I know the continued health of my houseplants is in question thanks to one lily that droops in a particularly sad way when its soil has gotten too dry. When the lily looks sad, I water all our plants and am relieved the next day when the lily's leaves are back to normal . The perky leaves tell me everything-at least in the houseplant realm-is once again OK
Knowing whether or not my church is healthy is not as easy. There may be obvious signs that a congregation is in poor health-declining numbers is one indicator that comes to mind But then again church health experts agree that a growing membership does not always mean the congregation is in fuct healthy. So it seems that promoting good congregational health is not as simple as pouring water on a drooping houseplant.
Articles in the Leader feature section this month remind us that cultivating a healthy church is both an art and a miracle of God. Pastors of two Mennonite Brethren congregations that have addressed the agenda of church health write about their church's experiences. In the opening article Larry Martens, pastor of North Fresno MB Church in Fresno, Calif, offers five characteristics of a healthy congregation based on the model of the New Testament church. The experiences of North Fresno illustrate some of the ways these characteristics play out in the 21st century. Our second article comes from Bakersfield, Calif, where in March a new Mennonite Brethren church had its grand opening. The Bridge Bible Church was planted by Laurelglen Bible Church, a church plant itself Executive pastor Ed Boschman shares the story of how LBC came to birth a daughter congregation There are many resources available to congregations to help them evaluate and then improve their health. The Purpose Driven Life program is currently very popular with evangelical Christians, including Mennonite Brethren. The Leader polled MB pastors who have used the material and Nadine Friesen shares their evaluation.
Church health is also addressed in our news section. Writer Myra Holmes reports on the experience of 16 Mennonite Brethren pastors who attended a leadership practicum that one participant describes as "life changing." While the seminar gave the pastors a look at the innerworkings of a growing congregation, the most significant aspects seem to be those targeting a pastor's personal spiritual habits and discipline . Other news stories include the appointment of a new Southern District Conference minister, the conclusion of a 5-year dialogue between Mennonites and Catholics and a profile of Larry Martens Martens has served the Mennonite Brethren church in a variety of roles-musician, educator and pastor-and will be retiring this summer from full-time ministry. May God bless our efforts to grow the Mennonite Brethren denomination and our local congregations into healthy, flourishing churches that spread the Good News -CF
COMING
_JULY 21-23, 2004-NationaI pastors' convention, Salt Lake City, Utah
_ JULY 23-25, 2004-U.S. Conference convention, SaIt Lake City, Utah
_ JULY 25-26, 2004-55-Plus Conference, SaIt Lake City, Utah
Page 9 Page 26
FEATURES - Church Health
4 Health check
Just as no one longs for poor physical health, few of us believe God intends his church to experien ce poor spiritual health Thanks to the work of Mission USA and district boards, many U.S Mennonite Brethren churches have recently gotten a health check and are working at identified weak areas. In the process of pursuing good health, North Fresno MB Church has found the first century church model to be a good guide . BY LARRY MARTENS
8 Growing the family
One characteristi c of a living thing is that it reproduces The same is true of churches The Bakersf ield, Calif , community has a unique family of Mennonite Brethren churches . In 1978 several congregations planted Laurelglen Bible Church and this fall a third-generation MB church was birthed when LBC planted The Bridge Bible Church. BY ED BOSCHMAN
12 Growing on purpose
The Purpose Driven Life and its supplemental materials are popular resources among Mennonite Brethren congregat ions. A Leader survey shows why pastors are attracted to this best-sell ing book and reveals how the material helps congregations address church health issues . The survey also indicates that our pastors affirm this material for its back -to -basics approach BY NADINE FRIESEN
DEPARTMENTS
Forum
• Five lousy reasons to do summer missions
by Randy Friesen 17
Inquiring Minds by Marvin Hein 18
• American Mennonite Brethren and the current conflict in Iraq Chuck's Corner by Chuck Buller 19
• Conside r yourself invited Ph'lip Side by Philip Wiebe 20
• Turning the tables on legalism
On the Journey .
• Trip opens eyes of nephews & aunt
Bodylife
• Shadowing a successful
• Mennonite-Catholic dialogue
• Musician, educator and pastor
• Friesen
by Rose Buschman 21
Holmes Elaine Ewert
BOARD OF COMMUNICATIONS: Kathy He inrichs Wiest, chair; Peggy Goertzen, Reggie Hunt, Phil Neufeld, Moises Tagle, Dalton Reimer
MANDATE: The Christian Leader (lSSN 0009-5149) is published monthly by the U S. Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches. The Christian Leader seeks to inform Mennonite Brethren members and churches of the events, activities, decisions and issues of their denomination, and to instruct, inspire and initiate dialogue so members will aspire to be faithful disciples of Christ as understood in the evangelical/Anabaptist theological tradition
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CHURCH HEALTH
ByLarryMartens
The old axiom, if you have your health you have eve rything, may be true of our physical bodies but it is also t rue of the church The church should not simply invest energy in introducing people to Christ. It must also be concerned about the spiritual health of people Denominations cannot be concerned only with planting churches. They must also be concerned with the health of churches
Many church leaders in our denomination have expressed concern over the state of the church Some Mennonite Brethren denominational leaders have observed that while some of our churches show signs of dynamic health, many have plateaued and some are in serious decline . What is true for the Mennonite Brethren is generally true of churches in North America .
A positive sign for us as Mennonite Brethren is the focus of Mission USA to not just plant new churches but to bring health to existing churches and to strengthen their mission and ministry. Our districts have also identified the concern and are working alongside Mission USA in this task.
What is church health? Stephen Goodwin in his book Catching the Next Wave defines church health as the normal function of church life as God designed it. This normal function of church life includes the interplay of a God-inspired vision , loving and caring communities and intentional mission strategies focused on extending God's Kingdom in society. Healthy churches do not only do the same old things and expect a different result. Healthy churches recognize that to be salt and light, we must be something different. Healthy churches embrace God's design and mission for the church .
For the past 11 years I have pastored a church that has worked hard on the agenda of church health Recently I asked 20 leaders of our congregation three questions Is North Fresno Church healthy? What are the signs of that health? What suggestion do you have for improving our health?
While there was a uniform belief that North Fresno Church is a healthy church, several of our leaders suggested that "healthy" does not mean perfection or having no problems or challenges . One person suggested that healthy churches have growing pains Another suggested that healthy churches get occasional fevers and infections Another individual said that the central issue about church health is not so much what we do, but how we "are" the church. This person said being the church has to do with community, accountability, vision and how we carry out the mission God has given us.
In our quest to be a healthy church , we have found the early church described in Acts to be a helpful model. Several principles have emerged from that first century
model that have guided us.
•Healthychurcheshaveanupwardfocus.
Healthy churches live on the edge where God is at work and revel in what God is doing in their midst. The focus is not on what they are doing but on what God is doing. The first century Spirit-filled believers had a front row seat observing the powerful transforming presence of God in their midst. Even though they were experiencing severe economic hardship and were being persecuted for their faith, they were filled with joy because God had entered their city and was transforming their lives (Acts 2 :42-47). Healthy churches live on the edge where God is at work, and they respond with joyous worship.
•Healthychurcheshaveanoutwardfocus.
These Spirit-filled people were devoted to the mission God has given the church. They shared the good news, but they also served people in need These first century Christians valued people over posseSSions. They did not feel they had the right to live in prosperity and ignore the physical and material need of others The result was that each day people were added to the church (Acts 2:47)
.
Steve Sjogren, a pastor of Vineyard Community Church of Cincinnati, Ohio, emphasizes that the church needs to extend the gospel in one hand and a cup of cold water in the other. That's how we go into the city. His admonition to church planters is not to enter the city to start a church but to serve the city. Sjogren emphasizes that the manifesto for their church is to "exist to love our city into a relationship with Jesus Christ" (The Perfectly Imperfect Church , p 59) Healthy churches serve their communities with the gospel in one hand and a cup of cold water in the other.
•Healthychurchesfosterstrongcommunity.
The first century believers "met together constantly and shared everything they had" (Acts. 2:44) The New Testament describes a community that was joined together, built together, were members together, heirs together, fitted together and serving one another (Eph. 4 :14-16; Rom. 12:4-5; 1 Cor 12:1-31) For this early church faith was not simply a private matter. We in our individualistic culture must fight the notion that we can become Christlike alone. We cannot survive spiritually without strong community.
Erwin McManus, senior pastor of Mosaic Church in East Los Angeles, says that he is unable to be intimately involved in the life of every person in the congregation But, he can be certain that every person is pastored Small groups form the context where such individuals can find support , encouragement, be inspired to growth and to serve one another. We at North Fresno Church
CHURCH HEALTH
have made a commitment to not just be a church with a number of small groups, but to be a church of small groups. Our goal is that all believers at NFC will experience vital community and ministry in a small group.
•Healthychurchesbuildbridgesratherthan walls.
Right from the outset, the first century church was faced with a significant challenge. Was the Gospel only for Jews or was it also for Gentiles? The Apostle Peter struggled with this issue in his vision in Acts 10 . The issue came to a head in Acts 15. It could have split the church right down the middle But the leaders of the church gathered in Jerusalem to talk, listen and pray They concluded that both Jews and Gentiles could experience the grace and power of God. The church decided to build bridges instead of walls and the cultural captivity of the church was broken.
While the church is to be separated from the world, it is to be engaged with that world. We at North Fresno Church are learning what that means. Seven years ago
we joined a citywide program called "C are Fresno." It is a program that brings together the police department, apartment complex managers, school administrators and churches to address community problems related to drug abuse, single parent families, economic issues and crime.
We began to work at an apartment complex near our church facility The complex has 750 units and a community of around 2,000 people. We started with a reading program and a kid's Bible club. Our ministry has since expanded to include athletic clubs (football and basketball), a computer lab, a science fair and a community wide fall carnival as an alternative to Halloween celebrations. Today the children who are involved in the club programs are also involved in our midweek children's and youth related ministries, vacation Bible school and our summer camping program. We have also tried to find ways to reach the parents. A couple of years ago we began to provide quarterly oil changes for families in the complex. For the past two years a NFC growth group together with church staff and volunteers has prepared a 'Thanksgiving meal at the complex. In 2002 we served about 150 people. Last fall we served more than 250 people. Last fall a member of our congregation began to volunteer one day a week to serve as a chaplain at the apartment complex.
These ministries have given us an opportunity to serve adults with social, material and spiritual needs. We recently organized a Social Action Response Team, a group of volunteers who assist in responding to crises. We have had the privilege of helping people pay for utility bills, rent and automobile repair and to assist families with food, clothing and furniture.
It has been exciting to see how building bridges of ministry has opened up opportunity to share the Gospel with individuals, to provide family counseling and to see adults from the apartment complex begin to attend our services or participate in our evangelistic program . We are learning that a healthy church moves from "serve us" to "service." And we have learned that acts of service have given us a more authentic and effective witness to the power of the
CHURCH HEALTH
Gospel to transform lives.
• Healthy churches bless rather t han condemn the city.
We are also learning that to serve the city, we must bless the City. The church has often positioned itself in an adversarial relationship to its community. Jeremiah 29 includes instructions that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the exiles in Babylon: "Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers , you too will prosper" aero 29:7).
The prophetic instruction was no doubt shocking for the exiles. It is easy to become defensive and reactionary when we feel uncomfortable with our environment or feel threatened by violence and crime. We want to withdraw rather than serve.
The city of Fresno has an informal coalition of church, business and city government leaders called No Name Fellowship. At No Name Fellowship monthly meetings we learn about the needs and challenges of living in an urban community, but we also pray for our city. Anyone can curse the city but the community of faith has a unique opportunity to bless the city, pray for its leaders and its people and serve in ways that bring about change
Our ministry at the apartment complex and in the community surrounding our church facilities has become an opportunity to bless the city of Fresno. We believe that the city is better for it, and our lives are enriched because of it.
About 10 years ago North Fresno Church developed a slogan that we use to describe our commitments: "Reaching Up; Moving Out." It describes the balance that must exist if a congregation is to be healthy; i.e , loving God with our whole being and loving our neighbor as we love ourselves (Matt. 22:36-40) We celebrate God ' s grace in our lives, and we offer ourselves in service to others. Neither is optional. And we need not argue which comes first. Worship can lead us to service; service can lead us to worship However, one without the other can lead to a dead church and no one wants that. Larry Martens is senior pastor at North Fresno MB Church. Ibis article is adapted from a message Martens gave in November 2003 at the PacifiC District Conference convention as part of the district 's focus on church health. As noted in the story on page 26 of this issue of the Leader, Martens has served tlie Mennonite Brethren church in a variety of capacities and will retire from full-time ministry this summer.
Reod more about ... church health
• Steven Goodwin , Catching the Next Wave , Augsburg , 1999 Goodwin emphasizes that clear vision and strong leadership strategies can turn congregations around
• Darrell Guder, Ibe Continuing Conversion of the Church, Eerdmans , 2000 Guder has been a leader in the rnissional church movement. Given the difficult mission field of post-modern culture, Guder emphasizes the sweeping changes needed so that the church can be a faithful witness in today ' s world .
• Stephen A Macchia , Becoming a Healthy Church , Baker Books, 1999. Macchia provides a manual to help congregations redefine themselves and become dynamic and healthy. He offers ten characteristics of a healthy church as an evaluative tool to guide the process
• Brian D Mclaren , A New Kind of Christian . Jossey-Bass , 2001 Mclaren is a strong proponent of the mission church movement. This book is an inspirational fictional story of spiritual renewal that focuses on what a Christian in this post-
modem culture might look like Mclaren also has published a helpful book, Ibe Church on the Other Side , Zondervan , 2000 , describing how the church might do ministry in our postmodem world
• Herbert Schwartz , Christoph Schalk, Natural Church Development , ChurchSmart Resources , 1998 Natural Church Development is a guide to eight essential qualities of healthy churches emphasizing an organic process of growth whe n the body is healthy.
• Ronald Sider, Philip Olson & Heidi Unruh , Churches
Ibat Make a Difference: Reaching Your Community with Good News and Good Works , Baker, 2002 This book focuses on a holistic ministry that balances effective evangelism and social outreach It prOvides sound theology, practical advice and many examples of ministry to the whole person , body and soul with God ' s empowering love .
• Rick Warren , Ibe Purpose Driven Church , Zondervan , 1995. Warren emphasizes church health by focusing on the five purposes of the church : worship ; ministry ; evangelism; fellowship ; discipleship
WHEN. LAUR LEN BIBLE CHURCH OF Bakersfield, Calif, was b orn in 1978 e were bold enough to look forw ard with Gonfidence to God's significant blessing. Our long-term view through the eyes of faith included significant measurable kin dom growth in both our city and around e glo . e boldly celebrated our passion for Jesus and committed to faithfully partner with him in his mission to seek and save the lost and disciple the found
We had the spiritual courage to believe that our provider God would enable us to grow the LBC family. Our desire was to maximize our ministry impact from the Ashe Road campus, and then to celebrate the Lord's gracious gifts to us through birthing additional mission outpost churches in an increasingly secularized and spiritually hungry community.
Prioritiesandgoodhealth
Our sense was that doing that effectively would require us to prioritize evangelism and outreach among our core values. Though we were unswerving in our
commitment to teaching the undiluted , whole counsel of God and passionately celebrating our relationship with Him, we aimed to be contextually relevant. We aimed to do whatever we could to provide bridges for the people of our community to find direction, meaning and purpose for their lives through choosing to trust Jesus as their Savior and make him Lord of their lives. Additional values we espoused included excellence, balance and majoring on the majors.
In recent years, studies have been conducted to discover common indicators of health in effective growing churches. People studying healthy churches have agreed that there are basic commonalities among them The Lord has enabled LBC to be strong and healthy in many of those elements of health. We enjoy the privilege of trusted and well-supported empowering leadership
Our governmental structures are largely functional and enabling. By providing both blended and more contemporary styles in weekend services, most p e ople find a
CHURCH HEALTH
good and inspiring fit among the options. Loving relationships within the church family have always been a hallmark. Strong financial support for a sizeable budget has been an indicator of people choosing biblical stewardship principles. And all the above are rooted in solid Bible teaching at all levels within the family. LBC has strong and effective ministries at all levels of church life-from infancy to those who are more chronologically gifted.
Though we have always encouraged participatory ministry and the importance of small group relationships, we have struggled to find ways to maximize our commitment to these. In some cases, this lack of commitment may be connected to waning personal spiritual passion . In others, it may be more about the need for more effectualleadership to inspire, train and deploy Decisions,decisions
About five years ago God provided an opportunity we couldn't pass up Would we like to purchase a prime 25-acre property for a very reasonable price? Our answer? We would! And we did. Several subsequent attempts to determine what we should do next precipitated strong and varied opinions and highlighted the fact that the property had become ours without a strategic plan for its use. Should we relocate? Should we plant, or reverse -plant a church? Should we become a dual campus (satellite) church? Or should we sell the land?
In the spring of 2002 we convened a process which came to be known as "Decision L" (Decision Land/Location). Through an extraordinarily intensive process involving about 50 persons representing all facets of LBC life and ministry we "left no stone unturned" in a nine month process to find the Lord's direction for us in the "Decision L" matter. In the end, the membership in the largest membership meeting of our entire quarter century history voted 86 percent in favor of planting
By Ed Boschman
a church.
We "incubated" that "baby" on our campus and then blessed and sent about 275 men, women and children to be the baby. That day in early September 2003 when we gathered that newly emerging church family for a birth celebration and bleSSing, was an emotional red-letter day for LBC, and we believe, a day that heaven rejoiced with us.
Worriesevaporate
Among our many concerns in anticipation of this birthing was the impact it would have on the mother congregation. How would we replace all the volunteers that were leaving? Would we survive the budget impact of "sending" about one-tenth of our $2 million budget with our daughter? How would the birth affect the stability and morale of the mother/family?
In addition to concerns about the mother ship, there were concerns for the new vessel. Would we find the right pastor and leadership? Would the birth weight be
adequate to provide a solid foundation? Would we be able to define the most appropriate and helpful motherdaughter relationship adequately and then pull it off effectively?
Those concerns have evaporated as the Lord of the church has answered one prayer after another. LBC has effectively mobilized adequate numbers of new volunteers and the various ministries are carrying on in strength With regard to tithes and offerings, we are on target to support our entire Ministry Action Plan for 2003/04 . In the months leading up to and immediately following the birth of what has come to be known as The Bridge Bible Church, we have had the largest series of incoming membership classes ever. What's more, a goodly portion of them are representing the emerging generations, indicating that the Lord has a great future forLBe.
As we experienced 40 Days of Purpose in October and November of 2003, there were both individual and collective renewals of passion and commitment not to waste our lives . The above are evidences of that. Our church family will soon transfer the deed for the 25
acres to our daughter-a gift that will be given with a commitment to continue to be kingdom ministry partners and a prayer that the best and most effective ministry years are yet ahead for us both.
Growingagain
In September, the Bridge began meeting in rented space at the new campus of Bakersfield Christian High School, right next door to the 25-acre property. The group began meeting right after the arrival of Pastor Jeff and Traci Gowling. For the past several months Gowling and a task force compiled of three men from the Bridge and three from LBC have served as the interim board of directors. In preparation for their grand opening March 21, they scheduled two Sunday morning celebrations in a facility that seats about 275 people A1readyattendance is running over 400 and continues to climb. New spiritual births and baptisms to celebrate them are becoming systemic to the life of the Bridge. And their budget is flush.
Partly because church multiplication is exhilarating, but mostly because we are convinced that new churches are the single most effective way to maximize real kingdom growth, we foresee this happening again. In fact, we're toying with the idea of having mother and daughter each set aside one percent of our annual budget to gather the resources to help make it possible.
We didn't get it all right in all the details or in the process But the One who came "to seek and save the lost" apparently overlooked our inadequacies and forgave our shortcomings because he has blessed beyond what we thought or asked. In early March our combined attendance was approaching 1700. That's 400 more than gathered last year at LBe.
MBs are Be's fastest-growing denomination
THANKS TO CHURCH
planting efforts , the Mennonite Brethren Church is the fastest growing denomination in British Columbia While 85 percent of North American churches have s table or declining membe rships , MB churches in Britis h Columbia have grown nearly 150 p e rcent in the past 25 ye ars , from 7, 000 to 17, 000 Geoff Neufe ld , executive
director for church extension for the British Columbia MB Conference , says the stage for growth was set in the ' 60s when a new kind of church emerged-one that was more contemporary and that incorporated new leadership models Willingdon Church in Burnaby emerged as a flagship in the MB conference , testing new waters and breaking old
With new trails cleared , new leaders began emerging , bringing a passion for growth and evangelism Fourteen churches were formed in the '70s.
"Then in the 1980s a new phenomenon started to challenge our thinking," says Neufeld . "We moved into the territory of becoming a truly
multicultural community. " Chinese , Greek , Laotian , Indian Punjadi and Hispanic congregations were begun This continued into the ' 90s as churches were planted among Cantonese , Arabic , Persian , Indonesian , Korean , IndoCanadian, Vietnamese , Russian , Kosovar, Albanian and Mandarin people s Forty-seven congregations
CHURCH HEALTH
Should God allow us to do this again we would do some things differently, but we'd be up for it. We evangelical Anabaptist believers have a lot to offer and it is a good match for what ails many in our third millennial neighborhoods .•
Helping to give birth to the Bridge is not Ed Boschman 's first church planting experience. LBC itself was a church plant of several congregations and Boschman and his wife Carol were LBC's first pastoral couple and served the congregation for 11 years. As an associate pastor at Lincoln Glen Church in San Jose, Calif, during the late 70s, he helped with the birth of a daughter church, Blos-
som Valley During the early 90s, Boschman was the pastor of Willow Park Church in Kelowna, B. c., and assisted that congregation in giv ing birth to a daughter church. Boschman put his experience to work for the u.s. Conference when in the fall of 1996 he became the first executive director of Mission USA , the u.s. Conference church planting and renewal ministry During his years with MUSA, the national ministry worked with district home mission boards to plant several churches and Boschman continues in an advisory and mentoring relationship with two of those congregations In 2002 Boschman joined the LBC staff as executive pastor.
were started in the ' 90s , bringing the total number of MB churches in the province to 100. "Now God has given us a vision for planting 100 additional churches by 2010 ," says Neufeld "It is a goal that is impossible from a human point ofview. "
But as the conference entered the decade 's third year, it was on target Sixteen churches have opened , and eight more are on the drawing board . Last fall , Neufeld was a
resource speaker at a pastors ' conference hosted by Hesston (Kan .) College on "Transitioning : Leading your church through change. " In his presentation , Neufeld listed seven changes that cleared the way for growth .
1. Change from an "ethnic Mennonite " identity to an "allnations " identity
2 Change from a congregational style of decision-making to an eldership model in which people with gifts of spiritualleadership determine the
course and set the pace.
3 . Change from seeing the world as a place to be separated from to being a place to which Christians are being sent.
4. Change from seeing the mission fields as being overseas to being wherever lost people are
5 Change from seeing church growth as "mystical " to being "intentional ."
6 Change from seeing church institutions as responsible for training leaders to see-
ing congregations as responsible to build and equip leaders.
7. Change from worship being informational oriented to worship being experientially oriented
"There needs to be a w.illingness to let go of the past in order to get on with the future ," Neufeld told the group "The main thing is to reach the lost and disciple the found ."
From a report by Palmer Becker in the Dec 1, 2003 issue of Mennonite Weekly Review.
RPOSE
Warren's The Purpose
Driven Life isimpactingevangelical churchesaroundthe world,includingu.s.
IT' 8:30 SATURDAY MORNING AND WHILE MOST of eir nef ghbors are doing chores at home, going to work o just relaxing, these adults, teens and children are gathe ·ng at a local Mennonite Brethren church. A friendly greeting, book table, rolls, fruit, cheese and coffee welcome each person as they enter. Children join their friends in activities planned just for them. Teens and adults begin with songs of praise and "boo yah" cheers.
At 9:00 a m., the large video screen in the fellowship hall comes to life. Music, images of people interacting with one another and then an unpretentious pastor speaking with enthusiasm and conviction appear. Scriptures flash across the screen, interspersed with music and more images of people being the body of Christ.
The message content is familiar to most. But what is basic also sounds life transforming. Thought provoking statements are peppered throughout the message : "It's not about you." "You were made to live forever." "Each day's goal is to know God a little better, love him a little more " "Every problem has a purpose." "Whenever you love another person as God loves you, you are being a minister."
What is the purpose of this Saturday morning gathering? Why are people listening to a two-hour presentation when they will be back for another one on Sunday?
After weeks of preparation and prayer, this Saturday is the kickoff of the 40 Days of Purpose This MB congregation has joined hundreds of other churches in the u.S. and around the world that are participating in the Purpose Driven Life simulcast. For many, the 40-day process of sermons, personal readings and small group interactions will follow
The message is calling participants to discover or rediscover their God-given purpose. The speaker is Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif , and author of The Purpose Driven Life which has sold 4.5 million copies, been named Christian Book of the Year and resulted in a variety of supplemental resources and products.
FulfillingGod'spurpose
Almost everyone who has any contact with the church or Christian literature and media has heard about the Purpose Driven movement that has been impacting churches since the release of the book The Purpose Driven Life in October 2002 The premise of the book is that God has created each individual with five distinct purposes: worship, fellowship, diScipleship, ministry and mission These purposes are gleaned from what Warren sees as the biblical foundation for a purpose driven life and church-the Great Commandment, Matt. 22:37-40 and the Great CommiSSion, Matt. 28: 19-20
Those who read the book and participate in the program are encouraged to read one chapter a day for 40 days to help clarify answers to basic questions such as: Who am I? Do I matter? What is my place in life? Sermons, small group discussions and accountability, Bible memory, ministry and mission fairs that highlight opportunities to serve within and outside the church may also be part of the 40-day spiritual growth emphasis.
While almost every detail for what, why and how a congregation could function during the program is articulated in the resources provided, each congregation is free to adapt the materials to what they feel works best in their setting.
Warren has pastored the Saddle back congregation since 1980 when it began as a small Bible study in his home. Today the church, affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, is home to 15,000 baptized members.
While Warren has taught his principles of a purpose driven church and life to more than 300,000 pastors, he draws little attention to himself. He was quoted in USA Today (July 21,2003) as saying, "I couldn't care less about people coming to see me; I just want to build an army of the faithful." His goal, as stated in his books, is not to create more churches just like Saddleback, but to pass on the biblical principles that enable individuals and churches to fulfill their God-given purpose in whatever setting they minister.
From The Purpose Driven Life book has come the 40 Days of Purpose campaigns in which over 2 million people in the u.S . and other countries have participated, including MB congregations. The campaign plan is a highly organized and well-marketed process that includes specific instructions for preparation and the actual sixweek emphasis, including sermon topics and material and resources for small groups.
In exploring ways that the 40 Days of Purpose has impacted MB congregations, the Leader invited MB pastors who have used the book or the campaign to respond to a survey. From the responses received and some additional research, we know of at least 16 churches that have used the materials in one way or another.
Reviewingthebasics
The reasons for using the Purpose Driven materials in MB congregations center around a desire to review the basics of living as disciples of Christ and to encourage individuals and churches to clarify their visions for future ministry. Recommendations from others, the format of a specific time frame and the interaction of individual daily readings along with related worship service messages make the program appealing.
Pastor Skip Suess of Good News Fellowship, Ferndale, Wash., says, "We were at a point trying to discern how the Lord was leading in our church regarding vision for future ministry. What was God calling us to do and be? The Lord used this book to help us ask some hard questions about our church's focus and direction."
Pastor Terry Hunt of Bushtown MB Church in Lenoir, N.C. says , "In the midst of growing pains , we needed a down to earth study with purpose ."
Marlin Hiett , pastor of discipleship and equipping at Reedley (Calif) MB Church , says , "We were looking for a simple , unifying , meaningful theme and program This really looked like a current , yet basic thought-provoking resource. And it was We liked the idea of preaching lining up with what small groups and Sunday school classes were discussing ."
Impadcomesfromunifiedfocus
The overall impact of Warren's book varies among congregations and to some extent by the ways in which the resource has been used Specific long-term effects can be difficult to measure , but overall the impact among MB congregations has been positive
The greatest impact for most congregations is the unified focus during the 4 0-day period . If a church chooses to follow the Purpose Driven format , small groups , Sunday school classes and all church events during the 40 days are related to one of the five purposes .
Enid (Okla ) MB Church Pastor Garvie Schmidt says , "It helped us to all share in a similar experience . It is an experience that one can talk about and share about on an ongoing basis and in different settings ."
Warren's chapters are inundated with scriptures from 15 translations . A verse to remember is also given for each day ' s reading. Hiett says that for their congregation, "Many have quoted scripture through a new lens the lens of purpose "
Pastors acknowledge that it is difficult to get a read on what impacts an entire congregation and what the long-term effect may be. But Russell Schmidt , pastor of Faith Bible Church, Lawton, Okla. says , "I do know that it made a difference in daily Bible reading and devotional time during the time that we did it. "
Those who read the book and participate in the 40 days speak of being both encouraged and convicted in the five areas of spiritual growth " It was a great encouragement in our church ," says Suess "It helped affirm the direction the Lord is leading us. It encourages spiritual growth I think this was a springboard for a very positive year of ministry. " A participating church member was also heard to say, "The reading is stepping on
my toes this week. But that's okay, I need it."
Refocusedministries
For most congregations, the Purpose Driven focus has not resulted in new ministries per se but rather in strengthening and refocusing some that were already in place. Schmidt says, "New ministries are not yet visible, although some (people) have been more dedicated to our current programs."
Pat Coyle , pastor of Shafter (Calif) MB Church, reiterates the same sentiment adding, "We've seen a renewed understanding of why we should even be involved at all ."
For several congregations , there have been positive results for small groups "I would say that it has definitely strengthened our small group ministry and also provided ideas for ongoing study," says Schmidt. "Many of our small groups are now follOwing up the Purpose Driven Life study with the Doing life Together study, a Purpose Driven group resource ." Schmidt goes on to say that through a conversation a member had at work, he was asked to start a group in another community and that one individual came to know Christ as a result of being part of a group .
Adaptationsandcautions
In responding to what they would do differently if they repeated the emphasis , most pastors said they would focus more intentionally on the formation or participation in small groups.
Schmidt says , "I would emphasize the small groups more strongly, and use the videos if at all possible."
Suess says , "I will likely use the series again at some point. I would want to do more prep work. We charged into it with only a few weeks' preparation . I would also encourage the small group component. "
Suess went on to say he is troubled by the commercialization of the program the 40 Days of Purpose idea has caught on, it seems to have taken on more of that (commercialization) character. It's not the end, but a tool that the Lord can and has used .... But I think we need to be cautious when we try to script how God is supposed to work."
Schmidt agrees with that assessment and says, "One must be careful not to see it simply as another program coming down the pike which you do for the sake of doing something new It must be seen as a tool to move the church further up the field and not as an end in itself "
Ken Braun, pastor at Dallas, Ore , says, "There are no startling revelations in the book and the assumption behind the book is that most people reading it are new believers or not yet believers It can have a tendency to
make long-time believers feel that they have wasted their lives up until this point."
A fairly common concern for readers is the way multiple Scriptures are used as stand-alone verses and not related to the context from which they come. Coyle observes, "The only weakness that some were concerned about was Warren's use of proof texts that some thought were a little of a stretch to prove his points." Warren's response, stated on his Web site, is that in order to condense content to a length that people would easily digest each day, he was unable to explain the Scriptures in their context, even though he believes and teaches that is the way Scripture should be studied and understood.
FitwithMBtheology
The Purpose Driven Life book and campaign is one of many popular themes and programs that move through and influence evangelical churches, including MB churches. In a time when resources are so readily accessible and attractively marketed, it seems pertinent to carefully discern their usefulness and compatibility with our Anabaptist theology and practices.
In explOring the question of whether the Purpose Driven focus is one that fits well with MB theology, Coyle says, "We felt that the book complimented our Anabaptist theology just fine."
Another affirmation comes from Braun who says, ''While parts of Warren's book reflect a more mainstream evangelical view of the Christian life, at its core the book is solidly biblical and we as Anabaptists are people of the book."
The example and results of the Purpose Driven principles demonstrated by Warren at Saddleback Church influence others. Hunt says, "Rick Warren has given us the knowledge and 20 years of experience in this book, so why not use this tool to grow what God has blessed?"
If the premises of The Purpose Driven Life are basic and familiar to most who are nurtured in our MB churches and who have presumably been exposed to the content, one might wonder why MB congregations have chosen to participate in this spiritual growth format.
Braun says, "The popularity and more importantly the effectiveness of this book lie in the fact that Warren takes things that have become rather 'boring' or taken for granted by many believers and serve as a reminder or wake-up call for the average Christian "
Russell Schmidt reiterates the Significance of the basics in Christ-like discipleship "We need to get back to the basics," he says. "The basics have been lost and we need to teach them over and over. It's pure Good News ."
Servingitspurpose
1\vo of the pastors' responses summarize the overall
assessment of MB pastors regarding the use of The Purpose Driven Life in our churches . Garvie Schmidt says, "God is using this tool as a Significant renewal vehicle to revive the church and I believe Mennonite Brethren want to be a part of this. They want to be at the center of what God is doing in our world. I furthermore believe that MBs are open to work with other evangelicals and open to learn and network with other groups to strengthen the kingdom."
Hiett also senses that MBs have a desire to be faithful in fulfilling the purpose God gives to those who follow him. "I believe there is a hunger to be relevant to our society. Many of our MB churches know that what we have to offer a lost world is priceless. But why are they not buying it? Wanting it? Walking away from it?" says Hiett.
"So we scratch our heads and go back to the drawing board. The 40 Days of Purpose came at a good time for many of us to rally and to be encouraged and challenged, all at the same time. This message is Scripture with some skin on," says Hiett. "It reminds us to take courage, encourage, be encouraged, to rest and to get with it, to know and to do. Our tradition has often caused us to take a step back, and this format has helped us take a step forward. It's been a good balance for us as Mennonite Brethren. "
Nadine Friesen is the Leader editorial assistant.
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READER ESSAYS
Fivelousyreasonstodosummermissions
BY RANDY FRIESEN
IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN when a youth pastor's last minute planning for the winte r youth retreat has been replaced by thoughts of summer. How about a summer mission trip with the youth group? Before you e-mail your favorite missionary or ministry to make arrangements for a trip, I invite you to reflect on a few lousy reasons to do summer missions.
Lousy reason # 1: Others are going You've been hearing reports from other youth groups in town that their last short-term mission trip was amazing . Now teens from your group are thinking of joining the youth group across town for their next mission trip. You've got to head this one off at the pass. It's time to get a mission trip of your own organized before your whole group goes south and leaves you up north.
How about praying for a strategy? Disciples ofJesus are invited to join him on his global mission. Where does that mission begin? It should start with the teens in your high school and the homeless in your city Going cross-cultural can begin on your local university campus or native territory. If your mission isn't happening at home-don't export it. A wellthought out international short-term mission trip (STM) usually takes a year to plan Pray through a mission strategy for your youth group that includes local, national and international discipleship in mission experiences.
Lousy reason #2: Parents of my teens are bugging me. You have heard from a few parents that it would be "really good" if you planned a STM for their kids. You are thinking this might come up in your next performance review. Time to start planning? Maybe not.
Bring this up at the next parents ' meeting you schedule . Discern together
whether it is the youth group that is interested in taking mission to the next level or if parents are the interested ones There are some great STMs with which parents can serve, with or without their teens. Regardless, it's always a great idea to get the parents involved in the prayer, planning and experience of an STM rather than trying to pull it off yourself.
Lousy reason #3: A STM will look good on my resume What church wouldn't be impressed with some cross-cultural mission experiences on a resume? How about God? God is impressed with obedience. When we stand before his throne and protest, "Did we not go on missions in your name?" we will be reminded that it's all about the will of the Father.
Having the finances and time to cross the world doesn't constitute a call from God to do so. Galilee was full of needs that Jesus walked right past. His goal was to obey the Father. It should be ours as well .
Lousy reason #4: It would be awesome to visit my missionary friend. Yes, it would. Scheduling a STM to cover your costs to get there is probably not the right way to go about it. In addition, a divided focus will distract you from your primary goal of discipling your youth through the experience.
The open secret about a STM is that most of the value is experienced by those who go to serve, not those on the "receiving end." By trying to pull off a mission trip by themselves, most youth workers are so exhausted by the time the STM rolls around they have little left to give their teens . It would be better to serve with an experienced STM organization that takes care of the pre-trip discipleship training,
has excellent staff present to organize the aSSignment and then leads your group through a quality debrief where you discover how to apply what you have learned in your home setting. Check out Youth Mission International's SOAR program at 1- 877 - YMI - INFO or www.youthmission org. You might not get to visit your favorite missionary but a well-planned STM experience will transform your youth group and save you from burnout.
Lousy reason #5: I've always wanted to visit Africa. Watching the World Vision 1V specials can do that to you. However, it's a bad reason to get a bunch of teens to raise tens of thousands of dollars to join you.
What is a STM all about? It is about discipleship, learning to walk with God, becoming like him and serving in his kingdom. This is not a vacation. This will cost you There is no such thing as "short term" in God's mission. Instead of squeezing God into your Africa box, align your heart with his and begin teaching your teens to listen and obey the voice of God.
All of life becomes an adventure following his mission. Mission isn't first a location-it is a relationship . It is his mission . Find out where he is working and where he's inviting you to join him.
Randy Friesen directs the short-term ministries division of MBMS International. Included in that portfolio is Youth Mission International, a short-term mission ministry for teens and young adults Friesen began in 1989. YMIfacilitates short-term mission trips for about 1,000 people a year. Friesen is currently completing doctoral research on the impact ofS1M's on the values and beliefs of young adults.
INQUIRING MINDS
BY MARVIN HEIN
Questionsaboutfaith&life
Mennonite Brethren and the conflict in __ _
QDoestheMennoniteWehaveaccommodated
Why do we .not hear more the BrethrenChurchstillbelieve pit concernmg our ConfessIon of FaIth thatitiswrongtokillpeo-totheevangel."calmal"n- statement mYthown ) subjective lee ings, as e a lew 0 ers pieintimeofwar?(Kansas for their answers. An insightful answer
AAlmost all the questions and correspondence I've received lately relate to the war in Iraq. At the
same time I received the inquiry above, I also got a letter in which people from the Japanese MB Church were asking a similar question: Where are the American MBs on the war issue? The Kansas questioner wrote that he had been attending a MB church for 40 years and had listened to five pastors during that time, but could not recall as many as five sermons on our peace position. The Japanese asked if U.S . MBs were making any statements about the war in Iraq.
The last question is the easiest to answer. I consulted with Board of Faith and Life people in the u.s. and Canada. Neither conference has spoken to the issue of war in Iraq. I am not aware of any district or provincial conference tackling the subject. The only brave soul who has addressed this issue is Henry Schmidt, the former president of MB Biblical Seminary.
Schmidt wrote a letter to MB pastors three days after 9/11. Among other things, he encouraged pastors to pray for peace in the midst of strident, harsh voices and reminded them that violence begets violence. He urged pastors to respond to the attack with restraint and without a desire for revenge. He included several reports from MBs in other parts of the world that said our harsh actions (the counterattack against Afghanistan) would only perpetuate an
Schmidt followed this with Call to Prayer" that was 'published and copies sent to California Congressional members. Here he urged, among other things, that the u.S. and its citizens "refrain from vilifying entire peoples or nations . . . to initiate reconciliation with those who are our enemies and to continue to put our confidence in God." I am under the impression that Schmidt was a lonely voice crying in the wilderness. I personally take off my hat to our brother.
I do not know, of course, how many pastors have spoken to the war issue. I know of one associate pastor who gave witness to his nonviolent views in one of our churches even though he had served in the military. I am aware of another congregation that met on a Sunday evening before the war began to hear a visiting speaker share his nonviolent position . I would think that others in their pastoral roles have done likewise
Now back to the original question:
at issue? E-mail Marvin at mheinl@fresno.edu or send your questton to Inqutrtng Minds, " c/o Marvin Hein, 3036 East Magill Avenue, Fresno, CA 93710.
was that our hesitancy rests partly in the loss of denominational identity. We no longer value highly our denominational distinctives Moreover, we have accommodated to the evangelical mainstream that is very pro-American, especially since our President is unabashedly a Christian Most of us don't really want to be very
different from mainstream evangelicals.
Another reason mentioned is that we have many "imported" pastors who have not been trained in our schools and who may have trouble with the peace position. Naturally, these pastors would not speak out in time of war. I do need to add that in some cases such pastors have become the most vocal adherents to our peace position
Another factor is that our userfriendly approach to church, while admittedly winning lost men and women to Christ, creates an awkward situation where we may tend to marginalize or even eliminate the unpopular position of nonviolence It is not easy to preach nonviolence when your listeners include military personnel or the parents of those serving in the military. It is not easy both to pray for the troops and preach peace.
John D. Roth in Choosing Against War has a marvelous chapter on preaching peace with humility. He insists that as Christ-followers we do not center on winning a debate nor compelling agreement. We acknowledge that we too fall far short of kingdom ideals . Respectful dissent calls us to listen carefully and to speak with sensitivity. Genuine humility should permeate all our witness.
CHUCK'S CORNER
BY CHUCK BULLER U.S. CONFERENCE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Consideryourselfinvited
Summer convention includes first-ever events for pastors, seniors
"LIVING THE CALL, " THE 25TH convention ofthe U.S Conference ofMB Churches, will be held July 21-26 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
A special highlight is our first-ever National Pastors' Convention July 2123. We are encouraging all pastoral staff members and spouses to come fellowship together, be uplifted and be encouraged. We will be challenged and inspired by our well-known speakers Ted Haggard, Leith Anderson and Jim Holm. Worship will be led by the worship team of South Mountain Community Church. Convention sessions will be held at South Mountain Community Church, one of our newest Mennonite Brethren churches located in Draper, Utah. A concert by special guest Bebo
Name
Norman will be held Thursday evening.
The U.S. Conference convention will be held July 23-25, also at South Mountain Community Church. A worship band from the Southern District Conference will lead our worship times. In addition to hearing from our various ministries, two important agenda items will be discussed: a proposal for a new board structure for the U.S. Conference and the new funding model and recommendations from MBMS International. We will also celebrate two special anniversaries: 50 years of existence for MB Biblical Seminary and 50 years as a U.S. Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches!
Following the U.S. Conference con-
vention will be a first-ever 55-Plus Convention, a time specially designed for those 55 and over. Roland and Lois Reimer of Wichita, Kan. , will host this event which will include singspiration, hymn singing and spiritual inspiration. Special music will be provided by the Bethany 4.
Chlldcare and youth activities will be provided for the first two convention events, July 21-25.
See your church office for registration brochures or clip thisform and mail along with your check to: U S. Conference, PO Box 220, Hillsboro KS 67063-0220. For more information, registration brochures or for information about accommodations, call 1800-551-1547 or e-mail offices@usmb.org.
delegate/guest (circle one)
Name delegate/guest (circle one)
(if attending, please list
National Pastors' Convention (July 21-23) $100/couple, $50 single, or FREE if also attending the U.S. Conference convention.
U.S. Conference Convention (July 23-25) Adults (delegates and guests) __ @ $75 = Youth (age 13-18) @ $60 = Children (age 2-12) @ $30 = (children under 2, no charge)
TOTAL COST (Make checks payable to U.S . Conference ofMB Churches) Send to: u.S. Conference, PO Box 220, Hillsboro KS 67063-0220.
BY PHILIP WIEBE
Turningthetablesonlegalism
Legalists come in many shapes and sizes-and include me
OVER MANY YEARS OF CHURCH attendance, I have developed an image of people who are often referred to as "legalists." For me, they are the ones with sour expressions, oversized Bibles and pointing fingers They're the folks who say if you're really a Christian, you can't do this, must do that and most definitely should not do the other. When something new is introduced in the church, they complain, "But we've always done it the old way."
My view of the legalists obviously leans toward those who have been in the church a long time and have developed certain rules of Christianity that may not be found in the big Bible they wave around. In the back of my mind, however, I realize one doesn't have to be a longtime churchgoer to be a legalist.
As a teenager I witnessed both sides of the story. We moved at that time from a very reserved church environment to a freer, more expressive setting. You tended to see a lot more jeans and guitars in my new church. The fresh spiritual atmosphere was a revelation for me. The old ways seemed legalistic in light of the new. I realize this wasn't entirely the case; part of it was simply that I hadn't grown up enough yet to own my faith Still, as a youngster I got the impression that Christianity was a religion of dos and don'ts. The changed atmosphere as a teen helped me grasp faith's deeper implications as a lOving, learning relationship with Jesus.
Over time, though, I realized that legalists didn't exist only among the folks with frowning faces and tightly knotted ties. The hair and T-shirt set could get that way too For example, a particular clique in the large youth group I attended began to separate themselves from the rest of us. From their position of superior faith, they preached about our wimpy
walk with Jesus. Those of us who grew up in the church were especially suspect. In a few short months these new believers had become experts in the faith and were more than willing to share their vast knowledge with those who didn't measure up. Longhaired legalists were in our midst.
With no shortage of consternation and self-doubt, I made it through that time with my faith more or less intact. But in my mind, the pious longhairs never made it onto the same legalist plateau with the self-righteous suits. When I think of legalism today, it's still the latter that come to mind.
A recent Sunday morning message by our pastor, however, got me thinking about the issue of legalism again. In fact, the sermon managed to take my mind off the traditional legalists and tum it toward someone else . Me .
I'd never really thought of myself as a legalist. But two issues our pastor raised got me thinking about how the malady affects my own walk of faith.
The first might be called a kind of performance anxiety Even as a child, I struggled with a well-developed sense of self-criticism This wasn't because of overly critical parenting, as some have dealt with . It just seemed I had a natural inclination to get down on myself
That hasn't changed I've long been aware of the effect this has had on my spiritual life I'm one of those people who have a hard time feeling like a "good Christian." Rarely do I consider my spiritual performance good enough.
But the thing is, of course it's not good enough. lf I think of God's acceptance as being tied to my performance, that's salvation through works rather than faith. And that, as our pastor pointed out, is legalism. I hadn't thought of my performance anxiety in those terms, but he was right.
The second issue involves the ongoing difficulty I have had following the biblical encouragement to "Rejoice in the Lord always" (Phil. 4:4) Our pastor noted this can also be a sign of legalism. How that works for me is, rather than dwelling on who I am in the Lord, I tend to think about how I'm doing for the Lord. Of course that will make me crabby, because how I'm doing isn't always that great. Who I am in the Lord, however, doesn't depend on what I do or don't do. Because of grace alone, I'm one of God's favorites . I have a hard time writing that, much less believing it.
Before you start to get worried, I know the grace thing doesn't mean I can do whatever I want, just because God loves me. My desire should always be to learn and grow. The difference between legalism and spiritual freedom, however, is the motivation. The legalist in me says I need to do things in order to get in God's favor But my inner free person knows I already have God's favor. So there is no longer a need to try and win points in God's eyes, which is an anxiety-producing exercise Instead, I can grow and serve and love with joyful abandon, in thankful response to the love I've been given. No legalism involved
ON THE JOURNEY
BY ROSE BUSCHMAN
Tripopenseyesofnephews Be aunt
Mission trips!!nd summer camps a good investment in our youth
IT ALL STARTED WITH A CONVERSATION on the way home from a mission conference in Kansas City. My sister Lillian and 1 were driving along the freeway, processing what we had heard and seen
"I wish somehow that 1 could take my kids on a mission trip and have them experience what it is all about," she said Since 1 was planning a trip to South Texas and Mexico within the next month 1 agreed to scout around for possible ideas We also decided that Christmas break would be the best time since her three children (ages 18, 15, and 11) would be out of school at that time.
While in South Texas 1 was able to connect with a missionary working in one of the colonias (a shantytown) in the Mexican border town of Reynosa. We made tentative plans for a suitable work project and distribution of goods in the colonia. 1 also visited with the director of a home for abused and neglected children for a possible project there.
In preparation for our mission trip we asked our church families for items they no longer needed: coffee mugs, baseball caps, clothes, toys, belts and cookie/candy tins. We were amazed at how our church people got involved. One family offered their van, another their horse trailer. A T-shirt company provided us with 72 T-shirts printed with Feliz Navidad 2003. Another family assembled 72 treat bags for the children at the children's home One grandmother made three very special dolls for our mission. In one church the children collected money to buy cement blocks. In both churches people scoured their homes for items they no longer needed. We filled up the horse trailer, our vans and even shipped a number of boxes by UPS
Last December 22-23 we were down
in Mexico bUilding the walls of a 15' xIS' room as part of a church "complex" in a shantytown just across the border from McAllen, Tex. It took two days to put the cement block-and-mortar walls up We spent four hours Dec 24 distributing clothes, toys, backpacks, school supplies, beans and rice (packed in the cookie/candy tins) and other items we had collected from our churches. Over 500 people came, thankful to receive something for Christmas.
When his mother put a baseball camp on one five-year-old boy 's head, the grin on his face said it all. He looked as though he had just won the lottery. Litde girls, big smiles on their faces, clutched their dolls as they walked down the dirt road. One ll-year-old boy came back and asked to exchange his bag of marbles (a real treasure) for a Spanish Bible story coloring book and a box of crayons. He had never had these before Older children were excited with their new backpacks for school. Mothers were so happy to get clothes for themselves and their children. Men and older boys eagerly accepted the caps and belts we brought.
On Christmas Day we went to the children's home and provided Christmas dinner (hot dogs, mac-and-cheese, chips, ice cream sundaes and real Coke) for those children who had no relatives or friends to go to for the holidays. We also provided them with several craft activities.
When we got back to our residence late in the afternoon, my nephews all agreed that this was the best Christmas they had ever had. "We want to do it again next year," they insisted.
Summer is coming and with it the opportunities for our young people to go on mission trips There was a time when I questioned the wisdom of helping teens
go on such trips. After all, they were just getting some travel and excitement out of it on other people's money. I wondered, couldn't the money be better spent on something else? However, watching my own nephews' reaction to our Christmas mission trip has changed my mind. Other parents have also told me how such a trip impacted their children's lives.
Mission trips are not the only opportunities for our youth this summer. Many church groups, including our own, have tremendous camping programs that our children and teens should be attending. Many young people make life-changing decisions at camp, either to accept Christ as their personal Savior or to dedicate their lives to serving him
One year, when he was in his early teens, our son told me that he didn't want to go to camp anymore since his friend couldn't go. When I asked why; I discovered that it was a matter of money. The parents' attitude was "If he wants to go and have fun he needs to pay for it himself. We aren't going to do that." Jack didn't have the money and so couldn't go. When we volunteered to pay for his expenses, his parents gave permission for him to go. That was the summer our son accepted Christ as his Savior at camp. Was it worth the added expense of paying for two camp fees? Of course it was. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
I challenge all of us to make it possible for a child to go to church camp. Do your grandchildren need help? Or maybe some of their friends? Youth pastors know who in their group needs financial help. And if we have the opportunity to help a young person go on a mission trip, let's do that as well. We need to invest in our young people this summer and pray that the Lord will do great things in their lives.
Shadowingasuccessful pastorshedslightonministry
LeadershippracticumchallengesMennonite
group of MB pastors "shadowed" a successful pastor and church planter in an experience one participant plainly calls "a life-changing event ." Encouraged and invited by Fred Leonard, pastor of Mountain View Community Church in Clovis, Calif, 16 pastors from the Pacific and Southern Districts attended the Leadership Practicum Feb. 19-24 offered by New Hope Christian Fellowship Oahu in Honolulu, Hawaii. New Hope, a Foursquare Gospel church that began in 1995, has nearly 10,000 attendees and an impressive track record in church planting. New Hope pas-
tor Wayne Cordeiro was the resource speaker for a preconvention seminar hosted by the Canadian MB Conference Board of Evangelism in the summer of 2002. The seminar was held prior to a cluster of conventions-the Canadian MB Conference convention, U.S. Conference convention and General Conference convention-held July 25-27 in Abbotsford, B.C. Several U.S. MB pastors, including Leonard, heard Cordeiro speak and learned about the practicum
Intimatesetting
Leonard says he wanted to go-and take a group-because New Hope is a positive model and because this practicum
offers a chance to learn in a more intimate setting than many other seminars. "Here you're Sitting with 34 people with a pastor who leads a church of 10,000 who's standing up there talking with you, eating his meals with you, running with you, having devotions with you and pouring out his heart to you," Leonard says. "You don't really get that anywhere else ."
The sixteen who took advantage of this unique opportunity were: Leonard, David Thiessen (also from Mountain View), Brent Warkentin (Buhler (Kan.) MB), Brad Klassen (Copper Hills Community Church, Glendale, Ariz.), Mike Har-
rison (The River, Peoria, Ariz.), Jim Totzke (Bethany MB, Fresno, Calif), Steve Schroeder (Community Bible Fellowship, Bellingham, Wash.), Randy ReiSwig (North Park Community Church, Eugene, Ore.), Skip Suess (Good News Fellowship, Ferndale, Wash.), Paul Robie (South Mountain Community Church, Drap-
er, Utah), Cory Anderson (Shadow Mountain Community Church, West Jordan, Utah), Mike Miller (The Heart, Thlsa, Okla.), Rod Suess (Vinewood Community Church, Lodi, Calif), Gary Wall (pacific District minister), Steve Reimer (director of PDC Board of Home Missions) and Steve Harms (Neighborhood Church, Visalia, Calif.)
Although the practicum took place in Hawaii, a popular get away destination, the focus was on learning. "This was not a vacation," says Gary Wall. "There are obviously less appealing settings than Hawaii in February, but this was a working conference with a full agenda and rigorous schedule." The format was simple: Atten-
dees "shadowed" Cordeiro, participating with him in his daily routine and observing the inner workings of the church. Leonard says Cordeiro "kind of threw back the curtain on their church."
As with any training opportunity, participants found some things they could use; others they could not. Mike Miller, for example, jokes that sushi probably wouldn't be welcome at poducks in Thlsa. Brent Warkentin points out that changes that may be natural in a young church may be difficult in a more established church. The experience was not one size fits all, so the challenges and encouragements participants brought home weren't one size fits all, either.
Orderinglifeforefficiency
Shadowing Cordeiro in his daily routine meant eating meals with him, doing devotions with him-even running with him. Cordeiro taught that to have energy for ministry, pastors must be fit. This principle hit home for some, especially on those early morning, two-mile runs. Steve Schroeder, for example, felt convicted that he was "not in as good a shape" as he thought he was, either physically or spiritually. So, he has begun tb order his week to include more exercise and devotional time.
As another example of ordering life for maximum efficiency, Cordeiro modeled intentional sermon planning, showing his notes and process, and demonstrating how he plans sermons a year in advance. Skip Suess says this principle inspired him to take some time off specifically for the purpose of sermon planning. He was able to plan six months' worth of sermons, so that he now feels free practically and spiritually to develop those ideas according to the needs of his congregation.
Biblereadingemphasized
Cordeiro emphasized personal time with God. Attendees practiced Cordeiro's method of
devotions and journaling and many say this tool is one they will use. Mike Harrison says Cordeiro approaches prayer and devotions as "not us talking to God but us listening to what he has to say to us through his Word." Randy Reiswig admits that while pastors spend time in Bible study for sermon preparation, personal time with God is sometimes neglected. Reiswig is changing his daily routine to include early-morning exercise and devotional time, and says one result has been a "mind-set of the joy of the Lord."
New Hope encourages devotional consistency churchwide. They distribute daily Bible reading schedules and journals and gather in small groups throughout the week to practice devotions together. Some practicum attendees are now challenging their congregations to similar devotional consistency. Several congregations, including South Mountain Community Church, The River and Mountain View Community Church, have begun to emphasize devotions and journaling using some of New Hope's model. Steve Harms, who has begun to practice what he learned with four different groups of people, says, "I saw a biblical community in Hawaii at New
Hope, and I like what God is doing already in our church as we experience God together in community."
Warkentin was challenged to see Bible reading as a way to unify church leadership and increase ministry effectiveness. He says, church's impact on their community will gready increase if the leadership is on the same page," and says that in order for that to happen, "we need to be in the Word." Warkentin is waiting for a 30day period, "to let the Lord just sink this into my heart," before deciding how to implement the ideas in his church.
Churchplantingmodel
New Hope has planted 52 churches in less than 10 years-more than the entire U.S. Conference, Leonard points out-so some pastors went with a keen interest in New Hope's church planting methods. Paul Robie says he was particularly intrigued by New Hope's use of satellite services. Under this model, church staff starts a service at a new location and uses video technology to present the sermon. Robie says this model could be a way to give a new church a solid start with limited risk. Miller, who also has firsthand experience as a church planter, says the
practicum "rekindled my heart" for church planting. Miller was challenged to begin talking about church planting now, when his church is young, so that it becomes natural to plant churches later
Leonard was among those impressed by New Hope's priority on evangelism. He says this "passion for lost people" is one value he would like to see more of in the MB church. "I think we need to teach it as a denomination, we need to model it in all our leaders, and we need to celebrate it."
Moving forward together
Another challenge from New Hope's example was the sense of teamwork, both among leadership and within the congregation As a hands-on example of teamwork, Cordeiro took the participants rowing and demonstrated how everyone in the boat must row together to move forward. Harms says that implementing principles from New Hope's leadership structure "is already helping us keep our conversations focused around the purpose for which God has called us " Miller says that structure was a question on the minds of his church leadership, so the input was especially timely.
New Hope also applies teamwork principles congregation-wide. Skip Suess says they are proactive in discipleship and in helping new believers find a place to serve. Reiswig says, "The percentage of those involved in evangelism, . . . serving inside and outside the church and having a strong commitment to their devotional life was unlike anything I had ever seen before."
Many participants were impressed by the "culture" at New Hope-that is, a common mind-set that is taught and expected in the church. For example, many describe the culture of graciousness the church extends to members, seekers and even practicum participants. Wall says. "It was a great lesson for me as a leader to be reminded again of the power of encouragement and love."
A Significant benefit of the practicum was the fellowship between pastors. While geography and busy schedules often limit interaction between MB pastors from different areas, this was an opportunity for pastors to put faces with names, to get to know each other and learn from each other. Leonard hopes that the 16 participants will continue to interact and hold each other accountable.
Overall, Suess says that the practicum was a time of renewal for him. He says, "I feel different about how I do ministry. " Harrison points out that this practicum is only one of many quality seminars available, and he says it is critical that pastors and church leaders continue learning and improving Harrison says that the church today has a wealth of resources available and a great "harvest" of people longing to know Jesus. "If we don't get better relational skills and leadership skills, we're going to miss it. "
By Myra Holmes
According to the California Department of Insurance Homeowners Survey, the cost of homeowners insurance offered by Menno nite Insurance Services is at least 50% Less than the equivalent offered by four other leading companies serving central California. The ,eason Is simple. Mennonite Insurance Services is the exclusive agent for the Mennonite Aid Plan of the Paoific Coast. No f,llIs, smalle, bills. So if you're already a member of, or regularly attend a Mennonite, Brethren in Christ or a Mennonite Brethren Church, call us today fo, a FREE no-obllgatlon quote on your homeowners insurance and a copy of the referenced survey. Being together makes the difference.
Mennonite-Catholicdialogueconcluded
MWCchurchesaskedtostudyandrespondtofinalreport
Five-pius years after they first met for a formal Dialogue, seven representatives from Mennonite World Conference and seven from the Catholic Church's Pon· tifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity have issued a report of their conver· sations. Its title- "Called Together to Be Peacemakers" -hints at the intention of the meetings, as well as their tone. The MWC representatives included two Men· nonite Brethren , Nzash Lumeya of the Congo who currently teaches at the MB Biblical Seminary in Fresno, Calif., and Howard Loewen, former Fresno Pacific Uni· versity academic dean and current Fuller Theological Seminary faculty member
The conversations and the report are only one part of the process for MWC. Another part is just beginning. Mennonite World Conference is forwarding copies of the report to all of its member churches for their "study and reaction." The English document has been translated into French; a Spanish translation is underway
"On the MWC side, we are now enter· ing a broadening stage in the process," says MWC executive secretary Larry Miller, who was one of the participants in the conversations. "This report is . . . intended to be reviewed and explored by Mennonites and Brethren in Christ around the world-from the point of view of their own contexts and convictions."
This approach allows Mennonite and Brethren in Christ churches to be full play· ers in the ongoing search "to overcome the consequences of almost five centuries of mutual isolation and hostility" (paragraph 2 of the report) , which have often characterized relationships between Anabaptistrelated churches and Catholic churches
Recognizing that some MWC members "find themselves in difficult situations as a mino ri ty within predominantly Catholic societies," MWC thought it essential that its member churches join the effort toward greater understanding between Catholics
and Anabaptist·Mennonites, both histori · cally and going forward.
this pOint, on the MWC side, the report represents only the positions of the seven members of the MWC delegation to the conversations It has not been received or approved or commented on by MWC," says Miller.
"This approach is somewhat of an innovation, as far as I know Instead of MWC simply issuing a report, or taking it first to its governing body to be formally accepted, we are taking a two· to three · year period during which member church· es can respond . The MWC General Council will review both the report and the responses from member churches when it meets next, in 2006," says Miller.
Miller says that MWC would welcome member churches convening consultations which would study the report from their own local perspectives, as well as examine Catholic·Mennonite relations in their own contexts. Miller says that MWC would make one or more MWC delegation members available for these consultations and that the Pontifical Council has made a simi· lar offer. The Pontifical Council is also "ready to receive a delegation composed of MWC members who want to talk direct· Iy to the Vatican about the report or other concerns in CatholiclMennonite relations in their own setting," says Miller.
Should Mennonites and Brethren in Christ be concerned that MWC is softening defining differences with the Catholic Church or compromising key principles? The report itself highlights six areas that ought to have further study by each group, in order to reach fairer appraisals of their own, and each other's, doctrines, practices, and attitudes. Extensive space is given to listing Mennonites' and Catholics ' "Convergences" and "Divergences" about three major topics: "The Nature of the Church," "Sacraments and Ordinances" (including baptism and the Lord's Sup· per), and "Our Commitment to Peace "
MWC delegation member Neal Blough, a theologian based in Paris, describes the five-week long exchanges as "nervous in the beginning, but very quickly honest and forthcoming. I vividly remember the occasions when we were tense or angry with each other, and then went to a meal together and finished the day in prayer. Knowing each other allowed this kind of honesty
"It wasn't always easy, but we may have found a model for how to speak when we have important disagreements. "Major differences separate Catholics and Mennonites, but speaking of them, and trying to deal with them , can repair our relationships as divided Christians, " says Blough "Catholics that we know here . .. respect our peace witness and other aspects of our theology. But they do not expect Mennonites to become Catholics."
Mille r encourages Mennonites and Brethren in Christ churches to develop good relationships with Catholics. a 'peace church,' honest and careful conver· sation with 'adversaries' should be the normal thing for us to do ," says Miller "Yet, we haven ' t done that with the Catholic Church at the international level since the beginning of the Anabaptist Catholic con· flict . I hope that this exchange at the international level will be useful for Mennonites and Catholics who desire to build good relationships at the national and local levels," says Miller. "By God's grace, it will be. "-Phyllis Pellman Goodfor Mennonite World Conference
"Called Together to Be Peacemakers: Report of the International Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Mennonite World Conference (1998-2003) ," has been published in the Pontifical Coun · cil for Promoting Christian Unity Infor· mation Service, N. 113 (2003 /II/III) and is available upon request in paper or electronic format from Mennonite World Conference .
Musician, educator andpastor
LarryMartenslooks back,aheadat ministryjourney
Laery Martens is a person whose ministry journey has taken many turns over the years, but it's all been part of the same passion: "The common thread is the kingdom of God," he says. "I've always desired to serve God in whatever capacity he gives."
Themusicman
The first leg of Martens' ministry journey was in music. He studied music, taught music in the public schools and served as a music minister at Reedley; Calif, where his desire to serve in full-time ministry grew. So his journey took a tum, and he went on to seminary and full-time pastoral ministry at Koerner Heights MB Church in Newton, Kan., where he served for nine years.
Martens served as the "voice" for Words of the Gospel, a Mennonite Brethren radio broadcast produced from 1979 to 1982. The 30-minute radio program was broadcast across the Midwest and west coast and included special music and a brief devotional. Martens first connected with the program through music, then used his teaching gifts for the "12minute talks." Martens says, "People felt good about the nature of that broadcast and how it contributed to an identity as Mennonite Brethren "
The next tum in Martens' journey took him into the academic world . He served first as a professor at MB Biblical Seminary; then as president from 1985 to
1992. Martens' legacy at MBBS includes a program to link local congregations and the seminary to support students and a loan fund with a unique feature: loans are forgiven if the student stays in ministry.
Careerhighpoint
When it was time to tum the leadership of the seminary over to someone new, Martens returned to pastoral ministry as senior pastor at North Fresno MB Church in Fresno, Calif , where he has invested the last 11 years. Martens sees these years at North Fresno as the "apex" of his life. "It's been a very Significant period of time and one of great enjoyment and delight."
Under his shepherding, the church has grown both numerically and spiritually. Martens says that the church had reached a kind of plateau, with attendance hovering around 185. Now, North Fresno has a church family of about 525. More
importantly, the church has gradually learned to focus on outreach and small groups. Martens says, ''We needed to tum our face in the same direction that God has his face turned, and that was to the world." And they've done that. ''We've gradually become much more focused outward than inward," Martens says.
The church has also focused on small groups as a way to foster community and incorporate more people into the church As a result, North Fresno is not just a church with small groups, but a church of small groups. "We believe that everyone needs to be in a small group," Martens says
Commonthreads
Although each leg of his ministry journey looked different, Martens insists that they were all part of the same ministry direction. He says he's never thought he
was "out of God's will" in one role or another, nor does he consider any of his roles as more important than another. And all of the turns in his journey have some common threads.
"I'm very much a people person," he says. So the relationships he's formed along the way-with church members, students, seminary faculty and constituents -have given him much joy. In all of his roles, he has been a teacher. He admits that the teaching and preaching will be one thing he will miss, especially the privilege of teaching and nurturing a church community. "It's one of the greatest blessings that a pastor has, " he says.
When pressed for words of wisdom for fellow MB travelers, Martens speaks of the need to work globally on identity, the need for resource people nationally and the need for renewal locally.
Globalandnationalconcerns
As he looks at MBs globally, Martens wonders, ''Who's going to tend the confession of faith?" In light of the divestiture of the General Conference and the fact that other national MB conferences are also working on theological identity, Martens says, "I think that's probably the most critical issue: How do we maintain our theological identity as a conference when we're working as separate entities?"
He says, "I think we have to work collaboratively." He points to collaboration already forming between districts and the U.S. Board of Faith and Life, between the U.S. Board of Faith and Life and the Canadian eqUivalent and between other national conferences in the International Conference of Mennonite Brethren. Since divestiture, he says, "It is a bit more complicated, but on the other hand, I think it can be healthy, and can be productive to maintain our identity globally."
As he looks at the U.S. Conference, Martens is concerned about staffing. He says that as a conference "we have suffered" from an attitude that encourages less staff to accomplish more. He does not wish to have a conference superstructure, but says, "I do think we need to have resource people who can equip the church and stimulate the ministry of the church " He says that hiring an executive director to be such a resource is a step in the right direction, and that the confer-
ence must carefully and strategically put other such resources in place.
Focusingoutward
Ultimately, Martens' passion is for renewal of the local church. He says that as local congregations begin to reach out in their communities, the church as a whole will grow "I really have a strong conviction that what we have to do is work harder at the renewal of existing churches," he says. That doesn't mean abandoning other goals, such as church planting, but he says growth will happen only as local churches are "seeking to let the kingdom of God be felt through our hands and our hearts."
He compares th is need for outward focus to individual discipleship. Intimacy with Christ is essential, but Martens says, "I grow spiritually when I'm investing my life in someone else." The same is true on a congregational level. "I think spirituality has to have not just an inward focus; it has to have an outward focus," Martens says, "If spirituality is only inward, then we become monks and churches become monasteries. "
As an example, Martens points to the outward focus at North Fresno. The church is working to meet the needs of their community in a variety of ways, such as a reading program, a sports ministry and a meal outreach. They have changed oil, paid utility bills, prOvided furniture and cars and even helped people find jobs. It ' s all part of what Martens calls "fleshing out the kingdom of God. "
Martens says, "Just imagine what would happen if 100 percent of our churches were in fact zealously, patiently. [becoming] this sort of penetrating influence like leaven that moves into the world and is salt and light." That is, Martens says, the "heart and soul" of the MB journey ahead. "We have to work at that agenda in a much more strategic manner."
Now, as Martens' ministry takes yet another tum-what some might call retirement, but he calls "redeployment"-he emphasizes that he is not ending his ministry journey. He is exploring several options and says, "I'm not the kind of person who will sit around and twiddle my thumbs."
By Myra Holmes
MinistryOuest
RANSFO RMTNG LI VES THRO UGH
student
MinistryOuest provides an opportunity for youth to grow in their faith, to be mentored and to explore ministry as a vocation.
If you know someone who is:
• growing in faith
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• 16-1 8 years of age
Check out MinistryOuest at www.ministryquest.com
To participa te in MinistryOuest youth must be nominated by their pastor. Please talk with your pastor or youth pastor about nominating someone fo r Ministry Ouest.
an initiati ve of the
Friesenappointed toleadMBMS International
directortoworkfromAbbotsfordoffice
andy Friesen, a well known, young Canadian MB leader with a passion for mission and discipleship, has been appointed as the next General Director of MBMS International, starting September 1, 2004. He will succeed Harold Ens, who has led the agency for the past 12 years, and will be based in the MBMS International office in Abbotsford, B.C.
Friesen is the current MBMSI shortterm ministries director and has given leadership to much of the North American Mennonite Brethren youth mission and discipleship ministry for the past 16 years He was the first executive director of Youth Mission International, a short term ministry organization for high school and college aged youth which began under the Canadian Board of Evangelism and has since become part of MBMSI. Friesen will finish a study leave in May during which he completed studies for a doctorate in theology from the University of South Africa
While the new general director will be based in Abbotsford, MBMSI plans to maintain a strong office staff in Fresno, Calif., says board chair Dennis Fast "Structural changes within the organization have been contemplated for the past year," says Fast, "but no additional significant changes in staff or organization are
anticipated during this next fiscal year as Randy begins his leadership."
Friesen and his wife Marjorie are
active in leadership and ministry in the Waterloo (Man ) MB Church. They have two children, Joshua and Olivia.-MBMSI
God and Violence Biblical Resources for Living in a Small World
From the medieval crusades to the latest violence in the Middle East, warriors have long claimed the Bible's support for their battles. Patricia M. McDonald argues that many biblical stories, read as part of a canon from Genesis to Revelation, contain resources for turning violence to service of God and humanity. As varied and complex as life itself, these narratives can provide us with imaginative possibilities and steady motivation to move beyond the narrow defensiveness and self-interest that are becoming ever more problematic in an increasingly interconnected world.
"This book is an act of courage that invites a wide and thoughtful reading. "-Walter Brueggemann, Columbia Theological Seminary Paper, 374 pages, $16.99 Herald Press
Aplaceforpeace
topeacemakingbringsThaiofficertoFPU
Angkana Boonsit has a passion for bringing restorative justice to her homeland.
In fall of 2003 Angkana, a doctoral student at Thammaset University in Bangkok, Thailand, came to study with Ron Claassen at the Fresno Pacific University Center for Peacemaking and Conflict Studies She is the first person in Thailand to write her dissertation on restorative justice and domestic violence She is also the first to write it in English in order to appeal to an international audience
A senior officer in Thailand's national probation system, Angkana was frustrated with her country's rigid criminal justice system. She read about restorative justice on the Internet and attended an informational meeting in]apan.
Angkana's research drew her to CPACS, even though she had never heard of Fresno . "Something told me that here is the place for me, " she says . "When I read about Ron and his work, I was interested "
From August to November, Angkana studied with Claassen , CPACS director, twice a week. Her study included attending conferences and learning how to set up a restorative justice system. She has come to
regard Claassen as a mentor. "He taught me everything," she says.
Claassen appreciates Angkana's dedication and willingness to learn. "It was a wonderful experience for me," he says . "She now calls me uncle "
In addition to forming friendships, Angkana's work also prompted a personal curiosity about other religions. "I want to know the peace in different religions, " she says. "If you talk about peace, people in every religion will be interested."
Since most Thai people are Buddhist, Angkana feared restorative justice wouldn't appeal to them because of its biblical aspect. She hopes to make restorative justice more accessible to the Thai people, using peace as the common denominator "If you talk about restorative justice, you must emphasize peace," Angkana says.
Thais have a history of peacemaking. Thailand remained the only Southern Asian country to stay free of European colonization by incorporating certain facets of European culture, such as using knives and forks and building a Buddhist temple in the form of a gothic cathedral .
Angkana began to create this accessibility by adding the directors of the Thai correc-
tions and probation departments to her dissertation committee
Claassen and his wife Roxanne visited Thailand in]anuary for Angkana's successful dissertation defense. While in Thailand, Claassen gave a lecture on restorative justice to 80 top justice and judicial officials.
Angkana again showed her enthusiasm for restorative justice by summarizing and translating his lecture into Thai
The Claassens lectured in a social work class at Thammaset University. Ron Claassen also met with Nathee ]itsawang, general director of the department of corrections, and Kittipong Kittayark, general director of the department of probation, to discuss implementing restorative justice . The officials were already eager to apply the system, whose models fit their culture and their Buddhist faith, Claassen says They also asked Claassen for future advice in their attempts to set up a restorative justice system and to return and provide more training.
"I look fOlWard to our ongoing work together on restorative justice," Claassen says "I suspect that in the future, we will have much to learn from the emerging efforts in Thailand."- by Kristen Kleyn for FPU news service
Haitiansfleeingcrisislookto U.S. forhelp
agencies see increase in requests for asylum
Jean Robert's hands shake as he shuffles through the papers that document the events that drove him from Haiti. A police officer, he shows the letter of transfer he received after refusing to participate in throwing elections to the ruling Lavalas party. He shows photos of his sister, who, like him, belonged to a group that questioned the government's economic policy. In the most recent photo she is beaten almost beyond recognition-a fate he narrowly escaped. He describes the threats on his life, the danger to his wife and two small children. "If we hadn't left Haiti, I would be dead by now," he says.
Thanks to help from Mennonite Central Committee workers based in Miami, Jean Robert (who asked that his last name not be used) and his family have received political asylum and are free to remain in the U.S. With the highest concentration of Haitians in the U.S., the Miami area has been deeply affected by Haiti's recent upheaval.
MCC workers Brad Ginter and Evangelista Palacios provide legal assistance at Miami's Catholic Charities Legal Services, while Ginter's wife, Sharon, is an administrative assistant at the Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center. Both agencies have seen an upswing over the past year in cases involving Haitians with strong claims to asylum based on persecution by the government of former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who is now in exile. Since Aristide's departure, Catholic Charities has also begun to see cases of Lavalas supporters now in danger from anti-Aristide groups.
U.S. government policies toward Haitians stand in contrast to policies for people coming from Cuba, the country of Miami's dominant ethnic group. Cubans who reach U S. shores are not returned to their home country. They are generally granted "parole," a first step toward gaining lawful permanent reSidence, without having to go through the arduous, uncertain process of requesting asylum. Haitians who arrive by boat, on the other hand, are
usually immediately sent back. If they enter by other means and apply for asylum, they must prove on a case by case basis that returning would jeopardize their safety.
Jean Robert flew to the U.S. in July and entered legally on a tourist visa. He is among the fortunate ones whose cases have been determined to be valid by an asylum officer or immigration judge. Now his main worries are finding a job to support his family, and somehow helping his relatives who are still in Haiti. His sister who was beaten went into hiding shortly before he left, and he hasn't heard from her since.
"This is what I live with every day," he says in a near whisper as he gazes at the photo of his sister's pain-wracked face.
Enoise, who also asked to use only his first name, is having a different experience with the asylum process: His initial request
has been rejected . A 26-year-old from Portau-Prince, he was part of a group of college students who opposed Aristide's regime.
"We began receiving threats," he says. "They told us, 'We will kill you one after another.'"
Terrified after hearing that several men had come to his house threatening to kill him, Enoise also caught a plane to Miami. His false passport was immediately detected by immigration officials, and he is being held in Miami's Krome Detention Center.
His request for asylum was refused, and in early April he was waiting to appeal his case. "I thought I would be accepted as a refugee here, that they would protect me," Enoise says. "But it's different And I don't think that there's another country that will help me. "-by Rachel B. Miller Moreland of MCC News Service
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PLEAsE CALL FOR THE US EQUIVALENT. CAMPAIGNS MAY BE ADDEO, RESCHEOULE O OR CANCeLLED BASED ON PARllOPAHT RESPONSE. CHURCHES AAE ENCOURAGED TO SPONSOR MEMBERS ON THESE SHORT - TERM DMI MISSIONS. We are looking for ordinary people who want to help churches overseas bring others into God's family. James Ni kk
NewDMtobegininAugust
Sullivan called as Southern District minister
Tim Sullivan of Hillsboro, Kan , has accepted the call to serve as the Southern District Conference minister beginning Aug. 2. Sullivan succeeds Roland Reimer, who retired in December 2003 , and Ron Braun who will conclude his work as interim district minister July 16.
"We believe that Tim represents the leadership qualities as well as the spiritual integrity and pastoral heart that will enable him to minister effectively in our district,"
writes SOC chair Gary Janzen in his announcement of Sullivan's appointment. Janzen also requests prayer for the Sullivans as they "bring to closure their ministry at the Parkview Church and begin to transition to their larger congregation, the 37-plus churches and the pastoral couples in the SOc."
Sullivan and his wife Donna have served the Parkview MB Church in Hillsboro, Kan., as the lead pastoral couple for the past 14 years Sullivan, a 1990 graduate
of MB Biblical Seminary, plans to eventually move to Wichita, Kan., the location of the district office. Donna will continue as the U.S. Conference administrative secretary.
Sullivan's appointment was approved April 17 by the SOC executive council.SDC
Midwestbustourforseniorsattendingconvention
Senior adults from the Midwest interested in attending the 2004 U S. Conference convention in Salt Lake City, Utah, have the option of participating in a scenic chartered bus tour. Participants are encouraged to register by June 21 as a minimum number of reservations are required. Information, including a tour schedule, sightseeing destinations and cost, has been mailed to all MB churches in the Midwest.
Arrangements for the tour, scheduled July 21-28, are being made by Prudent Tours of Hillsboro, Kan. The tour is organized by Roland Reimer who with his wife Lois will be hosting the first-ever 55 Plus MB Convention following the national conference convention. Tour participants will
attend the U S. Conference convention
July 23-25 as well as the senior adult event
July 25-26. Speakers for the 55 Plus Convention are Jim Holm, MB Biblical Seminary president , Katie Funk Wiebe, profes-
sor emerita of Tabor College and popular senior adult convention speaker, and Chuck Buller, U.S. Conference executive director. The Bethany Four Quartet of Fresno, Calif, will provide special music .•
MORE NEWS
MB causes receive gift
-MB Foundation recently received a substantial gift of over $575,000. The donor utilized MBF services to make anonymous gifts to 10 different charities, with the majorItY of the funds going to MB ministries. The largest portion was undesignated and was disbursed at the discretion of the MBF Board of Directors.
r
Lecture series honors Kyle
-The annual Tabor College faculty lecture series has been renamed to honor Richard Kyle, one of its most esteemed professors. The Dr. Richard G. Kyle Faculty Lecture Series will serve as a forum for showcasing current research being done by Tabor faculty and is meant to encourage faculty to be involved in research and to then share It with the Tabor community, says Howard Keim, TC vice president for academic affairs and student development.
"Richard Kyle is one of those college professors who is revered by former students for using his personality in teaching history," says President Larry Nikkel. "I am pleased to recognize Dr. Kyle's passion for teaching, his commitment to scholarship and his achievements in writing by naming the annual faculty lecture in his honor."
In the Inaugural lecture of the newly named series, held April 1, Kyle explored how the notion of a Christian America originated In the colonial period and early 19th century and how it has developed since that time. Kyle, professor of history and religions studies, has authored six books with a seventh in the works. Topics include fringe religions, views on the end of the world, the Mennonite Brethren, the Reformation and focused research on John Knox. His numerous writings have appeared in journals, books, reference works and church publlcations.- TC
Globalyouthleadershipwork continuestodevelop
RVE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE BEING chosen to evaluate and continue work on plans proposed at the first Global Youth Summit held last August in conjunction with the Mennonite World Conference assembly in Zimbabwe.
MWC executive officers have authorized the formation of the Youth Continuation Committee with one representative from each of the five continental regions. Nominees will be members of a MWC member or associate member church and approved by the church's leaders and by the MWC executive committee. The YCC will bring the voices of youth to top-level MWC gatherings .
GYS participants are already engaged in lively conversations with each other informally via e-mail, say organizers . Jeremie Ngoya of Democratic Republic of Congo writes about a regional youth meeting in Kinshasa and Saturday prayer gatherings. Silas Absalom of Kenya reports on a national youth conference and efforts to reach out to youth in nearby Tanzania and Uganda who did not attend the GYS.
Elina Ciptadi from Indonesia reports writing a monthly column in the conference magazine, online discussions with church leaders and making a presentation to the GKMI synod in January. Jennifer Egan, Canada, tells of sharing her Africa 2003 experience at various high school and church settings.
Many such e-mail messages continue to strengthen bonds forged in Zimbabwe among the 220 Anabaptist young people from 28 countries who attended the MWC assembly.
The Bulawayo event was phase two of the GYS. In the first phase, youth groups from around the world completed surveys to name challenges facing youth and to suggest how the church and youth can address these issues. About 1,500 respondents participated in the survey.
"This phase was extremely ambitious," says David Lind, a GYS facilitator. "(It was) implemented in places as diverse as Paraguay, Angola, India, Canada and Germany with oversight via e-mail That the plan was carried out at all is remarkable."MWC
FPUtrusteesapprove2004· 2005budget,vision
A BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR IS approved and a vision for leadership set for Fresno Pacific University as a result of Board of Trustee meetings held March 1920.
The university budget is $29.7 million for 2004-2005 . Major changes from the 2003-2004 budget, which was $27.2 million , include funds to expand educational programs in Visalia and Bakersfield , continue work on university branding and upgrade technology. The plan also includes faculty and staff raises and a $7 50 ,000 surplus
In another budget-related matter, the board reexamined undergraduate tuition
for 2004-2005 and set the amount at $18 ,500 ; an increase from the $1 7, 930 approved in October. While the university works to contain costs , it is important to keep tuition in perspective , John Ward , vice president for business affairs , told the trustees . Few, if any, undergraduate students pay full tuition due to federal , state and university financial aid , Ward said.
In other business Larry Martens was chosen as the new chair of the FPU board and retiring faculty member and administrator Gary Nachtigall received faculty emeritus status after more than 40 years of service .-FPU
Baptism/membership
Littleton. Colo. (Belleview Community)-Kevin Carlson was baptized and received into membership March 7, 2004.
Bakersfield. Calif. (Laurelglen)-Cory Marshburn. Karla Shay, Trina Perez, Jose Perez and Sylvia Glenn-Stevens were baptized the weekend of March 20-21. Gary and Karla Anderson , Nanci Bentz, Gary and Janis Brierley, Mel and Jerri Fox, Erin Landis, Jim and Annette McCubbin, Fern Mesa, Patrick and Connie Roberts, Cheri Sadowsky, Lisa Sadowsky, Jim and Casey Shuler, Shelly Stevenson and Brad Sturm were welcomed as new members the weekend of March 27-28.
Buhler. Kan.-Amy Smith was welcomed to church membership March 28.
Enid. Okla - Henry and Clarabelle Buller, Jim, Beth, Melanie and Jamie Clark, Joe Marble, John and Tess Plummer, Wes Sharkey, Leslie Unruh and Alice Wiebe were received as members. Kyle Booker and Alicia Stotts were baptized and also welcomed into membership March 28.
Wichita. Kan. (Lighthouse)-Kyle Martin and Heather Claussen were baptized in April. The Lighthouse is a World Impact/Southern District church plant partnership that with up to 80 in attendance is outgrowing its current faci lity.
Blaine. Wash. (Birch Bay Community)-Kristi Th iessen, Jeannette Flittie and Lydia Davis were baptized April 18.
Celebration
Bakersfield. Calif. (Bridge Bible)The church held its grand opening March 21. The new congregation, planted in September 2003, has grown to two Sunday services and is looking for additional staff
Fellowship
Cl ovis. Calif (Co ll ege Community)Parents of preschoolers participated in a birthday party in March in honor of all of the first birthdays in the church during 2004 The celebration included a potluck meal. Fresno. Calif (North Fresno)-A spaghetti dinner and dessert auc-
CHURCH NEWS
tion was held to help raise money for summer camps for youth who will attend. Participants chose their favorite dessert and registered their silent bid, which could be changed while they ate the rest of the meal.
Ministry
Sioux Falls. S.D. (Lincoln Hills Bible)-
Project Gift is a name given to a grocery store gift card program that raises money to help the congregation support their MBMS International missionaries in Portugal, Craig and Fabiana Jost. The Josts are using the money to rent a meeting place for Sunday morning Bible study. As church members purchase grocery-buying cards, a free card is given by the store, which is then sold to a church member and those funds sent to Josts' ministry. Several hundred dollars have been raised since the program began.
Rapid City. S.D. (Bible Fellowship)Another way to say the same thing, "Blessings Recounted" is the title given to the section of the church bulletin that describes weekly attendance and financial information
Buhler. Kan.-A prayer journey during which participants prayed for half hour segments was held April 5- 10 in preparation for Easter services. The prayer focus was for those who do not attend church.
Enid. Okla.-Nate Templin, youth pastor, worked with the abstinence program through Hope Outreach. He taught about abstaining from sex until marriage in three schools, spending one day a week for six weeks and reaching over 180 students. Templin says, "My heart goes out to this generation of youth who are bombarded daily by amazing amounts of information that says they are not cool if they wait till marriage. The program gets us in the door and God does the rest as we look for opportunities to share about our Savior."
Olathe. Kan. (Community Bible)-A new ministry has been started by a member who fixes up donated old computers which are then given to single-parent homes or families in need.
Wichita. Kan. (United at the Cross)Pastor Mike Furches was interviewed by Christianity Today for a
NEWS FROM OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES
special report in the March 2004 issue concerning the diverse attitudes Christians have concerning movies Furches, a regular reviewer at the web site Hollywood Jesus, was among those interviewed who encourages Christians to "find the spiritual truth in these things (movies) and then use those as tools share the gospel with people
Teaching/Nurture
Fairview. Okla -A group of youth ministry leaders traveled to California to attend the "Purpose Driven Youth Ministry" conference held at Saddleback Church which is pastored by Rick Warren, creator of the Purpose Driven life and church movement.
Enid. Okla.-"Becoming the Church of God's Dreams," an outreach and assimilation enrichment seminar; was held April 3. Guest speaker was Todd Braschler of Wichita, Kan The intent of the seminar was to help the congregation be better equipped to reach the community, equip people and assimilate them into the life and ministry of the church. The church council, outreach teams and pastoral staff met following the seminar to discuss implementation.
Workers
Papillion. Neb. (Rolling Hills Church)-Brian and Tami Classen are serving as the new pastoral couple
Minot. N.D. (Bible Fellowship)Installation services were held April 25 for Duane Deckert He, wife Linda and children Heather and Joel were welcomed to the church in March.
Olathe. Kan. (Community Bible)Rob Reimer has resigned and will be moving to Calgary, Alta , where beginning in August he will serve as pastor of the Highland MB Church.
Omaha. Neb. (Millard Bib l e)-Thorn Justice has resigned as pastor Hillsboro. Kan. (Parkview)-Tim Sullivan announced his resignation April 18 He will begin serving as Southern District Minister in August.
Wichita. Kan (United at the Cross)Wes and Tam Brown began serving part -time in youth ministry Wes
will also continue working as an information manager at a local bank, but feels called to follow God's lead to ministry in the church, which cannot at this time afford equitable pastoral salaries.
Aurora, Colo (The Outreach)Jeremiah Tesfamichael began pastoring this new English-speaking church plant April 11. Meeting Sunday evenings, the new church reaches out to all cultures in the area and eases the transition to the English language and the crowding in the two-year-old Ethiopian Evangelical congregation on Sunday mornings
Worship
Yale. S.D. (Bethel)-The congregation has voted to build a new worship center and will proceed when at least 90 percent of the projected expenses are either covered by cash in hand or pledges. Building will not begin until early 2005 The 100th anniversary of the congregation is scheduled for Aug. 14- 15 in the present church facility.
Weatherford. Okla. (Pine Acres)The church reserved the entire local movie theater March 14 to view "The Passion of the Christ " Due to a donation, tickets were free and the congregation was encouraged to invite unchurched friends and to have lunch together afterward to discuss the movie content. Activities for children through fifth grade were held at the church.
Wichita. Kan. (First)-Worship Saturday Night celebrated with a six-month birthday party on April 24. The service attendance ranges from 130 to 150, involves 25 to 30 volunteers and includes child care for infants and preschoolers
Edmond. Okla. (Memorial Road)-A statement has been adopted that welcomes entire families to worship together and emphasizes that children learn to worship God best when experiencing worship side by side with parents, grandparents and the larger church family. The statement, entitled "Memorial Road MB Church Welcomes Children," gives eight practical suggestions to help families with young children Suggestions include ideas for the best places to sit, ways to help children follow the worship format, encouragement for kids to greet pastoral
staff and follow -up discussions after the service Children are dismissed for their own worship time for part of the hour "We all benefit from children in worship Their child like faith helps us trust God witho u t adult like restrictions," says the statement.
Deaths
ELRICH, ALBERTA MAE, Bakersfield, Cal if , a member of Roseda l e Bible Church of Bakersfield, was born Dec.14, 1933, in Garden City, Kan , and died March 8, 2004, at the age of 70 On Feb. 20, 1953, she was married to Lawrence Eirich, who survives She is also survived by her mother, M artha Jean Schmidt; one son, Curt and wife Susan; three daughters Caryn and husband Tom Funkhouser, Colette and husband
Empl oyment Loca l Church
Community Bible Church of Olathe, Kan. , invites applications for a Seni or Pastor. The church is a growing congregation of 220 people committed to reaching our community for Christ. Olathe is a rapidly growing suburb of 110,000 located southwest of Kansas City. A complete job description and churchlcommunity profile are available upon request. Direct all resumes or inquiries to Search Committee, Community Bible Church, 1304 N. Parker, Olathe, KS 66061. 913-764-4633 search@cbcolathe.com
Employment-MB Biblical Seminary
MB Biblica l Seminary is seeking a Dire cto r o f Deve l o pm ent to help build a community of financial supporters for men and women who are being trained and equipped to serve and lead in the church and the world! As the successful applicant, you will plan and administrate the advancement program for the seminary's three locations, including developing major gift donors, providing leadership in achievement of annual fund and capital goals, personal involvement in fund -raising and developing grant proposals. You will report to and work closely with the President. It is estimated you will be in the office one-third of the time and in direct contact with current and potential donors twothirds of the time Salary and benefits will be commensurate with job qualifications and experien ce. Office location will be Fresno, Calif ; other location to be negotiated Applications will be accepted until a suitable candidate j o ins our team!
Danny Krause and Charis and husband Eric Eyraud, 12 grandchildren and two great grandchildren
HO FE R, DAVID L., Reedley, Calif , cofounde r of the first commercial Christian rad i o station in t h e U S , member of Reedley MB Church, was born July 6, 1917, in Dinuba, Calif., and died April 8, 2004, at the age of 86. He is survived by his wife Sylvia of 65 years, two daughters, Donna of Visalia, Calif., and Nadine and husband Dick Sheppard of Sanger, Calif.; two brothers, Egon of Reedley, Calif , and Jim and wife Nancy of Gilroy, Calif.; four g r andchildren and eight great grandchildren.
SCHROEDER, LINDA, Inman, Kan , a member of Zoar MB Church of Inman, was born May 6,1919, to Peter J. and Mary Siebert Prieb,
and died April 2, 2004, at the age of 85 On May 8, 1941, she was married to Herbert W. Schroeder, who predeceased her She is survived by two sons, Herbert and wife Pauline of Sioux Falls, S.D., and Nathan and wife Bonnie of Goddard, Kan.; one daughter, Miriam and husband Mark Pauls of Inman; two brothers, Arnold Prieb of Fresno, Calif., and Eldo Prieb of Buhler, 10 grandchildren and three great grandchildren
SIEMENS, CHESTER ARTH UR, Buhler, Kan., a member of Buhler MB Church, was born May 18, 1912, to Henry H. and Elise Froese Siemens on a farm near Buhler and died April 3, 2004, at the age of 91. On May 9, 1934, he married Esther, who predeceased him On Sept. 4, 1981, he married Fr i eda Schroeder Goertzen , who survives He is also
CLEARINGHOUSE
Send resumes to Sharon Balint, 4824 E. Butler Ave, Fresno CA, 93727 For more information, contact Sharon at (559) 452 - 1714 or sbalint@mbseminary edu
Employment-MCC
Looking for a visionary and energetic woman to lead the work of Women's Concerns to the next level. Responsibilities include leading and overseeing domestic violence/sexual abuse prog r amming, organizing dialogical forums on issues important to women and carrying out advocacy work on antisexism. These tasks provide a chance to work collaboratively with an energetic and creative peace and justice team in the Akron, Pa , office. This is a fulltime position that involves some travel. Requirements include commitment to Anabaptist/Mennonite theology and practice; expertise in women's issues and peace work; strong writ i ng, editing and speaking skills; interest and ability in networking with a broad range of constituent women; and ability to work with church structures For more information, please contact Prem D i c k ,
Crime and Justice and Mennonite
Conciliation Service are sponsoring an Advanced Training Institute, entitled "Working with Groups, · October 11-15, 2004 at the MCC Welcoming Place, Akron, Penn The cost is $450 ($500 for registrations received after September 17); some scholarship assistance is available. For more information, visit www mcc.org/us/peaceandjustice/m cs html or contact MCS at PO Box 500, Akron, PA 17501, 717-8591151, <mcs@mccus.org>.
100 Year Ce lebratio n
In celebration of 100 years of ministry, the Bethel MB Church of Yale, SO, invites you to join us as we praise God for
his goodness. Our celebration weekend, "Growing God's Family," will be Aug 1415, 2004.
Saturday even-
ing's banquet will be a "Celebration of
Penner,
survived by three daughters, Carolyn and husband Milt Hallett of Fresno, Calif , Suzanne and husband Tom Hale of Yakima, Wash , and Elizabeth "Betty" and husband Sam Dickson of Denton, Tex., 14 grandchildren, 29 great grandchildren and four stepchildren
STANDING ELK, TED , Porcupine, S.D., former pastor and evangelist among the Lakota people, died March 11
VOGT, KENNETH HAROLD, San Diego, Calif , was born Aug. 6,1947, to Vernon and Mildred Harder Vogt in Hillsboro, Kan , and died Sept 25, 2003 He is survived by his parents; two sisters, Janet Vogt of Wichita, Kan , and Joyce and husband Dennis Wahr of Minneapolis, Minn , and one brother, Richard and wife Natise of Newton, Kan
Missions and Services." Along with a special message from MBMSI, Bethel pastors and wives, missionaries and special guests will be recognized Cost for reserved tickets is $10 and can be purchased by contacting the Bethel church secretary at bjwedel@santel.net. Sunday, August 15th, Bethel will "Celebrate God's Faithfulness" in the past and present. In addition to celebrating a rich heritage, Bethel Church will be launched into the future to celebrate God's desire to continue to use his people locally and in the world. Contact Bethel Church at (605) 352-7424 or (605) 353 - 1233 for more information
CreatingASunrise
Every year, we receive news of new "sunrises" created by the thoughtful planning of individuals who include their favorite charities in their estate plans and wills. These gifts appear on the horizon as beautiful expressions of a new day for these charities.
For example, consider Martha Esther Bartel of Enid, Oklahoma. Thanks to thoughtful charitable gift and estate planning, three ministries she prayed for and highly valued benefited from gifts exceeding $800,000 upon her death in March of 2002.
These gifts are indeed like sunlight to Corn Bible Academy (Corn OK), Oklahoma Bible Academy (Enid OK), and MBMS International (Fresno CA). They provide the warm and comforting knowledge that financial resources are available as they fulfill their God-given mission.
Meet Esther
Esther was born in 1911 near Corn, Okla. At the age of thirteen she accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as her personal Savior, was baptized, and became a member of Corn Mennonite Brethren Church. Later she would become a member of the Enid Mennonite Brethren Church.
Throughout her life, Esther touched the lives of many people. She taught and influenced many students at Corn Bible Academy, Oklahoma Bible Academy, Enid Public Schools, Bacone College and Phillips University. She also accepted several young people into her home while they were pursuing their college education. She gave strong encouragement to young people to consider the ministry or missionary service as their calling from God. One of her pastors stated, "Esther was the first person (as a VBS teacher) to challenge me to consider the call of God upon my life."
Esther served her church and her Lord as a Sunday School superintendent, organist, and was a member of various committees. She also served for a period of time as music director in an Indian Baptist mission. Esther was also involved in a variety of educational associations, the local Chamber of Commerce, and other community organizations.
Painting a Sunrise at Sunset
Mennonite Brethren Foundation was privileged to assist Esther in reviewing options to fulfill her charitable intent. Several years ago, Esther gifted a piece of land to Mennonite Brethren Foundation in exchange for a life income through a charitable gift annuity. The increase in income from the annuity over the net-farm income resulted in a win-win situation for her and the ministries, which would ultimately benefit from her gift. As a result of the grace of giving and good investment practices by her trustee, her estate grew. At the sunset of Esther's life, gifts in excess of $800,000, from a gift annuity and bequest, provided a new "sunrise" for three charities.
Would you like to paint a sunrise at the sunset of your life? It is as simple as including the correct language in your will, or utilizing one of many charitable gifting options available through Mennonite Brethren Foundation , where we look forward to encouraging and assisting individuals in faithful stewardship for the benefit of Mennonite Brethren and MB organizations.
315 S. L i 11(0111, P O. Box 22 0 Hillsbolo, I<S 67063
tel: 800-551 - 1547 fax: 620-947 - 3266
Healthychurches
When there is a change in his health, my husband has been known to diagnosis himself with a fairly major illness. An unusual headache indicates a brain tumor A rash is an early sign of skin cancer. A sore muscle signals a heart condition. So far, a visit to our family doctor has revealed the true medical problem to be a minor thing that can easily be addressed.
This issue of the Leader challenges us to take seriously the health of Mennonite Brethren congregations . Today church development folks are using a more holistic approach to church health-one that emphasizes both quantity and quality-than has been used at times in the past. When Mission USA was established 10 years ago as a national conference ministry, the board decided to focus on renewing and growing existing congregations as weD as planting new churches. Many of our established congregations, especially those in rural settings, have benefited from this national focus on renewal. When health is defined primarily in terms of increased attendance and your congregation ministers in a community with a declining population, church development discussions can be very discouraging. But when we encourage our congregations to think of church health in terms of the quality of ministry rather than in numerical terms, church health is something for which all of us can aim.
While some of our congregations have become healthier thanks to the various resources made available by Mission USA and district boards, we Mennonite Brethren, like many denominations in our country, also have a fair number of stagnant and declining congregations. We need to continue our efforts to becoming a growing, healthy denomination of growing, healthy churches. The recent appointment of Don Morris as the next director of Mission USA will help us continue our focus on nurturing churches. Morris has a strong background in church renewal and a heart for reaching people who don't know Jesus.
In our efforts to improve our health, Larry Martens reminds us in his article (page 4) that even a growing, healthy church can have a fever or get an infection and that this is also a normal part of church life. Occasional fevers are fairly common in the human body. Many times they don't signal a major illness-just a temporary bout with some virus
It helps me to think about church health in a similar way. Because a congregation is a living, growing body, there will be
occasional church "fevers." Sometimes we respond to times of poor church health like my husband reacts to his health concerns. We think we have a crisis on our hands. We over react. We panic and a molehill becomes a mountain We forget that when something is alive it grows and changes We respond best to the ebb and flow of church life when we remember that a church family is not perfect-sometimes we make mistakes-and that it is normal to have differences of opinion on how we do church and common to feel uncomfortable when things change.
Sometimes we ignore the occasional fevers in our congregations and just keep on doing what we do in the hope that things wiD return to normal. That's not all together a bad idea-it doesn't necessarily harm one to ignore a fever. Some of us practice conflict resolution strategies like those outlined in the January issue of the Leader when our church is in a season of poor health. That can be helpful in keeping a normal church "fever" from becoming more serious.
However, there is an important ingredient in good health that congregations can easily ignore-rest. One of the things we do to keep our physical bodies healthy is to get enough sleep. A common response to a fever is extra rest. Church bodies also need to rest. Rest can keep our congregations healthy and an extra dose of rest during a period of poor health can be therapeutic.
So how does a congregation rest? I think a congregation rests when it "does nothing" together. To rest is to make time for relaxation and fun, to have as the primary agenda for this specific afternoon or evening just being together. A church picnic, watermelon feed or women's salad supper can be a time of rest. An all-church bicycle ride, hike or an outing to a local zoo or museum can be a time of rest.
In spring and summer many congregations plan these sorts of occasions-and sometimes feel guilty because the events don't seem very spiritual. In fact, resting as a church family is very important to our health. (We laugh about it sometimes at our church, but regular potlucks are a high priority for us ) Our human bodies do best when there is a balance of work and play, busyness and rest, and so do we as congregations So as we talk about and plan for this summer's activities, let us strive to balance doing the work of the church and being the body of Christ.-£F
