, Wash.
Church doctrine and war
Because we have believed that the teachings of Christ oppose war and violence, Mennonites of all kinds have been known as a "Peace Church." Article 12 (of the U.S. Conference Confession of Faith), as published in the November Leader, states the current ambiguous peace position we've adopted. Nothing has changed in our understanding of what Jesus taught, but we have sought to become more inclusive of all Christians. Why?
The teaching of our church has been against war. While we pray for anyone who for any reason is in harms way, people joining our churches should not expect us to corporately celebrate patriotic observances. Until recendy we have not applauded soldiers or advocated military service for our young people We have righdy accepted new people into our church without requiring they accept this distinctive of our faith, but we assumed they would respect our belief. This includes the pastors who are invited to lead our churches.
The teachings of Christ rather than traditions, politics or current events determine our doctrines . The church is in the business of changing people not the other way around.
Clint Bergen Orland, CA
BY PHILIP WIEBE
Things I don't need to know
Why is need-to-know stuff lost in the information overload?
I HEARD ABOUT A WEB SITE
where one can punch in financial data to discover the value difference of money between regular people and rich celebrities. For instance, a person making $50 ,000 a year might purchase a new car for $15,000 But if a movie star was to buy that $15,000 car (not that it would happen), it would be like spending a few bucks .
Now that I realize I can learn such information, the thing I really want to find out is, why would anyone want to learn such information? Yet a lot of people are mesmerized by celebrity lifestyles . Personally, I'm not interested in the spending power of multimillionaires versus the spending power of a thousandaire like me.
But we live in a culture that is chock-full of information we don't really need. All the time I find myself dealing with things I need to know versus things I don't need to knOw.
Need to know: My new cell phone number. Yet I can never remember it when I want to give it out Maybe that's because with all the codes, numbers and passwords I have to retain, the number part of my brain may have run out of room.
Don't need to know: The number of dollars a new movie release made last weekend. Yet there the numbers are , prominently displayed in the newspaper's entertainment section Why would anyone in the real world care about how much money a movie makes? Are all my friends and neighbors investing in movies, and I'm the only one missing out?
Need to know: What to make for dinner tonight. With two busy parents and two picky children in the house, it's
always a challenge to find recipes that are quick to make (for the parents), acceptable to the pallet (of the kids) and healthy to eat (for all of us).
Don't need to know: The top Super Bowl snacks. Yet every year this story makes the headlines around Super Bowl time. This year I even saw a chart: potato chips came in first at 11 million pounds consumed, tortilla chips second at 8.2 million pounds, and pretzels third at 4.3 million pounds. Food for thought, eh?
Need to know: What's on the heart and mind of my spouse If I want to be a good partner and friend to my wife, then I need to keep finding out what she's thinking and feeling . I can do this by talking to her, but also by being sensitive to nonverbal language and signals . I'm not saying I'm great at this, but I work on it.
Don't need to know: Sneaky ways of "sizing her up. " I saw this piece on a Web news site under an actual category titled "Need to knOw." It talked about spying on your mate's habits and tendencies in order to win brownie points by saying or doing the right thing because you've correctly"sized her up." Now, I should be observant about my wife's feelings, tastes and pet peeves. But I don't like the idea of being sneaky about it. I'm in it for "us, " not to win points for myself.
Need to know : My children's grades at school. We expect and encourage them to get top grades Apparently that's not always the case with parents. The teachers I know express frustration that many parents express little or no interest in how their kids are doing at school. These students g e t the message-they also tend to show little or no interest at school.
Don't need to know : "Grades" given
out for entertainers and media productions Is it my imagination or are there entertainment industry award shows on every week? Someone said that the large number of awards Hollywood gives out is inversely proportional to the amount of redeeming social value the industry produces. How true . I can barely stand to watch the media productions themselves, much less the award shows.
Need to know: Jesus
Don't need to know: A lot of the "spiritual" stuff that gets substituted for knowing Jesus. The Apostle Paul wrote a great soliloquy about that to the church in Philippi. Paul considered his status and qualifications as an extremely religious person, then concluded, "Everything else is worthless when compared to the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord" (Phil. 3:8 NL1).
I wonder if we feel that way in the church today I've had a number of conversations lately about worship. After the last one it occurred to me that all the discussions centered on style and strategy. How is what we are doing going to lead people to worship?
That's a good question to ask, and important to figure out. But it's only part of the story. Because we worship leaders are not going to get people to worship primarily by what we do . Worship comes from what Jesus did and how thankful and passionate worshipers are about that.
It's fine to know all the songs and hymns, debate the styles and strategies and gather helpful information about these things. But in the end, all of this is worthless when compared to the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus our Lord
BY MARVIN HEIN
Questions about faith Be life
role in disasters such as the December tsunami
QWhy does God allow 200,000 people to die in a tsunami? (California)
AThis is an old, often-asked question. It was posed this time only incidentally in a conversation with a friend However, it cannot be denied that thousands of people, both believers and unbelievers , have asked the same question after the tsunami catastrophe.
Answering the question can be dangerous. Probably no one knows the right answer. A Muslim leader suggests that the victims were mostly dark-skinned, economically lower class and therefore "lesser" children of God. Robert Rhodes in a Mennonite Weekry Review editorial quotes Hindu soothsayer Sri Dulal Chandra Naskar: "God 's fury was unleashed, because of the ridicule he is subjected to by the so-called educated Indians When you ridicule the sages and in turn God, it hurts him he heaves (and) unleashes destruction like this." Dale Suderman in a Hillsboro (](an.) Free Press column quotes a Baptist who says, "The Asian tsunami was not a random disaster, but merely God's way of killing homosexuals who travel to the Sodom and Gomorrah of Thailand ."
There may be evangelical believers who, silently or vocally, say that the tsunami is punishment because it occurred in regions where most are not Christians but rather Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, etc . It may be true that many tsunami victims lived in countries most hostile to the Christians but to conclude that God is punishing such people and
nations with catastrophe is the epitome of self-righteousness
I have few easy answers There may well be times and circumstances where the most Christian thing to do is to say, "I don't knOw." The modem mindset wants a rationale for all that happens. I suggest there are times when we best bow our heads and hearts and say, "The God we serve is sometimes mysterious, past finding out, and not obligated to make clear why he acts as he does."
Instead of answers , I'd like to suggest that in view of the calamity, we rethink several attitudes.
First, we should be quick to worship the Creator rather than the creation. The Bible, especially the Psalms, does encourage us to acknowledge the vastness of the universe and to praise God for the sun, moon and stars . So too the oceans and mountains are declared to be aweinspiring. But they are never worshipped. The seas and oceans that ships navigate can enamor us , but the same waters that support seagoing vessels become the enemy when they are disturbed by storms . I am awestruck when I think how the atmosphere allows planes to fly, space stations to settle high above us and missiles to be launched But oceans, mountains and the heavens are but creations of God, not to be worshipped but to point us to the Creator
The unfathomable power and destruction of the tsunami should force us to see more clearly the Creator-the LOGOS of which John spoke when he said that the Word (LOGOS) made all things that were made Oohn 1:3)
Have a question about a Bible passage, doctrine, conference policy, or other spiritual issue? E-mail Marvin at mheinl@fresno.edu or send your question to "Inquiring Minds, " c/o Marvin Hein, 3036 East Magill Avenue, Fresno, CA 93710
Catastrophes should remind us that God wants our attention . I'm not suggesting he deliberately created an earthquake in the ocean to teach us certain lessons However, if and when God's established nature wields its destructive power for destruction, God wants us to take notice . When Jesus talked with people about the 18 crushed by the collapse of the tower of Siloam «(Luke 13), John Piper suggests that Jesus' words "unless you repent" suggest that calamity is "a merciful call from God for the living to repent."
Rather than spending huge amounts of emotional energy trying to figure out how a loving God can allow catastrophes, we would do well to take a repentant stance. Piper reminds us that in Rev. 16:9 John says, "They cursed the name of God who had power over the plagues . They did not repent and give him glory."
No, I don't understand many of God's ways. I can't comprehend why he would in his grace and mercy allow 200,000 people, most of whom did not acknowledge him as Savior, to die in a few short minutes. I can't make sense of that, but I can repent of my own sins . I can remind myself that I am prone to respect the creation more than the Creator I can admit that in many ways I am no better than those who died I can admit that I become aware of God's power and might, and my need to repent, when the tsunamis strike, when I really should let "the goodness of God lead me to repentance " (Rom 2:4) I recall Jesus' words to those who had figured out why people had died in a catastrophe, "Unless you repent, you too will all perish' (Luke 13 :3)
BY ROSE BUSCHMAN
Family to family
u.s. families share God's gifts with Mexican counterparts
THEY CALL THEMSELVES THE Christmas Rebuilders. Their mission statement: "To share God's gifts with the people of Primero de Mayo Colonia in Reynosa, Mexico, at Christmastime." Their motto: "Redo what we do at Christmastime." If you live in their small town you would have to be a hermit not to know about their trip and their mission. The local churches became involved, the local press provided extensive coverage and many people helped in a variety of ways.
In the end, 26 people, including my husband and I, representing seven families made the trip. Our ages ranged from eight to 66 We stayed in a Christian retreat center in south Texas and made five daily commutes to the colonia in Mexico-a round trip of 45 miles. It was a learning experience for all of us and a time of personal growth as well. We saw God at work in the colonia and in our lives.
The last night one of the teens shared that it was one thing to see the poor on 1V and to hear about their plight but very different to actually meet them, talk with them and see their poverty up close On this mission trip the poor became real people with names and faces we recognized. One thing that impressed us was that in spite of their poverty many of these people, particularly the children, are happy.
Our young people found time to play with the children, swinging them around in circles, playing Frisbee and "scrub" basketball. We had a tienda for the children where we set up a store in the church with all the toys and related items we had brought. Each child was given five coupons and allowed to come into the church to shop. We were pre-
"To share God's gifts with the people of Primero de Mayo Colonia in Reynosa, Mexico, at Christmastime. "
pared for and served 200 children. Each child also got a bag of candy as they left with their toys.
The Christmas Rebuilders group came with two horse trailers full of clothes, toys and household items they had collected from various sources in their community. We had a second tienda, spread over two days, for families. We served 200 families representing over 950 people. Each family received a health kit filled with various hygiene items as they left. We also made 20 new baby kits with Rubbermaid plastic beds filled with blankets, clothes, diapers and other baby items. Ten were distributed and the rest left for later distribution as needed
One evening we had a hot dog feed for 300 people . Things got a little chaotic at times, but in the end all were fed and no one went home hungry. One of our teens painted a mural on an interior church wall shOWing a large hand with a child's head resting in the palm The Spanish Bible verse which accompanies it is Matt. 11:28, "Come unto me, all ye that are heavy laden, and I will give you rest " Several people in our group went to a local jail to paint the warden's office and a hallway. Hopefully this will facili-
tate a prison ministry effort that is currently underway.
A lot of activities were packed into the five days we were there and each one of us came home with our own memories . Personally, I was impressed with how God is in the details .
A cousin of mine had given me a new set of stoneware service for four still in the original packaging to take to Mexico. I took it along although it didn't fit what I knew about the living conditions in the colonia. While in Mexico some of us had a conversation about what we could do as a thank you for the lady who let us use her bathroom during our time in the colonia. This was a necessity for 26 people who daily spent six to 10 hours for five days in the colonia. The set of dishes was the perfect gift for her. God knew we needed them before we even left on our trip.
Two weeks before our trip a woman donated several boxes of health kits her family had put together as well as several four-feet by eight-feet sheets of sheathing. Taking them with us was no problem because they fit onto the floor of the horse trailers. When we got down to the colonia we found that when supported by benches already in the church they made tables for our tiendas. Like I said, I am amazed how God is in the details.
A special memory for me is the prayer one of the colonia ladies said just before we left. We all stood on the road in front of her home while she prayed in Spanish with one of our group interpreting for us She asked God ' s blessing upon us and for a safe trip back home. I had prayed for her and now she was praying for me. That was a touching moment and a special blessing for all of us.
CHUCK BULLER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Youth to gather in LA in 2007
Project team recommends rotating convention site
FOLLOWING THIS SUMMER'S U.S. Conference convention the Leadership Board approved a project team that was commissioned to study the health and status of the national youth convention, more colloquially referred to as "Estes ."
The project team consists of Tim Neufeld from Fresno Pacific University, Wendell Loewen from Tabor College and Rick Bartlett from MB Biblical Seminary's Ministry Quest program. We believe these brothers have significant relationships with the youth pastors of this vast national conference of churches The work of studying the health, viability and strength of our national youth convention included extensive surveys, a new Web site aligned with this study and many personal interviews .
Significantly, this project team met with the youth pastors and workers present at this summer's convention to process the study. The project team recommended that the national youth convention be moved in March 2007 to Anaheim, Calif., and be held at the Hilton Hotel. The rationale for this decision included the recommendation that the national youth convention rotate every four years between sites west and east of the Rocky Mountains.
This decision was affirmed by the Leadership Board at their February meeting. A national youth committee with representatives from every district will now be organized to plan this event. Further to the recommendation was the notion that the youth convention begin to include urban ministry opportunities as well as the usual fare of speakers, bands and seminars Increasingly our nation's youth pastors are directing their programs away from entertainment and programming to ministry involvement. Obviously, with the event being held
The youth convention (will) begin to include urban ministry .... Increasingly our nation's youth pastors are directing their programs away from entertainment and programming to ministry involvement.
across the street from Disneyland, there will also be a day assigned for pure fun at one of the premier theme parks in America.
Several points of rationale were included in the decision.
1 Since it's inception the national youth convention has been held at Glorieta, New Mexico or Estes, Colo. Both settings have included the natural beauty of mountain settings and taken students away from the hustle and bustle of the real world. While this has met Significant needs in the lives of thousands of students it has not provided opportunity for ministry or service settings
2. Youth groups from the West Coast have had to travel almost exclusively by air and have born the high cost of travel every four years The feeling was growing
that it was time to begin rotating this travel burden.
3. With about half of our national conference now consisting of "ethnic churches" and with many of them in California, it is time to attempt to better integrate these youth groups into the convention process This is far more likely if one of the sites is on the West Coast every four years within driving proximity for these churches.
As with any significant change there are tradeoffs. The first is simply historical and emotional. Thousands of students have committed their lives to Christ and ministry at Estes Park and now not every MB high school student will get to experience this "Rocky Mountain" spiritual high. Yet there will be a new set of memories created in urban settings that become significant in new ways
Another tradeoff is the new travel cost for youth from Central, Southern, North Carolina and LAMB District churches. It is our hope that with two years to plan ahead these groups can get ready for this additional travel burden. And our hope is that there will be a renewed interest in the Pacific District Conference for this national event.
And finally and predictably, there is always a simple resistance to change. Change feels normal for some and risky for others My sense is that the students themselves will embrace the opportunity, rise to the occasion and make this a great new event. As adults lets commit to blessing our youth as they get excited about this opportunity!
Finally, I want to thank Tim, Rick and Wendell for much hard work, visionary planning and risk-taking leadership . Our conference has a bright future with young men such as these leading the way
Constituents flood MCC with donations
MCC targets four Asian countries with long-term aid
On the day after the Dec. 26 tsunami devastated coastal communities around the Indian Ocean, a stream of phone calls began at Mennonite Central Committee offices in the U S and Canada as the first oftens of thousands of people made donations to help survivors .
In all, more than 30,000 donors have contributed a total of $10 million making the tsunami disaster response the single largest humanitarian effort by MCC and its constituents since World War 2.
In early February, MCC announced a $2 million increase in the project bringing the total response to more than $12 million for relief, trauma counseling, reconstruction and economic development. The total includes funds for efforts in India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia , as well as som e $100,000 fo r a project to restore fishing
villages in Somalia.
Donations-large and small-have come from Mennonites and related church groups in eight countries outside North America . Mennonites in Indonesia, Germany, Holland, Canada and the U.S. participated in a drive that concluded Feb 28 to donate 22,000 relief kits worth $800,000 for tsunami survivors .
In the first month after the disaster, MCC provided its partners with a total of $431 ,000 in funds and relief kits, sent assessment teams to Indonesia, India and Sri Lanka and placed seven additional staff in the region
Assessment team members were stunned at the enormity of the devastation. "It was square kilometer after square kilometer of churned -up rubble," says Ed Martin, MCC's di rector of Central and Southern Asia programs . "It's not just broken buildings but the thrashing together of
materials , everything of human existence all in a jumble I've never seen anything that approaches this level of destruction "
More than $5 million in aid will go to Indonesia . Short-term aid has included trauma counseling in Aceh province and providing medical and material aid, including food, to survivors. Longer-term plans for Aceh are developing and will concentrate on village reconstruction. Some of the response will be made through partner agencies of MCC Indonesia Recognizing that MCC's strength lies in intermediate to long-term disaster recovery, the assessment team recommended three to five years of involvement in Aceh province.
In Sri Lanka proposed efforts include entirely rebuilding three villages-providing housing , household supplies, clinics, schools and income generation aid to help families resume the fishing and agriculture they depend on for their livelihoods .
In Sri Lanka's Mawella Province a proposed project will include fabricating fiberglass boats to replace those lost in the waves and manufacturing cement blocks so houses can be reconstructed. Women who used to work drying fish are now seeking other sources of income. This project would provide machines and raw material that women could use to spin coco fiber twine to sell. MCC may also provide one to three deep-sea trawlers for community cooperatives in the same area.
In India, trauma counselors are training local residents or Indian volunteers in addressing the psychological needs of residents in devastated villages. MCC worker and trauma counselor Carolyn Heggen who was in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in early February found the area so heavily damaged and altered by the waves that some sites of former homes and cropland are now completely underwater. She said a trauma counseling team MCC helped fund is working until at least 10:30 each night to meet what needs they can. Heggen, who was in Nepal with MCC until 2004, reports there has never been an area where she has felt more needed.
Other proposed projects range from immediate responses such as feeding programs for mothers and infants and replacing boats and nets to longer-term efforts such as helping residents desalinate wells, doing health work and addressing how families can begin to support themselves again.
In the Prakasma and Krishna districts of India a proposed project includes small grants to restart businesses, possible repairs to boats and funds to assist farmers in rehabilitating salt fields and aquaculture.
In Somalia, MCC is planning to assist the economic recovery of fishing communities with projects including boat repair. Additional updates will be posted online at www mcc.orglasiaearthquake as they become available .-MCC news service
Church plant goal of relief project building 10 homes on Thai island
At first glance Operation Rebuilding Lives , the MBMS International response to the devastating December tsunami , appears to be about rebuilding homes and assisting victims with their immediate needs. The mission agency has had no trouble recruiting North American volunteers for ORL construction and medical teams that will build a total of 10 homes in Thailand's Phuket area.
But the long-term goal of the project is to plant a church.
"From the outset we have been praying for the planting of the gospel and establishment of a local church through the ministry of the various construction and medical team members ," write MBMSI general director Randy Friesen and missionary Ricky Sanchez in a recent mission agency email. "We have been praying for a church planter to lead this follow-up effort to Operation Rebuilding Lives."
That prayer may have been answered in early February by Preecha, a Thai pastor, and his wife. Preecha is a church planter from Chonburi , the home base for MBMSI efforts in south Thailand, and is leading a neighboring church plant. Preecha is also one of several Thai believers that have joined the MBMSI tsunami response teams organized by MBMSl's Team 2000.
Four North American families currently represent MBMSI, the global mission agency of North American Mennonite Brethren churches, in Thailand . The three families in the southern part
of the country form Team 2000; a single family lives in northern Thailand Thailand , where the tsunami hit its western coast , was one of 11 countries affected by the tsunami waves that left 280 ,000 dead and millions homeless.
"Preecha is originally from the Phuket area and has a deep burden for the people in that region, " write Friesen and Sanchez. "Through the ministry of the volunteers in Operation Rebuilding Lives during the past three weeks, Preecha has seen over 10 people respond to the gospel. For some time now, Preecha and his wife have sensed a call back to the Phuket area to plant a church They believe the time is now."
Sanchez says Preecha has asked Team 2000 if they would accept the small group of believers from the church he led in Chonburi and merge churches.
"It seems that the Phuket region could become our second church planting location in southern Thailand ," write Friesen and Sanchez. "Please pray for God's clear confirmation and direction in this recent development. "
ORL volunteers are excited to be part of the start of a new church "We are living Acts 29," says Herman Plett, a team member on the second ORL team. "It is just one open door after another!"
The first phase of Operation Rebuilding Lives called for two teams of MBMSI volunteers to work with local residents to construct homes for eight
families living on an island in the Phuket region. The teams, coordinated by Sanchez, include North American construction and medical personnel, pastors, counselors and young adults enrolled in MBMSI's short-term TREK program and Thai volunteers . Team 2000 members anticipate a total of 50 North American and I Thai volunteers will work on the ORL project
The construction crew on the first team spent two weeks building temporary housing in a refugee camp of 4,000 people and laying the groundwork for permanent residences The medical crew helped identify bodies and tended those injured in the tsunami. As the second team arrived on the scene, permission had been granted for the agency to rebuild homes on Koh Kor Khao Island and construction permits had been received.
Sanchez says Koh Kor Khao has a population of 1,500 with about 300 to 400 homes, "if you count all the little shacks." The volunteers have learned that about 50 to 70 people died and 100 homes were totally destroyed or damaged when waves hit the island
The second phase includes the construction of two more buildings : a home for the church planting pastor and a combination community center and meeting place for the emerging congregation. A third team, scheduled to leave for Thailand in late February, began work on these two buildings .
ORL team members are also trying to meet emotional and spiritual needs of Thai people impacted by the tsunami. "Thailand is the land of smiles, and the people, though missing most of their families now, smile at us all the time, and it's just heartwarming," says Jeremy Balzer, a member of the second ORL team "They are a quiet, humble people, but they are not allowed to grieve fully. According to Buddhism-no tears. Women tell their stories of loss because they have no other way to let it out, then stand on the beach staring stoically, remembering where they lost their loved ones."
Team 2000 member Karen Sanchez says Thai people from the MBMSI church plant who are also ORL team members are "coming back with stories of people just weeping with our team members and so
happy to hear about God. Our Thai church workers are anointed and it seems they are running 100 mph sharing the gospel with everyone they meet . .. even the security guards around the tent. They tag team with each other and just move quietly in when they observe one of our team having favor with someone," says Karen.
Team 2000 members Dave and Louise Sinclair-Peters write in a January e-mail, "We are amazed at all that God is doing these days through the Mennonite Brethren churches and their generosity in helping tsunami victims. Living and working in Thailand during this critical time has given us a window of opportunity to show God ' s compassion in a way that we never imagined was possible."
Friesen and Ricky Sanchez ask for prayer for ORL team members and Thai church members "as they reach out to those in this devastated region." Regular updates and photos of the ORL project are posted on the MBMSI Web site www.mbmission.org. MBMSI is also accepting financial contributions for the Thailand rebuilding and church planting project.-from MBMSI reports by joanna Felts
On-site in Thailand
jake and Margaret janzen, team leader and construction coordinator from Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., were members of the first MBMS International Operation Rebuilding Lives team, arriving in Thailandjan 1 7 Their e-mail report to MBMSI after several days in Thailand included these observations
We have completed constructing 12 temporary home s
under the auspices of World Vision When you see families living in tents and thou sand s milling around without adequate housing, you begin to feel the impact this disaster has had on people's lives.
TOnight, right after we had almost finished with our part of the construction, families were already moving in , leveling the floors and working up a real sweat You can imagine how happy they were to have a
roof over their heads , although their living area is only about 10 feet by 16 feet , and there is only one layer of plywood between homes.
We hope to not only rebuild homes but also lives so that they will have a hope for time and eternity. It was our privilege to attend the massive Tsunami Memorial Service last night , and the Buddhist presence was very strong. There were 2 ,000 Buddhist monks that chanted endlessly The power of darkness and hopele ss ness seemed overwhelm-
ing ; less than one percent of the population is Christian . We have our work cut out for us ; perhaps this disaster has opened a door like nothing else could Tonight after work, part of our team sang worship music over the public address system. We were told that people were crying and very moved. Praise God! The Buddhists were right after us, but the Gospel has great power and we trust God will have a great harvest of souls here It is awesome for us to be part of this experience on your behalf.
OUR 2004 SELECTION
( Global Anabaptist/Mennonite Shell of Literature)
fa project of Mennonite World Conference}
Cod /s Shalom Project
by Bernhard Ott
About this book
This illumination of the biblical story reads like music. The author shows God to be a gracious parent, intent on a restored relationship with humans. It is that ongoing effort which Ott calls the Shalom Project. Realized fully, Shalom includes harmony among humans, and between humans and creation.
Ott shows that "God wants a Shalom people," a community of faithful Christians who together love God and each other, and then live in the world within that strength.
How you can be involved
Read this book's fresh insights if you're a veteran believer. Hand it to young persons and inquiring friends. Study it with your small group or Sunday school class. lAnd make sure your library has at least one copy.)
How to get this book
Check with your local bookstore. Or - in the U.S., call the publisher, Good Books, at 8001762-7171, or shop at the secure website, www.goodbks.com. In Canada, shop at www.pandorapress.com. or phone 5191745-1560.
Purpose of the Shelf
The Global Anabaptist/ Mennonite Shelf of Literature envisions a new book selection each year, encouraging the fellowships around the world to translate it into their own languages. The book or booklet of the year may have been published first in any one of the languages spoken within the Anabaptist-related fellowships found in 62 countries around the world. For more information, email Executive Secretary Larry Miller at LarryMiller@MWC -cmm.org.
family of Faith Sharing Gifts in the Global Family of Faith, by Pakisa K. 'IShimika & Tim Lind Paperback. $6.95 (U.S.)
95 (Canadian)
Mennonite World Conference
Strasbourg, France • Kitchener, On tario, Canada • Clovis, California, USA {This ad was made possible by an anonymous donation to MWC.J God's Shalom Project by Bernhard Ott
$7.95 (U.S.) $10.95 (Canadianl
New Pastors' Orientation draws broad representation
pastors met for fellowship and education
THE 2005 NEW PASTORS' Orientation held Feb. 6-8 included all the things one would expect of an event designed to introduce pastoral staff members new to the Mennonite Brethren church to the denomination. Participants heard from a variety of presenters concerning the theology, history, governing structures and agencies that comprise the denomination. Pastoral staff members were given resource materials, including the Confession of Faith Commentary and Pastoral Application published by Kindred Productions, to take home with them and met key individuals within the MB church.
The 2005 NPO also included some unexpected features. While administrative costs of the NPO are typically included in the USC budget, this year a group of anonymous donors made it possible for all on-site costs to be covered; airfare was also covered. The donors wanted the accommodations to be an encouragement to pastoral staff members and so they provided funds for the orientation to be held at a resort hotel in Shell Beach, Calif.
One contributor had stipulated that a portion of his donation be used to "do something fun for a bunch of hardworking pastors," Chuck Buller, U.S. Conference executive director, told the NPO group Any NPO participant who wanted to could spend an hour touring nearby sand dunes on a 4-wheeler, compliments of the donor. The majority of the pastoral staff members took the donor up on his generous offer. When the orientation session resumed after the dune rides, Buller reviewed the
process the 4-wheeler guide had followed to initiate them to an activity with which few had experience. "Leadership is like that," Buller reminded the new pastors. "We are taking people into new adventures all the time."
The 2005 NPO was less lecture-oriented than some of its predecessors and was also abbreviated in terms of the time commitment. Numerous participants and pre-
senters affirmed NPO organizers for the format. The orientation, beginning Monday afternoon and concluding Thesday evening, was preceded by an afternoon of fellowship on the night of the Super Bowl and a morning of personal free time. Almost half of the pastors broUght their spouses; a number of preschool children accompanied their parents
The NPO included three presentations
by former MB Biblical Seminary president Henry Schmidt on the importance of church staff members caring for their own spiritual and emotional well-being. Jon Wall led the group in worship. Valerie Rempel, MBBS faculty member, and Lynn Jost, Tabor College faculty member, shared their personal faith stories. Rempel provided a brief historical review of early Anabaptist and Mennonite Brethren church history. Jost introduced the MB Confession of Faith and talked specifically about Aniele 12: Society and State and Anicle 13: Love and Nonresistance .
Pastoral staff members were introduced to various MB agencies including MBBS by President Jim Holm, MB Foundation by President Jon Wiebe and MBMS International by General Director Randy Friesen. NPO attendees heard from district ministers Gary Wall of the Pacific District Conference, Roger Engbrecht of the Central District Conference and Tim Sullivan of the Southern District Conference. U.S Conference church planting and renewal ministries were highlighted by Buller as Mission USA director Don Morris left the orientation due to an illness in his family Buller also outlined the governance history and current structure of the U.S. Confer-
ence and Connie Faber, Leader editor, spoke about the magazine Complimentary commentaries were available courtesy of Kindred Productions, the North American MB publishing ministry owned by the Canadian Conference.
The 33 NPO participants came from four of the five districts. Two were from the North Carolina MB Conference, eight from the Southern District Conference, 17 from the Pacific District Conference and six from the Central District Conference. The pastors represented Slavic, Hispanic, Ethiopian and English-language congregations. Participants represented a variety of pastoral asSignments-lead, worship , children , family and youth-and sat together according to their responsibilities one evening for the meal .
New pastors' orientation began in the late '80s as a joint venture of the U S. and Canadian MB Conferences, known then as
the General Conference. Its purpose was to encourage and introduce new pastors to ministry among Mennonite Brethren . Approximately 10 orientation sessions have been held with most of them taking place in Fresno, Calif.-Connie Faber
Bible MB celebrates centennial
Numerically small congregation known for its big heart
Like many small town congregations, Bible MB Church of Cordell, Okla., struggles with declining demographics . But unlike some rural churches, Pastor Kevin Creed credits the members of Bible MB with a willingness to change in order to have a relevant ministry.
This month Bible MB will celebrate its 100th anniversary and that celebration gives the congregation the opportunity to remember the past and to discern what it means to be a church today, says Creed. Bible MB centennial events are scheduled for March 19-20.
"The church has a willingness to do whatever is necessary to reach people of the 21st century," says Creed . "People are open to trying new things . Solid leadership is a strength and the church is not just following me, we set goals together," he says "We move ahead as a train; we move when everyone is ready."
The goal of the anniversary event is the same as the overall goal of any ministry at Bible Church, says A.8.P. Schmidt, one of the coordinators of the event and grandson of one of the early church leaders. "The purpose of the Bible MB Church is to do everything possible to impact as many as possible for the cause of Christ, and we
hope that will happen through our celebration as well," says Schmidt.
Creed agrees that the congregation has a strong commitment to outreach . "The use of short-term outreach (vacation Bible school, revival services and mission work) as well as Awana, Sunday school, youth ministry, worship and adult teaching and the preaching of the Word have all been included to form the one single ministry of the church." says Creed.
The anniversary celebration includes opportunities for getting reacquainted and reminiscing Activities begin Saturday afternoon; history books and cookbooks have been published for the centennial. Dennis Becker, who was the Bible MB pastor for six years, and Dale Warkentin, son of former pastor Elmo Warkentin, will speak at the Sunday worship service. Four other former pastors are expected to attend.
A lOOth anniversary is a little like communion, says Creed. "You look back at what has been accomplished and remember the instruction, 'Do this till I come.' We will look back at the rich heritage which has kept the church stable for many years and then move ahead as God leads."
With a membership of about lOO, the church is not large. But those who know the congregation say it is large in terms of
compassion and caring for people . "This church has an open compassion and desire to reach to the community, to be part of the community at large and to strengthen the life within the church," says Creed
"New people are coming," he says, adding that the congregation is preparing for the baptism of several children and a family that have been part of the church's Awana ministry. The Awana program involves approximately 60 children from the community and church.
"They just accepted me into their family," says Michelle Schmidt, who joined the pastoral staff in 2001 as the Bible MB's ftrst youth director. "These people let you try your wings. If you are willing to serve, you will have an opportunity and people won't look down on you if you fail-and most , if not all, will do most anything for you."
That sentiment is reiterated by A B P. Schmidt in describing the congregation, "If someone has a need, someone is right there to help," says Schmidt.
The congregation is committed to what A.B.P. Schmidt refers to as a "pass through ministry."
Schmidt says, "We've not grown significantly in numbers over the years, but many people have passed through our
congregation and moved on to other places in our mobile society. Our ministry perspective and desire is to be faithful in blessing people as they pass through our church."
Some of those people who passed through years ago are coming back, says Creed. "They experienced life here as youth or were influenced by something in the past and now they are returning."
The story of Bible MB church, originally known as Bessie MB, dates back to 1893 when a group of German Mennonites, mostly from central Kansas, came by covered wagon to investigate unclaimed land which had been opened up to homesteaders Upon arrival, the new residents gathered for worship in a schoolhouse located four miles east and seven miles north of what is now Cordell .
Within a year, these worshippers joined with Mennonite Brethren from nearby Com who by that time had completed their first church building. Due to the distance from Com and the difficulty in crossing a river, plans were soon made to organize an MB church I near Bessie. Leaders appointed at that time for this new church were David Kiehn and A.B .P. Schmidt, whose grandson by the same name continues to serve the congregation. The charter membership was 35 and by 1906 they had built the first sanctuary. By 1928 the congregation had grown to the extent that a larger sanctuary was needed. The decision was made to dismantle the old and build new at a cost of approximately $7,000 which was paid off in two years. The church's 50th anniversary celebration was held at this meeting place.
As more and more people began moving to the nearby towns, pastors and leaders again began to consider another relocation as they saw greater opportunity for evangelizing by moving the church into the city. After prayer and Bible study, the congregation decided to relocate to Cordell. The building was completed within five months and dedicated February 19, 1961.
Other steps of faith and expansion were taken in 1981 through 1987 as additions were built and the sanctuary renovated. The new and improved faCility was used for a unique community ministry in 2001 when an October tornado hit Cordell Schools were damaged and classes were held at community churches Bible MB hosted the 4th through 6th grades for most of the remainder of the school year. Members of the congregation worked with Mennonite Disaster ser- , vice to rebuild three homes in the community
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Leadership Board tackles nuts and bolts
Administrative issues dominate mid-year meeting
When the U.S. Conference Leadership Board met last month for the second time in its brief history, its agenda was long and focused on the nuts and bolts of denominational ministry.
"We had to wade through a lot of agenda in a short period of time and the Leadership Board worked diligently and with spirit," says USC executive director Chuck Buller.
Saturday'S agenda focused on administrative matters and the nine board members spent 12 hours, with just two meal breaks, hearing reports, reviewing by-laws and dealing with health insurance and financial matters. Sunday the board heard from Mission USA/lntegrated Ministries director Don Morris and finished business from the previous day. The board met Feb. 5-6 in Shell Beach, Calif, prior to the New Pastors' Orientation.
Delegates to the USC convention last summer provisionally approved a new governance structure with by-laws to be written by the 2006 convention. The leadership Board began the process of writing those by-laws at its first meeting in September 2004.
Don Dorman, a VISalia, Calif, attorney, is drafting the by-laws in consultation with the board. Dorman reviewed the work done to date and answered questions. The board asked Dorman to rework specific sections and affirmed the wording of other articles.
Health insurance was the second issue addressed by the board. The USC currently provides health insurance through Mennonite Mutual Aid for its MB Foundation staff and pastors of USC congregations. 1\vo issues have emerged: loss of participating members and increasing premiums. As a result, MMA is asking the USC to change its plan or find an alternative. MMA representative Ron Dueck met with the board to discuss possible options.
The third agenda item was a discussion with MB Foundation president Jon Wiebe and board chair Ken Neufeld . The discussion concerned endowments and how best the foundation and national conference can work together to enhance the denomination. In action Sunday, the leadership Board appointed its treasurer, Dale Boese, to the MBF board per their request.
The board heard a mid-year report from Buller and discussed the executive director's job description as it relates to the board, USC staff, district congregations, pastors and other Anabaptist organizations.
The board discussed the fonnat for the first Institutional Board Summit scheduled for May. The new governance structure includes an annual gathering of the Leadership Board and representatives of MBMS International, MB Biblical Seminary, MB Foundation, Tabor College, Fresno Pacific University and district ministers and the district chairs . The purpose of the meeting is to provide mutual encouragement and support and to raise Significant agenda for the Usc.
The Leadership Board began planning for the 2006 national convention and heard from the National Youth Convention Project Team, the International Committee of Mennonite Brethren Project Team and the Mennonite World Conference representative.
Sunday the board turned its attention to Mission USA and Integrated Ministries, the conference's church growth, renewal and adoption ministry directed by Morris.
Morris began his report by introducing a new policy for how the MUSA/IM director will work with ethnic congregations seeking membership and how the process will involve district ministers.
Morris outlined how the inquiring congregation will be informed of Mennonite Brethren beliefs and distinctives, when an on-site visit will take place and at what point in the process the inquiring congre-
gation, if seeking financial assistance, will be referred to MB Foundation/Loan Fund. "One item of particular importance is the church's agreement with our Confession of Faith," says Morris in his written report to the board.
Once a congregation is recommended by MUSA/IM for district membership, the appropriate district is asked to act on that recommendation within 60 days. When a congregation has become a member of a district, the USC Leadership Board will recognize the congregation as a USC member.
Morris is currently in contact with seven ethnic congregations, including Ethiopian, Slavic and Hispanic groups, in five different states. These congregations h;we varying degrees of interest in joining the MB denomination and have requested various levels of assistance with ministry and financial needs.
Morris updated the board on Shalom Korean Church English Ministry, adopted by the Leadership Board last year as a MUSA/IM project. The goal of church planters Joshua Kim and EunJi Park is to reach second-generation Korean Christians who are leaving the church.
Morris also reported on discussions with leaders from the North Carolina District Conference about several ministry options in that district. He said that financial support for The Heart, a three-year-old church plant in l\dsa, Okla , would continue for several months beyond the original completion date of April 1, 2005.
The Leadership Board meets via phone once a month and face-to-face at least twice a year. The board decided to add an additional meeting this first year in order to facilitate its organizational needs. To better understand issues all boards must address, board members have been reading and discussing Governance Matters by Les Stahlke . The board will meet again in May prior to the Institutional Board Summit.-Connie Faber
leOMB hosts international mission consultation
HOW MENNONITE 2004 ICOMB meeting in leader remarked that this was mission by developing their Brethren from around the Paraguay. ICOMB's goal is to the most 'life-giving' interna- own mission sending structure world can do mission work develop a structure for all tional MB gathering he had and for a forum to do joint together was the focus of the ICOMB member conferences attended. The outcomes of mission work. A proposal to Global Mission Consultation to work together in develop- this gathering could reshape ICOMB has been developed sponsored by the International ing mission vision and joint the future of the global MB and will be presented at the Committee of Mennonite mission efforts. There are cur- mission movement." 2005 meeting to be held next Brethren. Representatives rendy 19 member confer- Gordon Nickel, director month in Japan. The delegates from nine countries met Jan. ences. Countries that are plan- of the intercultural studies saw the tsunami disaster as an 18-21 in Abbotsford, B.C. ning to send out MB mission- program at Trinity Western opportunity to begin this joint Ten individuals from aries or have already done so University-ACTS Seminary w<;>rk and prepared a statewere invited to send represen- and former MBMSI missionary ment encouraging each MB Colombia, Brazil, India, tatives to the consultation. in India, provided a missiolog- conference to participate in a Lithuania, the U.S and Canada Randy Friesen, MBMS ical reflection each morning. holistic ministry response. reflected on the missiological International's general direc- Andrew Stanley, worship pas- The importance of global opportunities as well as the tor, organized and hosted the tor at South Abbotsford MB partnership is seen in a statechallenges and opportunities event. "This was the first time Church and former MBMSI ment made during a debriefthat bring MBs together ICOMB mission representa- staff member, facilitated the ing session: "Through time around the world. Delegates tives came together for a week worship sessions for the meet- together, the cultural barriers from Congo, Angola, and to focus on how we can ing. are coming down and the Namibia were invited but strengthen the global mission Through their discus- kingdom of God is drawing unable to attend due to travel movement of the Mennonite sions, the delegates gained a ICOMB together. What unifies difficulties. Brethren," says Friesen. ''We common vision for each MB us is becoming more impor-
The vision for the consul- spent a lot of time praying conference to be an active par- tant than what separates tation came out of the June together. One MB mission ticipant in cross-cultural global us. "-Joanna Felts for MBMSI
Vietnamese Christians given greater freedom
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANS IN Vietnam may have greater freedom thanks to an executive order issued by Prime Minister Phan Van Khai Feb. 4. The instructions focus particularly on several hundred thousand Christian communities among the ethnic minOrities , primarily in the inland mountainou s areas Several thousand of the se Christians in a few dozen communities are related to the Vietnam Mennonite Church.
Under the n ew directions, the Prime Minister said they should be "guided to practice their religion at home" and also permitted to acquire a place in their village to meet when needed. If they meet as a congregation, the local authorities are to create favorable conditions for them to carry out their religious activities.
Vietnam's National Assembly adopted an Ordinance on Religion which took effect
last Nov. 15. While giving a bit more freedom to registered groups , it stipulated that religious activities must take place only within the physical facilities of the group . In a conversation with a member of the National Assembly in December, a Mennonite delegation observed that this stipulation was impossible to observe if the church buildings were destroyed and the congregations were not permitted to build a church. The Prime Minister 's instructions now address that matter.
Vietnam observers attribute the Prime Minister'S order, as well as the recent prison release of several high profile religious freedom and human rights activists , to international advocacy. The United States has designated Vietnam a "country of particular concern " and the European Union has called for greater personal freedoms. Vietnam is hoping to enter the
World Trade Organization by the end of 2005, and needs the full support of these nations for entry.
Meanwhile , Mennonites learned in late January that the appeal hearing for imprisoned pastor Nguyen Hong Quang and three associates originally set for Feb. 2 was delayed; the court did not announce a new date. The Vietnamese government had announced its intention to grant amnesty to more than 8,200 prisoners Jan. 31 and Feb Ion the occasion of the New Year. There was no indication that the imprisoned Mennonites would be released in this amnesty.
In the request for prayer, the Vietnamese Mennonite leaders wrote , "We believe with certainty that , with dedicated prayer and fasting , the Lord will do miracles , and the Lord ' s name will be glorified in these days "- from MWC reports
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Nat'l youth convention moves to LA
Project team recommendations affirmed by Leadership Board
Mennonite and a group discussion at the dents from West Coast ethnic that come out of ministry, says Brethren high 2004 u.s. Conference summer congregations to attend, says Loewen . Youth groups interestschool students convention. A national youth the NYC Project Team. ed in staying for additional and sponsors will committee with representatives The move also offers new days of miniStry or sightseeing gather March 30- from every district will now be opportunities to enhance the are encouraged to do so. April 2, 2007, for the next organized to plan the event. focus of the weekend. "While The 2007 national youth national youth convention. The NYC informational Web some might assume that the convention is sponsored by They will meet in Los Angeles, a site is www.nyc07.com. move to Anaheim is for the Tabor College, Fresno Pacific location that will make it possi- The 2007 convention will many recreation and entertain- University and MB Biblical Semible for the weekend to have an be the first national youth ment options, the primary rea- nary. Bartlen, Loewen and enhanced ministry component. event held in an urban setting. son for moving to an urban Neufeld were appointed to the
The recommendation to Since its inception in 1975, center is to take advantage of project team because of their make these and related YMCA of the Rockies near Estes the ministry opportunities and affiliation with these institutions changes was made by the Park, Colo., has hosted all but resources," says Neufeld. and their relationships with National Youth Convention two national youth conven- The 2003 convention youth workers. Bartlen is the Project Team and was affirmed tions. Those two were held at included an optional service Ministry Quest director for MB by the u.s. Conference Leader- Gloriena Baptist Conference opportunity. The NYC Project Biblical Seminary's "Hearing the ship Board at their February Center in New Mexico. Moving Team hopes to incorporate Call" program. Loewen and meeting In forming their rec- the convention to the West service and ministry into the Neufeld are Tabor College and ommendations, NYC Project Coast in 2007 will mean that overall program of the week- Fresno Pacific University faculty Team members Rick Bartlett, attendees from east of the end and to create a cohesive members, respectively, teaching Wendell Loewen and Tim Rockies will take a turn at trav- event in which seminars, wor- in the area of youth ministry. Neufeld consulted with youth eling by air and will hopefully ship times and input from Loewen is also the Southern Disstaff via surveys, personal visits make it more attractive for stu- speakers address the issues trict Conference youth minister.
Internet guide to other faiths released
Christian Faith and Other Faiths: A Guide to the Internet , a new resource developed by James Pankratz , academic dean at MB Biblical Seminary, is available to help Christians strengthen their relationships with people of other faiths and understand other expressions of spirituality.
"I found that the Internet had some very good resources
for the study of religions ," says Pankratz "I also found sites dedicated to interreligious ' bashing. ' It's helpful for Christians to know how to use this mix of Internet resources. "
The guide , found at hnp: //www mbseminary.edu/rel igions , points the user to Web sites on a variety of topics related to world religions
Most of the links and
resources in the guide deal with interreligious interaction in various forms: religious pluralism, interfaith dialogue, religious tolerance, evangelism , mission, apologetics or critique. Nearly all of the Web sites included in this guide provide links to additional Internet resources without limiting access through passwords or fees. The guide will be regu-
larly updated as new resources are added and out-of-date links are removed.
Pankratz says his desire to produce the guide comes out of his interaction with other religions in his studies and teaching, the years he spent living in India and Bangladesh, and his service in the church through intercultural ministry.-MBBS
,
MORE NEWS
Rrst Janzen lecture held
Educator and church leader Nancy
Heisey was the presenter for the first Janzen lectureship In Biblical Studies at Fresno Pacific University Jan. 27-28.
Heisey is chair of biblical studies and church history at Eastern Mennonite University and president of Mennonite World Conference, an association of 95 Mennonite and Brethren In Christ churches from more than 60 countries. The annual lecture promotes biblical scholarship and Christian witness and honors Edmund Janzen, who served FPU for 35 years as president and faculty member.-R'U
Education scholarship
established at Tabor
A bequest gift from the estate of Viola Klassen-Jost will benefit the Tabor College Education Department, establishing a scholarship fund. Klassen·Jost, who first attended Tabor in 1924, went on to an accomplished career in education, serving as superintendent of Marion (Kan.) County Schools from 19561970. "We have a number of quality students who could benefit from the tuition assistance provided by an endowed scholarship," says Donna Bagley, chair of the department. - TC
Aid to North Korea
, Recent shipments from Mennonite Central Committee, the relief, service and peace agency of North American Mennonite and Brethren In Christ churches, to North Korea have provided dried soup mix for children's centers, boarding schools and senior citizen homes; hospital equipment Including beds and baby cribs for two hospitals In Pyongyang and more than 15,000 baby blankets for pediatric and county hospitals. Needs In the politically and economically Isolated nation remain severe. MCC plans to send additional shipments of canned meat and other Items to North Korea this spring.-MCC
MBMSI announces appointments
MISSIONARY RAY HARMS-WIEBE
and accountant Selwyn Uittenbosch have recently been appointed MBMS International team leaders. MBMSI is the cross·cul· tural mission agency for Mennonite Brethren churches in the U.S. and Canada.
Harms-Wiebe, a missionary to Sao
Paulo, Brazil for 18 years, has been chosen as the training and team health leader. He will oversee the train· ing of short and longterm missionaries and provide pastoral care for the current mis· sionary team . He and
his wife Judy have three children. Uittenbosch, an accountant and busi· ness executive, began serving in December as the new finance team leader. Gather· ing data and implementing structures to strengthen the financial systems and reporting are part of his role at the MBMSI office in Abbotsford, B.C. Uittenbosch has worked for the last seven years as a CFO for a multi· national advertising agency. Uittenbosch and his wife Helen have four children.MBMSI
New MCC executive director named
ROBERT WILLIAM DAVIS HAS BEEN appointed the next executive director of Mennonite Central Committee , an 85 yearold relief, service and peace agency of North American Mennonite and Brethren in Christ churches.
Davis , who is currently senior vicepresident of program services for Freedom from Hunger in Davis, Call£ , will begin his asSignment June 1.
A native of Lancaster County, Penn. , Davis brings extensive international development, poverty alleviation and public health experience to the job. He holds a master ' s degree in public health and a doctorate in population dynamics , both from John Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health , Baltimore , Md He also holds a Bachelor of Science in theology from Lancaster (penn.) Bible College.
Davis says he is motivated by a strong vision for Christian ministry and a desire "to serve and seek to be an agent of reconciliation , a faithful servant and a community builder."
"Robb brings a particular combination of qualities to the position, including having lived and worked abroad, skills to
build partnerships across national, language and cultural lines , and experience leading organizations and people ," says MCC board chair Karen
er.
Early in his career Davis served as a health technical advisor and administrator for World Vision in the west African country of Mauritania. He has served as an independent consultant to various development agencies such as the International Assistance Mission , Catholic Relief Services , the World Bank, Peace Corps and the International Catholic Migration Committee.
Davis and his wife , Nancy, have two children. The couple are founding members of a Mennonite house fellowship in Davis , Calif. and attended East Chestnut Street Mennonite Church while living in Lancaster.-MCC
Ray Har.-Wiebe
Klassen Hard-
CHURCH
NEWS FROM OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES
BaptismlMembership
Corn, Okla.-Leah Boese, Taylor Ensz, Rayden Epp, RaeLyn Epp, Martin and Jill Hall, Joshua and Jasilin Hall, Ethan Harms and Shea Thompson were baptized and welcomed to membership Jan 9 Karis Loewen was also baptized Bakersfield, Calif. (Laurelglen Bib l e)--Joe l Black, Jonathan Black and Wilson Jones were baptized the weekend of Jan. 15-16
Buhler, Kan.-Apryl Schmucker, Dedra Muir; Linda Mishler and Matthew Brubaker were baptized and welcomed to membership Jan. 16. John Mishler and Glenda Matney were also received into membership
Littleton, Colo. (Be ll eview Community)--Carlin Regier, Bill and Barb Kosick, Jack and Betty Kosick
and Mike and Kay Argall were welcomed as members Jan 23
Reedley, Calif.-Bill and Diane Allison, William Allison, Andy Garcia, John and Lori George, Em il y George, Melissa Knaak and Barbara Rosedale were welcomed to membership Jan. 23. Leah Albright, Tyler Albright, Richard Hara, Russell Hara, Ernesto and Marina Hernandez, Des i ree Hernandez, Marissa Hiett, Max Janzen, Daniel Jost, Mary Lou Swenning and Denise Viau were baptized and received as members Feb. 6 Irene Del Cid, Delora Doerksen and Heather Doerksen were also welcomed to membership.
Fellowship
Wichita, Kan. (Fi rst)--An indoor family picnic and game night was held Jan 28
Olathe, Kan. (Community Bible)--A "Friendship Forever Banquet" including dinner, bluegrass mus ic and babysitting services was held Feb.11.
Rapid City, S.D (Bib l e Fellowship)--A date night included music, stories, Scripture, devotions and dessert. Ferndale, Wash. (Good News Fellowship)--A Valentine's Italian buffet and program was held Feb. 12.
M inistry
Dallas, Ore -The congregation held its f i nal service Jan. 16 after over 100 years of ministry
Mountain Lake, Minn (Community Bible)--A chili supper was held Jan. 23 to raise money for MBMS International's "Operation Rebuilding Lives"
Reedley, Calif.-Patmos, a group of professional musicians from Moldova, the former USSR, presented a concert Jan. 23 The group was formed by Alexander Popov who came to faith after the end of communism
Weatherford, Okla. (Pine Acres)--In response to the recent emphasis on community, the congregat ion was encouraged to put the teaching into practice and to invite people into their homes for a Super Bowl party Feb 6
Topeka, Kan.-Six weeks of preEaster prayer gatherings for pastors, elders and the congregation Wednesdays mornings The congregation was invited to bring valent i nes and/or treats for the 40-some kids in church
Buhler, Kan.-A "Taste of Heaven" sampler banquet Feb. 20 enabled
Community affirms RMBC decision to host Mass
THE REEDLEY (CAUF.) MB Church faced a difficult decision in late January. Would they open their church facilities for a funeral that would include a Catholic Mass? The question came from the family of Army Capt. Joe Fenton Lusk n, a 25 year-old graduate of Reedley High School and the U S Military Academy at West Point. St. Anthony 's Catholic Church was too small; RMBC would hold the more than 1,000 friends and family expected
After considerable discussion the RMBC church council decided to open their facilities in what the Fresno Bee newspaper called "a fitting symbol of unity in a community joined in grief over the loss of a man described as a son who would make any parent proud ."
In an interview conducted via e-mail , Dennis Fast, RMBC lead pastor, says, ''When our church was approached about the use of our facilities it first seemed like a huge , difficult decision We tried to look at the decision from a biblical, congregational and community vantage point. "
The council concluded that while their building was dedicated to the Lord for his glory, "it is still a building and we are each the temple of the Lord ." They also saw the reque st as "a great opportunity to build bridges to the community that have either been broken or never built over the 100 years that RMBC has been in Reedley, " says Fast.
The council asked that the Rosary be held the night before ,
that Fast be involved in some way and that the priest conduct the Mass using RMBC furnishings They also requested that the Eucharist be offered to Catholics only, a reque st that closely followed St. Anthony 's practice .
Events surrounding Lusk's funeral included a military presence. Military presentations were made at the gravesite and military pallbearers delivered the casket to the door of the church where family pallbearers took it.
''The results of this decision have been significant," says Fast. ''While it felt like a difficult decision on the front end , in retrospect it was the right way to go. Looking back, to have said no would have resulted in a great sense of exclusiveness We
would have confirmed built-up impressions that the ' big Mennonite Church ' (as people choose to refer to us) is hard to get into and only for ' rich farmers.'"
Fast continues , "The community has expressed gratitude to us many times over It has provided much dialogue between faiths, friends , neighbors , and business people. Bridges were built in that one decision that had not been crossed in a long time. There is a new spirit of appreciation throughout the community and a sense that RMBC cares about Reedley. "
Lusk, the oldest son of Susan and Allen Lusk, was killed in a training accident Jan. 21, just 10 days after his unit deployed to Kuwait.
participants to taste a variety of recipes from the church's new cookbook.
Enid, Okla -"Life Transformation Weekend" guest speaker Chuck Buller, executive director of the U S Conference, spoke in Sunday mo rn ing and evening services Feb. 27 Leaders of m i nistry teams met with Buller Monday for a meal and ins p iration
Harv ey, N D.-A Good News cl u b for children , kindergarten th r ough sixth grade, was started at the elementary school in February Hill sb oro, Kan. - Planning committee recommendations regard i ng a new church building were presented at a February family forum. Recommendations included options for potential sites and preliminary drawings. The church's meeting· house was destroyed by fire in March 2004.
Hende rs o n Neb.-The congregation has entered a church renewal partnership with Mission USA. Examining the church 's core values, setting goals and clarifying God's purposes for the congregation are key components of the process guided by Mission USA staff
Nurture
Fairview. Okla.-Training for small group leaders and adult teache rs was offered Jan 18 through a simulcast of "Turning Questions into Transformational Discussion " The presentation was followed by a small group leaders' meeting.
Clovis. Calif. (College Co mmu ni ty)Ministry workshops held Jan 23 included a session on reading Scripture in public, including basic instruction and an opportunity to practice. Another workshop was for those who want to join the Supportive Care Commission , a ministry that takes communion to those unable to participate in the Lord 's Supper at church because of illness. A review of the liturgy and the use of communion boxes were part of the session.
Dinuba. Ca lif.-A seminar about dementia was held Jan. 23 Classic behaviors of various stages of dementia were explained along with effects the disease can have on family members.
Kingsburg Calif.-Duct tape was the theme of the kid's event Jan. 30. Children were invited to wear or bring something made of duct tape or come dressed in gray.
Bakersfield. Ca lif (Herit age Bi bl e)-A " True Love Waits" curriculum emphasizing sexual purity was the focus of a study for junior high and high school youth during January and February
Gard en City. Kan. (Garden Valley)- A
one -day seminar. "Attitude Check for Pre-Engaged, Engaged and Married Couples," was held Feb. 19. Richard Brandow, marriage and family counselor. was the resource person
Minot, N.D (B ibl e Fell owship)"Faith Walk" do ct rine cl asses for youth began Feb. 13 The adult version begins April 3 Participants will have the opportunity to be baptized and become members of the congregation.
Huron. S D. (Bethesda)-"Valentine Candy Guess" is a reading program for children held during February. Each week children return a book to the church library they can guess the number of pieces of candy in the prize jar Approximately 40 new books for children have been added to the library.
Worship
Littleton. Colo. (Bellevi ew Community)- February was mission emphasis month Events included an Indian potluck, mission messages and music and a women's prayer luncheon for which Darren and Shahna Duerksen, MBMS International missionaries to India, were resource persons. A focus on the persecuted church, a worship dance, updates on international student ministries and m i ssionaries and a concert of prayer were also part of Sunday celebrations. Henderson. Nebr.- " Celebration Sunday" March 6 will include the shredding of a mortgage for the Family Center which was paid off i n January
Bakersfi eld, Calif. (Heritage Bible)-Spiritual growth seminars called "Voyage of Life" are being held on four Sundays between Feb. 20 and April 17. Topics include discovering spiritual maturity, HBC membership, and ministry and life mission. Pastor Dave Froese introduced the series with a state of the chu r ch address Jan. 30
Workers
Dinuba. Ca lif - A welcome dessert reception for Brent and Sabrina Sawatzky, the new youth pastor, was held Feb. 13 Fresno. Cal if (N Fresno) - Lori Regier has submitted her resignation as pastor of children's ministries, a position she has held for four years .
Huron, S.D.(Bethesda)-lnstallation services for senior pastor Rick Wolgamott were held Feb 13 Roger Engbrecht, CD C minister, led the installation D ea t hs
BECK ER, VICTOR E , Reedley Calif. , former MB pastor and a member
of Dinuba (Calif.) MB Church, was born Jan 27, 1919, to Edward and Anna Becker in Fairview, Okla., and d ied Jan 6, 2005, at the age of 85. On March 2, 1941, he married Ruby E. Friesen, who survives. He is also survived by two sons, Dennis and w ife Nancy of Clovis, Calif., Glendon and wife Debbie of Fresno, Calif .; one daughter, Robyn and husband Jim Brandt of Reedley; two brothers, Harrison and wife Jewel of Fairview and Lynford and wife Ruby of Enid, Okla ; one sister, Betty and husband Clayton Hamm of Enid, Okla , five grandchildren and seven greatgrandchild ren.
ENN S, SUSIE GERBRANDT Reedley, Calif , member of Reedley MB Church, was born Nov 4, 1912, in Herbert, Sask , and died Jan. 17, 2005, at the age of 92. On Dec. 10, 1934, she married Henry R. Enns, who survives. She is also survived by two daughters, Barbara and husband Dean Kornelsen and Royetta and husband Roger Brandt; one son, Bill and wife Rhoda Enns, six grandchildren, nine great grandchildren and one great great grandchild
GLANZER, JOE LEROY, Reedley, Calif., member of Reedley MB Church, was born May 27, 1918, to Jacob J. and Anna Miller Glanzer in South Dakota and died Jan 25, 2005, at the age of 86. On May 27, 1952, he married Justina Warkentin, who survives. He is also survived by one son, Lyndon and wife Leesha; one daughter, Edith Bishop; three sisters, Virgina Wipf of Arkansas, Ruth Hofer of South Dakota and Gloria Thiesen of Reedley, and one grandson.
HUDSPETH. CLEO J., Enid, Okla , member of Enid MB Church, was born Nov 23, 1919, to Marvin and Della Hicks Berry at Lorenzo, Tex., and died Feb. 8, 2005, at the age of 85. In 1954 she married John Hudspeth, who prede ceased her. She is survived by one son, Bill and wife Bernice of Enid; two stepdaughters, Laverne Winebrenner
CLEARINGHOUSE
Employment MCC
Is God calling you to use your leadership abilities, management skills and two or more years of cross-cultural experience to serve others through MCC? This year MCC needs people to lead MCC work in Congo, Bangladesh and a director for its Visitor Exchange Program (based in Akron, Pa.). In 2006, MCC will need leaders for MCC work in Jamaica, Bolivia, Haiti, Tanzania , Nigeria, Mexico and a West Coast MCC director (based in Reedley, Calif.). Plan
and Katherine Severin, three grandchildren and three great grandchildren
JOST, LAR RY C., Hillsboro, Kan, member of Hi llsboro MB Church was born Sept 28, 1919, to Geo;ge S and Elizabeth Jost in McPherson, Kan., and died Jan. 20, 2005, at the age of 85. On Aug . 14, 1940, he married Linda Marie Heinze, who predeceased him He is survived by three daughters, Karen and husband Melvin Enns, Constance and husband Gene Schimpf and Lucinda and husband Willis Wohlgemuth; three brothers. Marvin and wife Rosella, Leroy and wife Janice and Dean and wife Loretta; one sister- in-law, Nellie Jost, and five grandchildren.
PAULS. AGNE S. Reedley, Calif .• member of Reedley MB Church. was born Dec. 11. 1908. to Peter and Sara Driedger in Fargo, Okla .• and died Jan 18, 2005. at the age of 96 years. In 1929 she married Frank H. Pauls, who predeceased her She is survived by one son. Donald and wife Ruth Elaine; one daughter, Judith and husband Franklin Janzen; three sisters, Marie Golbek. Elsie Flaming and Frances and husband Vernon Dick, three grandchildren, eight great grandchildren and two great great grandchildren.
PETERS. FRIEDA KATIE DICK, Stillwater, Okla , was born Sept 6, 1933, to John R. and Tena Dyck Dick near Newport, Wash., and died Jan 12, 2005, at the age of 71. On July 14, 1953, she married Don C. Peters, who survives She is also survived by two sons, David and wife Sara of Stillwater, Okla , and John and wife Susan of Plano, Tex .; one daughter, Kathryn and husband Barry Dagestino of Anaheim Hills, Calif ; one brother, John and wife Carol Dick of Hillsboro, Kan., two sisters. Hilda Just of Rockwall, Tex., and Elsie Lekey and husband Roland of Bushton, Kan., and four grandchildren
a head. Application review beg i ns immed i ately for 2005 positions. App l ication review for 2006 pos iti ons begins August 2005. Contact Charmayne Brubaker, Human Resources, 717-8591151, <cdb@mcc org> or your nearest MCC off ice for job descriptions and more information about these upcoming MCC leadersh i p openings.
Employment: Church
Lincoln Glen Church in San Jose, Calif., is seeking a Senior Pastor For more information v isit: http://www.lincolnglen.org/pastor.htm.
Contact: randyollen@yahoo.com
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The perfect picture
One afternoon while developing this issue on the church as a community, associate editor Nadine Friesen and I were talking about ways to illlustrate the church as a caring community. One of her suggestions was a basketball team. Picture a congregation in which members qUickly give one another words of encouragement, she saidk help each other up when they fall and frequently celebrate the small steps (points) made on the way to achieving the goal (winning the game.)
That evening as I watched the local high school girls' and boys' basketball teams play, I saw many examples of what Nadine was talking about. And I added to her list of ways in which a basketball game illustrates how a church can be a community. For example, fans cheer loudly on behalf of their players. That's a good picture of what a mutually supportive church can be like. Referees keep players responsible for their actions. Members of a congregation can work at holding each other accountable. Just as teams are guided by the men and women who coach them, the church is "coached" by those who have been selected as the congregation's leaders. And we're all working towards the same goal-winning souls and making disciples. Yes, I decided, basketball is a good way to picture what a community of faith should be like.
But then I started noticing other aspects of the game. Spectators often and loudly try to play the part of coaches and referees. They yell instructions to the team and second-guess the refs' decisions. Coaches sometimes speak to their players in demeaning ways, stomp around the bench and argue with the referees. Players can be selfish, hold grudges against teammates and complain to the refs. And with everyone yelling at them, referees can lose their neutrality. On second thought, basketball games really aren't a very good picture of the church as a community. There must be another, ideal example of what a caring spiritual community can be like.
In our effort to create a caring community, looking for that perfect picture may be part of the problem, says Michelle Hershberger, whose article begins on page 11. Hershberger suggests that too often we Christians idealize our understanding of community and that doing this can hurt our efforts to be a healthy community. Often we use the image of the family to characterize our faith communities. Hershberger says that we want our congregations to be ideal warm and intimate places, places of close
family relationships. "Church as a family is a fine idea," she writes, "but church as the ideal family is very harmfuL"
When I no longer view the church as an ideal community, I read passages such as 1 Cor. 12 with new understanding. "The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ," writes Paul in 1 Cor. 12: 12. After writing about the importance of each of the body's parts, Paul says, "If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it" (vv. 2627).
The phrase "one part suffers" catches my attention. I hurt my thumb last month and it caused more problems than I would have imagined. I had trouble writing checks at the store Turning the key in the ignition of our van was impossible . I had to find new ways to open a jar and use a can opener. I have read this section of 1 Corinthians many times with an idealized view of Paul's analogy. I have imagined a fellowship of believers that, almost like a robot, works together in perfect harmony 100 percent of the time. Perhaps Paul is reminding us that just like our bodies sometimes must function in spite of weakness, suffering and imperfection, our faith communities will not always function perfectly. But God has chosen the church to be his agent in this sinful world; he has and will continue to work through us.
If the ideal picture is something to avoid, basketball with its good , bad and ugly sides, may actually be a good picture of community. Being part of a team can be a very rewarding experience. It can also be very frustrating because teammates, coaches, officials and spectators sometimes get their roles confused and disagree on the best way to play the game. Sometimes a coach comes to practice unprepared and a player lacks motivation. Being part of a fellowship of believers can be rewarding, and it can also be frustrating Sometimes we all want to be leaders and no one wants to follow. We disagree on how best to achieve an agreed upon goal. We don't always work well together. We may jockey for power. When we're honest with ourselves, we must admit that our churches are filled with people who have faults, weaknesses and sinful tendencies. We aren't picture-perfect communities of faith. We are real. And God will bless us as a denomination and as congregations even when we are imperfect communities of faith -CF
