• Anew church plant gets 'Rolling' (Hills) in Nebraska / p20
FIRST WORDS ••• from the editor
MAY IS A transition month. As school years end and the weather warms, our thoughts begin turning to summer and the change of pace it often brings.
This issue of the Leader offers you some variety as well. Mike Spinelli leads off with an article that promotes the idea of mentoring in the church (page 4). He feels oneon-one discipling and encouragement is a way for mature believers to make a significant impact in the life of a younger or less mature Christian. Likewise, those sensing a need for mentoring can fmd great personal help and support, spiritually and emotionally. It's a serious idea worth conSidering.
The next writer takes an entirely different approach. Philip Wiebe, our regular Ph'lip Side columnist, uses imagination and humor to address an issue we men don't talk much about together: What it means to be a "real" man, particularly as we relate to our spouse and families (page 8). I think you'll agree that's Phil's "hidden" point is well taken: If we men look to popular culture for our cues, we'll be ... confused. Phil's article comes from a book he is writing for Kindred Productions on the topic of men's issues. We're pleased to offer a foretaste here.
For a time, it seemed marriage and family was under serious assault from opinion shapers in our countries. Pop personalities and even serious educators were calling into question what society has traditionally considered God's structure of the family: woman and man joined for life. Some emphases-like the legitimacy of the single life-were helpful. Other ideas were not. John M. Drescher, a popular Mennonite writer on family issues, writes in his article (page 11) that the pendulum may be swinging back to monogamy and permanence. Or perhaps it never swung as far as we were led to believe by some studies.
In BodyLife (page 20), we're featuring the new church-planting work in Papillion, Neb. This is a project of the Central District Conference and Mission USA.-DR
COMING
• MAY I-Commencement, Fresno Pacific University; speaker: J. Scott Leonard.
• MAY 17-Commencement, MB Biblical Seminary, Fresno, Calif.; speaker: Paul Binion.
• MAY 23-Commencement, Tabor College; speaker: President David Brandt
• JULY 17-20-U.S. Conference biennial convention, La Mirada, Calif.
4 In search of mentors
Mentoring in the church can spur Christian discipleship but also restore community in the church by l i nking bel iever s together in a walk of d iscipleship. BY
MICHAEL SPINELLI
8 M r. Sensitive meets Mr. M ach o
Ju st wh en men t hou ght it w as goo d- o r at leas t safe- t o be a se ns iti ve gu y, the message from o ur cultu re is: get macho. The t rans it ion is n't an ea sy one BY
PHILIP WIEBE
11 Hope for the traditional family
Desp ite indoctrination and studies that underm ined the t raditional family, new eviden ce suggests our traditional understanding of God's intent lives on BY
JOHN M. DRESCHER
• Living in the now later
• Praying to Jesus
• Hypnotism
• Honesty begins at
• Church plant in Papillion makes early entry 20
• Ministry through job training in Fresno 22
• Teaching in war-torn Sudan 24
• Neighborhood Church moves into new facilities 28
• Church notes 29
• Deaths 31
ART CREDITS: Cover and pages 5 and 11, CLEO Photography prints; page 6, Skjold Photographs ; page 8 , Dynamic Graphics; pages 2 2 -23, MEDA photos by Wally Kroeker; page 2 4 , M CC photo by Tony Siemens ; pages 28 -29, Steve Wiest
Don Rat zl aff
Con n ie Faber
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IN SEARCH OF
Mentoring in the church is a viable way of restoring community in the whole church by linking people together to pursue a life of discipleship.
BY MICHAEL SPINEI"LI
OME PEOPLE WHO CROSS OUR LIVES LEAVE MORE THAN a mere remembrance of their passing. They leave an indelible mark. I will always remember Ken, a man from my high school days. He willingly opened his home to me when I needed to talk, let me work in his yard to earn money for youth group events, and even made the drive from the city to the country to take me home after youth meetings.
Ken was well versed in home landscaping, elevators and the Word of God. We built a good rapport. I was not afraid to share my struggles with him. He was not afraid to share the truth with me. His influence is still with me today. I think of him in the context of Hebrews 13:7: "Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith."
In short, Ken was a mentor. The church could use more people like him.
A mentor is someone who is available as a counselor and guide, someone others look to for direction when the way becomes uncertain or when an idea or choice needs testing . This may
be an older person in the church or someone your own age who is known for her or his wisdom. You may actually be the person others tum to for advice.
A mentor is someone you can go to with questions without getting all the answers, for a mentor does not dispense solutions as much as guide others toward the answer. When I was training to be a tutor in college math, I was instructed not to provide answers. I was to help others understand the principles, then encourage them to use those principles to come up with the answers
You may be reading this and thinking, "Mentoring sounds trendy . Is this just a bandwagon
idea?" I would assure you it is not. Much press is being given to linking students and adults in mentoring relationships . Mentoring in the church is a viable way of restoring community in the whole church by linking people together to pursue a life of discipleship at any age .
Why mentor?
One would think mentoring is a new idea, given the kind of attention the popular culture is giving it. Rather, the church is simply rediscovering something it has always been enjoined to do : pass the faith along through the day-to-day sojourn of living in each other's midst
In his book Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster suggests we have lost the art of mentoring because our culture encourages a more individualistic approach to dealing with life. In the church, we have good teaching on the
individual guidance of Scripture, reason and circumstance, and on extraordinary revelation through dreams, visions and angels. But teaching on the communal aspects of direction, guidance and counsel is all but lost
The people of God, in particular the Mennonite Brethren, have been a people whose history is communal. The passing along of wisdom and experience within a community setting is part and parcel of our identity. But we have not escaped the influence of our culture We, t oo, are increasingly seeing things in more individual rather than community terms. It would be good to speak again of how "it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us" (Acts 15:28, my emphasis).
Scripture identifies several notable relationships where mentoring came into play . These stories tend to be about the preparation of leaders for ministry, so they should be instructive to us as we think about training a new set of leaders for the church. The stories also indicate how guidance and direction was given within the community of God.
In the Old Testament, Joshua was an assistant to Moses and was commissioned by him to take his place per the instructions of Yahweh (Deut. 31:7).
Joshua learned life's lessons in the midst of a figurative furnace, being with Moses through some of the most trying times of their desert travels. Elisha was commissioned by Elijah to replace him as prophet (1 Kings 19:19ft), and was recognized as one who served Elijah as he was training (2 Kings 3:11).
In the New Testament, Jesus had many disciples, but his energies on 12, calling them aside frequently to give them special instructions (see Mt. 10 and 11; Lk. 6 :12 17) . Many of Jesus's instructions 've re p assed on in the context of daily life. When Priscilla and Aquila saw Apollos's apologetic skill an d s imple faith at work in Eph· esus, they t o o k time to train him more accurately in the faith (Acts 18 :24·26). And Paul traveled with Timoth /, c o nt inuing to guide him after Tim· othy had bee n left in Ephesus to lead the church (Acts 16:1·3; 1 Tim. 1:2)
To teach and guide in t he m idst of life was a co m mon assumption in the thi nking of God's
If you have a desire to see Christ perfected in others ora desire to relate to someone you knowbe it a high schooler or a baby boomer or even a peer-then you could be a mentor.
people A frequently quoted Scripture in this regard is Deuteronomy 6 :6 -9, where parents are instructed to take the commandments into their hearts and teach them to their children throughout the day, when they are walking, eating, sitting, going to bed and getting up Paul reflects this thinking when he tells Timothy to take all he has heard and entrust it to faithful people who are able to teach others (2 Tim. 2:2).
In Matthew 28 :18-20 , Jesus commands his followers to make disciples, teaching th e m to obey all Jesus had commanded We usually use this verse to promote missions, focusing on t h e "all nations" Jesus talks about . But the task of making disciples is a community effort th at begins in the local church. We c annot go to all the nations with a message we cannot instill in the next generation .
What does a mentor look like?
Some people claim they can spot a troublemaker a mile away with no trouble But what does a troublemaker really look like? Stereotypes give us clues-how a person dresses, talks or walks-but they don't give us the full picture Troublemakers don't always fit the mold.
The same is true o f me ntors. A mentor does n o t have a specific look A mentor d oes possess a few general characteristic s, th"" o t- following are things we sho uld look for if we want to be a m e ntor or if we are look ing for a mentor
• Wisdom. A mentor ex h ibit s wi sdo m gained from experie nce He is n o t a kn o w -it-all She is not an answer bank But a m ento r has learned practical things ab out the Ch ri stian faith and knows how to appl y t hat learni n g to life . This means a men to r d o e s n o t need a seminary degree or a Bible c ollege backg ro und . A mentor
should know how to handle the Word of God, but does not need to have trained in school for the position .
• Openness to others If you examine the life of a good mentor, he or she welcomes people and is not threatene d by or in competition with younger people. A mentor can look into the life of another person and spot the giftedness of that person, and then help guide that person into expressing that gift This is not without limitations, though Being human , mentors cannot do this for e verybody they meet . But where they are able, they not only see the gift, but desire to nurture the persons who possess it.
• Ability to confront and comfort. One area in which many of us struggle is confrontation A mentor knows when to confront and is willing to do it A mentor also knows when to comfort and come alongside in times of pain . Some confrontation may cause pain, and a mentor may need to offer comfort at the same time. Mentors are good listeners, but they can also speak the truth plainly, in love .
• Open-minded. Mentors are also people who can be challenged to think in new ways within the context of the centrality of Christ and his Word to us One of my seminary professors was once challenged by a student in regards to a theological pOSition The professor wrinkled his brow, looked hard at the student and said, "You know, I will have to think about that " Good mentors know not only when to give insight to those they guide, they also know when to receive it from them.
If you are see king to be mentored, your attitude should be one of humility, openness and discernment. Be willing to learn and grow under the guidance of anoth e r, but don't merely absorb everything as it is dished to you. Test what comes to you. Ask questions Respectfully challenge the ideas so that you may be convinced of the truth
In our congregation, some men- ranging in age from early 20s to late 40s-meet with an elder churchman as a discipleship group to study the Scriptures and be guided in applying the Word to their lives . The older man is a mentor to these younger me n Within that group, two of the men keep touch with each other for accountability .
Rewards of mentoring
I already mentioned that mentoring gives us a way to rebuild community . Being in relationship with brothers and sisters is one of the rewards of mentoring A reward of being a men-
tor is participating in the transforming work of Christ in the lives of others . As a mentor in our high school and junior high programs, I get to see God do great things in the lives of young people. It's a privilege to be a part of it .
Mentoring is a way to be involved in kingdom work. Our willingness to serve the Lord brings us into the front lines of what he is doing in the world. Mentors affect the lives of those they guide Several young men I know are now in pastoral ministry or missions because someone mentored them .
Mentoring plants seeds for future mentors . When some of our young people were asked what ministry they would want to do in the future, several said they wanted to be mentors in the junior high program They said this because of the influence and example of the mentors they had experienced .
Drawbacks of mentoring
Mentoring does not come without a few drawbacks which can be minimized with some care. Richard Foster points out several of these. The first is the possibility of manipulation or control. A mentor can easily take charge of a person seeking advice It would be easy for a mentor to succumb to pride or self-importance. We must remember that a mentor is only a guide . A good mentor does not take charge of another'S life. They take part in it.
Another danger is giving spiritual guidance without remaining rooted in Scripture . In an age when self-help books and pop psychology try to give us insight into ourselves, it would be easy to let those sources be the guiding force in our lives. These sources can inform us, but Scripture should be our central guide in matters of faith and life.
The limitations of our being are a barrier to good mentoring if somehow we think we must be everything to a person or group of people . The subtle urge to have an answer for every question can become an overwhelming weight. Mentors need to be aware of their limitations and weaknesses
In fact, modeling an awareness of your limitations and your willingness to grow is actually a helpful mentoring trait Teach like the sky's the limit, but don't get so far off the ground you can't land on your feet
Mentoring can take various forms
Offering guidance can happen in a variety of settings and can be of great benefit in the church
for raising up ministers from all generations. Mentoring can happen one -on-one or one-ontwo. It can happen in larger groups with two or three mentors who have complementary gifts. One pastor who worked with a youth ministry formed mentoring groups of one adult and five kids The groups met to nurture spiritual growth and servant hearts . They studied Scripture, did activities together, and took on service projects as part of the mentoring process
Church leadership could be enhanced through the mentoring process by electing or discerning young adults and older high school students for c hurch board positions. These people may not serve on a church councilor coordinating board, but might participate in a task force or commission to gain experience and insight into church administration.
As people begin working in the church, they take ownership of it. Much of the work done at my local church is done by skilled people within the congregation .
One way to help pass on skills while also teaching care for the facilities is to have young people work alongside experienced adults on repair projects. More than repairs will be accomplished in such gatherings. Relationships will be built and the concerns of each generation can be shared .
If you look at the qualities of a mentor and think, "I can't fill the qualifications. I can't be a mentor, " then please look away from the list and hear these words.
If you have skills to share or wisdom that you have gained from being in Christ, then you can be a mentor
If you have a desire to see Christ perfected in others or a desire to relate to someone you know- be it a high schooler or a baby boomer or even a peer-then you could be a mentor
Mentors are not ultimately defined by a checklist of qualities, but by the use of the qualities they possess You can make your life count in the life of another person by giving time as a mentor
If you desire mentoring, seek someone to guide you. Maybe you and several friends could approach a wise man or woman to help you. Whatever role you fit, to be a mentor or to be mentored, the benefits of the relationship will enhance the kingdom of God . •
Michael Spinelli is pastor of Christian formation and discipleship at Lincoln Glen (MB) Church in San Jose, Calif.
If you take your cues from the media, the definition of manhood is an ever-changing chase. One you aren't likely to win. Take it from one who tried ....
BY PHILIP WIEBE
MR. SENSITIVE MEETS
R. AeHO
FTER A HALLOWED NATIONAL authority-by which I mean a TV -pronounced that macho men were back, I came across a newspaper article confirming the sighting. "Says here," I told my wife from behind my paper, "that sensitive guys are out."
She replied, "You mean they were in?"
I lowered the paper. "Sure," I said. "Don't you remember a few years ago when the media reported that Sensitivity Boom?"
"Guess I didn't hear it," Kim said. "Maybe I was vacuuming. "
I gave her a look, but all I could see was the back of her novel. "Anyway," I continued, "the sensitive man is history, outre, passe. You gals have decided you like macho men better."
"Really?" Kim inquired, lowering her novel. "Too bad."
"I don't know," I said. "Maybe our muddle-headed world could use a dose of manly-"
"I mean," Kim interrupted, "too bad I didn't marry a macho man."
I'm sure I don't have to tell you that hurt a little. Sure, I'd gotten stuck in the sensitivity muck for awhile, but it
wasn't too late to change. If women liked macho men, my woman was going to get a macho man.
Now 1 only had to figure out what it was, exactly, that macho men did.
It wasn't long before I gathered, from the hallowed TV ad authorities, that macho men took off their shirts a lot. I decided to try it
Kim looked stunned when I walked into the room one afternoon without my shirt. "What ... are ... you .... "
"I must say it pleased me that my shirtless torso sent her so aflutter. Affecting a manly scowl, I sauntered toward her and
"Are you out of your mind?" Kim cried. "It's Sunday dinner!"
That was, I suppose, a point to ponder. But there wasn't much time to ponder it after elderly Mrs. Goolahee, who was over for dinner, strolled into the room and immediately became flushed and weak in the knees. I might have even taken that as a compliment had she not been laughing uncontrollably at the time.
Maybe taking off my shirt didn't give off the macho aura 1 was looking for. Soon after, 1 learned from a manly neighbor with a tattoo that macho men didn't do girly stuff like wash dishes and change diapers. As one who'd taken up far too many dishes and diapers, I looked for a chance to take my stand.
"Got to get to my meeting," Kim said one evening, handing me the baby as she left. "She needs changing."
"Well, woman," 1 growled "I don't do diapers no more."
Kim squinted at me for a second, then shrugged and said, "Suit yourself."
1 would, thank you. Sniff. Yep, no diaperchanging for me. Cough. Little odor never hurt anyone. Gag. OK, punkin, why don't you play on the other side of the room for awhile? Let go of my shirt, hon. 1 just want to ... say, how'd 1 get this smear of chocolate on my EEEWWWW!
So much for not changing diapers. Not long after, it dawned on me the sure sign of machodumb, er, machodom was a tool belt. Manly men fixed things. That seemed like a couldn't-lose proposition. I got to jangle around with flashy tools and the little woman got stuff fIXed around the house
When I jangled into the kitchen one Saturday with hammers and wrenches and wire cutters dangling off my belt, Kim looked at me suspiciously and said, "What are you doing?"
"Gonna fIX that there hoven fan hain't bin warkin'."
"Huh?"
"Uh, oven fan needs fixing."
"We already have an electrician coming . " "No wimpy EE-lectrician gonna touch my fan. I'm a man, and a man fIXes hisself. Er, fixes things hisself."
Without another word, Kim dialed the phone and said, "Emergency? I'd like to report a fire ."
Heh heh. The little kidder.
Looking back on it, though, it was pretty amazing how the fire trucks roared up at the exact moment the fire started. 1 mean, I almost had the fan fIXed when WOOOM, these sparks shot out of the oven hood and receded my hairline a bit prematurely.
I thought Kim's glare was a tad severe. "Don't worry," 1 soothed. "My hair will grow back."
She covered her face and said something like "HARRRG!" Guess her hay fever was acting up. When the firefighters ftled in, Kim uncovered her face and said, "Husband fIXed something." They nodded gravely, as if they understood all.
Maybe tools aren't my thing, but there
Sure, I'd gotten stuck in the sensitivity muck for awhile, but it wasn't too late to change. If women liked macho men, my woman was going to get a macho man.
were other ways I could be handy. I'd once heard a macho friend brag that he had never let one of those effeminate express lube joints with free gourmet coffee change the oil in his car. He always did it himself Even I, I thought, could replace old oil with new. I'd done it in the popcorn maker plenty of times.
I headed for the auto parts store and asked for some oil-changing tips. The clerk explained the procedure and concluded, "Be sure to check the oil level when you're done "
"With what?" I asked
The clerk grinned at me and said, "Dipstick. "
I admit I was an oil-changing novice, but I think he was out of line to insult me like that
With a bit of trial and error, I did get my oil changed . Soon I sauntered inside to tell Kim th e good news . She gave a look of genuine surprise and commented, "YAAAA!" So maybe I did dribble a small pool of Penzoil on the linoleum No reason to act all worked up
After the oil-changing slip-up-as I tried to leave the kitchen, I slipped 10 feet on the oil and took out a small utility shelf-I decided my best chan c e at constructive machoness would be to take a more active role as the protector of my woman and the fruit of my looms, er,
I decided my best chance at constructive machoness would be to take a more active role as the protector of my woman and the fruit of my looms, er, loins.
loins. My big chance came as I arrived home one evening at dusk. A suspicious -looking character seemed to be sneaking in the front door. I jumped onto the porch with a tire iron and yelled, "FREEZE, SUeKA!"
When she came to, I tried to tell Kim's mom I was sorry, but noooo. Kim kept going on about checking if insanity ran in my family
Later she asked, "What were you thinking?"
I took her demure, fragile hand and soothed , "Just a routine mistake in my role as manly protector of the weaker sex "
She snapped back her hand and, while I was feeling to see if my arm was still in its socket, said, "So. Who in this room besides me has recently delivered two kids after 18 months of heavy pregnancy, 30 hours of hard labor and one major surgery?"
I didn't see any hands go up.
"Well then, who else devotes full time to developing these wonderful, complicated, trying little fireballs into responsible human beings while still finagling time for personal growth and volunteer service?"
Still no hands .
"And who else still manages to fit in a job assisting in eye surgery not for money or prestige, Lord knows, but simply to save people's sight and help them have a better life?"
So she helped with surgery. I could have done that, provided I could have kept my eyes closed
"Is there anyone in this room, " Kim concluded, "you ' d care to c all the weaker sex?"
I decided to refrain from pointing at Kim. Getting clobbered by the weaker sex wouldn't have looked good for my macho image Thinking about it, probably it was time to drop the macho ideal anyway.
If! got anymore manly, it could have put me in the hospital. •
Philip Wiebe is a regular columnist in the Leader and is editor of Rejoice!, the interMennonite devotional magazine. His article is excerpted from a book he is writing for Kindred Productions in which he takes a humorous look at men's issues. The book is targeted for release within the coming year.
Hope for the traditional family
New evidence suggests that marriage and the traditional family are prevailing despite efforts to undermine them.
ItMEMBER WHEN THE
experts were predicting hat marriage and the familyare finished? Did it prove true? For a time, it seemed like it might.
When we take the effort to review what was happening across the college and university campuses of North America in the 1960s and 1970s, we get insight into our situation today_ The common cry from newspapers, magazines , radio and television, from lecture platforms and across college campuses was the same: "The days of the family, as we know it, are over_ Marriage is fmished ."
While the war against the family was waged in the press, on TV , by angry women's Jiberationists, by those on the fringes of the encounter movement, and the one time student rebel leaders of the new left, the most critical battleground was on the college campus. Editor Carlfred B. Broderick was editor of The Journal of Marriage and the Family during those years. He reviewed many books which were required reading for sociology and psychology courses in hundreds of co lleges and universities. He described how publishers were "knocking the mselves out to print books that predict marriage is finish e d and which offer ' alternatives to marriage and the family '"
One book, The Family In Search of a Future: A lternative M odels For Moderns, cited many alternatives to marriage, such as group marriage, homosexual marriage, sex outside of marriage, communal families and polygamy to name a few. The book's "expert" on polygamy wrote of a new era when "it is taken for granted that both men and women want variety in their relationships, individuals look with almost a condescending smile upon the earlier periods in which the standard assumption was that one could love only one person at a time."
A book that was required reading on many campuses, The Family in Transition: Rethinking Marriage , had a chapter titled, ·'Mate Swapping: The Family That Swings Together Clings Togeth-
er ." It spoke of mate swapping
Students were urged to question the val u es they had taken for granted and t o consider the alter nat ives to marriage, family, children and lo ngt erm commitments.
as that which "could further consolidate the marriage" as well as make interesting conversation. Classes were organized on "new marital forms" and spoke of far-out mating arrangements, such as mate swapping, as desirable alternatives to marriage. New "Women's Studies" courses got their ammunition largely from Kate Millett's Sexual Politics, a powerful and aggressive attack on the family. This book, which took its ideology from Frederick Engle's Origins of the Family, Private Property of the State, was required reading in these courses It argued that the family
exploits and degrades women, and pictured the family as a patriarchal trap for women Students were urged to question the values they had taken for granted and to consider the alternatives to marriage, family , children and long-term commitments.
The impact of this was such that by 1971 a survey of college students showed that more than one-third (34 percent) believed that marriage was obsolete .
This background goes a long way to explain how we got to be where we are today. We are the most divorced nation on the earth . These philosophies have invaded the thinking of the most unsuspecting as well as those who c ontinue to pressure for the approval of all kinds of lifestyles.
But there is also hope. Although the vicious war against the family, purity of life, and mar-
riage has not ceased by any means , we are also witnessing a resurgence of emphasis on the family In the 1960s and 1970s, in contrast to today, few books were published that promoted the Christian family and Christian ideals. Today such books flood the market.
In a landmark study ofthe nation's sexual habits, released in October 1994, researchers at the University of Chicago and the State University of New York at Stoney Brook, say some surprising things. For example, most American singles aren't swinging these days. Not only that, most people are having sex less often than the experts thOUght And they are having sex with their spouses.
The study found-as was also found in France and England-that only 2 .7 percent of American men polled said they were homosexual or bisexual. And only 1.4 percent of women identified themselves as lesbian or bisexual. That stood in significant contrast to the popularly accepted notion that 10 percent of people were homosexual.
This study is important because it is the first study to rely on a randomly selected , nationally representative study. Previous studies by Kinsley and Masters & Johnson, which were popularized by Playboy, other magazines and the news media, relied on information from volunteers, a method that seriously skewed the results, according to the experts.
Most married people reported being true to their spouse Three-fourths of married men and 85 percent of married women said they are faithful to their spouse, debunking the popular idea conveyed that most people are unfaithful and "Everybody is doing it."
Encouraging also is the teaching which is reaching many young persons today to abstain from sex until marriage. The same is true of articles in Reader's Digest and other major magazines, which speak clearly about the awful longrange effects of divorce on families.
Although the efforts of the past decades to undermine the traditional family will continue to have lasting effects, rays of hope continue to shine through and should encourage those who believe in God's plan and who believe that plan and purpose span the centuries as long as creation stands . •
John M. Drescher, a Mennonite write r, teacher and pastor, has written several books on family issues, including If I Were St arting My Family Over Ag ain He lives in Harrisonburg, Va .
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These funde; provide capital needed to makelOat16 to our churche6, colleges, and conference
In this you are able to partner with in accornpli6hing their ministry.
a eupply for their II CQr.
Why not diversify your savings Py investine in the work of the Mennonite Brethrenroyndati¢I1'
Why not con6ider a fund which ¥¢\;I and the caU6e of Chri6t'?
For more information apout the Inve6tment
Frightened by the analysis
Reader David Thompson's letter (April issue) in response to Connie Faber's article on the Mission USA church-planting effort in Utah was so vicious that I had to pull the March issue out and reread it to see what I had missed. It's interesting how one person can read it and find an informative article concerning a church plant, while another person reads the same item and finds only "arrogance" and "aspersion "
For the past five years, I have personally been ministering the Word of God to a dear Mormon friend who remains spiritually frozen and deeply in bondage because of her lifelong theological training in Mormonism While the name "Jesus Christ " may be included in the corporate name of the church, once you become familiar with the doctrine you soon realize the Mormon Jesus to be unrecognizable to the one who told us to know the truth so the truth can set us free .
While I appreciated Thompson defending his friend's beliefs-indeed, my own in -laws are devout Jehovah Witnesses and are some of the finest people I know- it frightens me when he refers to Mormon views as "refreshingly Christian and unapologetic "
We are warned in Scripture there is nothing refreshing about writing another gospel of Jesus Christ, a deed for which the Mormons are unapologetic . For the writer to attach credence to one adhered to such beliefs leads me to seriously doubt his spiritual discernment and motives. No authority can be found in being a
Pontius' Puddle
HOWC.AIilONE I(ltoW WIL.L IS FOR oIolE'S L.IFE
WHAT READERS AY
"birthright Quaker" or having a membership in a Mennonite church-or any other church, for that matterunless and until you surrender your heart to Jesus Christ and allow him to be your Lord and master.
become dangerously weak and polluted with all kinds of worldly teachings such as Paganism, Humanism, New Age practices and watered down by compromise in such areas as sexuality, feminism and earth worship .
Confessional problems
Wash.
Pam Robinson Blaine,
My family and I have been attending a local Mennonite Brethren church for a few years now. Although we have completed the membership class and truly do feel part of the church community, we will not be pursuing membership for some timesolely because of the revisions to the Confession of Faith taking place.
We find the proposals highly troubling , and the article by Elmer Thiessen (Forum, April issue) is right on the mark Thiessen clearly addressed many of the areas of concern to me within the church . To name a few: feminism, "let's just love everybody and it will be OK" childishness, life issues, itemization of "sins"does this mean if a behavior is not listed it's OK?- and do we or don ' t we model today's church on the New Testament
We Christians are called to live in the world, not of the world To be leaven and salt, not hip, cutting edge, or tossed to and fro by every wind of teaching
Doctrine is doctrine and Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. Is not the Confession of Faith your statement of doctrine for the Mennonite Brethren Church?
The church in North America has
Let us all get back to the Word of God and learn to live by his standard, not the ever-changing world 's
Marjorie Dau Fresno, Calif.
Yes to capital punishment
I thoroughly disagree with your "no" on capital punishment (January issue) I have been a member of the Mennonite Brethren for 61 years. Not until 30 to 40 years ago did any of our leadership come out against the death penalty . That position is a pacifist teaching ; pacifism has a philosophical, socialistic, universalist base . We are biblically based-or should be.
I would not go to bat for the death penalty, but since so many Christians have become militant against capital punishment, I say it is a biblical teaching-from Genesis 4:13 and 9:6 to Romans 13 to Revelation 16:5-6 and 18:5. According to Hebrews 11 :4 and Genesis 4:10, the blood of Abel "still cries to heaven because it has not been avenged. "
No, Menno Simons did not teach against the death penalty In his Complete Works, Simons writes : "The sword is meant for the evil-doers, but you use it against the righteous and pious citizens ofthe land ." In that day, 153 offenses were punishable by death. Yet Simons did not speak against it.
Jesus's words have so often been misapplied when he says to Peter, "Put your sword away; those who take up the sword will die by the sword" (Mt. 26:52) What does it mean? It means if you take up the sword in self-defense you will die by the sword of capital punishment . A Nebraska farmer taught me that years ago. What would have happe n e d if Peter had used his sword ad e ptly?
I would not champion the cause of spanking children , but sometimes you have to get their attention before they
will listen and learn. I say, in regard to capital punishment, spare the rod and spoil the criminal and eventuaUy all of society
Please don't mislead a whole denomination by a philosophical answer to a biblical question.
H.R. Baerg Chilliwack, B. C.
• I find the debate over capital punishment nauseatingly similar to the debate over how many angels can fit on the head of a pin.
Hitler systematically killed 6 million Jews and Stalin killed 130 million people , and millions more were killed in China 's revolution . Last year 200,000 Christians were killed in Central America and more than 1 million Christians in Ethiopia. Today, 200 million Christians are in great danger of experiencing similar fates . Meanwhile, America is killing millions of babies by abortion, and we are debating how someone should be treate d who has deliberately taken human life for no other than a selfish reason. We do not have the right to show mercy at the expense of another's justice.
The debate over which covenant or dispensation we are under, and the debate over what Christ would do, are not very relevant. Jesus said his kingdom was not of this world. I don't know any Mennonite who was forced to give the lethal injection or pull the switch . The only choice that the nonresistant position allows is to give up your life rather than taking another's life . What redeeming value is there if you die in the place of the criminal?
Governments have the right to take life. That is clear from Genesis 9 and God's direction to Noah after the flood The fact that Jesus healed and forgave in no way negates the responsibility for governmental law or authority. Paul says in Romans that government "beareth not the sword
The Christian Leader welcomes brief letters of relevance to the Mennonite Brethren Church All letters must be signed and will be edited for clarity and length Send letters to Christian Leader, Box V, Hillsboro, KS 6706 3; fax 316 -9473266 ; e-mail : chleader@southwi n d net.
in vain ." We ourselves are not the government that carries out punishment for capital crimes, but we certainly can voice our opposition to capital punishment. However, I would not want to live in a nation that forgives their criminals rather than making them pay for their crimes . When a murderer takes the life of another with malice and forethought, he has conscientiously forfeited his own life . He has demonstrated a disregard for life itself. We should preach the gospel to him and give him every chance to repent and be saved, but we have no right to forgive him for a sin he did not commit against us personally, but against God, mankind and the state . To debate the capital punishment question is to undermine the government God has placed over man
A murderer deserves to die God does not allow murderers to enter the kingdom of God. If they tum to him in repentance we believe they are saved and their sin is forgiven, and they go to heaven, but they must still answer to the state for crimes against the state. The policy of locking up murderers at a high cost to society when it is known beyond a doubt that they have deliberately taken human life contributes to the destruction of
law and orde r The argument that capital punishment does not deter crime is fallacious . A dead person will not commit any more murders . Because human life is so precious, governments must require life for life God said, "his blood will be required at your hand ." This is the only righteous position . This is the only responsible position . Our concern should not be so much for the few executed criminals as for the many innocent who die at their hands . The debate over capital punishment is a debate over the responsibility and accountability of governments God introduced both law and grace. Law is essential for ordered governments Without law there can be no justice. In our personal lives , however, we have the opportunity to show forgiveness and grace
This cry for justice is why the debate over capital punishment pales in comparison to the heinous crimes against mankind by governments, revolutionaries, abortionists and individuals who take innocent lives for personal power, money or ideology Such crimes insult the moral conscience of Christian and pagan alike. Roger C. Neufeld Dinuba, Calif.
BY PHILIP WIEBE
Living in the now later
Sometimes I wonder if dwelling on where we want to go can cause us to forget where we are.
DURING MY TEEN years I struggled through a time of questioning about the meaning of faith As a lifelong
churchgoer I knew all the right words, but did I really know God? My questioning eventually led to a recommitment to "take up my cross and follow Jesus"-to take faith beyond theology into everyday life.
Shortly after this happened, I was relating to several youth group cronies some of the things I was learning-and perhaps relearningabout life and faith. At one point, one of the more "mature" brothers looked at me with unmistakable condescension and said, "That's all [me, but what's your vision?"
With all the wisdom in my searching t een mind, I replied, "My what?"
The brother smirked as if to say, "I thOUght so." But what did I know about vision? At that point I barely knew myself. Pondering the question later, in fact, I came up with what I considered a pretty good vision for my life at the time : "Get through the day without doing something stupid."
Looking back, that's not a half-bad vision It's the kind of vision, in fact, that we could probably use more of today
The question that used to puzzle me as a teen really hasn't gone away: "But what's your vision?" The word from leaders , authors, pastors , trendmakers and others is, you have to have vision Undoubtedly that's true, but sometimes I wonder if dwelling on where we want to go can cause us to forget where we are And frankly, where we are many times is:
"Get through the day without doing something stupid."
In our culture we sometimes have a bit of trouble living in the "now." So much of what we do is for "later." Work several jobs now to get that dream house. Invest now for your
preschooler's college education. Plan now for your retirement. All of which is well and good, until the point where we're saying, "I'll live in the now later " I do that all the time. But if I'm always on the way to somewhere else, is it possible to find joy and meaning in the moment?
In the church, too, we can get so involved with planning what we want to become that we forget to enjoy the blessings of what we already are. "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wondetfullight. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God" (1 Pet. 2:9-10). That isn't something for which we need to form a plan, strategy or vision statement; God has already done it for us.
As one who tends to live in the now later, I've been thinking about some other passages that encourage me not to obsess about tomorrow at the expense of today:
• "Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own" (Mt. 6 :34). It's interest-
ing that these words come directly after one of Jesus's most visionary statements, "Seek first the kingdom of God " What a relief to realize that seeking God first isn 't nearly as complicated or philosophical as I often make it, but starts simply with not worrying, trusting God in all things, and living in the now.
• "But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it" (1 Tim. 6:6-7). That cuts right to the heart of our materialistic age, doesn't it? So much of our work and planning and goalmaking is in the pursuit of mere things.
• "Make the most of every opportunity" (Col. 4:5). Paul is writing here about taking opportunities to share the message of grace, but I've also often thought about it in a "carpe diem" kind of way. Seize the day, do great things, wring every last ounce out of it. A few months ago, however, something happened that began to change my thinking about "making the most of every opportunity."
In the fall, on the days I'd pick up my son after school, we'd usually have a test of wills about what should happen next. I, in my effort to seize the day, wanted to get right back to work, whereas Seth, in his effort to enjoy the day, wanted to stop at the school playground We struggled with this every time.
One day it hit me how silly this was. I couldn't take 10 minutes to enjoy some fresh air and the sound of laughing children? That, it occurred to me, was making far more of an opportunity than rushing back to the office to hunch over deadlines.
Since then, we've always taken time to stop at the playground. It's one area of my life, at least, in which now is no longer later
INQUIRING MINDS
BY MARVIN HEIN
QJesus said: "pray to the Father in my name. " What does that mean? Or, why do we hear prayers addressed to Jesus rather than to God the Father? Any theological comments? (KANSAS)
AAt first glance, we would prob· ably think that the New Testament instructs us to pray to the Father-God. After all, didn'tJesus ask us to pray to the Father in his name? Moreover, it would appear that in all New Testament prayers, it is God the Father who is addressed.
At the same time, New Testament writers kept a close linkage between the Father and the Son ("our God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ") When I shared this ques· tion with a friend, he suggested that while New Testament prayers always were addressed to the Father, after the Resurrection early believers had a much clearer view of who Jesus was. That led to praying to Jesus in post·New Testament times.
My friend admitted that he almost always prayed to the Father, but he was also aware that sometimes it becomes a cultural issue. In Germany, for instance, you become theologically suspect if you pray only to God the Father Liberal "Christians" there may pray to God but not believe in the divinity of Jesus. So in order to prevent someone from questioning your theology, you pray to Jesus as well as the Father. When I received this inquiry, one of my first thoughts was that praying to Jesus the Son might be "easier" than praying to the Almighty Father. The tendency to pray to Jesus might come from our church culture's wish to make God more "chummy" and approachable. Somehow it seems easier to call on Jesus than on God . I'm not sure this explanation has substance, but it was my first inclination.
On the other hand, another friend
commented that if you appeal to God "in the name of Jesus," it makes sense to pray to Jesus who intercedes with the Father on your behalf. In this view, coming "in his name" means praying to Jesus. We talk to Jesus; Jesus intercedes for us. In the same way, I suppose, you could pray to the Holy Spirit and ask him to comfort, convict, etc.
Still another friend, who is a seminary professor, confessed to being uncomfortable with praying to Jesus He feels Jesus, though equal with the Father, is still in some sense subordinate. He suggested the book of the Revelation probably would give us the most complete picture of the Godhead that we have in the Bible There, Jesus seems to hold a position of equality but still subordinates himself. He does not pray to the Spirit, nor to himself, but always to the Father. Jesus, John says, will deliver all things to the Father
The same friend, while not arguing vigorously against praying to the Son or the Spirit, nevertheless admits there may be more here than meets the eye. He feels such praying may be taking us off track.
Each of my consultant friends agreed with me on one thing: Our difficulty in answering this question decisively probably is due to our inability to understand the Trinity. We have a rough sense of how the Trinity works It is part of the mystery of God. We know all three work together. Just how they interrelate remains a mystery
Perhaps the more important issue is not to whom we pray, but whether we actually pray at all .
QIs the practice of hypnotism acceptable for Christians?
(CALIFORNIA)
AI know less about hypnotism than I know about praying to the Trinity! Once again, I con-
a question about a Bible passage, doctrine, conference policy, or other spiritual issue? Send it to "Inquiring Minds, " c/o Marvin Hein, 4812 E Butler, Fresno, CA 9372 7
suIted with several friends and we have all agreed on at least one thing : We have not given this topic the careful thought it deserves.
What is hypnotism? As best as I understand it, hypnotism is coming under the control of another person. It is reaching into the inner self. It is becoming conscious of things about ourselves that we would never discover normally .
Under the foregoing definition, the practice of hypnotism obviously could be used for evil purposes. Its goodness or badness could depend on the person under whose sway you were hypnotized.
It is also true that such a procedure can have positive effects. Testimonies abound how Christian therapists have used hypnotism to produce helpful results While hypnotism can make someone susceptible to another's unhealthy power, it can also temporarily allow you to tap into your deeper self and foster healing.
One person likened hypnotism to the use of placebos in medicine. Tests have shown that placebos can become up to half as effective as the real drug, a testimony to the power of the mind . But they eventually lose their effectiveness.
Likewise, under hypnosis, the person temporarily surrenders control of body and mind. Eventually the effect wears off and the mind and body return to normal. The process, however, may have led to permanent profitable consequences.
From my limited exposure to the practice, I would suggest that hypnotism may have legitimate uses, but I would be skeptical about its general use I will concede that hypnotism likely has appropriate uses, especially in the practice of medicine and psychotherapy . On the other hand, I am convinced hypnotism is not something with which to play around. Motivation for its use needs to be the highest criterion
ON THE JOURNEY
BY ROSE BUSCHMAN
Honesty begins at home
Children who grow up in a home where honesty is valued and practiced have a tremendous advantage over those who don't.
ICO ULDN'T HELP but overhear the con· versation at the next table A mother and her son were visiting with a teacher duro
dance record-an hour absent here, another there Since there was no consistent pattern, anyone looking at the record could see it was suspicious ing our high school's parent-teacher conference day. The son was failing his freshman I called his mother and asked her to come in and visit with me about this I English class because a major term paper had not been handed in
In an emphatic voice the mother said, "I saw him put that paper into your mailbox I was there when he put it in your mailbox I don't think it's fair that you gave him a zero He should not have to do it over again, just because you lost it. "
"I never got his paper, " the teacher quietly replied "I never found it in my mailbox . I told him that he could print out another copy and give it to me ."
"He erased it by mistake from the computer," the mother immediately retorted The student stood quietly and didn't say a word. The confrontation continued. Mother was adamant that the teacher was at fault and that her son was being treated unfairly The teacher shook her head.
Finally, the mother stormed out Her son , close to tears, looked at the teacher and quietly mouthed , "I'm sorry," as he left . He could tell the teacher knew that his mother was lying for him . He had not written the paper and, therefore, had never handed it in His mother didn't even know where the teacher's mailbox was
My mind imme diately went back to an incident that happened in my office during the year I was a high school d e an of discipline One of th e students had a very checkered atten-
showed her the attendance printout Immediately, without looking at it, she said , "Them days you have there he was with me. " I shook my head in disagreement. She raised her voice and repeated, "Them days there, he was with me ." I shook my head again
The exchange between us continued until finally she yelled some obscenities at me and stormed out. Her son continued to play hooky and finally dropped out of school. His mother blamed me and the school for his problems.
Twoyears ago, a student tried to get me to change my attendance records to show she had been present in my class when in fact she was not . The absence was unexcused, which meant that she could not play with the school's basketball team that weekend . It was a crucial game and she was one of the stars
The mother got into the act as well They both expected me to change my records. This girl had not been in class and so I had reported her absent Now , both mother and daughter expected me to lie about it and say I had made a mistake When I told them that I would not change my records and lie for them , they became angry and blamed me for the fact that th e girl was not allowe d to play .
Just this past week, one of my students handed to a local judge a school progress report which showed the student's steady improvement in school. Both mother and son insisted the report was accurate and that the report handed in by a school representative was false.
The problem was that the student's report was a forged document with a number of forged signatures , including mine, on it. A few days later, when I confronted the student with the information I had, he tried to lie his way out of it. I was finally able to convince him that I knew about the forgery and the attempt to fool the court I was told it was not a nice scene in the court room, a few days later, when the judge confronted both mother and son with their lies
I could go on and on Parents lying for their children is a da ily occurrence in many schools and elsewhere. I could tell you about the boy who bragged to us how his mother screamed at the police officers who came to arrest him . He was proud of the way she accused them of making a false arrest even though he admitted committing the crime that got him into trouble
Or I could tell you about parents who consistently call in sick for their children or for themselves when they are not
Children who grow up in a home where honesty is valued and practiced have a tremendous advantage over those who don't I wonder if parents who consistently lie to, for, or in front of their children realize what a devastating and long-term negative effect this has on them
It's easy for me to point fingers at others for lying It is not so easy to be consistently honest in all my own dealings But I work hard at it because honesty is a virtue I value. I have to remember that someone- my child, husband, granddaughter , neighbor, friend, student, colleague or a stranger- is watching me I pray that I will not fail them
Welcome to Copper Hills Community Church
Church Planters Brad and Elfie Klassen, Wayne and Debbie Loewen and the Copper Hills Community Church launch team gather for a "family picture" prior to the grand opening of the church. The first Sunday morning public worship servIce on March 15 was the culmination of much prayer, planning and preparation by the team In addition to singing, worship, testimony and teaching, child care and activities for children were provided. The church currently has an attendance of over 100 and continues to meet for Sunday worship services and in Community Home Groups during the week.
Shirley NachtigaU (left) from CHCC and office secretary for Mission USA serves coffee and rolls to guests arriving for the worship service. Afterward, guests were invited to lunch outside the facility Mission USA Board Members (right) Tim Sullivan, Mike Schuil, and Fred Leonard gather in the foyer following the service Board members gathered in Phoenix in conjunction with U S. Conference Board Meetings to plan future involvements and attend the grand opening.
MISSION USA BOARD:
Ed Boschman, Phoenix, AZ.,
Chuck Buller, Visalia, CA.
Ernie Friesen, Wichita, KS
Phil Glanzer, New Hope, MN
Joe Johns, Weotherford, OK
LoreHa Jost, Aurora, HE
Fred Leonard, Clovis, CA
Stephen Reimer, Shaher, CA
Clarice Rempel, Buhler, KS
Mike Schuil, Reedley, CA
Randy Steinert, Bakersfield, CA
TIm Sullivan, Hillsboro, KS
E]( OHido Members: Henry Dick, Fresno, CA
Clinton Grenz, Bismark, N.D.
Bruce Porter, Fresno, CA
Roland Reimer, Wichita , KS. (lint Seibel, Hillsboro, KS
Jim Westgate, Fresno, CA
New Omaha-area church arrives early
• The latest Central District church plant is launched 18 months ahead of schedule
MANY PREMATIJRE births cause concern. But birthing Rolling Hills Church 18 months ahead of schedule is, according to c hurch planter Rod Anderson, a sign God is at work establishing a new Mennonite Brethren congregation in Papillion, Neb
Two years ago the Central District Conference adopted a church-planting model in which Omaha's Millard Bible Church would serve as the parent congregation for a new church in neighboring Papillion. When Anderson joined the Millard pastoral staff in July 1997 , his goal was to develop a core of eight to 10 families who would form the nucleus of the Papillion congregation
. The process the CDC home mission board predicted would take about two years but took only six months. The Rolling Hills congregation will hold their grand opening celebration May 3.
The work in Papillion is one of four church-planting projects under the umbrella of Mission USA, the U S. Conference church-growth and renewal effort MUSA provides the new Papillion church with financial assistance and MUSA board member Loretta Jost of Aurora, Neb., is a member of the Rolling Hills Church (RHC) advisory board.
"I commend Mission USA for not sticking with one way of doing church planting, " Anderson says. "That really impresses me. 1 think it's important to have that kind of fleXibility-that 'S how you build churches. You see what God is doing in a community and then you use what he has given you ."
One thing God has given Papillion is a large number of middle- and upperclass families with teenagers. Demographic studies show Papillion to be below the national average for families with infants through age 10 and for people of retirement age, but well above the national average for families
and individuals between those two groups.
The statistics are explained by housing costs, Anderson says , since most first-time home owners, single-parent households and retired individuals can't afford to live in the area.
Anderson describes Rolling Hills as a seeker-sensitive congregation rather than seeker-focused. "' Focused' means you do everything for (non-Christians)," he explains "' Sensitive' means you are aware of them . "
Public worship services began in September with Saturday evening worship services. Sunday morning services were added in March. Attenders dress casually, Anderson says, but the congregation is not casual in their commitment to Christ and will not waver in their commitment to Scripture . During the last two months, the Saturday and Sunday congregations have emerged as two distinct groups, Anderson says. Sunday morning services target "boomers and busters " while Saturday evening is aimed at teens and young adults Anderson has
been pleasantly surprised 'to discover that the Saturday service also attracts people in their 40s who are looking for a church.
The RHC theme is "Encouraging to new heights in Christ, " taken from Hebrews 10:25.
"If you ask the average family what they need, they will say encouragement, " Anderson says. "How do you encourage them? Through worship , instruction, fellowship and evangelism. Essentially that directs everything you do in the church and everything (we do in turn) is an encouragement."
Anderson speaks at both worship services. The congregation, however, doesn't know from week to week at what point Anderson will preach since a printed order of service is not distributed "I don ' t want people to say 'OK , 1 can leave now mentally , '" Anderson explains.
Other than worship services, Anderson says he has not initiated RHC's growing number of ministries . "We're not locked into programs but we are locked into people "
Bible classes for all ages are offered Sunday mornings and teenagers mee t
Donna and Rod Anderson relax at home with their children: (left to right) Rachel. Joe. Lydia and Jeremiah. Papillion is attracting an unusually high number of families with teens.
Thursday nights A women ' s and men's group have begun. "Generally, I' m not the instigator," Anderson says. "I get to stand back and watch.
"God has given us an incredible amount of leadership in this church," Anderson says. "We are beginning to have a very good outreach into the entire community."
In December, when the Rolling Hills leadership team considered renting a storefront, finances were a concern.
"Then God dropped (a solution) into our lap," Anderson says Three men from the congregation opened a music store that operates out of the church's facility Monday through Saturday. When the store closes Saturday night at 7 p m., the display racks are rolled into a back storage room and chairs from the storage room are moved into what was the store. By 7:30 p .m., the room is ready for the weekend worship services . Anderson describes the store, known as "Crosstunes," as a ministry arm of the church . The store has its own home page on the World Wide Web, offers CDs at a reduced rate, and this spring sponsored two concerts by groups with the potential to draw an audience larger than the store/church facility can accommodate.
So concerts by Acappella and Third Day were held at a large auditorium Seth Gschwandegger, a graduate of Grace University, a Christian college in Omaha, recently joined the pastoral staff. He works part-time with youth and part-time in the music store.
While using the facility for two purposes has provided financial stability for the congregation, it has also been a means by which word of the new congregation has spread. As of late March, about 80 people attend one of the two weekend services.
"The store has become an advertisement for the church," Anderson says For example, in only three weeks the number of worship musicians grew from one keyboard player to three guitarists, a flutist and a keyboardist.
"It gives you an idea of what God has chosen to do," Anderson says.
Gschwandegger recently witnessed to a teenage atheist who came into the music store . A week later the young man returned with several friends to
order some music, saying he wanted to check out the claims of Christ.
"I keep hearing about us all over the place, " Anderson says. "More people in our church tell of talking with someone in a whole other part of the town and that they'll talk about a new church in Papillion They can't think of the name but they know it meets on Saturday night and that the church has a new music store. It's just an odd thing to have happen in a town the size of Omaha. I pray it continues."
That people are talking about Papillion's new congregation is unusual since Anderson says they have not made use of traditional publicity avenues. Two newspaper stories have run about the new church and Anderson and Gschwandegger presented two of three plenary sessions at a recent pastor's seminar hosted by Grace University.
Through these articles and presentations, Rolling Hills Church has been highlighted as an "up and coming church where people go," Anderson says.
Rolling Hills is a third-generation congregation in the Omaha-area Mennonite Brethren family . Millard Bible Church was born in 1987 when people from the western suburbs attending Faith Bible Church provided the nucleus for a new church. Today Millard Bible numbers 120 to 140 in two Sunday morning services.
In February, the Millard congregation held a sending service for Anderson, his wife, Donna, and their family, plus eight families from the congregation who had chosen to affiliate with the new congregation. This group, together with four families from the Papillion area, provided the nucleus for the new church.
"(Giving us those families) was hard for Millard Bible, yet God has already brought their attendance back up, " Anderson says. "That's a praise item " Anderson admits he can't predict just how the Papillion church-planting project will evolve. But he is convinced God can do big things.
"I keep praying that God will stretch our imaginations," Anderson says. "God is not small. That's a great encouragement. When I see what Rod Anderson does, I'm not too impressed . But when I see what God does, then I'm impressed." -Connie Faber
IN BRIEF
FIRE : A fire at North Kildona n MB Church in Winnip eg , Man , re su lted in significant damage April 7 Ear ly estimates calcula t ed the damage at more than $1 million The cause of th e fire is not known The fire prompted evacuation of Donwood Sou th, a seniors dence next door to t he church, and a day-care center housed in the ch urch fa cility ha s temporarily relocated The congre gation, the secon d oldest M ennonite Br ethre n churc h in Winn i peg , wa s established around 1928 by Ru ssian immigrants and h as a cur rent membership of more than 500 It ha s also become the home church of ma ny Mennonites f rom Parag uay who came to M anitoba after W orld W ar 2 It is the only M enno nite Brethren congregation in Winn i peg that con tinue s to use some German in its services (MennoLink org)
COMMENCEMENT : Fresno Pa c if ic University held comme nceme nt services May 2-3 in t he Specia l Event s Cen ter Pre sid en t Allen Carden con f er red degrees on 384 graduates , including 142 bachelor of arts degrees, 147 ma ste r o f arts degrees and 91 bachelor of arts graduates from th e Center for Degree Completion Three students received degrees from Fresno County's Adult Transition Program . J . Scott Leonard gave the co mmen ceme nt address He is president and chief executive off icer of Guarantee Financial Real Estate and a lay leader at Clovis Evangelical Free Church , where he heads evangelism ministries (FPU)
RESIGNATION;
Pierre Gilbert has resigned as academic dean of MB Biblical Seminary in order to return to his previous position as associate professor of Old Testament. His resignation is effective June 1 MBBS president Henry Schmidt describes the · resignation as a loss "in terms of continuity in administration but a gain in terms of Pierre returning to the classroom particularly in light of Allen Guenther's request to go on full disability next year " A search committee has begun making contacts, according to Schmidt, and a candidating vis it with a dean prospect wa s scheduled for late April. (M88S)
BOD) LiFL
DRE AM aims for real change for Fresno im migrant groups
• Mennonite Brethren play key role in initiating MEDA project
FROM Norristown , Pa., to Fresno, Calif , is a long drive of about 3,000 miles . It's a big stretch in other ways, too. Norristown is eastern steel ; Fresno is western agribusiness and fruit .
Two y e ars ago Howard Good set out to adapt an eastern microenterprise program to California 's central valley . The program had start e d in Lancaster, Pa ., and then was replicated in Norristown , Pa .
As director of domestic economic development for Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA), Good knew its potential to train lower-income people to start or expand small businesses . Could it also work in multiethnic Fresno, where nearly a hundred different languages are spoken?
While the regions have significant differences, they are alike in at least one way : they both need more jobs
Fresno 's need has been heightened by a swell of 7 0,000 Southeast Asian refugees during the past 15 years. About half are Hmong, giving Fresno the heaviest concentration of Hmong in the world The rest are Lao, Catnbodian, Vietnamese and Khmu The city also has smaller numbers of Slavic and Ethiopian immigrants .
The pressure on the job market has been tremendous . Unemployment among refugees is 65 percent, more than four times the community average. Fresno County will need 20,000 new jobs in the next five years, not counting all those affected by welfare reform . Concerned Christians and institu -
Waking up to the joy of work
SOMPHONE SMITH, a Southeast Asian refugee, spent many years on we lfare in Cal if o rn ia's central valley Today he has a thriving lands caping business in Fresno What happened to change his li f e?
"I d iscovered the joy of work, " he says He got some help from DREAM (Developing Resources for Employment and M icroenterprise), operated by Fresno Inte rdenominational Refugee Ministries with the support of organization s like Mennonite Econ o mic Development Associ ates (MEDA) and o thers A friend had taught him how to car e for lawns, and Somphone decided t o start h is own business He took out a loan and i nvested i n a second -hand mower and a sma ll pi ckup tru ck No w he has a steady cliente le and has h ired a helper
One o f th e p racti cal sk i lls he learned fr o m DREAM wa s ho w t o es t imate j o bs
and set pr ices . He also "woke up" to the joy of productive work " I came to California in 1984 but just worked a bit and then went on welfare, " he says "I was sleeping for many years. Now I'm awake , and I want to wake up my employee " Somphone is a member of the Butler Avenue Mennon ite Brethren Church Khmu congregation in Fresno " He has become a mover and shaker in our church," says Lowell Ens, adding that So mphone has potent ial to become a DREAM trainer
Like many immigrants from Southeast Asia, So mphone changed his surname when he became a u S citizen In h is language cla sses he heard about g o ldsmiths and bla cks miths He dec ided to cho os e the nam e Smith be cause " it sounds lik e someon e who wor ks hard " - Wally Kroeker, MEDA
A class of aspiring entrepreneurs absorb a lesson on formulating a company mission statement
tions have sought to respond to this "mission in your face," as one church worker describes it . C urrently more than 2S Southeast Asian, Ethiopian and Slavic congregations are minister· ing in Fresno, including three Mennonite Brethren. That's said to be unmatched anywhere in the U S.
MEDA board member Phil Neufeld, a member of the Bethany MB Church who operates a small business in Fresno, had worked for some time to organize a response to the new economic needs in his community He and Stan Friesen, former pastor of the College Community (MB) Church , recruited people to help lay a base for microenterprise assistance. Friesen was then chair of Fresno Interdenomi · national Refugee Ministries (FIRM), which operates support efforts ranging from citizenship and English e ducation to neighborhood outreach and employment concerns .
"Lots of things were happening, but there was no partnership," recalls Sharon Stanley, a Presbyterian minister who is a partner director of FIRM "We started pushing the edges of working together How, we asked, can we witness to Christ's love together? We asked a bunch of pastors to rank their needs All of them ranked employment at the top ."
Job-placement assistance met the needs of some But more was needed. "We kept hearing," says Stanley, "that people need to start their own businesses, they need to use their gifts, but they don't know how to get started." MEDA's methodology for training aspiring entrepreneurs seemed like a natural fit with the interests of FIRM
A n e w ministry project was created and given the name of DREAMDeveloping Resources for Employment and Microenterprise Operated by FIRM , its coalition of supporters includes MEDA, the Christian Businessmen's Committee, the Fresno Leadership Foundation and the Cali · fornia State University Business Center. Howard Good serves as a consultant, sharing technical expertise based on MEDA's methodology English training, a key feature of DREAM, is one way the proje c t differs from MEDA ' s other microenterprise efforts This can b e especially difficult because many bus i ne s s terms don't translate directly into the languages of
the Southeast Asians.
There ' s a cultural gap here, too. People may come with street -comer skills but be unfamiliar with concepts like marketing and competition This means the original MEDA methodology needs to be augmented with bilingual materials, including a glossary of business terms
Pastor Bounkham Nounvilaythong, who shares the directorship of FIRM with Sharon Stanley, says another issue is that Southeast Asians are not accustomed to North American directness in relationships and conversation Their culture has taught them a "back door" approach.
"Even in business they use the indirect approach, " Bounkham says "You don't look someone in the ey e; to avert your gaze is to show respect. "
American bureaucracy is an obstacle The Lao, accus tomed to an informal economy, cannot grasp the idea of paying taxes or buying a license. This creates adjustment problems for them, Bounkham says . "When they find out how much paperwork is involved, they want to give up "
For Saji Oomman, DREAM project director, and Lowell Ens, resource coordinator and a member of the Butler Avenue MB Church, this means more than just translation. It means expanding the curriculum to teach business culture as well as principles. A concept like marketing can be hard to catch, Bounkham says. "In Laos, there is no competition The customer comes looking for merchandise to buy. Here it's the other way around-the merchant has to seek out the customer "
DREAM's most recent training cycle began in fall Within a year it plans to have trained 60 to 80 new entrepreneurs Staff are rapidly gaining more experience in translating business concepts into other languages and cultures. As they do, the prospect of meeting the needs of growing numbers of immigrants is enhanced .
In Stan Friesen's view , DREAM has the potential to not only give people an economic boost but also to show alternative ways for the church to do mission "Christians need to provide a new paradigm , " he says "Here 's our chance to provide a new model. "
- Walry Kroeker, MEDA
IN BRIEF
DAMAGE : When southwe st Minnesot a was hit by tornado es March 29 , Mennon ite volu nt ee rs from Delft and Mountain Lake helped th eir nei gh bors clean up Com frey and St. Pet er were hard est h it by the Sund ay afternoon twisters that killed o ne boy and injured at lea st 27 people The following day, downed powe r lines kep t volunteers from Delft 's Car son MB Church from working in Comfrey, a town of 55 0 , so the volu nte ers worked a t a nea rby far m site . Mountain Lake Christian School students who had planned to participate in mis sio ns projects that week de cided in st ea d to work in the Co mfrey area Mennonite Disaster Service, the National Guard and Ameri can Red Cross are also i nvo lved in the clean -up effor t s. ( M W R & H erb Schroeder)
RETREAT: The Tabor College St udent Development Offi ce ho sted a w eeke nd retrea t for mar ried , engaged and " ser iously involved " st udent co upl es April 4-5 at Cros s Win d Conference Cent er near Hesston, Kan Th e goa l of the weekend wa s to offer studen t s biblical guidan ce for relat io nship s and help them pre pare f or an enrich ing marriage . Retreat speakers John and Jane Thlelenh aus are from Bi smarck, N.D., where he serves as a North Ameri can Baptist ar ea minister (TC)
NAMED : Elaine Enns , associate director at Fresno Pa cifi c University' s Cente r for Pe acemaking and Conflict Studies, has been named the Esau Distinguished Visiting Professor for the spr ing t erm at Menno Simons College at the University of Winnipeg (Man ) She expects to bring a practical approach to her classes based on her experience with Fresno ' s Victim Offender Reconciliation Program (FPU)
ASSETS: Mennonite Mutual Aid reached a mil eston e in March when its asset s topped the $1 bi llion mark , ac co r ding to Howard Brenneman, MMA president and CEO More than 90 percent of the assets are held for individuals and in stitutions Almost $318 million are funds in Mennonite Foundation and over half are in retirement and other investment accounts (MMA)
Uncertainty in Sudan makes teaching role
doub ly challenging
• MCC's Rick and Bev Binder strive to grow relationships in a country ravaged by civil war
ONE BY ONE, the students at Omdunnan Ahlia University completed their English-language exams. It wasn't until he sat down to mark all 900 of them that their teacher, Rick Binder, realized the task was even more daunting than he thought
The students had written their names in Arabic, rather than in English, making it impossible for him to match the names in his grade book. A Sudanese friend came to the rescue. This kind of giving and receiving of help is typical of Binder's experience as a teacher in Sudan, Africa's largest country .
Since 1996, Binder and his wife, Bev, have served as Mennonite Central Committee country representatives in Sudan. They and their young sons, Levi and Simon, live in the capital, Khartoum, a sprawling desert city where the Blue and White Nile rivers merge. MCC pays the family's housing and food; the university provides a salary to MCC similar to one a Sudanese teacher would receive.
While the Binders currently call Abbotsford, B.C., their North American home, Bev grew up in Hillsboro, Kan., and is a graduate of Tabor College. They also attended the Killarney Park MB Church while they lived in Vancouver, B.C. The Binders served previously with MCC in Egypt.
Uncertainty characterizes life in Sudan. The typical Sudanese answer to a question about a future event is always, "Insha alia," "If God wills." Electricity outages, government closures and student riots have disrupted Binder' s classes.
Since the 20,000-student university has no phone, communication is often impossible. This can lead to surprises, like the time
during a robbery attempt, two busloads of students arrived at his house to offer support
"I'd guess that 95 percent of my students have never before had a foreign teacher so I feel religiously, culturally and socially on display," Binder says. "I have a unique opportunity to share cross culturally."
Sometimes this sharing can break down stereotypes because Sudanese' ideas about North Americans often are shaped by the American television programs they see.
Sudanese are deeply religious people. In northern Sudan, most are Muslim and often greet each other with "Praise to God." They are Binder discovered he was lIThe world often surprised to discover Binder, too, is interested in spiritual matters. reacts to
to begin teaching an applied grammar class the next day. To cope with the pressures of his work, Rick says he tries to follow the example of Jesus in Philippians 2 :7 by "emptying himself" and "taking the form of a servant."
Sudan IS governmentI but the people feel forgotten. II
Because of the deep divisions that exist between northern and southern Sudanese, different tribal groups and between Christians and Muslims, MCC teachers can "blur the lines"
-BEV BINDER by befriending people on all
Teaching provides an ideal setting for developing relationships. As Binder shops in the market or drives down a dusty Khartoum street, one or two of his some 1,200 students are bound to wave or call out a greeting. After Binder was knifed sides, Bev says.
"When we hear statements like ' all southern Sudanese' are this way, or that way , we can try to soften and change these impressions and perhaps encourage people to hear each other," she says
Several universities in Sudan are that MCC recruit English, psychology, physiology, physics and conflict resolution teachers. In addition to providing academic expertise, the presence of North Americans in Sudan encourages Sudanese who are living through difficult times, the Binders say.
"The world reacts to Sudan ' s government, but the people feel forgotten," Bev says.
The West accuses Sudan's Islamic government of harboring and supporting terrorists intent on violence against neighboring countries and the United States Many aid agencies have withdrawn from Sudan and few foreigners remain in the country.
At the same time, Sudan's long-running civil war continues to drain the country's resources. An estimated 90 percent of Sudanese now live below a United Nations-defined poverty level.
- Pearl Sensenig, Mee
Rick Binder (left) confers with his department chair at Omdurman Ahlia University. On the wall behind them are pictures of students killed in Sudan's ongoing civil war
Don't miss these convention features:
Three banquet settings to add a celebrative flair
Special music from the Slavic Gospel Church of Bellingham, WA, the Joong Ang Korean Choir of Cypress, CA, and CrossWise from Tabor Col/ege, Hillsboro, KS
A family gathering at the Joong Ang Korean Church Saturday evening, including an authentic Korean meal
A concert of prayer
Interesting and timely workshops
Inspiring worship led by Jon Wiebe of MB Foundation
Opportunity to extend your stay for vacation purposes
Let's celebrate God at work in our midst!
PLAN NOW TO COME TO OUR BIENNIAL NATIONAL CONVENTION
July 17-20, 1998 La Mirada, CA
"Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him, tell of all his wonderful acts."
OUR CONVENTION
BIBLE TEACHER will be Dr. Pierre Gilbert of the MB Biblical Seminary faculty, who will lead three morning Bible studies on the "Celebration" theme based on 1 Peter 2:4-12.
Bring the family! Within easy driving distance of
• Universal Studios
• Dodger Stadium
• Anaheim Stadium
• Knott's Berry Farm
• Disneyland
• Crystal Cathedral
• Queen Mary
THE PURPOSE OF CELEBRATE '98 Is To:
• CELEBRATE the faithfulness of God and the privilege o f being "a people belonging to God" (1 Peter 2:9)
• C OMMUNICATE with each other as we "tell of all his wonderful acts " and participate in decisionmaking as stockholders of the church and its mission.
• C ONNECT with others of the family. brothers and sisters from various churches and people groups the people with whom we share a common vision
• CALL ourselves to disciplined living and dedicated service in dependence upon our faithful Lord and God and the enabling of the Holy Spirit.
SCH
8:30 - 9:45 am
Worsh ip and Worship and Worship and Bible Study Bible Study Bible Study
9:45-10:15 am Break Break Business
10:15-noon
12:15-2:30 pm Regi strat ion
3:00-4:00 pm
4:15-5:15 pm
Reporting and Reporting and Convention Interaetlon Interaction Endsat BCM,BOC , Mission USA 11 :00 am Integrated Ministries
Lunche on: Luncheon : Celebrating Our Celebrating Global 2 pm-6 pm Stewardship MissionMB Foundation MBMS Inti
Workshop #1 Free Time
Workshop #2
6:00pm Banquet Family Gathering 7:00 pm Concert: Opening SeSSion Joong Ang Korean CrossWise Concert of Prayer Church Reporting MBBS,FPU , TC
IM PORTANT LODGING INFORMATION: The convention site is the Holiday Inn Gateway Plaza Convention Center at La Mirada, CA (at 14299 Firestone Blvd ., just off of 1-5 and Valley View Drive. T he hotel has been upgraded to a Holiday Inn Select. Special ra tes of $69 per night (plus tax) have been arranged These speci al rates will apply for early arrivals or extended stays if a few extra vacation days are in your plans A block of rooms has been reserved. The cut-off date for rooms at the above rate is June 17. BE SURE TO MAKE YOUR RES ERVATIONS EARLY! The hotel telephone number is 714-739 -8500. For RESERVATIONS, call 1-800 -356-6873 and indicate "MB Convention." Other motels are available nearby , if preferred
REGISTRATION
Children (if attending , state name, age & gender)
Address City State __
Delegate (or) Guest
REGISTRATION :
$95 adult
$65 youth ages 13- 17
$35 children ages 2 - 12
No charge, children under 2
(Registration fee includes the banquet and two special luncheons)
Amount of enclosed check :
Make checks payable to : U S Conference of MB Churches PO Box V Hillsboro , KS 67063
Guests may purchase ind ividual tickets for the Friday banquet ($25) and/or the Saturday and Sunday luncheons ($20 each) Reservat ions may be made by calling the U S Conference office at (316) 947 -3151
'Hotel room reservation s must be made directly with the hotel (see information above regis trati on form)
Sharing the Commission
by Ed Boschman
At a recent symposium for MISSION AMERICA, I discovered that a real estate principle - "splitting a commission is better than no commission"applies to evangelism, too. Paul Cedar, the leader of MISSION AMERICA, states that "no single church, denomination, servant ministry, or individual can hope to accomplish world evangelization alone The Lord of the Church is calling all believers to unite in humility, repentance and prayer to prepare for a great revival and reformation in Christ's Church "
As I prayed with others at my table that day, I realized that I was part of a very diverse group, but the experience pointed out our overwhelming similarities. We all loved Jesus and His church. We all prayed in His name. We all heartached for the same things . We were a little holy ecumenical movement. We were anxious to share the commission Networking and partnering with others for an even higher Commission is something I've tried to work at consistently and energetically. The Bible makes it clear that some plant, some nurture, others harvest. There is equal happiness in me when someone decides to be a Christian, whether my part has been early or late. Just being involved is enough!
Because most of our schoolmates, coworkers, neighbors and other pre-Christian acquaintances and friends don't know very much about Christianity these days, it is more important than ever to understand that winning someone into a personal relationship with Jesus, and into a meaningful relationship with the church, will often be a lengthy process. One of my most recent baptisms,
MISSION USA BOARD:
Ed Boschman, Phoenix, AZ.,
Chudc Buller, rlSatra, CA.
&nie Friesen, WIChita, KS
Phil Glanzer, New Hope, MN
Joe JOOM, Weatherford, OK
Loretta Jost, Aurora, NE
Fred Leonard, aovis, CA
Sl8phen Reimer, Shafter, CA
(larke Rempel, Buhler, KS
Mike Schuil, Reedley, CA
Tony, was a five (count them: 1-2 -3-4 -5!) year process and let me assure you, it was a shared commission process and a shared celebration! The coming-to-faith process looks something like this:
• Awareness of God, but mostly indifference.
• Awareness of desire for personal relationship with God.
• Awareness of Jesus' good news.
• Awareness of intemallonging for peace and meaning.
• Awareness of personal sinfulness.
• Awareness of a desire to decide.
• A FAITH DECISION TO ACCEPT JESUS AND FOLLOW HIM. Whom do you know in your circle of influence that is on a track to faith in Jesus? Statistics tell us that one in four of those people are favorably disposed to joining you at a low-key Christian event (a home Bible study, church outreach event, a dinner at your house, a movie or production with Christian values, etc .). Unless you ask them, it's unlikely that they'll get a chance to say yes, and to personally join you as a follower of Jesus.
Family of God members can choose to be involved in this process at pretty much any point. Isn't it great that we can partner with each other, and with God who by His spirit convicts, woos, and then makes a new Christian?
How about sharing the commission with someone?
Randy Steinert, Bakersfield, CA
Tim Sullivan, Hilkboro, KS
Ex OHido Members: Henry Dick, Fresno, CA
(linton Grenz, Bismark, ND
Bruce Porter, Fresno, CA
Roland Reimer, Wkhita, KS
(lint Seibel, Hillsboro, KS
Jim Westgate, Fresno, CA
IN BRIEF
HELP WANTED: M ennonite Disaster Service is looking for vo lun teers experienced in masonry and framing to help rebuild in areas of Florida hit by dev astating torn adoe s in late February A girl sco ut ca mp so me 25 miles north of Orlando is the si te of MDS project headqu ar ters Int erested volunteers should p hone 407 -365-6 8 27 Fi na ncia l co ntribut ions can be sent to Fl o rid a Tornado Response , PO Box 500, Akron , PA, 17501 . (MDS)
MERGER : The Genera l Boards of the General Con fer ence Mennon ite Ch urch (GC) a nd the Mennonite Church (MC) recently decided to abandon the idea of a regional mode l for the new Mennon i te den om in a t ion , and to move i nstead toward a st ruc ture o f one denomination for two coun tri esCanad a and the United States The general boards affi r med the crea t io n of a U S church body, chang es in current structures of the Confere nce of Mennoni tes in Canada, and the develo pm ent o f a new d enomina tio n to be known as Mennonite Chu rc h by intention al part nership of t he two bo dies The boards met to ge ther M arch 20-2 4 (GCMC News Service)
AID: Mennonite Central Committee is sending $12 ,500 in food assistance to rural Nicaragua because people have little or no grain for basic food preparation and have been drained of financial resources to buy more food FifteE!n deaths have already been reported due to hunger, a direct re sult of drought and unseasonable conditions brought on by the EI Nino weather patte rn (MCC)
HELP WANTED: Mennonite Central Committee is looking for work teams from North American Mennonite and Brethren in Chri st churches to visit Guatemala and Honduras and help with building proj ects this summer . Work teams of 10 people are needed at two different locations in each country One work site is the campus of SEM/LLA, an Anabapt i st seminary which offers educat i onal cla sses throughout Central America MBMS International miss i onary Juan Martinez is rector at the schoo l. (MCC)
Neighborhood Church celebrates move into state-of-the-art meeting facilities
• $3.B million project should boost attendance to BOO, staff says
"IFIGURED I'd go to a lot of places to find a church. I never thought I'd find a church that went a lot of places," joked Mike Lusk about Neighborhood Church of Visalia, Calif
After holding services at the Visalia Holiday Inn for more than a year, the congregation was glad to settle into their new worship center March 29. Some 1,300 members and guests attended the two inaugural services.
In a high·energy and polished musical package, the 60-member choir joined by a combo of instrumentalists, two guest soloist/narrators and a 70member children's choir celebrated the unity of the church and expressed thanksgiving to God for bringing them into their new home. The music's upbeat and contemporary sound ranged from jazz to rock to traditional African rhythms, filling the 750-seat auditorium with sound.
The rehearsed presentation took full advantage of the new facility's state-of·the-art equipment Dramatic theatrical lighting controlled by an integrated dimmer board ebbed and flowed with the music to set and change the mood in the windowless worship center. Computer-run Power-
point software interwove song lyrics with graphics and photos on two screens mounted high on either side ofthe stage.
A large corps of volunteers, along with a few paid professionals, tended to the many responsibilities that morning In addition to those directly involved in the worship service, members of the congregation directed parking, led children's programs, tended the church's two coffee bars, duplicated sermon tapes (available immediately after the service), and performed many other support tasks.
After each service, staff and church leaders proudly guided members and guests around the facility. The industrial-style buildings are of concrete tinted a reddish sandstone color with accenting steel blue metal awnings. The worship center/gymnasium is the complex's largest building. Offices and large rooms for Sunday school and Awana programs are linked together with steel-roofed walkways The cost of this first phase, including the land and site fees, is $3 .8 million . The facility master plan calls for a larger sanctuary to be added later.
On this, the first sunny day after a
The congregation gathers for the first service The worship center/gym is the largest of the industrial-style structures. A master plan calls for the addition of a larger sanctuary later.
week of rain , visitors took care to stay on the wide cement walkways, many of which were surrounded by rainfilled planters. California's EI Nino rains hampered the church ' s plans for completing the landscaping , and most shrubs and plants sat in several inches of mud and water.
Additional parking, soccer fields and baseball diamonds will be completed as the weather allows.
The move took the congregation from a location in the middle of Visalia's older, well-established suburbs to a 20 -acre site outside the developed area in this city of nearly 100,000. The empty fields and orchards that now surround the
church campus are expected to grow into new middle·income suburbs.
While the church hopes to attract the "boomer " families that will populate these new homes, senior pastor Chuck Buller says the size of the city makes it re:llistic for anyone in Visalia to attend Neighborhood
"We anticipate adding 200 people through this transition, " Buller says . The congregation averaged 600 attenders while meeting at the hotel and Buller anticipates attendance will average 800 during the next months The congregation will continue to have a monthly "seeker" service, an outreach ministry Buller began almost six years ago when he came to Visalia
The motto on the front of the church bulletin , "A safe place to discover God, " highlights the congregation ' s priority on reaching new people .
From the contemporary music channeled through a high quality sound system to the coffee bars where people gather after worship , Neighborhood Church is striving to be culturally sensitive to the middle-class professionals the c ongregation seeks to reach
While the inaugural services celebrated God 's
faithfulness during the past year, the dedication service April 26 was the congregation's opportunity to thank the people involved in the project, Buller says
Participants in the dedication service included the contractor, architects, vendors, city and county dignitaries, denominational representatives and building committee members -Kathy Heinrichs Wiest with Connie Faber
• CHURCH NOTES
•
Baptism/membership
SALEM, Ore. (Kingwood Bible)-Rick and Angie Anderson, David Crawford, Ashley Bergman, Ashlee Miller and Alexx Miller were baptized April 12
CLOVIS, Calif. (Mountain View)-Casey Crockett, Steve Fanelli, Chandra Friesen and Robert Warkentin were added to the membership March 29.
FRESNO, Calif. (Fig Garden Bible)-Dan Potts was baptized in March and accepted into church membership Joseph and Patty Derr and Chris Becker were also welcomed as new members.
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (Rosedale Bible)Jim and Carol Wanke and Becky Driskill were baptized March 22
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (Heritage Bible)Robert and Teri Lytle were welcomed into membership March 22
WIClllTA, Kan. (First)-Debbie and Greg Allison , Harold and Eleanor Franz, Scott Harder, Kendall and Carrie Heide, Bob and Debbie Martin, B.) and Denise Mills and Karen Shumate were welcomed into membership March 15 Heidi Dieball, Deidra Ewert, Branden Jansen, Jonathan Nuss, Jodie Warkentin , Greg and Kathy Wingert and Monte Yingling were baptized March I and received into church membership along with Anne and Gary Grommet and Lisa Wall
CORDELL, Olda. (Bible)-Matt Clanahan , Bradi Clanahan and David Gaeddert were baptized March 8 Brad, Nelda and Rebecca Clanahan were welcomed as new members.
I NDIAHOMA, Okla. (Post Oak)-Arleta Lewis, Bret Komahcheet, Anthony Ulloa, Lindsay Kassanavoid, Dana Bedeker and Chad Tahchawwickah were baptized and welcomed as new members Feb 22 James Brinkley, Brenda Brinkley and Steve Brinkley were welcomed as members upon their confession of faith.
The 750-seat auditorium was filled to near capacity f or both inaugural services. Attendance was estimated at 1.300 members and guests.
Galen and Linda Wiest (right) check signals with an unidentified fellow volunteer as guests gather
130m LIrE
ENID, Okla.-Walter and Evelyn Clodfel· ter, Brian and Kimberley Gates, Jim and Cindy Hiebert, Tanja Kroeker and Ann Ruth Thesman were recently welcomed as new members.
OMAHA, Neb. (Iglesia Agua Viva)- Fran · cisco Lira and Reina Flores were recently accepted as new members
FRESNO, Calif. (North)- Geral and Karen Anderson were welcomed into member· ship Feb. 15 .
• Celebration
NEW HOPE, Minn.-The c ongregation celebrated Passover April 9 led by Lois Link, a Northwestern College staff mem o ber and former worker with Jews for Jesus. Th e congregation also observed communion
CORDELL, Okla. (Bible)-The children of Ben and Elizabeth Brown hosted a 50th wedding anniversary for their parents March 7
• Fellowship
CORN, Okla.-Christian education work· ers involved in Sunday school and th e AWANA program were honored April 22
during the morning service and at a potluck dinner Hal Penner, youth pastor from Pine Acres MB Church in Weather· ford , Okla ., was the guest speaker.
HESSTON, Kan.-Through an on site visit April 19, the congregation became acquainted with the ministry of World Impact's Morning Star Ranch near Flo· rence, Kan . A meal was prepared and served by the young men living at the ranch and was followed by a short pro· gram that included testimonies from these men The men are from various inner city neighborhoods and are living at the ranch to participate in an intensive two year dis· cipleship training program
WEATHERFORD, Okla . (pine Acres)- To show their appreciation , the men pre · pared and served an all church evening meal April 26 for the women of the con · gregation.
LITTLETON, Colo . (Belleview Acres)Women of the Garden Park MB Church in Denver were invited to join the women of Belleview Acres for a women ' s retreat April 3-4 .
BALKO, Okla .-Roland and Lois Reimer , district minister couple for the Southern District Conference, spoke at the spring
banquet April 4 The theme of the evening was families
RAPID CITY, S.D (Bible Fellowship)Parents were offered an evening of free child care by the youth group April 3 The only stipulation : parents had to spend the evening together as a couple on a date
FERNDALE, Wash. (Good News)- The deacons sponsored a tree planting party March 28 The goal was to plant 77 trees along the church's property line .
FRESNO, Calif. (Bethany)-The congrega· tion hosted the annual choir praise festival March 22 In addition to Fresno area Men · nonite Brethren church choirs, the festival featured the choir and orchestra from the Evangelical Free Church of Fresno.
DINUBA, Calif.-The congregation met for the last time in the fellowship hall March 15 The building will be demol · ished to make room for new facilities The program included testimonies of celebra· tion and reflection on the history of the building and the way in which God worked through the facility Refreshments were served and a variety of equipment pieces were sold by auction
• Ministry
LEE'S SUMMIT, Mo. (Summit)-Pastoral couple Gary and Maxelin Wiebe have begun preparing for a three·month sum · mer outreach program. They are in the process of targeting specific neighbor· hoods and organizing prayer walks through these areas. By May 1, Maxelin hopes to have made the final selection of college and seminary student interns who will assist in the summer program Mem· bers of this emerging church meet month · Iy for a meal and fellowship
SALEM, Ore (Kingwood Bible)-More than 90 children participated in activities and heard the Easter story at the annual children's Easter party April 4 . .. . Jose Zayas from the Luis Palau Evangelistic Association was the resource speaker for a friendship evangelism training seminar Feb. 15 .
ENID, Okla. - The congregation 's Christian Education Board sponsored an outreach banquet April 5 The "Friendship Fiesta " included a catered meal and stories concerning life and relationships were told by Tabor College faculty member Wendell Loewen.
Former first lady addresses mental health issues
Rosalynn Carter, former first lady, is greeted by Howard Brenneman (left), Mennonite Mutu· al Aid president and Larry Nikkel, Mental Health Services president, at the recent Mennonite Health Annual Assembly held March 26-29 in Atlanta, Ga. Carter, the keynote speaker said her con cern with mental health issues dates back to her work with the President's Commission on Health during the Carter presidency. Carter believes the church can impact mental health care and that it must take an active role in educating congregational members about mental illness.
ADAMS, Okla.- The congregation spon · sored a showing March 15 of the "Jesus " film in Low German for Colony Menno· nites in the community Refreshments were served
SAN JOSE, Calif. (Linc oln Glen)- About 50 people attend e d "Conn ec tions ," the
congregation 's first contemporary worship service held Thursday , March 5 The program featured music, videos, interpretative dance and a message . Connections Praise Band has been formed to lead the music, and dessert and coffee follows the service .
• Proclamation
EUGENE, Ore ( North Park)-Bob Vogt, senior pastor at Dinuba (Calif ) MB Church, was the speaker for a weekend Bible conference April 25 -26
NEW HOPE, Minn.-Ed Boschman , Mission USA executive director , led a Sunday school discussion about church planting March 29 . He also preached the morning sermon and led an afternoon meeting for members of the church leadership team
OMAHA, Neb. (Millard Bible ) - Ed Boschman, Mission USA executive director , preached at the March 22 morning service
DINUBA, Calif.-Pakisa Tshimika, MBMS International regional secretary for Africa, spoke at both services March 15.
• Workers
SIOUX FALlS, S.D (Lincoln Hills Bible)The congregation hosted a Central District regional conference March 27-28 with Ed Boschman, Mission USA executive director, as the resource speaker The conference , planned for pastoral staff and lay leaders, focus e d on leadership topics
LITTLETON, Colo. (Belleview Acres)Senior pastor Gary Newton has resigned his position effective in July. He has not announced his plans Jim Paulus, youth pastor, has resigned effective in July . Paulus is also employed as a Tabor College student recruiter and has accepted a new position at Tabor which will take him back to the campus in Hillsboro, Kan .
MANHATTAN, Kan. (Mennonite Church) -Pastor Eldon Epp has resigned effective in September He has not announced his plans
FAIRVIEW, Okla. - James Suderman of Dallas, Texas, has accepted a call to serve as associate pastor He and his wife , Linda, will relocate this summ e r following his graduation from Dallas Se minary.
• Youth
DINUBA, Calif. - The junior high choir presented a variety of short dramas and songs on the theme of faith at the evening service March 22 .
BOD) LIII
LITTLETON, Colo . (Belleview Acr e s)Th e congregation host e d a Youth Challenge regional Bible quiz tournament
March 27 -28. Eight teams from Kansas, Nebraska and Colorado competed Youth Challenge is a nondenominational ministry that focuses on teenage rs
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (Laurelglen)- The youth presented the drama "M artyred : The Chet Bitterman Story " as part of the LBC missions conference March 14-15 Bitterman was a Bible translator Jim Burns, president of the National Institute of Youth Mini stry , was the guest speaker for th e weekend .
FRESNO, Calif. (North)- Thirty -fiv e members of the youth group parti c ipa t ed in a Youth Mission International missions trip to Mexico April 3-11 A fund raising dinner March 22 included entertainment and student reports
• DEATHS
ADRIAN, CORNELIUS J."CORNEY, " Corn , Okla , was born Oct 21, 1908, near Burrton, Kan , to Henry F and Mary Janzen Adrian On Aug 28, 1932, he was married to Susie Bartel, who survives . He is also survived by two sons , Daryle and wife Rosalie of Muncie , Ind , and Cycil and wife Wilma of Fort Worth, Texas; on e daughter, Ann and husband Ken Bartel of Topeka , Kan .; eight grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren .
ANDERSON, GERALD A., Madera, Calif , a member of North Fresno MB Church , Fresno, Calif., was born Nov 18 , 1948 at Blithe , Calif , to Roy and Oleta Anderson and died Feb 17 , 1988, at the age of 49 In September 1998, h e was married to Karen Anderson, who survives He is also survived by one daughter, Patricia Gonzale z; one son, Makoto Anderson ; and two grandchildren
BU LLER, KATHERINE JOST, Reedley, Ca lif , a member of Reedley MB Church, was born March 26, 192 4 at Flowing Well , Sask , to David S and Tina Prie b Jost and died March 12, 1998 , at the age of 73 On Oct. 1, 194 3, she was married to Harry Buller, who survives She is also survived by one daughter, Sharon and husband Marvin Krause ; two sons, Loren and wife Barbara, and Myron and wife Jeanine; three brothers, Art and wife Ester, Jake, and David and wife Bonnie ; one siste r , Edna and husband Richard Knaak ; s isters and brothers-in -law, Ed and Clara Murba c h , Rachel Ens, and Ken Kornelsen ; and seve n grandchildren
CORNELSEN, HERBERT , Bellingham , Wash , a charter member of Good News Fellowship of Bellingham , was born Aug 28 , 1910 , to Jacob a nd Minnie Reddig Cornelsen at Aulne , Kan ., and di e d March 10 , 1998, at the age of 8 7 In 19 37 , he wa s married to T illi e Kli e w e r , who prede -
ceased hinl in 1991. He is survived by two sons , Leo and wife Janis of Bellingham and Gene and wife Shirley of Snohomish, Wash. ; two sisters, Eva Regie r of San Jose, Calif. , and Lorraine Thiessen of Reedley, Calif.; seven grandchildren and four greatgrandchildren.
DICK, JOHN G . , San Jose , Calif., a member of Lincoln Glen MB Church of San Jose , was born Dec . 6 , 1902 , at Henderson , Neb , and died May 28 , 1997, at the age of 94. On Feb 21 , 1926 , h e was marri e d to Helen Schierling, who predeceased him On Dec 8 , 1951, he was married to Alice Warkentin, who predeceased him. He is survived by one daughter, Alyce and husband Orville Kroeker of San Jose ; one broth e r , William and wife Ruth of Lincoln , Neb .; on e Sister , Bertha Quiring of Henderson , Ne b . ; three grandchildren and one great-grandchild .
EDIGER, ELIZABETH, Aurora , Neb . , a m e mber of Henderson ( Neb ) MB Church, was born Nov 27, 1902 in York County, Neb , to John P and Katherina Toews Quiring and died Nov 4 , 1997, at the age of 94 On Oct 9 , 192 1, she was married to John J. Ediger , who predeceased her She is survived by her c hildren, Ed and Esther Ediger and Art and Mary Ann Regier of Hampton , Neb , Ben and Mary Ediger , John and Joan Ediger and Larry and Joyce Ediger of Aurora, Rob e rt and Janice Simonson of Omaha, Neb ., Don and Lois Edige r of Lincoln , Neb , and Floyd Winter of Hillsboro , Kan ; two sisters , Ann Dick of Henderson and Helen and husband Art Berg of Fresno, Calif. ; one brother, Henry and wife Miriam Quiring of Henderson, Neb. ; three sisters-in-law, Nettie Quiring of Aurora, Helen QUiring and Beth Quiring, both of Henderson; 21 grandchildre n and 30 great -grandchildren
EITZEN, ESmER HELEN WINTER, Hillsboro, Kan . , a member of Parkview MB Church in Hillsboro , was born Feb. 23, 1909, to Gotthilf a nd Helen Seibel Winter at McClusky, N D , and died March 6, 1998, at the age of 89 On April 26, 1931 , she was married to Harry Eitze n , who survives She is also survived by two daughters, Myrna and husband Victor Jost of Hillsboro , and Kathleen Viergever of Fort Worth, Texas ; one son -in-law, Harold and wife Patricia Kraus e of Tomball , Texas; five grandchildren and five gre at-grandchildren
EITZE N, P ETER D. , Fresno, Calif. , a me mbver of Bethany Church in Fresno, was born Oct 7 , 1898 , t o D C. and Eli za beth Wiens Eitzen at Fai rv iew , Okla . In 192 3, he was married to Eli zabeth "Betty " Siemens , who predeceased him in 1973 In 1974, he was married to Selma Wark e ntin Frost, who su rv ives He is also survi ve d by four childre n , Dorothy Marsh , Fran c e s Riley , Dan Eitzen and Mary Berts c he ; four
stepchildren; two brothers , Jake and Bill; two sisters, Mary Wiens and Hulda Berg; nine grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren and several step-grandchildren.
FRANSEN, AMANDA, Corn, Okla., a member of Corn MB Church, was born Feb. 19, 1923, to Henry W. and Christena Merk Fransen and died April 1, 1998, at the age of 75. She is survived by two brothers, Harvey and wife Marjorie of Clinton, Okla , and James of Severna Park, Md . ; two sisters , Elsie Hinz of Corn and Martha Harms of Clinton; one sister-in-law, Yvonne Fransen of Arapaho; and 12 nieces and nephews.
FRIESEN, ORLAND M_, Dinuba, Calif., a member of College Community Church, Clovis, Calif., was born Feb. 10, 1929, to Willie H. and Martha Klassen Friesen at Garden City, Kan , and died Feb 19, 1998, at the age of <59. On July 11, 1952, he was married to Zillabell Jane Sperling. He is
U.S. Mennonite Brethren Board of Communications is accepting applications for EDITOR of the CHRISTIAN LEADER.
Location: Negotiable
Starting date: Aug. 1, 1998
Application deadline: Until filled
Duties:
Direct the production of the Christian Leader, the monthly magazine of the U.S. MB Conference. Tasks include planning, writing, editing, managing staff & writers, overseeing layout & printing.
Qualifications:
• Excellent writing, editing skills
• Understanding of print media and journalistic style
• Managerial skills
• Bachelor's degree
• Journalism experience preferred
• Christian commitment/lifestyle consistent with MB Confession of Faith
Send letter of application and resume to:
Noelle Dickinson, chair
U.S Board of Communications Box V Hillsboro, KS 67063
Fax: 316-947-3266
Phone : 316-947-2458
e-mail: cnwnews@southwind net
survived by five children, Susan and husband Richard Cameron, Carley and husband Peter Friesen-Blank, Kevin Friesen, Melaney and husband Greg Shaum, and Laurel and husband Ken Guenther; one brother, Elden and wife Gloria; two sisters, Evelyn and husband LaVerne Hodel and Lillian Hanson ; and 12 grandchildren .
GOERTZEN, BERNARD J-, San Jose, Calif., a member of Lincoln Glen MB Church, San Jose , was born Sept 3,1897, and died Dec. 16, 1997, at the age of 100 . He is survived by two daughters, Esther and husband Ken Friesen of San Jose, and Linda Morgan of Sanford, Fla.; three grand· children and three great·grandchildren.
HARMS, ELLA, Fresno, Calif., a member of Reedley (Calif.) MB Church, was born May 1, 1906, in Jansen, Neb. , to Henry T. and Anna Brandt and died April 3, 1998, at the age of 90. On April 4, 1926, she was married to Jonas R. Harms, who survives. She is also survived by two children, Phyllis Lovegren of Fresno, Calif., and Don Harms of Reedley, Calif ; two sisters, Louise Friesen of Reedley and Leona Johnson of Bella Vista, Ark.; four granddaughters; and seven great-grandchildren.
HAUFF, MARIE MAGDALENE, Bismarck, N.D., a member of the former Washington
Heights MB Church in Bismarck, was born May 16, 1919, to Jacob and Regina Schell Reile in McClusky, N.D., and died Feb. 8, 1998, at the age of 78. On April 1, 1942, she was married to Albert Hauff, who survives. She is also survived by one son, Charles and wife Brenda Stone of Bismarck; one daughter, Karen of St. Paul, Minn .; siblings, Ruth Schlafmann of California, Elsie and Ed Sackman of Oregon, Bertha Wright of Oregon, Jake and Edna Reile of Bismarck, and Irene Reile of McClusky; two granddaughters and two great-grandsons.
HEINRICHS, HAROLD EUGENE, Claremore, Okla., a member of Westport MB Church in Collinsville, Okla., was born July 28, 1929, in Collinsville to Daniel and Ruby Just Heinrichs and died March 9, 1998, at the age of 68 On June 11, 1950, he was married to Hazel Wilson, who survives. He is also survived by his mother; three sons, Dan and wife Mel and David and wife Debbie, all of Tulsa, and Dale and wife Carlyn of Grapevine, Texas; three daughters, Patti McMurtie of Claremore, Okla., Elaine and husband Brett Owens of Foyil, Okla , and Anita and husband Chuck Haftman of Edmond , Okla ; brothers Raymond and Betty Jo of Collinsville and LeRoy and wife Phyllis of Palo Alto, Calif.; sister-in-law Sandy Heinrichs of Garden City, Kan.; and seven grandchildren.
HODEL. PAUL C., Reedley, Calif., was born Oct. 20, 1920, in Flowingwell, Sask., to Abraham and Helen Hodel and died March 27, 1998, at the age of 77 On June 29, 1946, he was married to Vema Krause, who predeceased him in 1995. He is survived by two sons, Kenneth and Andrew; four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
HOUCHIN, DICK, Capay, Calif , a member of Country Bible Church in Orland, Calif , was born March 22, 1971, in Burbank, Calif., to David and Sue Houchin and died Feb. 10, 1998, at the age of 26 due to injuries sustained in an automobile accident He is survived by his parents; one brother, Jason; one sister, Kerry Sue Brown; two grandmothers, Dorothy Houchin and Marjory Middleton; and his fiancee, Rachael Riddle.
ISAAK, JOANN REIMER, Reedley, Calif., a member of the Dinuba (Calif) MB Church, was born Aug. 1, 1933, in Reedley and died March 18, 1998, at the age of 64 On April 24, 1953, she was married to Johnny H Isaak, who survives. She is also survived by one son, Robert of Reedley; two daughters, Lynn Medina of Fresno and Donna Isaak of Reedley; two sisters, Joyce Thiesen of Reedley and Karen Lovelady of
Fresno; four brothers, Ron and Jeff of Reedley, Don of Los Angeles and Jerry of Fresno; and eight grandchildren
JAVORSKY, ADOLPH, Cordell, Okla. , a lifelong member of Bible MB Church in Cordell, was born Jan. 25, 1911, to Gus and Agnes Javorsky near Bessie, Okla On Sept. 5, 1937, he was married to Lea Wedel, who survives. He is also survived by three children, Inez and husband Emery Suderman of Mission, Texas, Ken and wife Carolyn of Bessie, and Iris and husband Ed McNeil of Silverthorn, Colo .; one sister, Mary Reimer; six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
LOEWEN, ARCIfiE c., Hillsboro, Kan , a member of Ebenfeld MB Church in Hillsboro, was born July 25, 1916, near Hillsboro to David T. and Maria Claassen Loewen and died Feb 17 , 1998, at the age of 81. On Oct. 16, 1949, he was married to Enid Buller, who predeceased him by one week. He is survived by two daughters, Gwendolyn and husband David Harris of Hutchinson, Kan., and Glenda and husband Darrell York of Wichita, Kan. ; one sister, Mary Ann and husband Abe Friesen of Hutchinson, Kan., one brotherin-law, Lavern Funk and wife Joyce of Peabody, Kan.; and three grandchildren.
CHURCH PARTNERSHIP EVANGELISM (CPE)
Invitation: TO: Born-again Christians
King Road MB Church in Abbotsford, B.C_, is seeking
- Labasa
5-22, '98
4-20 , '98
4. NICARAGUA - Managua July 18 - Aug. 3, '98
5. UKRAINE - Novomoskovsk, Pavlograd Berdyansk, Alexandria, Kirowograd July 25 - Aug. 18, '98
6. PERU - Chiclayo, Talara Aug 7 -30, '98
7. PERU - Tumbes
8. BRAZIL.
9. RUSSIA - Tjumen
10. NICARAGUA
Sept. 4-21, '98
Sept. 8-22, '98
Oct. 9-26, '98
Nov. 8-23, '98
INDIA Nov. 7-30, '98
Note: Dates may be subject to change, pending further confirmation of some campaigns 'Canadian dollars
• Team up with national Christians and witness for Christ door to door.
• Some knowledge of the language of the country is helpful.
• Between 800 -2,800 persons have prayed to accept Christ as their personal Savior and Lord during a two-week CPE campaign Come and be a part of an enriching spiritual experience-discover what God can do through you.
For more information, contact: CPE office: Tel.-Fax: 604-864-3941, or Evelyn UnrUh , 604852-5744; or Peter Loewen, 604 -853-3173 or FAX 604-853-6482
Church Partnership Evangelism is a "church -to-church" effort that involves lay members in personal evangelism worldwide. Your application to participate will be forwarded to the c. P.E Executive Committee for processing
Peter Loewen CPE Promoter
Harold W Ens MBMS Int'I General Director
MARTENS, OLGA, Fairview, Okla., a member of Fairview MB Church, was born Sept. 21, 1913, to Adolph and Minnie Weiss and died Feb. 11, 1998, at the age of 84 . On Sept. 2, 1934, she was married to Harrison Martens, who predeceased her. She is survived by one daughter, Gevona and husband Harold Wahl of Fairview; one son, Therrel Martens of Fairview ; two
MENNONITE BRETHREN FOUNDATION is accepting applications
for two
FIELD REPRESENTATIVES
The MIDWEST FIELD REPRESENTATIVE would work out of the Hillsboro, Kan_, office and the WEST COAST FIELD REp· RESENTATIVE would be located in central California. These are full·time positions, but we are open to a combination of part-time personnel.
DUTIES :
To encourage and assist Christians throughout the U.S. Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches in faithful stewardship. Specific responsibilities include stewardship education, individual counseling, planned giving, charitable estate planning and Foundation -related activity
QUALIFICATIONS:
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Demonstrated ability to communicate
• Aptitude for detail work
• Willingness to learn
• Christian commitment and desir e to promote the work of the M e n nonite Brethren.
DIRECT INQUIRIES TO:
Attn: Jon Wiebe, President Mennonite Bi ethreil Foundation PO 80xV Hillsboro, KS 67()63
P hone: Fax: 316.941·3266
E-maU: mbfound@sQuthwlnd net
brothers, Leonard and Walter ; two sisters , Mary Kliewer and Elsie Goosen; five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren _
NEUFELD, SARAH, Buhler, Kan , a member of Buhler MB Church, was born March 20, 1898 in Reno County to Henry and Marie Willems Thiessen and died April 6, 1998, at the age of 100 On March 14, 1920 , she was married to D,J Neufeld, who predeceased her in 1978 She is survived by two sons, Lester and wife Marlene of Inman, Kan , and Clifford and wife Mary of Sun City , Calif.; two daughters , Phyllis and husband Kermit P e t e rs of Hampton, Neb , and Marilyn and husband Virgil Kroeker of Oklahoma City , Okla. ; 10 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren
PENNER, DANIEL SOLOMON, Hillsboro, Kan , a member of Hillsboro MB Church, was born Nov 23, 1915, to Abraham and Katie Gaede Penner at Meade, Kan ., and died March 13 , 1998, at the age of 82 . On May 29, 194 3, he was married to Marlys Jost, who predeceased him . He is survived by two sons, Barry and wife Sharon of Pleasanton , Calif., and Richard and wife Eldora of McPherson , Kan ; two daughters, Kathy and husband Del Sperling of Grant , Neb ., and Pamela and husband Tom Voth of Fortuna, Mo ; two sisters , Elfreda Fast and Ruth Neufeld, both of Hillsboro ; one brother, Clarence Penner of Ingalls, Kan.; and nine grandchildren
PFEIFFER, FRIEDA, Chico, Calif., a member of C ountry Bible Church in Orland, Calif , was born March 12, 191 4 , at Kimi -
rna , Idaho, to Johan and Katherine Goehring and died Feb 18, 1998, at the age of 83. On Jan. IS, 1933, she was married to Ed Pfeiffer, who predeceased her in 1963 She is survived by two sons, Art of Artois, Calif , and Ted of Washington; two daughters, Joyce Alberico of Washington and Kathy Astle of Granite Bay, Calif. ; three sisters, Lydia Voth of Paradise, Calif., Ruth Gordon of San Marcos, Calif , and Esther D'Andreatta of Sacramento, Cali£,; eight grandchildren and six great -grandchildren
RICHERT, MINNIE, Anadarko, Okla , was born Jan. 20, 191 7 , to John G. and Lizzie Hiebert Richert near Com, Okla She is survived by one sister, JoHanna and husband Woody Beltz ; two brothers, Abe and wife Lucille and Robert and wife Verla ; on e sister-in-law, Hilda Richert; and nieces and nephews.
TRENTHAM, B.C. , Balko, Okla , a member of Balko MB Church, was born, Sept . 4 , 1920, to James and Mattie Jackson Trentham in Wise Country, Texas, and died Jan. 20, 1998, at the age of 77. On Nov . IS , 1943 , he was married to Irene, who survives . He is also survived by one son , James and wife Cindy of Balko; two sisters , Louise Dunshee of Logan , N.M. , and Dorothy Newbury of Brownwood, Texas; and two grandchildren.
vom, CAROL, Enid , Okla ., a member of Enid MB Church, was born Jan 26, 1933 , to A W and Eva Just Epp near Fairview, Okla , and died March 11, 1998, at the age
of 65 On Nov 10, 1951, she was married to Robert P. Voth, who predeceased her She is survived by one daughter, Donna and husband Lynn Jost of Hillsboro, Kan.; two sons, Dean and wife Jacque and Danny and wife Rhonda, both of Kremlin, Okla ; one brother, Joel Epp of Enid; three sisters, Verna Mae Reimer of Enid, Norma Jean Eitzen and Betty Wichert, both of Fairview; and eight grandchildren. •
Have a position to fill? Looking for a new employment or ministry opportunity ? Have a gathering or celebration to promote? Need to sell or acquire property?
Reach U.S Mennonite Brethren through a Clearinghouse classified ad The charge is 40 cents per word, with a $15 minimum Withhold payment until an invoice is received. The editors reserve the right to turn down inappropriate material For display (boxed) ad rates , please call us
POSITIONS AVAILABLE
EDUCATOR-Fresno Pacific University seeks a science educator to teach advise and give leadership to its master of arts program in science education The science education program is housed in the graduate school's division of math science and technology education Faculty in the division share time with the AIMS Educational Foundation and have developed a national reputation for innovative programs in education Doctorate (or nearly completed degree) in the field deSired Fresno Pacific University is a dynamic Christian liberal arts col lege of the Mennonite Brethren Church All candidates for faculty positions must share the university's Christian commitment. For full description and application form, write or phone one of the following nUMbers : Dr. Howard J Loewen. Provost. Fresno Pacific University , 1717 S Chestnut , Fresno, CA 93702; phone : 209-453-2023 ; fax: 209 -453 -5502 ; e -mail : hloewen@fresno edu Women and members of minority groups are especially encouraged to reply Applications will be evaluated beginning May 15, 1998 and the appointment will be made as soon thereafter as a suitable ca ndidate is secured.
PROGRAM DIRECTOR - Mennonite Central Committee is seeking appli cants for the position of director of East Asia programs. This is a three -year , fUIItime, salaried position based in Akron Pa .• starting September 1,1998 Qualifications include a commitment to Christian faith , active church membership and nonviolent peacemaking Applicants should have a bachelor's degree experience in East Asia administrative and communication skills and an understanding of the global Mennonite church Travel required For more information, or to receive a copy of the job description, please contact Dwight McFadden. 21 S. 12th SI., PO Box 500, Akron. PA 17501, e-mail : djm@mcc org ph (717) 859 - 1151 Applications due June 1, 1998
PRODUCER RELATIONS - Urgent Opening with Mennonite Central Committee MCC is seeking applicants for the pOSition of producer relations director with Ten Thousand Villages based in Akron. Pa This is a two-year , full-time position starting May 1 1998 Qualifications include a commitment to Christian faith active church membership and nonviolent peacemaking Applicants should have a college degree (MBA preferred). overseas experience. experience with retail and marketing and good commun ication and organizational skills Travel required For more information or to receive a copy of the job description please contact Dwight McFadden 21 S 12th St , PO Box 500 Akron PA 17501 e -mail : djm@mc c org ph (717) 859- 1151 Apply immediately
LET'S TALK ABOUT IT
A GUIDE FOR GROUP INTERACTION
SES SION 1 Ment o nng
Based on "In Search of Mentors," page 4.
GET READY - Getting started
• Who was a mentor for you in your childhood?
GET SET - Examining the issues
1 . After reading all the phrases given to describe mentors, how would you define the role of a mentor?
2. Review the examples of mentoring in Scripture. In each situation, what caused the need for a mentor and what were the results of mentoring?
3 What reasons are given for the lack of emphasis on or practice of mentoring?
4. What are possible drawbacks in mentoring?
GO - Applying ideas to the way we live
1 . Of the various forms of mentoring, which would you most like to give or receive?
2. Do you think mentoring should be encouraged as a church "program"?
3. How do you think it would enhance the life of your congregation?
4. How could/will you encourage a mentoring relationship in your life, either as a mentor or as someone to be mentored?
SES SION 2 M o del s of m a nh o od
Based on "Mr. Sensitive Meets Mr. Macho," page 8.
GET READY - Getting started
• Without sharing names in public, who would you identify as Mr. Sensitive and as Mr. Macho?
GET SET - Examining the issues
1. Identify the five examp les of machoism. Could you add others?
2. Review the examples given from Kim's perspective
3. What do you think is the point of the article?
4 How does Romans 12:3 relate to both perspectives?
GO - Applying ideas to the way we live
1 With which of the examples have you identified this week, either by experience or observation?
2 What are some other examp les you would add?
3 What qualities would you include in a descr iption of Mr. Sensitive and Mr. Macho?
4 Does God have a preference between macho and sensitive?
SES SION 3 M a rria g e and family
Based on "Hope for the Traditional Family," p. 11.
GET READY - Getting started
• How did you experience the public discussion about marriage and family during the 1960s and 1970s?
GET SET - Examining the issues
1. From where did the message come that the family was in trouble?
2 How would you summarize the pessimistic view of marriage and family in our culture?
3 Upon what does Drescher base his hope for the family?
GO - Applying ideas to the way we live
1 Would you agree that there is a more positive message being sent regarding family now than 20 or 30 years ago?
2. How can we as believers and churches encourage and promote a more positive and Christ-like perspective of marriage and family? How is that happening in your congregation?
3. Spend some time making a list of the positive aspects of your present family or the family in which you grew up. Give thanks to God for the good experiences and pray for protection over your family relationships.
SES SION 4 Th e fo c us of our pray e rs
Based on Inqu iring Minds (first question), page 17.
GET READY - Getting started
• To whom do you pray?
GET SET - Examining the issues
1. What makes this question difficult to answer?
2. To whom are prayers addressed in the New Testament? (For some examples see Matthew 6:9 ; 26:39; Luke 23:34; Ephesians 1: 17.)
3. Would you agree or disagree that it is "easier to call on Jesus than on God"?
GO - Applying ideas to the way we live
1. Why are children often taught to pray to Jesus and then expected to move on to other names as they mature?
2 To what extent do you think we should be concerned about the names for God we use when praying? Is it simply a question of personal preference and familiarity, or is a deeper issue involved?
3. How might intentionally varying the names by which we address God in prayer enhance our prayer life?
In's Til K ABOUI II is a project of the Christian Leader and the Southern District Christian Education Commission Questions by Nadine Friesen
In and out
Do MORMONS need conversion?
Can a person serve in the military and be a faithful Christian?
Can a person be both Christian and gay?
Would a Christian ever submit to an abortion or support laws that allow others to?
These questions, each the crux of recent conversations I've been a part of in the last few weeks, share a common denominator: They challenge us to draw lines in the sand of faith. Pushed to a conclusion, these questions go to the most basic judgment call of the spiritual life: salvation or no salvation.
unorthodox folks in his circle What ' s more, he clearly warned his followers about evaluating the spiritual status of others: "Do not judge, or you too will be judged" (Mt . 7:1). Inclusionists point to the many warnings Jesus fired at the Pharisees, who made a career of keeping people outside the community of faith
Meanwhile, Christians who tend to draw the circle more tightly also point to Christ as their guide . About the young man who lived an exemplary life but was still enamored of his material possessions, Jesus said, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich
As I suggested in last month's editorial, We are all exclusionthe tension between faith and reason is man to enter the kingdom of God " He also said, "Small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few fmd it" (Mt 7:14) one of the great battlegrounds in the life of ists to some degree. the church. But the battleground of inclusion versus exclusion may be the bloodiest - if not physically, then spiritually . Includ-
The real question is
ing someone in the circle of faith is life-giv- where, not if, we ing; excluding them can be life-sapping.
Except for the universalist, who believes all people will be saved in the draw the line. end, we Christians consciously or unconsciously make these judgments all the time We are all exclusionists to some degree The real question is where, not if, we draw the line.
For instance , to battle those who believe we must earn our salvation by works, we evangelicals say "belief in Christ" is all that is needed for salvation. But that's not being totally honest. The truth is, we place ultimate value on what people believe about Christ. For instance, is it enough to believe, as Mormon doctrine states , that Jesus was a literal, physically conceived son of God and not God himself? Many would say no.
Let's take it a step further. Most Christians, particularly Anabaptist ones, would say a fundamental doctrine about Christ is that conversion is linked with a changed life We can't claim Christ's lordship one day and live like the devil the next.
In the process of determining what doctrines and behaviors are "salvation worthy," we draw our circles in the sand And, because we draw them differently, we live with an ongoing tension about inclusion and exclusion .
Inclusion-oriented Christians try to draw the circles as large as possible After all, they say, Christ included a lot of
Questions of inclusion and exclusion are significant They determine how we define ourselves - the boundaries of denominations are created and then maintained based on our understanding of who or what is "in" or "out." These questions arise when we
write - or revise - confessions of faith and debate which beliefs are "central" and which are "peripheral. " And they determine with whom we in the church value fellowship and how we define our mission.
Can we realistically expect agreement about the boundaries we set? Probably not, given the limitation of human discernment. We see through the glass darkly, as Paul says My hunch is that most of us draw the circle too large on some issues and too small on others. One thing is certain: We almost always draw our circles large enough to include ourselves And maybe that should tell us something.
Missiologist Paul Hiebert has suggested that most people think of salvation in terms of a circle - people either are in the circle or outside of it But a more helpful model may be a spiral - people either are moving toward the center (God) or they are moving further from it.
The spiral model doesn't eliminate the need for discernment - and the inevitability of making judgments. But I fmd it helpful because it takes seriously the notion that salvation is more like a pilgrimage with turns and growth than a destination to inhabit and defend
I wonder if seeing salvation that way doesn't make us more humble about our interaction with others along the way If so, that would be a good outcome -DR
