10 MY BROTHER'S KEEPER by Greg Camp and Audrey Hindes
Is my love for God related to how I treat other people? Jesus teaches us in Matthew 25 that the two greatest commandments are inseparable. Old Testament stories reinforce Christ steaching that we are to care for "the least of these "
12 PRESCRIPTION FOR JUSTICE by Rebecca Thesman
Members of our families, communities and churches are living without health insurance. Some are just one illness away from catastrophe. How can the church show mercy and justice to these brothers and sisters?
15 WHEN NUMBERS DON'T ADD UP by Pakisa Tshimika
If numbers counted, the current situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo would be a global priority. It would certainly be a matter of deep concern among North American Mennonite Brethren who sent missionaries to this country that now has the world's largest MB conference Come along with Congolese native Pakisa Tshimika and photographer Ray Dirks for a firsthand look at this land in crisis.
> FiRST WORDS
(from t he editor)
I HAVE NEVER NEEDED TO CALL 911 FOR EMERGENCY aid. But from firsthand experience I do know the power of those three digits. To make a long story short, let me just say that in the process of sending a fax, lone rime dialed 9Il by mistake. Even though the local police department had a prerty good idea that this was not a legitimate call, they quickly responded . My 9Il call was not treated lightly, and it was not ignored.
As you read the feature articles in this issue, think of them as a 9Il call. These articles draw attention to our responsibility to care for those described by Jesus in Matthew 25 as the "least of these." Who are the least of these? Jesus says they are the hungry and thirsty, the strangers, the sick and the imprisoned. In other words, people with significant survival needs that are calling 911 Sadly their cries for help are shoved aside and ignored
We begin with an article outlining the biblical teaching on our responsibility to others. It is followed by two calls for help. The first call alerts us to the challenges of living without health insurance in our country and challenges us individually and as congregations to creatively address this need. The second call comes on behalf of our brothers and sisters in the Democratic Republic of Congo and invites us to heed this country's cry for help.
Responding to the 9Il calls we read about in this issue is not easy The situations addressed are complex and the questions raised can be thorny. But the authors remind us that we are called to bear one another's burdens and that doing nothing is not an option.
This month we are providing an update on the work of Mennonite Central Committee and Mennonite Disaster Service following Hurricanes Kattina and Rita along the U.S. Gulf Coast. The calls for help following Hurricane Katrina-many of them desperate cries from desperate people-prompted an outpouring of gifts to charitable organi2arions, including these two Mennonite agencies that have partnered to provide short-term material aid and do long-term rebuilding along the Gulf Coast. U.S. Conference church giving reports for the first quarter of this fiscal year show that MB donations to MCC in September were more than double the total of the three previous months - from a total of $I4,574 for June, July and August to $34,814 in September. USC leaders attribute the increase to our desire to help those impacted by Hurricane Katrina.-CF
> QUOT ABLE
Get involved the world is run by people who show up. - bumper sticker
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 Bre t hren 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 evangelicaVAnabaptist theological tradition.
EDITORIAL POLICY The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the position of the Christian Leader, the U.S. Conference Leadership Board or the Mennonite Brethren Church. Scripture references are from New International Version unless otherwise noted. The editors invite freelance article submissions. A SASE must accompany articles.
READER PARTICIPATION The editors invite readers to share their thoughts and opinions on topics relevant to the Mennonite Brethren Church using letters to the editor and Forum essays. Letters to the editor should be brief-300 words or less-and on one subject. Letters must be signed and include the writer's city and state. Letters will be edited for clarity, appropriateness and length. Letters will be published, as space allows, unless marked -Not for publication:' Forum is open to members or attendees of Mennonite Brethren churches. Essays should not exceed 800 words, and should include the writer's name, address, home church and occupation.
COMMUNICATION All correspondence, including change of address, should be addressed to the Christian Leader, Box 220, Hillsboro, KS 67063. Phone: 620-947-5543. Fax: 620-947-3266. E-mail: christianleaderlClusmb.org.
SUBSCRIPTIONS $18 for one year, $34 for two years and $50 for three years ($20, $38, $54 in Canada); $1.50 per copy.
MEMBERSHIP The Christian Leader is a member of the Evangelical Press Association and Meetinghouse, an association of Mennonite and Brethren in Christ editors.
POSTMASTER Send address changes to the Christian Leader, Box 220, Hillsboro, KS 67063. Periodicals postage paid at Hillsboro, Kansas.
CONNIE FABER / d/h ),
Dressing for church
I certainly do agree with the editorial comment by Myra Holmes in the September issue about clothing artire when we artend church (September editorial, 'What not to wear")
In our West Coast casual-minded churches it seems like anything goes in what people wear to church . I am offended by the "sloppy" man ner in which some people dress when coming to worship the King. The last sen tence certainly sums it up in a wonderful manner: "May this small thing-our clothing - reflect an artitude of worship and respect for the King ." To me there is no counter argument. Clothes can affect our artitude .
Don Buller Fresno, Calif
Praying for rain
Marvin Hein asks in his column (September issue of "Inquiring Minds") whether we should pray for rain. Recently someone asked me a related question. It bothered him that people were praising God for saving their lives from Hurricane Katrina while countless others died. Surely these also prayed for deliverance. Did God love one more than the other?
A speaker at Tabor College a number of years ago when I was teaching there spoke about similar concerns. His comments have helped me a great deal when the rain doesn't come or the healing doesn't occur.
The speaker had experienced much long-term illness in his own family so he was not speaking hypothetically. He said that as Christians we claim God is leading (working on our behalf, answering our prayers) if it ends up for our good. We assume to know cause and effect We think our prayers brought about the narrow escape from danger or led to healing . We forget about the per-
son in the accident or hurricane who was killed or maimed who also may have prayed.
He also said that we claim God is leading if the event seems miraculous and can't be explained by science, especially medical science. We claim God is working on our behalf if something is very coincidental. The drunken driver that narrowly misses our vehicle at the intersection or the hail that damages the neighbor's field but not ours .
We also claim that God is at work when something happens that needs explanation but can't be explained. It then becomes a God thing . This is sometimes referred to as the God of the gaps.
We long for visible signs of God's work in our lives. The Tabor speaker concluded that God's work is evident when the fruit of the spirit (love, joy, peace, long suffering and so forth) grows in our lives, when we become more Christ-like.
Yes, we should bring all our concems to God in prayer. Yes, we should thank God for daily mercies. But let's not be too sure we have all the answers to God's immutable ways.
Katie Funk Wiebe Wichita, Kan
PROFILES CORRECTION
The author of the latest Historical Commission Profiles (No. 31, Summer 2005) should have been listed as Erica Janzen, Kitchener, Onto Our apologies to the author. Historical Commission, Abe Dueck
by Chuck Buller
More with Les
Why
convention delegates matter
Irecently drove with Les Stahlke, our "governance guru," across the plains of Kansas. Les has written Governance Matters, a compelling book on nonprofit governance and is consulting with several Mennonite Brethren entities.
He has helped to facilitate reorganization processes with the Canadian Conference and MBMS International, and he is currently working with the u.s. Conference. Les has been meeting with significant U.S. MB leaders and pastors trying to understand who we are, where we come from and where we might be going
The great thing about spending time with Les is the feeling you get that you are sitting with a wise person . I always feel like I've just spent an hour with Obi Wan Kenobi of the Star Wars trilogy . He is a grandparent, born -again Christian, Lutheran layleader and fo rmer mission agency CEO.
What makes Les a good consultant is that he is unflappable and
tity or if he even thought there was one. He smiled and in his disarming and unassuming manner said, 'Well, your official history and theology of peacemaking has made you incredibly tolerant of one another's diverse theology."
Hmmm I hadn't ever thought of it quite like that before but it makes sense. MBs in the U.S. hesitate to do study conferences, debate theology or even talk openly about different perspectives because at heart we really hate conflict One of the results is that U.S. MB theology today might be best described as "eclectic Christian. " When I think about my MB pastor friends I have to admit they are an eclectic bunch indeed. And I like most of them. They range from Apostolic to Anabaptist and contain fundamentalists, evangelicals and reformed in between.
Les went on to suggest that this may in fact be one of the things that people find appealing about us. I assured him that people also find it frustrating . Most pastors and laypeople want us to choose a center that looks just like theirs and are wondering if we will ever tends to ask questions that we don' t ask because we are overly familiar with our own problems Take the issue of authority, for example. The use of authority is an issue in all organizations: Who has authority?
- Dcnominmions only ha\'c powcr and money to do the things the ll1anchtcd and 11Inded.
Where does it come from? How is it supposed to be used? Who holds those in authority accountable? These are the salient issues in local churches and denominational agencies alike.
Les has an interesting take on authority. He believes it must be talked about and defined. Furthermore he believes that the power of a denomination lies in the conference of local churches. That is to say denominations only have power and money to do the things the churches have mandated and funded. If this is true, you can see why sending representatives to conventions might be more important than we have made it in the past.
When I was a pastor I did not take the selection of delegates to national and provincial and district conferences very seriously. I thought that the seminary, colleges, foundation and other agencies were run by boards of directors and that 'leaders should lead" and not bother the rest of us with all the politics of denominational ministry
I have a very different opinion today. If our conference has asked MBMSI to lead in international mission movements on our behalf, has asked MB Biblical Seminary to oversee leadership development, and has asked MB Foundation to manage the stewardship functions of our collective churches then it is critical that congregations send capable lay leaders to the convention every two years. These delegates ask, "So how are you doing with what we gave you the authority to do on our behalf?"
Like I said, Les has a take on things different than we are used to Or at least he asks familiar questions in new ways
Les makes statements that I find refreshing As he and I drove along 1-35 I asked Les what he thought was the center of M B iden -
see the light.
Yet more and more I understand that this eclectic mix is part of our uniqueness and I am no exception My three favorite books this year were Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller, an undesignated Anabaptist; Why Men Hate Going to Church by Dave Morrow, a lay Presbyterian; and Calvinism in Las Vegas by Don Mouw, president and resident Calvinist of Fuller Seminary. Yes, I am theologically nonlinear.
I also reflect our history. I am part of a community of faith that has always valued learning Learning from each other and other tradition s MB pastors come from MBBS but also Dallas (Texas ) Theological Seminary, Fuller, Grace University or Oral Roberts University. The challenge that we face is to hold to an historic confession of faith while cherishing the diversity of the family that God has created in our rather small comer of Christendom. Is it worth the effort? Les tells us that is for you to decide.
Conference employees and boards fulfill the mandate you give to us Not the other way around. If this matters to you, send your cong regation's brightest, most committed and most prayerful delegates to Boone, N C, in July for the 2006 USC convention
[ new 5 fro m the men non t e brethren world]
Children's book by Thiessen and Balzer released
Orso: The Troll Who Couldn't Scare. a picture book authored by Brad Thiessen and illustrated by Jeremy Balzer. was released in October by CDS Books. a division of Perseus Books Orso tells the story of a young troll who prefers climb in g trees and playing with animals to scaring passersby and who learns to use his unique gifts to build relationships.
Thiessen . director of public relations at MB Biblical Seminary. says the idea for the book is based on a game called "tickle troll" he played with his three-year-old son. He first told the story of Orso when his son asked him to "tell a story you've never heard."
God made them to be "
Balzer's illustrations add to the book's joyful mood. Thiessen and Balzer met in 1998 while working together at MBMS International . Balzer grew up at Buhler (Kan ) MB Church. graduated from Tabor College. Hillsboro. Kan .• and now works as an illustrator and art teacher in Denver. Colo. Balzer says it was a privilege to work with Thiessen on this book. "I always
Thiessen says he enjoys writing children 's fiction because it appeals to the creative side of both children and adults. "I beli eve on e of the greatest gifts a child enjoys and shares with the world is imagination," Thiessen says. "My goal when I write is to engage the reader's imagination and also affirm them as the beautiful creatures that liked the story of Orso-it's clever and has a good lesson for children." he says. "Plus it's about trolls, and I love to illustrate anything that requires the imagination."
Orso is available through Barnes and Noble stores or online booksellers.
Enrollme nt up at Tabor, FPU Shop online
Enrollment figures from both Tabor College and Fresno Pacific University. the college and university supported by u.S. Mennonite Brethren churches. show growth for the 2005 -2006 school year .
At Tabor. a four -year liberal arts college headquartered in Hillsboro. Kan • with a second location in Wichita. Kan .• fall enrollment numbers have remained steady at 606 students. the same figure released at this time last year. This semester's total full-time equivalency of 564 is the highest in Tabor's history.
Reports from the Hillsboro campus show a 3.32 percent head count increase from last year's figure of 471 to this year's 480 . The Wichita campus experienced growth in undergraduate programs as well. from 115 A
FRESNO PAC IFI C
U NIVE R SITY students to 119, a 3.48 percent increase. At F P U. which offers undergraduate
and graduate programs from a main campus in Fresno, Calif.. and centers in North Fresno. Visalia and Bakersfield. Calif.•
UTabor College
Christ·centered Education traditional undergraduate enrollment topped 1.000 for the first time.
Enrollment is up in all categories and records were set for both new freshmen and transfers. bringing the total student population to 2.261. According to the 16th-day enrollment report. the 1.047 traditional undergraduate students represent a 7 percent increase from last fall's 977. The 406 students in degree completion programs mark a 94 percent hike over this time in 2004 and 808 students are studying in graduate programs , up 6 percent. Traditional students are usually recent high school graduate s or community college transfers Degree completion students are adults with some previo us college .FPUl Tabor
Ten Thou sand Villages
merce Web site at • www. t e nth o u - • sa nd v illa ges.c om .
The new site features online shopping with a uniqu e collection of more than 250 fairly traded gift and home decor items including handcrafted baskets , ce ramics, textil es, musical in strum ents and jewelry. Each item available for purchase onlin e is acco mpanied by a photograph and story about the arti san who crea ted it When produ cts are shipped to th e custom er, inform ation ab out th e traditional proce ss use d to create th e product is included Ten Th ousand Villages, a no nprofit, fair trade orga ni zation with over 120 stores nati onwid e, pro motes environm entally sus tain able produ ction, pays fair prices and provides health y wo rking conditions for its arti san s.-MCC
Colombian Mennonite leader receives peace award
Ricardo Esquivia, a Mennonite peacemaker in Colombia, has been given the 2005 Peacemakers in Action Award by the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding in New York. The award, which comes with a $15,000 prize to help fund Esquivia's peacemaking efforts, was presented during a Sept 25-30 retreat sponsored by the Tanenbaum Center. The retreat brought together religiously motivated leaders doing peace work around the world.
Esquivia is a leader in the Colombian Mennonite Church, a former vice president of the Council of Evangelical Churches of Colombia and the founder of Justapaz, a Colombian Mennonite organization that works for peace and justice. He is currently working to organize a variety of churches to work for peace in the conflicted northern Colombian region of Montes de Maria.
In Januaty 2004, rumors circulated in Colombia that Esquivia was about to be arrested on false charges of belonging to a guerrilla group. The Colombian Mennonite Church led an international campaign to protect Esquivia, and he credits his safety to thousands of concerned individuals around the world who sent letters to U.S. and Colombian officials.
In March 2004, Esquivia testified at a congressional briefing in Washington, D.C., on civil rights abuses in Colombia and the harm done by U.S. military aid to the country.
Mennonite Central Commitree financially supported Esquivia's work from 1990 to 2004 and nominated him for the Peacemakers in Action Award Esquivia is also a member of Mennonite World Conference's Global Anabaptist Peace and Justice Network and serves as a spokesman for the network.-MCCIMWC
MMA board accepts CEO's resignation
The Mennonite Mutual Aid Board of Directors accepted the resignation of President and CEO Terry L. "Skip" Nagelvoort Sept. 21, 2005; the resignation was effective immediately. The board respected Nagelvoort's decision to make a change and wished him success in his future endeavors.
Steve Garboden, senior vice president of health services and administrative services, has assumed the position of acting president and CEO. Garboden has been with MMA for 29 years; he will work closely with the MMA executive leadership team to ensure that there is a seamless continuation of services.
Mennonite Weekly Review reports that Nagelvoort filed for bankruptcy in Michigan on June 29 , less than a week
before he was announced as MMA's new leader in July. MWR states that Nagelvoort described the bankruptcy filing as "a protective measure" to avoid lengthy court entanglements after business reversals.
MMA has made no official comment on how Nagelvoort's bankruptcy filing might have affected his resignation, citing employee confidentiality.
MMA is a stewardship solutions organization that helps those from the Mennonite, Brethren, Missionary, and Brethren in Christ denominations through its expertise in insurance, financial services, charitable -giving programs, and fraternal benefits David Faber of Hillsboro, Kan ., represents Mennonite Brethren on the MMA board. - MMA, Mennonite Weekly Review
N EW SCLiPS
RELIEF AID TO CENTRAL AMERICA
Mennonite Central Committee is appealing for $250,000 to help people affected by Tr opical Storm Stan, which made landfall Oct. 4 and caused flooding, mudslides and at least 1,153 deaths in Guatemala, El Salvador and southern Mexico. As an initial response, MCC is providing $5,000 in grants to three partner organizations in El Salvador to purchase food, blankets, plastic sheeting and other supplies for 525 families who have been displaced to temporary shelters. MCC has created a Central America Emergency Assistance fund to support the responses of partner organizations in Guatemala, El Salvador and Mexico. Donations may be made online at www.mcc.org/donate or through any MCC office.-MCC
BOOK RELEASED
Joel Kauffmann, a screenwriter and cartoonist from Goshen, 'nd., and author of Pontius' Puddle, is one of several Mennonites featured in Stories for a Better World, part of the popular Chicken Soup for the Soul series. Four of Kauffmann's cartoons are featured in the book, which was released in August. Writers with Mennonite, Church of the Brethren or Quaker connections contributed 20 percent of the stories in the collection. Other Mennonite contributions include "Common Ground, " by Jodi Beyeler; "Guns Are No Match for Gentle Words," by Janna Bowman; "The Mystery of the Thatch," taken from Coals of Fire, a book written by the late Elizabeth Hershberger; '" was Ready to Fight," by Palmer Becker; "A Gesture of Peace," by Lawrence Hart; "Concepcion's Circle," by Madeleine Enns; and "'nnovation 101 ," by Joanne Klassen.-Mennonite Church USA
CCC For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirs ty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' Then the right eous will answer him, cL ord, when did we see you h ungry and feed you, or t hirsty and give you som ething to drink? Whe n did we see you a stranger and invite you in , or needing clothes and clothe you? When d id we see
." "' _ you sick or in prison and go to visit you? ' The King will reply, 1 te ll you the truth , whatever you did for one of the least of the se brothers of mine, you did for me.'"Jesus talking to his d isciples in Matthew 25: 35-4 0 .
Calling for help My brother's keeper
How should I respond when I see someone in need? Do I say with Cain, "Am I my brother's keeper?"
AT A CLIMACTIC POINT IN the dominant power, direct military attack and fleeing to an unknown region with Matthew, Jesus issues a startling challenge to few if any resources. God rescues them because of a promise, not because they are contemporary assumptions about what will more righteous or have other intrinsic values The covenant promises that God will happen at the final judgment. At the heart of be with them to make them a special people. these assumptions are the criteria being used to Israel is to be a people transformed so that the entire world can be blessed rather establish right living. As expressed in Matthew than cursed. God's love is for the world, not for Israel over others, and Israel is the 25:31-46, attending to "the least of these" is at key instrument for demonstrating that love. "Indeed, the whole world is mine, but the heart of what it means to love God. you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation" (Exod 19: 5-6).
Care of the marginalized is a key compo - God loves the world and is actively pursuing a relationship with the world nent of the Christian life . It characterizes both through Israel. God creates a nation in this pursuit. One implication is that it is not God's nature and a transformed community, merely an individual's relationship with God, but also one's relationship with others revealing the inseparable nature of the two in the community greatest commandments: love God and love one God's covenant with Israel, as articulated in the law, relates to love for God and another. love for each other. Israel's life as a community requires love for God (Ex. 20:1- II) and
Stories from the Old Testament provide a love for each other (Exod. 20:IZ-17). God frequently reminds them that his love for framework for understanding Matthew 25. them changed their lives and that sets an example for how they are to treat others. These stories establish a consistent pattern for the inseparable nature of the two greatest commandments.
Genesis 4
An archetypical problem arises early in the Genesis narrative with Cain and Abel. Cain treats Abel like nothing (Abel's name in Hebrew, hebel, means "wind") by killing him out of self-interest.
When confronted by the Lord about his brother, Cain asks, '1\m I my brother's keeper?" Truly, Abel means nothing to his brother Cain's response suggests that his behavior toward and relationships with others (namely Abel), have no direct bearing on his relationship with God.
Likewise, if God is looking for Abel, Cain protests that it has nothing to do with him. This represents a serious disconnect with both relationships. Cain cannot pretend that the brokenness in the relationship with his brother has not affected his relationship with God.
Exodus 19
The prologue to the covenant in Exodus 19:4 -6 summarizes God's saving activity for Israel when they were at their most vulnerable as a people: "You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself
In fact, the process of deliverance increased the degree of vulnerability, leading to harder labor, death of children, hostility from
Even purity laws contain an element of social responsibility. One notable example is Exodus 22:21 -24. which connects their experience with how they are to treat others: "You shall not wrong or oppress a ·resident alien. for you were aliens in the land of Egypt. You shall not abuse any widow or orphan. If you do abuse them. when they cry out to me. I will surely heed their cry; my wrath will bum. and I will kill you with the sword. and your wives shall become widows and your children orphans."
Note the level of emotional response by God Caring for the marginalized even included leaving the margins of fields unharvested for the poor and alien (Lev. 19:9-10. 23 :22; Deut. 24 :19- 22 ).
Ruth
The story of Ruth depicts a widow and alien allowed to glean in Israel's fields. Her faithfulness saves and restores Naomi to her people and her God. She becomes the grandmother of David. arguably the most important king in the history of Israel. Boaz's ideal treatment of Ruth at the point when she is most vulnerable provides the other key part that makes this happen
Ruth. as a foreigner. doesn't have the same commitment since the covenant with God is not part of her religion or culture. Her actions are not conditioned by a set of laws but rather by love for Naomi. God also provides for Ruth and Naomi in the subtle reality of the law of gleaning that is to be one aspect governing Israel's life. This contributes to the fulfillment of the promise to bless the world through Israel when they. Israel. obey the words of the covenant (Exod. 19:5. d. Gen. 12:3).
Kings: All is not well
The history of Israel's kings provides examples of paradoxical moments where Israel is rejected while others receive God's favor. During a famine in Israel. Elijah stays in Zaraphath and provides for the Sidonian widow. He is the alien in her land. a territory allied with Elijah's nemesis Jezebel. In Luke 4 Jesus points out that Elijah goes to her and to no others in Israel.
B Y G R
Li kewise in 2 Kings 5. Elisha heals Naaman. the leader of the Syrian army that has been devastating the military forces of Israel. This is a case where the one receiving God's care is not "the least of these " by standards of power and influence, but nonetheless he is a foreigner. one bent on destroying Israel and would certainly seem to stand outside the covenant.
Within the nation of Israel under the period of the monarchy. examples from the prophets are plentiful that demonstrate God's care for the marginal and hatred for ill-treatment at the hands of the dominant in society. Micah 6:8. Hosea 6:6. Amos 8:4-8 and Isaiah 61:1-4 all reflect a separation of love of God from love of others.
It is to those who are economically and politically dominant in Israelite society that these words of challenge and condemnation are delivered. They presume. like Cain. that their relationship with others has no bearing on their relationship with God and vice versa. They act out of their understanding of what it takes to maintain their own stability but choose a path that ultimately creates divisions within the nation and leads to its instability and destruction
Back t o Matthew
Love of others cannot be separated from love of God The treatment of the marginal "the least of these" becomes such a key consideration. This is because of the fundamental human tendency to ill-treat others. particularly those we can dismiss. who threaten our wholeness and purity. who threaten our existence and our status quo. who are not part of our group, and who would take from our resources. Our tendency is Cain's tenden cy: to treat others as "wind." nothingness. and therefore to live as if we are not accountable to and for them. To the contrary. I am my brother's keeper
Jesus' words in Matrhew 25 are reflected in chapter 18 when the disciples raise the question of who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven . Jesus counters their desires with examples of seeking the welfare of "the least of these ."
They are to be humble like a child. or of low or no account (vv. 3-4). They are to receive or welcome a child. an unheard of practice in their day (v. 5) . One who causes a child to sin is condemned (vv. 6-9). They are notto despise a child (v 10). They are to seek them so that none should be lost (vv. 12-14). Finally. they are to seek reconciliation with one who has sinned against them (vv. 15-20).
The figures in Jesus' Matthew 25 parable ask. "When did this happen? When did we see you (Lord) in this condition?" And he will respond . " Just as you did it to one of the least of these you did it to me" (v. 40).
As we hear the call of these words on our own lives, are we really open to seeing God's presence in those around us? Those who are poor. have lost parents or children, are disabled or ill and are sleeping on the streets? Who are religiously. ideologically or ethnically different from " us"?
How are we to be humbled receive them seek their welfare, restore them - and thereby us - to a whole community? Our task is to pursue these questions.
Greg Camp and Audrey Hindes teach in the Biblica l and Religious Studies Department at Fresno Pa cific University. Camp attends Butler MB Church and Hindes attends North Fresno MB Church; both congregations are of Fresno. Calif
Calling for help • •
reserl tlon
How can the church deal justly with those who lack health insurance?
JAKE,A SUCCESSFUL MARKETING executive, was astounded when his company suddenly downsized and then eliminated his position At first he was confident of finding new employment and lived off his severance pay and then unemployment. As the months passed Jake became more concerned. He was especially worried about his medical needs With no health insurance, Jake knew he was only one illness away from catastrophe
An insulin-dependent diabetic, Jake was horrified to discover an abscess on his foot. Treatment led to an expensive surgery and an extended hospital stay. As Jake recovered and rifled through his medical bills, he was forced to choose between his health and apartment. Now homeless, Jake's chances of a secure job with benefits dwindle each day . Who will interview a man who has no address? Who will treat a patient who has a preexisting condition and no insurance?
Jake's story is duplicated thousands of times across the country. According to the Census Bureau more than 45 million people in the U.S. lack health care insurance This statistic includes the II million children who do not qualify for Medicaid. The majority of the uninsured are not uneducated or misinformed about the importance of health care
Eight out of 10 uninsured people contribute to the work force, sometimes staggering their hours between two or three jobs. These "working poor" who struggle to raise their families and pay their bills dominate the uninsured statistics
Some of these uninsured are our family members. Some live in our neighborhoods . Some occupy the pews in our churches What has led to the staggering number of uninsured people?
• Premium increases often force employers, particularly small businesses, to eliminate health insurance benefits. Many employers in 2003 faced premium increases of 13.9 percent. Some faced even steeper price hikes. Employers of less than 25 employees simply cannot afford to stay in business and provide health insurance for their employees. Some employers hire more part-time employees so they can staff their businesses without offering benefits.
• Life circumstances shove people out of the health insurance circle. With no guarantees in the job market,
clients. These professionals cannot meet the needs of every uninsured person and still operate a viable business. Many of these providers are still paying on school loans while their businesses struggle. Some doctors operate on a cash basis only, eliminating the paperwork and extra staff needed for billing and filing insurance claims .
The plight of the uninsured is a political hot topic. In the 2004 presidential campaign both candidates addressed the need but neither gave solid evidence for how they would solve the problem. Politicians face powerful lobbies ftom the insurance companies and the pharmaceutical corporations. Although politicians recognize the enormous
The majority of the uninsured are not uneducated or misinformed about the importance of health care. Eight out of 10 uninsured people contribute to the work force
many working Americans are just one pink slip away from health coverage . Any change in life status can affect health insurance: death of a spouse, job change, early retirement , divorce or the rating system utilized by insurance companies
• A major illness or a sudden disability can throw a family into the uninsured group Consider Cathy who was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy. Although Cathy's husband works as a self-employed carpenter and earns a decent living, they could not afford the new premiums forced on them by Cathy's disease. He earned too much to qualify for disability payments but not enough to pay the higher premiums . Forced to choose between the mortgage and health insurance, Cathy and her husband elected to stay in their home , uninsured.
• As the medical costs for pharmaceuticals, lab services and basic health care rise, costs outdistance average American wages The most basic health care coverage can cost $271 a month for one person. Families face rates at or above $573 a month , a hug e chunk from their monthly income Even with the most efficient household budgeting, workers who struggle to survive at $10 an hour or less cannot afford th ese insuran ce premiums
• Some hospitals and doctors' offices will not treat th e uninsured or may treat only a ce rtain number of un insured
need, even the most compassionate public servant realizes the arduous task of meeting the need. Politics sometimes interferes with justice and mercy issues . As one Kansas Insurance Commission official recently states, ''As soon as more of the middle class is uninsured something will be done."
Many communities throughout the U S. are blessed with lowpriced clinics that meet the daily emergencies of the uninsured. As welcome as these clinics are , they do not address every need. Clinics often require a fee paid before service is rendered and cannot satisfy the need for long-term preventive health care or catastrophic emergencies. Uninsured people must rely on nonprofit hospitals to write off surgeries or negotiate for incremental payments.
How can God's people address the needs of the uninsured? How can we follow the command in Micah 6 :8 to ".. .do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with our God"?
Without a national policy or community-wide effort it is impossible to meet every need every day It is the responsibility of the church to provide leadership when society cannot or will not meet these needs .
As we focus on justice and mercy for the uninsured in our communities and congregations we can implement these suggestions
Pray For such a mammoth problem we need godly wisdom and spiritual discernmen t.
Contact public servants. We can e-mail . call and write elected officials asking them to budget monies to assist the uninsu red We can
Calling for help
suggest funn elin g pork spending at the end of congressional terms toward the uninsured. We can circulate the true stories of people like Cathy and Jake so that the uninsured have names and faces
Encourage the politicians within our ranks. Many public servants are members of local congregations. Politics is the arena where they serve God and people. We can encourage local and state politicians to address the plight of the uninsured and then pray daily for these public servants.
Spark community action We can write letters to the editor of the local newspaper. We can encourage clubs and civic groups to take a
passion by opening our checkbooks.
Care for others. We can adopt an uninsured family in the community. Volunteers from the congregation can drive the children to the doctor for school physicals and required immunizations and the church can pay for the exams. We can research the best insurance coverage for this family and then pay the monthly premium. How many of the unchurched would respond to such practicallove?
Establish a low-cost clinic. Congregations can
&. Without a national policy or community-wide effort it is impossible to meet every need every day. It is the responsibility of the church to provide leadership when society cannot or will not meet these needs.
more proactive role. We can advocate that homeless and uninsured citizens serve on city commissions so that the issues of the uninsured are regularly addressed We can spearhead a task force to implement practical ideas
Educate our congregations. We can invite health care professionals to educate us about the difficulties they face. We can learn about the cost of medical care and treattnents. For example many people who have insurance may not realize that a woman's gynecological exam may cost between $400 and $500. Without health coverage the uninsured woman may face breast or uterine cancer that could be prevented with proper medical care.
Care for our own. Do we know who the uninsured are among us? If not let's find out. Establish a local benevolent fund for the uninsured in our congregations or a foundation with a charitable annuity to cover their medical needs. We can identify the people in our congregations who choose medicines over food and designate funds to pay for those medicines or a percentage of the amount. We can prove our com-
expand community outreach and home mission by meeting physical needs. While developing a nonprofit clinic is a huge and challenging task, many congregations are making clinics a part of their ministry. By meeting the practical needs of the community they earn the right to share the Gospel. Clinic staff can pray with patients and appropriate Christian literature can be distributed.
Mennonites are known for their willingness to aid in time of disaster. The plight of the uninsured in our communities has reached the disaster level and the uninsured are crying for our attention Now is the time to band together in the name of Christ to show justice and mercy to the uninsured
Rebecca Thesman is a freelance writer living in Lawrence, [(an.
According to the Census Bureau, more than 45 million Americans lack health insurance. Being uninsured is associated with a range of adverse health, social and economic consequences for individuals and their families, for the health care systems in their communities, and for the nation as a whole
• People aged 18 to 24 years are the most likely to lack ongoing primary health care.
• The average American spent $5,440 on health care in 2002.
• Language barriers prevent many people from seeking adequate health care. Spanish-speaking Americans have uninsured rates at 40 percent.
• The health of a community is directly affe cted by the number of uninsured individuals. Epidemics can spread rapidly among the homeless and uninsured.
• A relationshi p exists between household income and fair or poor health status . The lower the income, the greater the medical needs
• Alternative therapies, supplements and organic foods ar e not feasible on a fixed income.
Whennumbersdon'taddup
A journey through the Democratic RepubLic of Congo
IF NUMBERS COUNTED, THE D EMOCRATIC RE pUBLIC OF Congo would be on the front page of newspapers around the world, noted in every church bulletin, the subject of conversation in every little care, and a topic for discussion in all political science classes.
Congo is a country where it is estimated that since the outbreak of war almost five years ago up to 4 million people have died, many from preventable diseases. More than two million people are internally displaced, more than 50 percent of these in the eastern part of the country. Half of these displaced people have received no outside assistance
Government and civil leaders estimate that at least 37 percent of the population, approximately 18.5 mill io n people, have no access to form al health care and that 16 million people have critical food needs . There are currently 2,056 doctors in the country for a population of about 50 mil -
lion; 930 of these are in Kinshasa, the capital city. These are just statistics for many people . For me it is a cruel reality of life. These figures represent my brothers and sisters, nephews and nieces, friends I went to school with and the country's future leaders
In January 2005 , I traveled to Democratic Republic of Congo with three friends . It was my first personal trip back to C ongo since 1999 when our family moved to Fresno, C alif I traveled with my adopted sister Sonja, Dalton Reime r, my former Fresno Pacific University profes sor, and Ray Dirks, a friend and professional artist and ph otograp her from W innipeg, M an
This was Son ja's first trip to Afric a. Al mo st 30 years ago
I had promised to take her to Africa and show her where I grew up. played hide and seek and went to school. I would not be showing her the country I knew as a child.
I was going back to the small community where I grew up knowing that only two of us nine siblings were still living. Both my parents are now dead and many of the friends I grew up with have died of AIDS or the lack of access to health care services The political and economic situations are worse than I had ever known them. Because of the war. travel is challenging. but I was determined to go and to visit my home village.
As I reflected on our upcoming trip . I was reminded of a challenge from Henri Nouwen. While pondering the mystery of incarnation. he says: "We have hardly thought through the immense implications of the mystery of the incarnation. Where is God?
" God is where we are weak. vulnerable. small and dependent. God is where the poor are. the hungry. the handicapped. the mentally ill. the elderly. the powerless. How can we come to know God when our focus is elsewhere. on success. influence and power? Our faithfulness will depend on our willingness to go where there is brokenness. loneliness and human need "
W ith this reassurance in mind we traveled to Kinshasa in January 2005. Our journey revealed that Congo is a nation of very resilient people. There is a strong will to live despite the circumstances
Doctors. nurses. teachers and government folks work with limited resources. Women and children are on every street comer selling what goods they can in order to feed their families and pay school fees. They continue to hope with confidence that better days are ahead.
When we lived in Kinshasa we went to church with Dr Kalumuna. a physician . He felt a strong call to move to Bukavu. his home of origin. and I
remember saying goodbye to hi s family when they left. When war started again in 1998. Dr. Kalumuna was caught in the crossfire and lived in the hospital for a week caring for the sick and wounded. For that week he did not know what had happened to his immediate family and was reunited with them after many agonizing days.
He came to visit us in January while we were in Kinshasa. I asked him why he is still in Bukavu given all he had gone though. He did not hesitate to tell me that he felt God's call to go to Bukavu and nothing could change it now or in the future. He could not think of a better place for him to be than where he was.
We met Jackie. a single woman in her late 30S. while we were in Kinshasa. Jackie's passion is adopting children whose mothers have died from AIDS or who have been abandoned in local hospitals. She had 13 children ranging in age from three to 12 living with her when we visited her home. Jackie started a small business making and selling yogurt to local restaurants . She uses the income to take care of the children. Every once in a while friends lend a helping hand.
I asked her how long she plans to keep these children. She seemed puzzled by my question
"Do you have children. Dr. Pakisa? How long do you plan to keep them?" she asked me.
I understood her point. As far as she is concerned. these are her children
There are many other Congolese like Dr Kalumuna and Jackie whose lives are spent serving others regardles s
C
of the conditions.
These resilient people live in a country in crisis
Only 24 hours after we arrived in Kinshasa we were told of the death of a 4-year-old-girl we had visited that morning in a clinic. She needed a blood transfusion and there was none to give her at that clinic. My friend Pascal was driving us around and he took the mother and child to the nearest large hospital. Three hours later the child died.
This was too close for comfort. The girl's mother and I grew up together, and our parents had been close friends all their lives. The same scene repeated itself in Kajiji. Soon after our arrival there we received news of the death of one of my favorite cousins. She had died of AIDS that morning.
Formal health care is not an option for most people The Kajiji hospital pharmacy was empty, and beds were without mattresses and linens
Outside the pediatric ward we discovered a little boy sitting in his mother's lap To someone unfamiliar with tropical diseases , his skin looked like it had third degree bums. He was suffering from severe malnutrition ,
and the hospital could not afford to buy milk to feed him and the other children. Regardless of the reasons for the country's condition, people created in God's image are dying unnecessarily
In Kinshasa we discovered schools with nothing for children to sit on and classrooms used by women for cooking when children were not present. I went to high school in Kikwit, a city of half a million people, under excellent conditions . Today many schools are without walls. It is frightening to think about what happens to children in this city where when it rains it really pours. In Kajiji, my native village , we found crowded schools and students without access to books or basic school supplies
When I was a child our village did not need military protection; we were content with the police. In January we found military personnel roaming the countryside even though this region is not directly affected by war These sol-
Calling lor help
diers are really children catrying guns. How can government leaders do such a thing to my people?
We listened with great sadness as the local chief of the government told about the pain caused in the area by these young soldiersrape. extorti on. stealing and forced labor. There was nothing he could do, he said. because they were out of his control. He wanted to promote regional development and require accountability of all government employees under his supervision, but he felt his hands were tied. Two months after our return we learned that he had died suddenly.
As I listened and observed what was happening to this beautiful and potentially rich country and its people. I could not help but cry. The beautiful morning fog and golden African sunset brought temporary peace of mind . The gospel songs we sang in church brought some comfort. But the pain I was feeling did not go away.
As we visited each day with friends. professional colleagues and various leaders. we found a country where people feel isolated and uncared for by the rest of the world. This feeling is best expressed by an Eastern Congolese who was quoted in a report by Amnesty International: "I am convinced now that the lives of Congolese people no longer mean anything to anybody Not to those who kill us like flies. our brothers who help kill us or those you call the international community .... Even God does not listen to our prayers anymore and abandons us."
Representatives of international aid organizations are also frustrated by the lack of international response Oxfam. for example. criticizes the international community for continually ignoring the D RC. Oxfam is a British development. relief and campaigning organization that works around the world to find lasting solutions to poverty and suffering. When Oxfam compares the international community response in Kosovo and ORC. they note that "in 1999 donor governments gave just $8 per person in the ORC while providing $207 per person in response to the United Nation's appeal for the former Yugoslavia . While it is clear that both regions have significant needs. there is little commitment to universal entitlement to humanitarian assistance."
Oxfam goes on to note that "the international community is essentially ignoring what has been deemed l\frica's first world war.' The DRC remains a forgotten emergency Falling outside of the media spotlight and experiencing persistent shortfalls in pledged humanitarian aid. the population of the ORC has been largely abandoned to struggle for their own survival."
How is it that even in my own denomination - where it is recognized that the Congo church membership is the largest within our family of faith - that the situation of Congo has never been consid -
ered a priority?
When do numbers count in North America? Why is it that with more people dying in Congo than during the 2004 Asian tsunami, gin and the Rwandan genocide, the DRC situation is still off the radar screen of most media and international communities? Is it an issue of racism? Worldview?
Maybe Martin Luther King Jr. was right when he challenged his listeners to develop a different worldview. The world in which we live is geographically one, he said The challenge for him was to make it one in terms of brotherhood. Through scientific and technological genius we have made this world a neighborhood, said King, and yet we have not had the ethical commitment to make it a brotherhood. Somehow, someway, we must learn to live together as brothers and sisters, said King, or we will all perish together as fools.
As far as Dr. King was concerned, 'We are tied together in the single garment of destiny, caught in an inescapable network of mutuality. And whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly." He insisted that, "for some strange reason one can never be what one ought to be until the other person is what he or she ought to be "
We may have heard this song many times and yet it is a way of life that does not easily penetrate our hearts.
I am back in Fresno and am still pondering what we saw, heard, smelled and touched in Congo. I am trying to figure out the best way to respond. Like the African drum, I still hear the voices calling me toward a dance that will bring peace and reconciliation, hope for the future for school children, basic medicine to hospitals and good governance principles by all in power.
I continue to hear Henri Nouwen calling to me and my friends with a loud voice that "Our faithfulness will depend on our willingness to go where there is brokenness, loneliness and human need "
Pakisa K. Tshimika is a doctor of public health currently working as an associate executive for Mennonite World Conference He is the executive director and founder of Mama Makeka House of Hope, a ministry to the DRG. He and his wife Linda are members of College Community Church in Clovis, Calif
IMAGINING A SOLUTION
An ad hoc gathering of more than 60 people interested in the future of the Democratic Republic of Congo recently interacted with Pakisa Tshimika and Siaka Traore of the Burkino Faso Evangelical Mennonite Church The Mennonite mission representatives, former North American residents of Congo, expatriate Congolese now living in Canada and others discussed the significant challenges facing the country and its churches. MB Herald staff member Dora Dueck attended the August gathering in Winnipeg, Man., and developed this resource list offering specific avenues for Mennonite Brethren wanting to express their interest in DR Congo.
Pakisa Tshimika offers six ways for people to become involved: Learn about the roots of the conflict in DR Congo; use political and economic pressure on governments and large corporations; participate in grassroot and national peace building efforts; support the rehabilitation of schools and hospitals; support activities that promote good governance, leadership development and job creation; and befriend Congolese people
Although MBMS International's role in DR Congo has changed, it is "definitely not disengaging," says Executive Director Randy Friesen . MBMSI DRC team members are Elmer Adams and Murray and Faith Nickel, who are seeking support for the Christian University of Kinshasa. MBMSI partners with Mennonite Mission Health Association in India and DR Congo. See www mbmission org.
Mama Makeka House of Hope is a registered charitable organization, founded in memory of Tshimika's mother, to establish endowment funds for specific projects like hospitals and schools The Center for Peace Building, Leadership and Good Governance, located in Kinshasa and founded by Pascal Kulunga, brings a Christian vision of peace making and servanthood to the country.
Mennonite Central Committee provides material aid to DR Congo and is looking for people to serve for 10 days to one year to assist with public education about democracy, mediate conflict in advance of 2006 national elections and act as election observers . French proficiency is required See www mcc org
"The situation in Democratic Republic of Congo is such that many governments and organizations around the world, including churches, give the impression that it is beyond any imaginable solution," says Tshimika "I have yet to be conv inced of that. There are many possibilities for individuals and groups to become involved in furthering the cause of the Congolese people." -the editors
MCC, MDS calling for donations; volunteer options still limited
Mennonite Central Committee and Mennonite Disaster Service continue to work with local Mennonite churches in Gulf Coast areas affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita to provide relief and cleanup assistance Although volunteer opportunities are still limited, MCC and MDS are accepting financial and material donations as they prepare for long-term relief efforts.
MDS and MCC are sister organizations representing the Mennonite and Brethren in Christ churches in Canada and the United States in disaster response Because of the enormity and diverse response needed for Hurricane Katrina , MDS and MCC are working together in relief efforts. Both organizations are working closely with local congregations to determine the best response .
MDS has visited more than 10 locations in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. In each location, MDS works with local church
Local MDS volunteers assisted Jim Barnett in sort ing through his possessions following Hurrica ne Katrina.
and community leaders to identify pressing needs. After assessing the needs and working on immediate needs, MDS is in the process of creating at least four projects
A limited number of volunteers have been working on immediate needs, such as tarping roofs, removing trees, chainsaw cleanup and preparing debris for removal.
In addition, MDS has hired a full-time coordinator to organize volunteer efforts in the areas affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Jerry Klassen from British Columbia was recently named as Gulf Coast response coordinator for MDS . The decision to hire a full-time coordinator is directly related to the magnitude of disaster. MDS expects to open an unprecedented number of project locations in the Gulf Coast region. The Gulf Coast coordinator will be positioned in the region to provide these projects with additional support from the binational office that oversees MDS operations
At the same time, MCC is working with local churches to
respond to emergency needs of evacuees. including initial emergency assistance of $100.000 to churches for ministry to evacuees and approximately $720.000 in material resources already sent. Material resources include blankets. meat. relief kits. health and school kits.
In response to the needs expressed by congregations displaced by Hurricane Katrina or reaching out to evacuees. MCC is providing funds to hire Hurricane Katrina response coordinators from several congregations These coordinators will help individual churches organize their efforts to respond to the disaster At press time. four coordinators had been hired in Houston. Texas. Metairie. La .• and Meridian. Miss.
MCC has committed nearly $I.7 million as an initial response to Hurricane Katrina. The majority of the funds nearly $1.2 million. will go to churches in and around the hurricane-affected areas that are taking the lead in responding in the hurricane aftermath
MCC will offer resources for pastors of churches damaged or destroyed during the hurricane to meet the needs of their congregational members. many who are now evacuees. Long-term efforts will address the issues of injustice and racism surrounding the disaster.
Both MCC and MDS continue to accept financial donations toward hurricane relief efforts. Money collected by MDS will be used to house and support volunteers in the field as well as to provide supplies and equipment needed to keep construction projects running smoothly. Money donated to MCC supports MCC as it works with congregations in and near the hurricane damaged region and responds to specific requests identified by MDS.
Donations can be made online or by calling MDS at 717-859-2210 or MCC at 877-517-5673-
MCC is also accepting material donations of blankets health kits. school kits and relief kits to replenish the emergency material resources being used in the Gulf Coast hurricane response. More information on relief kits is available online at www.mcc.org/kits/.
MDS reports that. while many volunteers have expressed a strong desire to serve in the Gulf Coast. they are unable to accommodate large numbers of volunteers at this time MDS does need volunteers to respond to the needs of survivors from disasters other than Katrina and Rita. For information on those projects in need of immediate volunteers . see the MDS Web site or call toll free 800- 2 41 - 8111 A limited number of volunteer opportunities are available for thos e wishing to respond to Katrina and Rita. - MCCIMDS
What is taking so long?
nli ke FEMA and th e Red C ross. Me nn onite Disaster Service is not fi rs t on th e scene and does not di spense emerge ncy supplies MD S is primarily a long-term res pon se age ncy foc using on repairin g and rebuildin g ho uses usin g voluntee r con stru ction labor Thi s wo rk ca n las t b etween six month s and three years. A few M D S workers arrived on the scene soon after th e di sas ter to ass ist in clea nup MDS does chain saw work and cove ring of roofs to prevent second ary damage.
A numb er of thin gs need to happen before a project locati on can be opened
Th e first chall enge is picking a commun ity in which to set up M D S inves tigators are currently touring th e bro ad geograph ical area affected by Ka trina and Rita . meetin g w ith chu rch and comm un iry leaders along th e way. Many of th ese co mmunities are still working through th e diffi cult ques tion s of how and where to rebuild
Th e seco nd cha llenge is locating housing for vo lunteers in an area where others have already bee n di splaced from th eir homes. Beca use housin g is short MD S may end up renovating existing space or pulli ng in temporary hous in g units. Zon ing iss ues are a common so urce of delay in this stage of pro ject se tup
The third challenge is id entifying th e actual d isaste r survivors for whom MDS w ill wo rk. Screenin g appli ca nts can take a long tim e as many have moved away from their damaged homes and are waiting for FEMA fun ds and insurance settl emen ts. MDS is careful to assure th at volunteers are assisting th ose who need help th e most
After a community has invited MDS to set up a pro ject. volunteer housing is sec ured and clients are lined up for assistance. MDS will put out th e call for volunteers. - MDS Web site
Above: Typical interior of a New Orleans home after Katrina. Below: People lined up for blocks around Jubilee Mennonite Church, Meridian, Miss. to receive aid.
Haircuts for hurricane relief
The Mennonites' reputation as good stewards prompted a Calif., .beauty to designate over $2,000 in Hurncane Katnna fund-raIser proceeds for Mennonite Central Committee.
Beautician Cheryl Bricker from Spanky's and Co. beauty salon in Reedley was touched by the needs of hurricane victims and decided to mobilize her colleagues for a hurricane relief cutand pedicure-a-thon . Spanky's patron Tips Just from Reedley MB Church was in the shop when Bricker mentioned the possibility of giving the money they raised to the work of the Mennonites and Just eagerly put Bricker in touch with MCC.
The salon invited other local beauty shops to participate in the event. As Bricker made the rounds extending that invitation she found strong support for an event that would give the money to MCC.
"When we heard that it was your committee (MCC) that the money was going to we wanted to be involved," Martha Cortez of Reedley's Cortezia Styling Salon told MCC representatives.
Kathy Heinrichs Wiest of Kingsburg MB Church represented MCC at the September 18 event. "It was so affirming to have all these people from the community-from many different churches or no church at all-telling me that they have confidence that the Mennonites will be good stewards of the money they give," she says.
Ruth Padilla, owner of Spanky's and Co., reports that 12 of their shop's hairstylists and manicurists participated in the allday event and another six stylists from other shops toted in their supplies and took a shift at the styling booths.
Spanky's charged $20 for a haircut, $20 for a pedicure, and $IO each for a nail polish or Io - minute massage and had patrons write their checks directly to M CC .- M CC news service
Governance model given green light Leadership Board reviews bylaws
The u.s. Conference Leadership Board, meeting last month in Denver, Colo., took its first look at how a relationship governance model could play out when it reviewed documents prepared by consultant Les Stahlke. After extensive discussions with Stahlke and among board and staff members, the USC Leadership Board voted to proceed with Stahlke's model.
U.S. Conference leaders were introduced to Stahlke through his consulting work with the Canadian MB Conference and MBMS :vrer meeting with Stahlke in May the USC Leadership Board hIred hIm to assist them in writing by-laws and other governance Stahlke, a Canadian with 40 years of leadership experience In a variety of not-for-profit organizations and the author of Governance Matters, has developed a governance model that he believes follows "God's design for healthy, balanced relationships."
Stahlke prepared three documents for the Oct 6-8 USC Leadership Board meeting: an analysis of his interviews with church leaders; a draft of bylaws that incorporated material from current USC bylaws as well as from MB Biblical Seminary, MB Foundation and MBMS International bylaws, memos of understanding and other documents; and a governance manual workbook.
In their discussions of this material, Leadership Board members often referred to Stahlke's description of a denomination as a tree. Typically the tree's root structure is the membership, the trunk is the board of directors, the branches are the services and ministries and the leaves are the staff members.
While other denominations might be pictured as a tree with many branches, Stahlke said the USC appears more like an orchard of separate trees bound together in their root structure. This orchard, said Stahlke, includes the Leadership Board, a proposed Board of Faith and Life, MB Biblical Seminary, MB Foundation, MBMS International and the district conferences.
'We have an orchard of 10 trees," said Stahlke. "Five of them have the orchard divided geographically. The other five have it divided functionally. That can be managed, but it isn't being managed right now."
Key to developing a healthy orchard, said Stahlke, is for the 10 trees to live by the agreements in their current bylaws and to hold one another accountable to those statements
"I took the current USC bylaws and incorporated bylaws from the three agencies (MBBS, MBF and MBMSI)," said Stahlke. "What amazed me in that process is that almost all of the right stuff is in somebody's documentation."
Stahlke repeatedly assured the Leadership Board that "the structure isn't broken "
"The structure can be made to work, even though it might not be the structure you would design if you could start over," Stahlke said. 'The pain of the structure is far greater than the gain of changing the structure.
"But something does have to change," Stahlke said Healthy rela -
Left to right: Spanky's and Co. owner Ruth Padilla, MCC rep Kathy Heinrichs Wiest and event organizer Cheryl Bricker.
tionships must be developed among the trees that comprise the U.S. MB orchard. "Whether (these relationships) can change depends on the players," said Stahlke.
For the most part, Stahlke's findings and recommendations affirmed rnany of the impressions and concerns of Leadership Board members. Nonetheless, discussions were lengthy and several issues emerged as key points of concem.
Board members wondered whether a denomination can change its ways of doing business, whether Stahlke's model adequately addresses the unique needs of the USC and if it offers enough changes over the previous model.
Stahlke also assured the board that the current USC bylaws and those of its agencies are adequate. "No one has to change their structure," Stahlke told the board. 'We need to change the way we behave."
The U.S. Conference's role in this ministry orchard was another point of discussion. Again, Stahlke offered his perspective on the priorities of the national conference.
"The effort to nurture the roors and build the connection is the primary service of this Leadership Board," said Stahlke. "Churches can't get it from the seminary, the mission agency or the foundation. They can only get it from you. That's the fruit that you grow on the branches of your tree-that and domestic missions."
Discussions about denominational identity and purpose gave Stahlke the opportunity to address two key elements of the relationship model of governance. One is the assumption that congregations are the final source of authority and resources for the entire organization and must be involved in the restructuring process.
Stahlke and the board are currently working on a survey to be distributed early in 2006 that in Stahlke's words will "ask the people in the pews some very direct questions." This information will guide denominationalleaders in developing a strategic plan , a second key feature of the relationship model of governance. ''This board can't create a vision for the whole church," said Stahlke. "Only the church can do that."
Some members of the Leadership Board questioned Stahlke's assumption that church leaders and congregations are sufficiently interested in and committed to the denomination to make the model work while others wondered how committed the various MB entities will be to hammering out a strategic plan.
In spite of their concerns and questions, the Leadership Board was sufficiently convinced that Stahlke's proposals were workable to agree to move ahead with the bylaws as outlined by Stahlke . The group reviewed a first draft, noting areas that will need further clarification The board plans to have new bylaws ready for delegate action at the July 2006 convention.
The board also approved a timeline for developing a questionnaire to be distributed by churches and through the Leader, and Stahlke led the board through a discussion of key elements in the governance manual.
In addition to meeting with Stahlke, the Leadership Board heard reports from Executive Director Chuck Buller and staff members Connie Faber, Leader editor, and Don Morris, Mission USA director. The board received a written report from staff member Donna Sullivan as well as from several MB representatives on inter-Mennonite boards. - Connie Faber
USC offers new health coverage
Wen circumstances offered U.S. Conference leaders the opportunity to explore alternatives to its long standing health coverage, the USC Leadership Board actively researched its options-and ended up back where it began.
The U.S. Conference has historically offered MB pastors and conference employees health insurance through Mennonite Mutual Aid and its Congregational Employee Plan In an effort to research other insurance options and to investigate the longstanding perception that CEP is more expensive than what can be purchased in the marketplace, the USC Leadership Board formed a task force chaired by Joe Johns of Weatherford, Okla.
After considerable research the task force concluded that the denomination's best option was to continue working with MMA. Information about the new plan was mailed last month to all CEP participants and pastors. Individuals wanting to enroll in the new plan are required to do so by December 15
The new Mennonite Brethren Employee Benefits Plan is sponsored and managed by the U.S. Conference and administered by MMA. The standard benefits package includes health, life and disability income insurance. Employees have the option of participating in a Section 125 flexible benefits plan. Dental and vision coverage are employer options .
As a result of its research the task force concluded that while young and healthy pastors can get better premium rates, the CEP plan offers two important features. CEP is portable, allowing CEP members to move to another church and take the insurance with them. Second, CEP helps those who have pre-existing conditions which makes finding affordable insurance on their own nearly impossible
Johns says he is impressed with MMA's commitment to finding insurance products that will meet the needs of a broad range of MB pastors and staff. "Our plan was 10 years old; the industry changed and our plan didn't," says Johns "We had a very willing company to work with us when we wanted to bring it up to date . They really want to meet our needs," he says .Connie Faber
Changeless faith in changing times
NC churches anticipating growth and change
The North Carolina Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches
for its 10$th annual conference Sept. 16-17 at Bushtown MB Church In Lenoir, NC . The district includes six congregations in the Lenoir/Boone area and a Slavic church in the Charlotte area .
Against a backdrop of change, the churches of the district celebrated that Christ does not change. "Change is hard work and amidst its uncettainty it is good to know that Christ never changes," says Chris Eidse, conference youth minister.
The NC churches were founded amidst change in 1900 when missionaries from Kansas defied the Ku Klux Klan and mixed African Americans and Caucasians in the same church. 'The tradition of a multiracial church still beats in the hearts of our congregations, which are 90 percent African American," says Eidse.
After initial changes the NC churches settled into traditions that have changed little for 70 years. "Good people have come and gone Pastors have left legacies. A lot of memories have been made," Eidse says. "In all of these good things, the way our churches are set up, the numbers of people in the pews , the music style, even the buildings themselves have barely changed - until now
Now the NC churches face new changes. The Beechbottom MB Church, Newland, NC, is growing and is finishing a building addition. The Bushtown MB Church, Lenoir, NC, is bidding on a building that would triple its capacity. "Our group of churches is excited about changing again after su ch a long period of holding steady," Eidse says .
The NC churches terminated their lease for the Hope C hristi an Outreach Center facility and hope to someday pur cha se a perman ent building for the churches to share for youth and social events. Th e programs of Hope C hristian
Outreach continue as before , meeting in local churches for small gatherings and renting a facility as necessary for large events.
Unfortunately not all change has been easy. West End MB Church, Lenoir, NC, fell victim to a mudslide which put the building's future in question . The conference hopes to repair the building and make it usable again. "We are trusting that God will work a good change out of that bad circumstance," Eidse says.
Against this backdrop of change, conference participants celebrated Hebrews 13:8, which says, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever."
Terry Hunt, conference moderator and pastor of the Bushtown MB Church, challenged conference participants that "the messenger will change, how we deliver the message will change, the buildings will change and even the congregations and the music will change, but C hrist remains changeless."
Delegates addressed some of the changes during a Friday business meeting. During an open meeting on Saturday morning, participants cast vision for the future of the district .
Hunt was affirmed as conference moderator, Chris and Rebecca Eidse were ordained as conference youth ministers, and Mike and Venus Mathis were ordained and licensed to pastor the Beechbottom church.
Pastors were affirmed for their current church locations with no further changes. Hunt reiterated the responsibilities of ministry, then washed the pastors' feet as a reminder of the importance of selVanthood.
Don Morris, director of Mission USA and guest speaker, says that the churches of the district have "a continued sttong hope for the future of that conference." A MUSA project team has been working for about a year to help build the conference ministry, especially in the areas of multiracial ministry and youth work. Morris believes the NC churches have a bright future, which was reflected in the convention
Morris took the stage as the main speaker with a challenge that Eidse calls timely. '1\11 of the recent and upcoming changes have left a lot of our people uneasy but cautiously excited," says Eidse.
Morris compared the current attnosphere of change in the NC churches to the Israelites taking on the task of rebuilding the temple in the book of Haggai. He warned against preparing for the halVest to the extent that opportunities to reap the halVest are missed. "It's time to reap the halVest," Morris said. Morris challenged participants to "get to work" and not let comfort and disunity slow them down. Morris closed by stressing that if churches are in agreement with God, they can accomplish anything God has called them to.
'We really believe that God is calling our churches to something that hasn't been seen in the 105 years of this conference," Eidse says. "It's time again to make some serious changes and grow our churches. We left the 105th conference with the confidence that God will be with us, empower us, and partner with us in our new and exciting endeavors. " - from a report by Chris Eidse with additional information from Don Morris
Morris addressed the North Carolina convention from Haggai.
Friesen sought to give sight
Medical worker dies at age 75
Aan ophthalmologist and long-time medical worker with MBMS ntemational, Herb Friesen sought to give sight, both physical and spiritual, to those he met. Friesen died Sept. 12 at th e age of 75.
Friesen and his wife, Ruth, selVed overseas for over 30 years, primarily in Afghanistan and Pakistan, but also in Nepal, Indonesia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Somalia.
Friesen directed the National Organization of Ophthalmic Rehabilitation (NOOR) in Kabul, Afghanistan under the umbrella of International Assistance Mission from 1969 to 1979. Appropriately, noor means '1ight" in the Persian language. Political unrest brought the Friesens' selVice in Afghanistan to an end.
In 1982, the Friesens returned to the Pakistan/Afghanistan border to work with millions of Afghan refugees flooding into Pakistan. Friesen worked briefly at the Christian Hospital in Taxila, then selVed as director of the SERVE hospital in Peshawar After the refugees began to return to Afghanistan, Friesen helped set up new hospitals in northern Afghanistan and north Pakistan.
Friesen not only attended to the medical sight of his patients but also made every effort to attend to their spiritual needs. "In a unique way, [Friesen] was able to integrate skillful selVice to people in their immediate human need with fearless, uncompromising witness to Jesus," says Gordon Nickel, who selVed alongside Friesen in Pakistan.
Even after their retirement from longterm service in the mid-1990S, the Friesens remained active in overseas medical work, traveling together seven times to Pakistan and Afghanistan to equip, encourage and train eye doctors. It was during one such trip to Kabul, Afghanistan that Friesen was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in May 2 0 0 5 Friesen faithfully passed on his faith
to his children. Daughter Julie Reimer says the five Friesen children 'bave more than parasites in our blood. We all have inherited a desire to see God's glory in all the nations ." All are serving in some form of long-term ministry in North America or overseas. The oldest of Friesen's grandchildren is likewise in overseas selVice.
Randy Friesen, general director of MBMSI, says that Friesen brought healing to people at many different levels. "Herb could have realized the American dream but instead he chose to follow God's dreams and because of that he brought hope to some of the darkest comers of the planet "
Friesen was born Jan. 8, 1930, to Jacob and Tina Friesen near Inola, Okla. He was baptized and accepted into membership at Hi11sboro MB Church. During much of his overseas service Friesen was a member of Garden Park MB Church, Denver, Colo ., and attended Parkview MB Church, Hi11sboro, after his retirement. On Aug. 12, 1955, Friesen married Ruth Wiebe. The couple celebrated their 50th anniversary before his death.
In addition to his wife, Friesen is sUlVived by four sons, Stan and wife Diane of Buffalo, NY, Brad and wife Nancy of Afghanistan, Daniel and wife Helen of Manitoba, Canada, and Ron and wife Laurie of Neknes, Morocco ; one daughter, Julie and husband Gerald Reimer of Topeka, Kan. , and 16 grandchildren . - Myra Holmes
Mission USA director Don
Tabor, FPU students serve with MBMSI
Discipleship, cross-cultural ministry goal of ACTION
Rachel Pederson dreamed of going to India. Specifically. the Tabor College senior wanted to visit and serve with family friends Dale and Teresa Regier. serving with MBMS International at a hospital in Jadcherla. India. So Pederson turned to MBMSI, the global mission agency of the Mennonite Brethren churches in Canada and the U.S.
Partly as a result of Pederson's inquiries. MBMSI sent a short-term ACTION team to Jadcherla The group was one of several ACTION teams that served July 5 through Aug IS with missionaries in Thailand. India. Panama and Egypt. A total of 38 participants. including 12 from the U.S.• served with ACTION this summer.
ACTION is a six-week "discipleship program that uses cross-cultural ministries." according to Andrea Wiens. ACTION program assistant. The hope is that participants will come away from the experience more global- g' Iy-minded and open to future involvement in missions. Wiens says. Most are young adults . but the program is also ideal for intergenerational church teams.
ACTION is intended to be part of a progression of MBMSI short-term missions programs. SOAR. a twoweek summer program primarily for high school students. provides a first experience in cross-cultural ministry. ACTION is the second phase and TREK is designed for those who want to explore long-term ministry. (See story page 27.)
Pederson. Andrew Ottoson and Brent Wichert. all students from Tabor College. the MB liberal arts college in Hillsboro Kan • were part of a seven-member ACTION team led by Bryan Sundin of Monroe Wash • that served at the hospital in Jadcherla. India. Several of the team members had a particular interest in medicine : Pederson is an emergency medical technician who wants to pursue nursing. Wichert plans to be an ophthalmologist and team leader Sundin is applying to medical school.
The team members were able to observe medical procedures. including surgeries. Wichert had the opportunity to observe procedures at the hospital's eye clinic as well. Ottoson used his computer skills to help set up and update several computers at the hospital.
Team members provided evening programs in the courtyard of the hospital where patients' families gather. The programs included skits and an invitation to pray through translators. A sound system allowed the programs
to be broadcast in the patient rooms.
In addition the ACTION team completed detailed patient surveys, which gave the missionaries valuable information. The surveys also confinned that the majority of the patients at the hospital are poor women. Team members were exposed to poverty unlike that in the U.S. 'They really had their eyes opened." Wiens says.
A group of students primarily from Fresno Pacific University. the MB university located in Fresno. Calif • led by Andrea Baier joined another team from Canada to form one larger-than-usual ACTION team in Thailand. Their primary assignment centered around relationship-building in Chonburi. where MBMSI's Team 2000 has planted The Life Center church.
The teams worked with children in the slums. organized four children's carnivals, shared testimonies with athletes at a university and taught English as a Second Language at The Life Center.
As they built relationships with ESL students. team members began spending infonnal time with the Thai students. On one such informal outing. three team members were able to share the gospel with two Thai students who accepted Christ.
The Thailand team also spent some time in Phuket with Operation Rebuilding Lives. MBMSI's response to the tsunami that hit the area in December 2004.
U.S. participants on the Thailand team included: Andrea Baier. Dora Yanez-Majia. Jeremy Warkentin. Monica Diaz. Tristan Murray. Andrew Feil. Brooke Musick and Alex Baier.
An ACT ION team in Panama worked with MBMSI missionaries Einer and Girlesa Zuluaga on construction and children's ministry projects. This ACTION team was initiated by a church in Canada that has an ongoing relationship with the Zuluagas; they served only two weeks but shared orientation time with the other teams .
A fourth ACTION team served in Egypt with MBMSI workers Samir and Lewiza Youssef. The team traveled with the Youssefs to various church -
ACTION India team, left to right: Ma ry Lou Kehler, Elise Dyc k , Jessica Martin, Bryan Sundin, Andrew Ottoson, Brent Wichert, Rache l Pederson
es. sharing testimonies and dramas and providing children's programs during services. During one children's conference, 10 children responded to an impromptu invitation to receive Christ.
Wiens says that a key goal of ACTION is discipleship. Host missionaries must be committed to discipling the team members, and a five -day orientation is designed to prepare participants spiritually.
"It's not like going on vacation," Wiens says. "We want to make sure they're ready to go overseas."
Upon their return ACTION teams attended a three-day debriefing, which provided opportunity to rest, process and discuss.
Pederson says her short-term mission experience was life-changing. Her desire to pursue a medical career was confirmed; more importantly she was taken out of her
comfort zone and grew spiritually. "God took me to India and took me to brat camp," she says. She says she has new willingness to let go of her own expectations and to obey.
Pederson says that those considering a short-term missions assignment should know that it will be difficult, physically and spiritually. But she says the spiritual growth is worth it. "God will get a hold of you," she says -by Myra Holm es with reports from MBMSI
MBMSI short-term opportunities have dual focus
For more than a decade, teens and young adults have benefited from a potpourri of short-term mission opportunities sponsored by MBMSI International that provide cross -cultural service opportunities with a strong emphasis on discipleship.
MBMSI currently offers three shortterm mission programs that provide participants with progressively longer and more focused service opportunities. SOAR is a two-week program aimed at high school students. Two programs are designed for young adults: ACTION is a six-week program (see story page 26) while TREK offers Io-month opportunities.
SOAR
Summer 2005 SOAR teams served in Canada under SOAR Montreal and SOAR Heartland in Winnipeg, Man., and in Ensefiada, Mexico under SOAR Pacific. Spiritual formation of the short-term participants is a priority in the SOAR program Prior to and in-between ministry assignments. participants are nurtured through worship sessions. speakers and testimonies.
The SOAR Pacific teams were hosted for the first time at Rancho Sordo Mudo. a Christian school for deaf children in Ensefiada. This year SOAR Pacific. held July 20-Aug. 2. brought youth and leaders from Ensefiada churches together with the U.S. participants to form one ministry program.
Instead of outreach through usual vacation Bible school programs. team members interacted with people on a personal level through service projects and evening sports with youth. New acquaintances were invited to evening youth meetings where they
had an opportunity to spend more time together and to hear more about God's love for them. The grand finale was an evangelistic soccer tournament in which 16 youth teams from eight communities competed. Over 100 responded to a creative gospel presentation . Many received Christ and many were put in contact with local churches.
TREK
From September 2004 through June 2005. 16 TREK participants served in Democratic Republic of Congo Thailand and Montreal, Quebec.
In DR Congo. MBMSI missionaries Murray and Faith Nickel as well as local MB conference leaders hosted the six participants. Team members taught English at the local university. helped with basic hygiene at a clinic. preached in many congregations and hosted a weekly radio show.
In Montreal. a team of four women worked alongside a church plant initiated by the Canadian MB conference. Team members taught Sunday school. worked in the office, helped run children's programs and lead worship . They also volunteered at a number of ministries in the city.
The TREK Thailand team was hosted by MBMSJ's Team 2000. They lived and worked at The Life Center teaching English, running vacation Bible school. painting the building and hosting sports ministries. They also helped with tsunami cleanup in Phuket for a few days
Future
While M BMSI will continue to offer its short-term ministry opportunities the agency is currently reorganizing short-term programs to be regionally based Initial
plans call for regional staff members in Canada and the U.S. to encourage and coordinate new short-term programs and teams as they emerge in each region. Ensefiada 2006. a short-term program based in the Pacific District Conference. will be one of the first short-term program to emerge in this new model. (See story page 28).
PRESIDENT Bethell' l North
Co tege
Newton,
Kansas
Founded in 1887, Bethel is a four·year, co-educational, primarily residential liberal arts college of 525 students and has been recognized for seven straight years by U.S. News and World Report as a "Best Value" institution. It ranks first among all Kansas colleges and universities in the percentage of graduates who go on to earn doctorates. Bethel offers 27 majors and 10 concentrations with 4 certificate programs and is accredrted by the North Central Association of Colleges, the State Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and the Council for Social Work Education.
Bethel College, along with six other institutions of higher education, is affiliated with the Mennonite Church USA through the Mennonite Education Association. The core strengths that identify the institution are academic excellence; opportunities for participation; an intentional, caring community; and the expression of faith -based values. These strengths underlie Minstitutional model: a studentcentered (primarily) residential liberal arts church-related college in the Anabaptist tradition Applications and nominations are encouraged and will be accepted until the Board of Tru stees has made its selection A letter of introdu ction and a current CV, or requests for more information are to be directed to:
Richard M King, Preside nt & CEO
Kittle man & Associates, LlC
300 S. Wacker Drive, Sune 171 0 Chicago, IL 60606 (312) 986- 1166 rking@kittleman.net
Some 20 pastors. youth and missions leaders and spouses from California and Mexico met in Ensenada. Mexico. July 21-23 during SOAR Pacific to discuss the future of Mennonite Brethren shortterm missions there.
Recent changes in MBMS International's structure and staffing made this summer's program a perfect setting for Hispanic American and Mexican pastors to plan future opportunities to serve together. says Philip Serez. MBMSI staff member and initial coordinator of the summer program.
With its IO-year history. Serez says this program is now at a good point for joint youth
ministty with the Mexican churches "This is the way it should be." says Serez. "because in Christ we are one body. This group will have a unique ability to do youth evangelization and discipleship of Mexican youth in ways that have not been happening before."
Ensenada 2006 is the first short-term mission program to emerge as MBMSI works to nurture regional short-term mission programs. MBMSI is the global mission agency of Mennonite Brethren churches in Canada and the U.S . Although the Ensenada churches receive many church groups each year. they
MENNONITE HEALTH ASSEMBLY
Anabaptist doctors, nurses, chaplains, social workers and board/staff leaders of Anabaptist-related health and human service ministries are gathering for:
• new ideas that integrate faith and work
• personal, professional & spiritual renewal
• networking
JOIN US. Sign up early to participate in the Golf Outing on March 2 from 1:00 to 6:00 p . m.
are looking forward to this opportunity to build a ministty together. Reflecting on his own congregation. a California pastor says. ''This could draw together our U.S. Hispanic churches so they can work together and be a meaningful part of the conference."
A Mexican leader agrees: ''This has a potential for uniting the churches."
In this joint ministty each group brings needed gifts. say organizers The U.S. churches bring experience in youth ministty and a focus on discipleship and mission training. Mexicans display unmatched hospitality. a sense of contentment aside from material wealth. celebrative worship and a faith that is readily expressed.
The program in Ensenada is slated for Easter week. April 8-14. 2006. North American teams will be coordinated primarily through MB churches in the Pacific District. Each church team will have a specific church to relate to in Ensenada. There will be opportunities for youth and multigenerational teams.
Those interested in additional information on the 2006 program in Ensenada are invited to contact Ron Penner at 559-456-4600 or ronp@mbmsLorg.-by Shelly Spencer. MBMSI
Hans Kasdorf has lived in the Mennonite Worl d s o f th e Soviet Union, South A merica, North America and Europ e He re are fascinating desc ri p ti o ns o f each part of this rich and diverse t a p estry. "More than autobiograph y, here is a generational marker. n - Elmer Martens. $18.95
>ON THE Journey
by Ros e Bus c hman
Judge and be judged
T his woman obviously cannot care for her children. Was I right?
She walked into the church on a hot Saturday afternoon with her four children. She was hot and sweaty. So were her children and so was I. That's how it is when the temperature is 98 degrees and the heat index is 108.
We were in a small colonia church in Mexico I was part of a medical mission team conducting children's physicals My desk was the first stop for participants. When I gave this mother the clipboard with the forms she needed to fill out (name of child, age, address and mother's name) she smiled and shook her head. She couldn't do that. Another woman volunteered to help her and together they sat down to complete the task.
As they were working I looked at the children While most of the children coming into our clinic looked clean-faces washed, hair combed and clothes
The people in our ministry team asked the local missionary what it would cost to put on a corrugated tin roof. Several dug into their wallets and handed him the necessary cash. This family now has a completed roof that will hopefully protect them during future rainstorms.
I was deeply convicted about my judgmental attitude. Would I, could I. do better under similar circumstances? I doubt it This mother was coping as best she could under extremely bad conditions. I had no right to judge her
In September here in the U. S Hurricanes Katrina and Rita wrecked havoc on our Gulf Coast. The devastation is unbelievable Furthermore, there's plenty of blame and judgment going around for what people did or didn't do.
What really concerns me is the harsh judgmental statements floating around that try to answer why this happened. I've seen Web sites that claim the desrruction in New Orleans is God's judgment and condemnation of the city's
L-=: 1 uidn 't anything hut \\Oa'-; thanktul no one couldIlly condc'-;ccnuing. jw..lglllcnt3l thoughts.
neat-these children did not Their clothes were stained, their hair unkempt and their dirty feet bare. I could see sores on their arms, legs and chins.
Here we go, I thought. She's poor, illiterate and obviously not able to properly look after her children. I didn't say anything but was thankful no one could hear my condescending, judgmental thoughts.
Our medical staff determined, among other things, that the sores on the children's faces were impetigo, which is an infectious skin condition. The mother was given a bar of soap (she had none) and told to use it to carefully wash her children Someone went to a nearby pharmacy to pick up some additional medication
Two of our staff went to her house to deliver these meds and to explain how to use them. What they found there left us all deeply troubled. This family lived in a small, ramshackle shack put together by whatever they could find -wood pallets, pieces of scrap lumber, etc Part of the roof was missing, so the mother had fastened a bed sheet over the opening Sometime earlier Hurricane Emily had come through the area and dumped eight inches of rain. Everything this family owned got soaked. When we got there a week later they were still trying to dry out.
What made matters worse was that the father had a broken arm . About all he could do was operate a taco stand. The children would get to eat if there was any food left over at the end of the day.
debauchery and sin. Really? What about all the Christians there who lost everything? What about all the people in the Mississippi and Louisiana towns who lost everything? In Texas?
I like the response one New Orleans Baptist pastor gave when asked why God had allowed all this destruction on his city. "So we can show the love of God to these people who are hurting," he said. Is love stronger than hate? I wish we would believe that.
Jesus said, "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged" (Matt 7:1-2a). Petersen's The Message calls this judgmental attitude a "critical spirit" and says, "That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It's easy to see a smudge on your neighbor's face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own" (Matt 7:3). He admonishes us to "wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor"(Matt 7:sb ).
It's so easy to be judgmental when it's someone else's problem or sin.
My own critical spirit changed dramatically when I learned of the conditions under which this mother and her children were living. Instead of being judgmental. I was able to show the love of Jesus to her
> INQUIRING MiNDSby
Marv 1'1 H e
Toprayornottopray
Readers weigh in on asking God for rain
Q Should we I""Y r... ,,';01 (CaIHonU.)
AI receive replies almost daily to the question posed in my September column. In that column I confessed that I believe in prayer and that God can change weather patterns. Then I raised the question of whether we should pray for rain or allow God to superintend his created nature and let it rain or not at his pleasure.
Most responding readers favor praying for rain, but almost all also raise questions. One mother tells how her seven-year-old foster son, taught to love Jesus, prayed that God would send rain one dry summer evening when the moon shone brightly and the stars twinkled . At dawn everything was wet They could hardly believe it. "I knew it would rain," the boy said. "I prayed."
the Midwest to California. One joined the local irrigation district where water was always available and the other decided to rely on God for rain. The irrigating uncle went broke and the praying uncle's farm remains in the family. This writer, a coach, wonders what God does when two athletic teams both pray for victory. He concludes with these thoughtful words: "Prayer for rain or victory is useful in that it's an admission that we are not adequate in ourselves."
A good friend quotes John: "If we ask anything, according to his will, he hears" (I John 5:14-15). So the crux of the matter is God's will.
A farmer confesses that he and his wife often discus whether to pray for rain She suggests he doesn't pray enough. He says he is uncomfortable praying for rain. Is he questioning God's wisdom on when rain is needed?
One woman says that in the Lord's Prayer we are asked to pray for everything we need and that includes rain. God wants his children to voice what they want. Then she adds, "Herb Friesen (retired MBMS International worker) is so sick in the hospital.. Do we
l J !\{ost responding byor praying tor min, but all raise quc"tionl.i.
The mother refers to several Bible verses, including "you have not because you ask not" (James 4:2). All her life, she adds , she has prayed for rain when needed. She even stipulates how many inches of rain she wants. Her story has a disheartening conclusion She says: 'This 2005 season on the farm has been extra difficult. The rain falls all around us and but not 'on ' us Has my faith been weak? Or does God have a lesson to teach me/us?"
Another reader reminds me of James 4:17-18 (God honors Elijah's prayer to stop and start the rain) and Joshua 10:12 (God stops the sun and moon for a time at Elijah's request) This reader also cites a Minnesota outdoor wedding where prayers were answered when it rained until the ceremony began. My questions: Why has God never stopped the sun since Elijah's time? If a wedding has to be transferred indoors because of rain, does this mean people have not prayed in faith?
Another reader tells of two uncles who moved from
Have a question about a Bible passage, doctrine, conference policy, or other spiritual issue? E -mail Marvin at marvinhein@sbcglobal net or send your question to "Inquiring Minds, " c/o Marvin Hein, 3036 East Magill Avenue, Fresno, CA9371O.
pray for him to get well, right now, Lord?" Not many hours later Herb died.
Another writer refers to the same prayer saying Jesus surely did not mean someone would deliver the bread to our door This
agronomist gives his amplified version of the prayer: "Give us some rain so the wheat we planted will grow and we can make some bread."
A final word comes from a professional who is the son of farmers. He remembers his parents praying for rain. "I believe it is fine to pray for rain, or sunshine, or whatever it is that we need or want," he says "But it is also my belief that the prayers are appropriate because of how they change us and not appropriate because of an expectation that they will change God's mind about how to run the world."
I'm a farmer at heart with a relatively small wheat farm that needs rain to sprout the "dusted in" grains just now . I lost an entire crop in 2002 because rain did not come. My conclusion: I will pray for rain, but I don't ever want to make God a vending machine that spits out his gifts because I put in my coins- prayers. Prayer is establishing and maintaining a relationship. Praying for rain reminds me that I am dependent on God I have few qualms about praying for specific and even small things, but I try to remember that it is his fell owship with me that is more important than hi s gifts .
BAPTISM/MEMBERSHIP
Bakersfield, Calif. (Laurelglenl-Diana Herrera was baptized the weekend of Sept. 17-18
Lincoln, Neb. (First SlavicJ - Five people were baptized and added to the membership Sept. 4
Omaha, Neb. (Faith Biblel- Two adults and two students were baptized Aug. 7 Four adults were received as members Aug 24
Bridgewater, SD (Salemi - Two adults and five teens were baptized July 17.
CELEBRATIONS
Denver, Colo. (Garden Parkl - The congregation invites family. friends and former members to their Dec 4 ce lebration of 50 years of ministry
New Hope, Minn.-The church celebrated 50 years of ministry as an organized church in the Twin Cities Oct. 22-23. The celebration included a meal. rededication prayer meeting and hymn sing.
Topeka, Kan. (Cornerstone Communityl- The congregation celebrated its new name Oct. 2 with breakfast. a ribbon-cutting ceremony. worship and an all-church wiener roast.
FELLOWSHIP
Olathe, Kan. (Community Biblel-Church members were enc ouraged to decorate the trunks of their car Oct.
26 for a "trunk or treat" for kids from the Wednesday night AWANA program Kids went from car to car in the church parking lot to receive candy Oct. 9 was designated " Friendship Sunday " Members were encouraged to bring a friend, and the service was designed to celebrate friendship The church held a fall party Sept. 25 after the morn ing worship service The afternoon included food. a live band, inflatable r ides and sports
Edmond, Okla. (Memorial Roadl-Men and boys we re invited to a campout Oct. 8-9. Planned activities included a devotional time, Ultimate Frisbee and fishing.
Wichita, Kan. (Firstl-Women of the church were invited to join the women of Buhler (Kan.J MB Church for the ir fall women's ministry kickoff Sept. 27 The program featured a parade of tables and a dramatic po rtrayal of Corrie ten Boom
San Jose, Calif. (Lincoln Glenl - Sept. 11 was "Getting to know you Sunday." an annual event at which church members set up card table display's in the gym to tell about their hobbies and interests. The event began with breakfast.
Enid, Okla.-A men's group called "Men in the Marketplace" meets for breakfast at a local restaurant on the second and fourth Friday of each month to pray. share and encourage men to make a difference in their place of influence.
MINISTRY
Fresno, Calif. (North Fresnol - Members of the community were invited to a carnival at the church Oct. 31. The free event included games. prizes. snacks and an inflatable bounce house
Shafter, Calif.- The church hosted a community blood drive Oct. 15 to benefit a local blood bank. A free breakfast was provided for donors The church held an "oldtime Gospel sing" and potluck Oct. 2
Bakersfield, Calif. (Laurelglenl- Teen MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers), a ministry to mothers age 14-19 years. began meeting Sept. 29
Dinuba, Calif.- The church hosted the Raisin Festival Women 's Luncheon Sept. 21. The annual community women 's luncheon is a part of the Dinuba area Raisin Day celebrations Rhea M. Briscoe was the guest speaker The church also cooperated with the area ministerial association to promote worship in the park
PROCLAMATION
Corn, Okla.-The annual Harvest Missions Festival, held Oct. 23, included guest speaker Larry Nikkel, president of Tabor College, a banquet and reports from participants in a summer missions trip to Mexico and DOOR ministry
Rapid City, SO (Bible Fellowshipl- MBMS International resource missionary Phone Keo Keovilay was the speaker for the mission conference weekend Oct. 14-16
Oklahomayouthbondoverpaintball
Youth from M ennonite Brethren churches ac ross Oklahoma we re invited to an "all state" pai ntball tournament held Oct 8 at a farm near Com , O kla Th e eve nt was th e brainchild of Shane Brashears, yo uth pastor at Faith Bible C hu rc h, Lawton , Okla ., and other area yo uth workers who wanted to provide a fun way fo r yo uth to build rel ationships. Yo uth from the So uthern D istrict, whic h includes Oklahoma, gather ann ually for th e district yo uth co nference. Oklahoma yo uth workers wa nt to provide addi tio nal gath erin gs to help strengthen th e bonds betwee n district yo uth Orga nizers expected ab out 50 participants an d set th e entry fee accordingly. Whe n 103 participanrs from six different churches showed up , the surplu s fun ds we re donated to th e South ern Distri ct Youth Comm iss ion Respo nse from participanrs was so pos itive th at planners hope to make the tourn ament a twice yearly event.
Events included a Friday supper, Saturday men 's breakfast and evening coffee house and Sunday lunch.
Yale, SD (Bethell-Victor Branitski, pastor of Grace Church in Egan, Minn , an ethnic Ukrainian congregation in the Central District, was the guest speaker for the church's annual Harvest Missions Festival Oct. 2
Harvey, ND-Carlin Weinhauer, team leader for mobilization and media at MBMS International, was the guest speaker for a Harvest Missions Celebration Sept. 25
WORKERS
Denver, Colo. (Garden Parkl-Glenn Balzer has announced his resignation as senior pastor, effective Oct. 30
Hays, Kan. (North Oakl-Pastor Ken Ediger traveled to Belarus Sept. 26-0ct. 14 to teach at the Minsk Bible College Edigerfirst went to Belarus in 1998 to teach atthe International Leadership Academy and has been invited to return several times to teach and help the emerging church in Belarus
Corn, Okla.-Charles and Barbara Rickie have begun a six-month interim pastoral ministry, Tulsa, Okla. (The Heartl-Ben Marshall is serving as worship leader; his wife is Erica.
Cimarron, Kan. (Valleyview Biblel-Brad and Vi Penner are serving as interim pastoral couple. Fresno, Calif. (North Fresnol-Krystal Rodriguez has been affirmed as full-time pastor of children and family ministries.
San Jose, Calif. (Lincoln Glenl-William 'Wink " and Deborah Farrand have accepted the call to serve as senior pastoral couple and began their ministry Oct. 16 Bob Radke had been serving as interim pastor.
WORSHIP
Buhler, Kan.-October was designated "celebrate missions" month. Emphases induded world communion, conference missions and giving Missions speakers were scheduled for each Sunday of the month Beginning Sept. 18, the church will hold "mosaic worship" services on the first and third Sundays of the month These evening services will feature a contemporary format and relaxed "coffee house" atmosphere.
Henderson, Neb.-The church hosted a community evening communion service Oct. 2
Weatherford, Okla. (Pine Acresl-Worship was held in a local park Sept. 4. The morning featured breakfast in the park, a time of games and fun and a worship service.
DEATHS
ENNS, HENRY R., Reedley, Calif , a member of Reedley MB Church, was born Dec. 14, 1911, to Dietrich and Sarah Buller Enns in Reedley and died Sept. 20, 2005, at the age of 93 On Dec 19, 1934, he married Susie Gerbrandt, who predeceased him. He is survived by one son, Bill and wife Rhoda; two daughters, Barbara and husband Dean Kornelsen, and Royetta and husband Roger Brandt, six grandchildren, nine great -grandchildren and one greatgreat - grandchild
EPP, ROSEllE R , Buhler, Kan., was born July 24, 1921, to Peter D and Mary M Braun Wiens in Inola, Okla., and died Aug 12, 2005, at the age of 84. On May 23, 1943, she married Abe J. Epp, who predeceased her. She is survived by
one son, Paul of Hillsboro, Kan.; one daughter, Rosemary Balzer of Buhler, six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
ESAU, ESTHER ANNIE, Inman , Kan. , a member of Zoar MB Church, Inman, was born April 23, 1919, to John E and Marie Thiessen Peters and died Sept. 5, 2005, at the age of 86 On Nov. 10, 1940, she married John H Esau, who predeceased her in 1987. She is survived by two sons, John and wife Patricia of Topeka, Kan , and Edward and wife JoAnn of Hesston, Kan ; three daughters, Naomi and husband George Kaufman of Henderson, Neb , and Barbara and Carol, both of Centennial, Colo ; two sisters, Ruth Fast and Martha Harmon, both of Inman, 11 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren
FRANZ, LEONA MARIE, Buhler, Kan ., was born Nov 2, 1919, to Abraham A. and Marie Justina Esau Schroeder in Buhler and died Aug 22, 2005, at the age of 85. On April 28, 1940, she married John W. Franz, who predeceased her. She is survived by one son, Leon and wife Sandi of Hutchinson, Kan. ; one daughter, Donna and husband Buzz Lackey of Dallas, Texas; one sister, Luella and husband Eldon Jost of Buhler, four grandchildren and three greatgrandchildren
FRIESEN, FRED H. , Reedley, Calif , a member of Reedley MB Church, was born Jan 1, 1909, to Jacob and Margaretha Harms Friesen at Meade, Kan ., and died Sept. 3, 2005, at the age of 96. On Nov 6, 1935, he married Anna D. Harms, who predeceased him in 1991. On Aug. 22, 1992, he married Sarah Harms Ens, who survives. He is also survived by one son, Howard of Gary, Ind.; two daughters, Shirley and husband Richard Wiens of Huntington Beach, Calif., and Laura and Dave Fraley of Lemoore, Calif.; two step-sons, Tim Ens and wife Tammy, and Alvin Ens and wife Kimberly, nine grandchildren, four stepgrandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
HIEBERT, ELIZABETH FRANZ WALLACE, Wichita, Kan., a member of First MB Church, Wichita, was born Oct. 18, 1913, to Peter and Mary Siemens Franz near Corn, Okla , and died Sept 8, 2005, at the age of 91. She married Marlin Wallace, who predeceased her in 1968 In 1978, she married John Hiebert, who predeceased her in 1993. She is survived by one son, Quentin; four brothers, AI, Art, Carl, and Joel; one sister, Rosella, and two granddaughters.
HOFER, MARIE, Freeman, SO, a member of Salem MB Church, Freeman, was born March 23, 1918, to Sam K. and Mary Gross Hofer near Bridgewater SO, and died Aug 29, 2005, at the age of 87. On May 18, 1941, she married Darius Hofer, Jr., who predeceased her in 2005. She is survived by one son, Lynell and wife Pauline of Freeman, and two grandchildren
KLIEWER, ALVIN J., Cupertino, Calif , a former member of Bethany MB Church, Fresno, Calif., and Lincoln Glen MB Church, San Jose, Calif , was born July 29, 1920, to John C. and Nettie J. Goertzen Kliewer in Dalmeny, Sask. On Oct. 25, 1940, he married Pearl J. Nickel. He is survived by his former wife, two sons, Gene and wife Evie of Ritzville, Wash., and Jerry and friend Ivanka of Grant's Pass, Ore ; one daughter, Elaine and Ken Peterson of Roseville, Calif , five grandchildren and four great - grandchildren
SCHMIDT, EVELYN LELIA PIERCE, Hillsboro, Kan , was born Oct. 4, 1916, to Lester and Mary Ann Cakerice Pierce at Lawrence, Kan., and died Aug 1, 2005, at the age of 88 On Aug. 26, 1937, she married Irvin Carl Schmidt, who predeceased her in 1968. She is survived by three sons, Phillip and wife Kathy of Wichita, Kan., Don and wife Linda of Norfolk, Neb., and James of Colorado Springs, Colo , four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren
SCHROEDER, JAY DEAN, Hillsboro, Kan., was born Sept. 9, 1937, to Henry F. and Susie Feil Schroeder near Hillsboro and died Aug. 20, 2005, at the age of 67. On Oct. 15, 1961 , he married July Ratzlaff, who survives. He is also survived by two sons, James and wife Melinda and Joel and wife Kay; one sister, Marilyn Hall of Wichita, Kan.; one brother, Hank and wife Sharon of Broken Arrow, Okla.; one sister - in - law, Charlene Schroeder of California, and five grandchildren.
WEDEL, GLEN RICHARD, Buhler, Kan., was born Aug 5, 1935, to Willard and Della Goering Wedel near Pretty Prairie, Kan., and died Sept. 1, 2005 at the age of 70. On Nov. 23, 1962, he married Bertha Krehbiel , who survives. He is also survived by his mother, Della Wedel of Hutchinson, Kan ; one daughter, Beverly and husband Ron Martin of Hutchinson; two sisters, Alice and husband Reed Graber of Pretty Prairie, Kan , and Vera and husband Gary Graber of Nickerson, Kan , and two grandchildren.
Lincoln Glen hosts International Gift Faire
Lincoln Glen Church. San Jose, Calif., hosted its 17th International Gift Faire Oct. 14-15. For two days the church's fellowship hall was transformed into a world market of handicrafts from Asia, Africa and Latin America . The Faire is affiliated with Ten Thousand Villages. the oldest and largest fair trade organi2ation in the U S , providing jobs and a market for over 60, 000 Third World artisans. Income helps craftspeople provide better nutrition, health care, hou sing and education for their families
Over 17 years ago, Marcella Claassen ,
from El Camino Bible Church, Santa Clara, Calif.. and Evelyn Heinrichs, from Lincoln Glen, set up a small Ten Thousand Villages handicrafts sale at the annual Bay Area Mennonite Central Committee rally. Heinrichs says, "It went well. but we both felt the work we put into it and the marvelous gift items available were worthy of a broader customer base ; we decided to proceed with a community outreach " With the help of more than 100 volunteers, this project has grown to be the largest Ten Thousand Villages festival sale of handicrafts in the U S
Back to basics
WouLd a Low-tech scenario work today?
Wile reading Riding the Iron Rooster, Paul Theroux's book about his train travels through China in the mid-1980s, I became intrigued with Theroux's reflections on antiquated aspects of Chinese culture. For example, at that time 35 million Chinese people still lived in caves . Steam locomotives continued to be manufactured and used as a principal form of transportation. And the main writing instrument was still the old-fashioned quill pen. "None of it could be called modern," observed Theroux, "but most of it was unbreakable."
The author continued: "I began to think that long after the computers had exploded and the satellites had burned out and all the jumbo jets had crashed and we had awakened from the hightech dream, the Chinese would be chug-
ging along in choo-choo trains, and plowing the ancient terraces, and living contentedly in caves, and dunking quill pens in ink and writing their history "
That made me think. What if the frantic, jittery age of technology blew up in our faces and we were left to older, slower ways of getting by? I'm not speaking of doomsday scenarios where everyone fights for survival. What I ponder is going back to basic ways of I.iving and working that were normal only 40 years ago. In my own hfe, what would such a reversion look like?
Though many daily tasks would change, I imagine I would still go to work at my government publishing office . We are a high-tech shop now, with digital printing methods and a comprehensive Web site. But I still hear stories about the olden days (20 years ago) when all our agency's publications were produced with rypewriters and rypesetting machines . Not that I'd want to go back to a typewriter (had enough of that mangling term papers in college) but it would be doable.
Like most people these days I carry a cell phone and make heavy use of e-mail. If the digital age disappeared it would be a shock to go back to communicating by rotarydial phone and the u.s. mail. Today I find e-mail indispensable, but I could probably live without spam. As for cell phones, one could argue they are a mixed blessing too. It's good to be reachable at all times but then again it isn't always good to be reachable at all times, if you know what I mean. One could even get wistful for the time when it wasn't deemed urgent to communicate with everyone right this instant.
In his low-tech scenario Theroux mentioned the demise of jet airliners. If that happened I would miss the wonderful feeling of hurtling through the sky on a 5 a.m. flight in order to make a 10 a.m. meeting halfway across the country. Or maybe not. I won't deny that flying may be necessary due to time constraints or travel distance. But I still prefer the old-fashioned road trip. There's something calming about driving through the countryside, on the actual ground . If high-tech was set back several decades, it would certainly put a dent in my entertainment choices No more 1Pod or X-Box or Internet or DVD or home theater or anything of that ilk. In other words, it wouldn't affect me much. Among the previously mentioned items I only own a DVD player, and anyway I'd rather read a book than watch a movie. We do have cable 1V though, which is an improvement over the three stations we used to get via antenna. Now instead of three, we receive at least 20 stations on which , there's nothing to watch.
I don't want to give the impression that I'm a "good old days" kind of guy who wishes we could all go back to the past. Not at all. I like modern technology and happily make use of it every day. But I also realize there's more to life than technology. To put it another way, technology isn't my life. I look around these days and wonder if that's true for a lot of other people.
In the church, if we went back 40 years to the lowtech land before projection systems and digital instruments and multimedia presentations, some current churchgoers might be stunned and others Personally I think going high-tech in the church is a good thing and can be helpful for communicating with our age.
Yet it's still important to consider, in the manner of Theroux, if we'd be okay if all the advanced technology went away. Because in the church, if our high-tech paraphernalia speaks more loudly to people than our lives lived for Jesus, then we are in trouble .
Our aching guts
When we have compassion for someone our "guts are moved," Mennonite Central Com"?ittee Executive I?irector Robb Davis those attending last month s 2005 Kansas Friends of MCC gathermg . I like this definition It helps me recognize some thoughts, ideas and concerns that while somewhat disconnected are related to compassion
At times it seems that North American Christians don't care enough about the needs around them Other times I think we are overwhelmed by the many opportunities to care. There are so many needs in my community, our country and around the world - where do I statt?
Davis' idea of compassion as something stirring deep within us offers a way to understand the overwhelming feeling we sometimes experience. When I am moved by multiple needs, I experience compassion overload. I develop a gut ache.
And gut aches are natural for Christians, says Ted Olsen, online managing editor for Christianity Today. Reflecting on reactions to the outpouring of charitable contributions following Hurricane Katrina, Olsen writes in an Oct. 10 essay, "We give because of who we are: people created in the image of God to give, for giving is an act of love We were made to give."
The ache that comes from opportunities to serve is God-given and he commands us to act on that ache. Jesus teaches that we serve our Lord and Savior when we show compassion to the needy. ''Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me," Jesus tells his disciples in Matthew 25 : 4°·
We may not have answers to the many questions that can arise when one sets out to respond with compassion to the needs of others. But when our guts are moved by compassion, questions and concerns should not keep us from being obedient.
While visiting Mexico City on a short-term mission trip, Tabor College student Jonathan Regier saw MBMS International missionary Jon Pritchard demonstrate a way of life that responds to needs. Jonathan tells the story in an essay, excerpted here, that received top honors in the 2004 Mennonite Mutual Aid College Scholarship Program.
"A man in dirty clothes asked me for money, but I did not give any to him ," writes Jonathan. " I justified this by thinking that I did not know how he would spend it. Would he buy food and clothes or alcohol and cigarettes? I figured he would probably purchase the latter, and I did not want to aid a bad habit.
"A couple of minutes later, I saw Jon giving money to this beggar. Jon admitted he did not know how the poor person would spend the money. However, in Jon's mind , this lack of knowledge did not change God's command to love our neighbors and to be gen erou s with (wh at ) God has given us
"After leaving Mexic o, that idea stu ck with me. In addition to giving to the church, it is good to be generous to th ose who are in need In the word s of Jon
Pritchard, I 'would rather err on the side of being too generous.'"
We often serve with the most passion when we respond out of our own experiences. The plight of the uninsured pulls at writer Rebecca Thesman because for a time she and her son lived without health insurance. Statistics from the Democratic Republic of Congo are not just numbers to Pakisa Tshimika because this is his home country.
Fifteen years ago a tornado severely damaged Hesston, Kan., and MDS volunteers assisted in clean -up efforts. At least rwice since that 1989 tornado the area MDS coordinator has gotten a call from the Hesston high school principal. Both calls came days after another central Kansas town experienced significant tornado damage. Both times the principal said he had a group of students ready to "walk the fields " picking up debris and looking for families' lost possessions. This school and its students volunteer because they know what it's like to have their world blown away.
Following Hurricane Katrina, people have suggested that Americans are being trained to respond to news crises rather than to develop a long-term spirit of giving. In his September 26 editorial, Mennonite Weekly Review editor Paul Schrag challenges readers to be true and obedient servants of God.
':As the media spotlight fades and the shock of a sudden catastrophe wears off, long-term needs will go unmet, " writes Schrag. "Here is where Mennonites can be at least unusual, if not unique: We can keep on working in places far from the center of attention."
Schrag goes on to say that Mennonite Disaster Service provides the opportunity to meet long-term needs and has issued an urgent call for volunteers at its older project sites: at Arcadia, Fla., devastated by Hurricane Charley in 2004, and at Julian, Calif., where a massive fire in 2003 destroyed more than 2,000 homes.
It seems we Christians must live with a perpetual ache for the needs of others . May we use the pain of ou r own experiences to sooth e the needs of others and may we be people who hang around long after the initial caregivers have moved onCF
•
Clearing HOUSE ···
EMPLOYMENT: CHURCH
Lead Pastor: The Buhler MB Church in Buhler, Kan., is looking for a lead pastor to be part of our four person pastoral team. We are an active, healthy, 500 - member small town church that believes Jesus Christ is Lord of our lives. Buhler MB is committed to being a sending church to the pastorate and missions and feels called to fulfill our Christ-centered purpose in the world Applicants should have an understanding and belief in Anabaptist theology, preferably with five years experience in a lead or associate pastor position in a mUltiple staff setting. We are looking for a man with demonstrated gifts for leading, preaching, teaching, caring, communicating, developing strong staff, and vision for the future Resumes may be sent to the Search Committee at Buhler M B. Church, 415 N West Street, Buhler, KS 67522 or e-mailed to infolClbuhlermb.org 12/121
Team Leaders: Good News Fellowship IMBI in Ferndale, Wash., is seek ing a half-time Youth Team Leader and a part-time Small Group/Outreach Team Leader The Youth Team Leader will work along with volunteers to plan and lead high school and middle school students in discipleship, fellowship and outreach. The Team Leader will challenge the youth to grow in their relationship with Jesus and with their peers both at church and in the surround ing community The Small Group/Outreach Team Leader will facilitate the development and growth of small groups within the church and also develop more intentional ways for outreach to the community. These positions could be combined for one person or filled by two persons depending on the applicants' gifts. Good News Fellowship is a congregation with approximately 200 people located in northwestern Washington. The mission statement of the church is, " Reaching out, making passionate followers of Jesus Christ." For more information call Cheryl at Good 'News Fellowship Church 1360-384- 15151 or e-mail gnflClncplus.net.
EMPLOYMENT: COLLEGE
Fresno Pacific University, a fully accredited private Christian university in California's Central Valley, has openings in the following areas: registrar and full-time faculty positions in psychology, Spanish/Latin American literature and culture, school psychology, and business. FPU is known for its academic excellence and strong sense of community and serves a diverse population of religious, ethnic and national traditions. See the FPU Website at www.fresno edu/dept/personnel for the Announcement of Vacancy and a downloadable application form.
MPLOYMENT:AGENCY
Insurance/Financial Services Sales: Are you looking for a career that combines your professional skills and your Christian faith values? if so, Mennonite Mutual Aid wants to talk with you. We are a church - related organization whose primary mission is to help people manage their God-given gifts. MMA is seeking sales professionals to help provide insurance and financial solutions to individuals and businesses, primarily associated with Mennonite and other Anabaptist-related denominations. Openings in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ohio, indiana, Kansas, Oregon and other states. Excellent compensation and benefits packages. To learn more, visit www.mma-online.org/careers. Fax or e-mail resume to 15741537-6635 or hrlClmma-online.org.19/101
E
MANY
BENEFITS AVAILABLE
WHEN YOU MAKE A
BEFORE
DECEMBER 31
SPECIAL
ut to ve these benefits, you need to begin planning now.
Are you aware of the benefits available when you make a gift at year end? Among them are:
• Potential tax savings from charitable deductions
• Increased income from non-productive or low-producing property
• Avoidance of capital gains tax on highly appreciated property
• Income tax deductions this year for gifts actually made in future years
• Personal satisfaction in knowing that you are involved in a worthwhile mission
To assist you, we have prepared a special planning report, ·How to Maximize Your Year-End Giving .
Please complete the coupon below to receive your free copy, or to let us know how we can help you with your year-end giving. There is no cost or obligation.
o PLEASE SEND ME THE FREE PLANNING REPORT, HOW TO MAXIMIZE YOUR YEAR-END GIVING.
