IT SEEMS LIKE IT USED TO BE that the only people who came into contact with people who practiced other religions were foreign missionaries or those who lived in other countries. Today, however, nearly every one of us knows people of other faiths.
As common as other faiths are, religion can be hard to talk about. It is a touchy subject. In our pluralistic culture, one religion is as good as another. The claim that one religion reveals the one true way man can be reconciled to .God is not easily accepted and even received with hostility in many circles. For us to tell others that their longing and searchfor God is fulfilled in Jesus is viewed as arrogant and intolerant.
This issue of the Leader looks at the Good News in a world full of other religions. In our first article, seminary professor James Pankratz helps us understand why there are many religions in the world and shows us how the Good l\jews is really just that-good news. We've also included short summaries by Tim Bergdahl of some of the major religions we come into contact with here in North America.
In the second article, Jean-Victor and Annie Brosseau recount their own journey to God. In 1973, the two traveled through Europe and into India in search of spiritual fulfillment and enlightenment, not realizing that God was what they were really searching for.
Our third article looks at how we can begin to talk about our faith with those who practice other religions. Jan Johnson gives us some practical approaches to help us step out and witness to those of other faiths.
In light of our theme this issue, it is appropriate to report in our BodyLife section that the MB global mission agency is celebrating 100 years of reaching people for Jesus. Equally appropriate, we also report that our national church planting and renewal ministry officially kicked off Mission Phoenix, part of a project aimed at planting 20 new churches in major metropolitan areas of the U.S.
May these articles challenge and inspire you.
God bless. -GA
COMING
OCTOBER 26-29-Central District Conference convention, Huron, S.D.
NOVEMBER 10-11-Pacific District Conference convention, Salem, Ore.
In the midst of a large number of religions, what makes the Good News different?
There are many world religions. Here is a summary of a few of those which are practiced in North America. BY
In 1973, one couple set out on the road to India seeking the road to life.
How do we talk about our faith and witness to those who practice other religions?
• Mission Phoenix off and running 22
• Copper Hills graduates 23
• Confessions show global unity 25
• Celebrating 100 years 26
• MB mission effort begins in Asia, Africa 26
• U.S. MBs gather regionally 27
• Bridging gap with Catholics 28 • Global partnership fostered 30
• Why we
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the
in a world of religions
In humanity's search for God, we discover something surprising jn the Good Newswhile we were searching for God, God was reaching out to us in Jesus.
BY JAMES N. PANKRATZ
T'S NOT SURPRISING that people are religious. The Bible takes it for granted that humans will be religious. According to Scripture, the evidence for the presence of God is clear in creation (Ps. 9: 1; Rom. 1:20). There are fools who say there is no God (Ps. 14:1), but anyone who is wise will search for God (Ps. 14:2).
Throughout history and inall cultures people have searched for the Divine. That search has often resulted in "religion"-how we acknowledge, understand, worship and practice faith in the Divine. As the Bible acknowledges that evidence of God's presence is clear in the world, it is not surprising that many religions, including Christianity, share striking similarities with each other.
But, if we examine humanity's search for God, we discover something surprising in the Good News. The Good News brings the message that while we were searching for God, God was reaching out to us in Jesus.
Searching for God
As people search for God, their understanding of the Divine varies. Sometimes all people seemed to discover was a vague sense that there was transcendent power in the universe that could affect their lives. They tried to learn how to control this power so that it would help and not harm them. Call it "mana," "fate" or "destiny"-it is still common for people to believe that accidents and misfortune are the results of evil powers and that good fortune is the result of "destiny smiling" on them.
Since there is so much evidence for God in creation, people often personified the powers of nature-the sun and moon, fire and thunder. Gods and goddesses like Ra and Luna or Agni and Indra became objects of both devotion and fear. Today, this impulse is very much alive in the fascination with Gaia, the ancient Greek goddess of the earth. People's dreams, visions and "special powers" also stimulated the search for the Divine. These seem to be from another reality. In all societies, there are people who are especially "tuned in" to another realm that transcends, yet shapes, human life. Frequently these people can heal disease or shape the future through powers that appear "supernatural." They are shamans, witch doctors, prophets and faith healers-<:ommon throughout history and still popular around the world today. They are often respected, but they are also frequently feared.
People have also chronicled how the Divine is experienced dramatically in human history. Christians point to the birth, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus as the defining events in human history. Jews understand the call of Abraham, the birth of Isaac, and the Exodus from Egypt as signs of God's election of them for a special destiny. Muslims
regard the revelation of the Qur'an to Mohammed as the most important event in history.
Fertile ground
When we humans search for the Divine, we learn a great deal about ourselves. We recognize that our world and our lives are not perfect--even when we are very satisfied, successful and happy. We are limited, sometimes hurt and often fearful. One writer has referred to this as our human recognition of the "wrongness of existence." Something is broken that needs to be fixed. There is a cosmic human problem that needs to be resolved.
In Islam, this is understood to be our refusal to submit to God's teachings as revealed in the Qur'an. In Hinduism, this is understood as our ignorance of the fact that we are already one with the Divine. Buddhism advises us that the problem is rooted in our "thirst" for permanence in a world that is inherently transitory.
Each religion then recommends a solution-a way of salvation-based on its diagnosis of the problem. In that sense all religions are optimistic. They all give us reasons to cherish and nurture the hope that our lives could be better, our wounds can be
A world of religions
BY TIM BERGDAHL
There are many religions in the world. Here are short summarifits of just a few of the major world religions making their home In North America, summarized from W-infried Corduan's Neighboring Faiths: A Christian Introduction to World Religions.
AfrIcaD Tr Rell.l..
African Traditional Religion can appear as the central part of a tribal culture, or it can express itself in new ways, such as in African Independent Churches. It is not a set of doctrines or a standardized set of practices but a way of life that ultimately is "in the blood" ohtle people. If you meet an African traditionalist, yl{>u will not necessarily see signs of it such as labels or characteristic practices. Instead, religious practices are an all-pervasive part of life connected to relationships to ancestors, the spirit world and other people.
healed, our limitations can be removed and our fears will disappear.
In this territory, where our awareness of the Divine prompts our recognition of our own limitations and imperfections and makes us hope for a better life, is the fertile ground in which religion flourishes.
Fear in religion
Religion has taken many forms, but much of it has been a response to fear and uncertainty. As people search for God, we come to the realization that we are weak and imperfect, and the Divine is overpowering. We must find ways to appease the fearful Divine. So people in almost all religions have sacrificed animals, precious possessions, their personal comfort and even their own lives in an attempt to appease God. Judaism, Christianity and Islam have emphasized ethics, justice and mercy, and so members of those religions have often tried to live exemplary moral lives. Many Muslims try to memorize the whole Qur'an. Buddhists believe that there is merit and power in certain words and phrases, so they chant them over and over again. Devotional Hinduism offers people the opportunity to care for the image of the deity as an expression of their love. The potential damage that an angry God can do to us is enough to make us try to figure out how to keep God happy with us.
This leads to the human attempt to control God. The idea seems ludicrous when put so simply, but it happens all the time. Enough blood and sacrifice and God will forgive; enough prayers said correctly and God will listen and grant our requests; a long enough fast and God will heal our child; a generous gift to the poor will ensure our prosperity.
.....hls...
There are as many schools of Buddhism as there are Christian denominations. The various interpretations ofthe example of the Buddha reveal how meditation and the practice of appropriate behavior can lead to Nirvana, the state of enlightenment. What unites Buddhists is not specific belief or practice but a twofold orientation toward existence: a fundamental negative attitude toward existenceCind a belief that provides a solution to the frustrations of existence. Reincarnation can be part of Buddhism but is more commonly associated with Hinduism.
The Good News
But there is an experience of the Divine that breaks into human history and takes away that fear, bridging the gap between humanity and God.
In this event, we find that the favor of God is not based on our merit, our sacrifices or our prayers but on his goodness, mercy and grace. God is not first and foremost the "Transcendent Judge" whose standards are impossible for us to measure up to. The Divine is "God With Us," whose unlimited love and mercy eagerly draws people toward wholeness and completeness. Everything has been done for us through Christ.
Christians call this the "Good News," but it's not easy to accept. We prefer to try to please or appease God through sacrifices, self-discipline or generosity-to bridge the gap between the finite and the infinite with a never-ending series of small acts of kindness or one great heroic gesture. We feel insecure and unworthy when we are asked to receive a gift from God. We'd prefer a chance to prove ourselves by giving something to God.
Christians bring no superiority to the meeting of religious people in the world. As we've seen, Christians aren't the only ones to recognize the presence of the Divine or acknowledge their imperfections or sins. Neither do Christians bring a formula for being freed from sin-ehristians simply bring a message that we have been freed by someone else. We don't own or control this freedom, this salvation. We don't even dispense it. God does all that.
The message of God through Jesus is good news. The one we thought was beyond us is really with us. The one we thought was against us-ready to "blast us"-actually loves us and offers to be our shepherd and protector, our guide and comforter. And, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Rom. 8:31).
Hinduism
This religious culture includes elements of monotheism, henotheism, polytheism and animism. It has no set of core, constant beliefs. The name itself is a label devised by Westerners trying to identify "the religion of India. " There are almost no restrictions on personal beliefs, but in order to qualify as • Hindu, •a person will regard the Vedas (the early sacred writings) as divinely inspired and authoritative, accept the caste system and venerate various levels of deities and spirits.
Islam
Islam seems Qe a paradoxical religion. It is based on Muhammad's life and teaching, yet he is also ·onlya mesSC\nger,," Jslam is both a religion and a political system, true Islam functioning within a community that optimally carries its own identity. Islam establishes itself around the world and yet remains closely tied to one particular culture. It is making inroads into societies ar.ound the world, and at the same time it still very much belongs to its original Arabic desert FQllowers are guided by the Q,ur'an (a book "reciting" God's revelation through Muhammad) in their worship of Allah.
This message of God's initiative and grace often sties familiar chords in people. They have heard echoes of it before. Don Richardson, in his books Peace Child and Eternity in Their Hearts, draws attention to what he calls "redemptive analogies" which can be made between elements of a culture and the gospel. Some leaders of the early church referred to this "preparation for the gospel."
There seems to be a preparation for a gospel of grace throughout history. In Judaism there is a strong reminder that God led and protected Israel not because of their inherent Virtue, but simply because God chose them. Buddhists tell the story of how the Buddha compassionately decided to share the great Noble Truths with others rather than to keep them to himself. Every day Muslims hear the words of the Qur'an, in which God is repeatedly addressed as merciful. In India, poets and artists have inspired a devotional tradition in which people find comfort in the favor and love of the deity.
The message ofJesus connects with human experi'ence and with other religious traditions. The universal human longing for the Divine-every person's search for God-is satisfied in a relationship with God through Christ. Our desperate need to appease God because of our own imperfections is removed through the grace of God through Christ. This is Good News.
Sharing the Good News
One generation ago most North American Christians assumed that anyone who felt the call of God to share this Good News with people of other faiths would have to become a foreign missionary.
Not any longer.
The call is not for a select few who "go over there." God's call to live and share the Gospel in a world of many faiths is a call for all of us, right
Judaism
Judaism believes in God as revealed in the Hebrew Bible (our Old Testament). Judaism promotes community, dedication to a synagogue or temple, and the importance of family life. Like Christianity, Judaism in the West has mostly integrated into the hosting culture. Reform and secular Jews in particular blend in with secular society. But those who abide by Talmudic laws are distinguishable from secular society in many ways, from what they eat to what they wear. If there is one concept that might be applicable to most Jewish people, it is the notion of "heritage."
...... Anlerican Rellg'"
While conditions today don't allow Native Americans to return to a full-fledged traditiona I lifestyle, many continue to practice their religion as closely as possible. They face constant pressure toward secularization. Religious practices from their past that some seek to hold on to include sweat baths for purification rituals, classification of land as holy and not subject to any form of development, return of sacred objects from museums, and the recognition of tribal practices such as the sun dance or peyote ceremony as being as legitimate as any Christian or Jewish religious observance.
where we are.
Today, nearly every Christian in the cities and towns of this country knows people of other faiths. They are our friends at school or at work. They are our accountants and doctors, our classmates, fellow teachers and social workers. They are not "isms"-theyare people.
They are our neighbors, and Christ told us to love our neighbors (Matt. 19:19). Ifwe love them, we will spend time learning to know them, and that will include listening to them speak about their experience of God and sharing our own relationship with God.
Unfortunately, our society has often responded poorly to the new variety of faiths and cultures that are making their home in North America. Sometimes we have been disrespectful and cruel. Often we have not wanted to deal with the differences we experience and so we have invented a form of tolerance, which easily amounts to disinterest. The message is, "I won't bother you, so don't you bother me."
These are not options for Christians. We must embrace the difficult but enriching challenge of taking people's faith (or doubt) seriously. To understand people we must understand their faith.
This doesn't mean we must all become experts in comparative religions. Most often we will listen, as one listens to a friend, a spouse or a child share something important. The Holy Spirit will help us to recognize how God is already at work in other people around us. We can trust the Spirit to give us words and actions that express the love and grace of God. We can be partners with God as people are drawn into the love of God and a new life through Christ. •
James N. Pankratz is academic dean of the Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary and a member of the College Community Church, Clovis, Calif.
We must embrace the difficult but enriching challenge of taking people's faith seriously. To understand people we must understand their faith.
In the early 19705, we traveled the road to India in search of someone to save us. Without knowing it, we were searching for God.
One couple's journey to God
BY JEAN-VICTOR AND ANNIE BROSSEAU
TWAS 1973, and borders were as wide open as the doors of a house after a cold winter.
We were young Quebecois-ages 23 and 21-and on the road to India with packs on our backs, $2000 in our pockets and our hearts overflowing with innocence and naivete.
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, America saw its young people taking the road to the East. After having seen its older sons and daughters go off to make war, it saw its younger sons and daughters go off to make peace. The smell of napalm and the deafening noise of cannons faded into the smell of incense and the quivering sounds of sitars. The road to India, formerly traveled by spice traders, was now tramped by young people ready to sell their souls to anyone who could save them from their tasteless existence.
Tfr,e rbM
PARIS WAS mE first stop in our pilgrimage. The "City of lights" conquered our hearts. But as beautiful as Paris can be in November, we sought a light that we knew was somewhere else.
The American Express office was a gathering place for young travelers seeking inexpensive transportation to Europe, Africa or the East. We went there hoping to find a bus or a van departing for India. Several vehicle owners held placards indicating their destinations, but no one was going to India. The high cost of staying in Paris pushed us to depart as soon as possible, so we headed to Barcelona in a Volkswagen van owned by a Swiss couple.
Ferdinand and Yvonne were Swiss adventurers who, having navigated the seas around Indonesia in their sailboat, dreamed of buying a small farm in the Spanish Pyrenees with money earned from transporting travelers in their two Volkswagen vans. Paris to Barcelona was their regular route.
On the way to Barcelona, we became friends, and they invited us to spend a few days with them in the mountains. They talked straightforwardly about God, but they talked as prospectors who sift the
gravel in a stream searching for gold. They were looking for God, but they had not found him.
We, too, were looking for God, though we may not have known it. Roman Catholic by birth, we no longer practiced the religion of our parents. We deserted Mother Church at a time when she was trying to make herself attractive again. The Sunday mass was no longer in Latin, the priest now turned to face the congregation, and the songs were sung with a modem beat. But, for young people satiated with psychedelic music and distrustful of institutions, these reforms were not enough to bring us back.
As children, we had acqUired the habit of never going to bed without first reciting a prayer of repentance in order to avoid dying in a state of mortal sin and suffering eternal damnation. By 1973, we no longer prayed, and we suppressed our fear of death. We were without God, and we were advancing into life without understanding the longings of our soul. We were seeking God without knowing it.
After a short trip to Morocco, we hitchhiked back to Madrid. Along the way we discussed The Lives of the Masters, which excited us. Bought in an esoteric bookstore, this book described the life of wise men and women dedicated to good, possessing supernat-
ural powers and hoping to live hundreds of years. The prospect of meeting these men and women cloistered in the mountains of India gave us the energy to go forward.
Madrid, which had recently rolled out the red carpet for American Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, had scarcely recovered from the anxiety caused by the explosion of a bomb planted by political activists. We were more concerned with finding a vehicle departing for India. Finally a young American woman took pity on us and sold us her Volkswagen van at a discounted $150. India-so far away on our road map-suddenly appeared reachable. Perhaps there, we thought, we would meet a wise man able to guide us onto the road leading to life.
We parked our van on the French Riviera with the idea of reviving our finances before departing for India. Though our van proved a good investment with a mattress and kitchenette, our meager savings were diminishing even though we ate frugally.
But the strong sea breeze and the intoxication of our adventure were like a dessert eaten with obvious pleasure day after day. The weeks of February slipped away in making 30 paper mache masks in the shape of the moon, to be sold on the Avenue of
We experienced that night, in a small room on Saint Joseph Street in Sainte Therese, Quebec, the power of God's Holy Spirit, who convinced us of Trembling, we admitted ·to our friend that we had been wrong.
the English at the carnival in Nice.
Fortune did not smile on us, but nestled there next to the sea in our small van, for the first time we told each other solemnly that we believed in the existence of God.
tb JnA-irt
mE MISTRAL WIND whispered across the Mediterranean Sea, and spring had scattered blossoms on the mimosa shrubs. It was time to make our journey toward God.
Becoming friends with some French young people who hoped to go to India one day, we sold them our van for $100 in order to avoid hassles at the borders, which we now saw as a series of hurdles to jump over. On the Orient Express, on buses with goats and chickens and by hitchhiking, we passed through Italy, Yugoslavia, Albania, Turkey, Iran, Mghanistan and Pakistan before finally crossing the Indian border on foot.
From Paris to New Delhi-by way of Madrid, Istanbul, Tehran and Kabul-we had crossed paths with atheist anthropologists, an astounding English Hare Krishna, "Jesus freaks" smoking hashish, Moonies ready to marry us and the Children of God (the promiscuous followers of David Berg). We were thirsting for truth, but we desired to quench our thirst only with the mysterious waters of the Indian wise men.
Every 13 years, there was a religious festival at Richikesh at the source of the Ganges River, where thousands and thousands of pilgrims gathered to celebrate the Indian divinities and to see and hear the spiritual masters. We went, hoping with all our hearts to meet one of these wise men.
Without hesitation, we plunged into the unknown. We knocked on the door of an ashram (a Hindu hermitage), asking to be enrolled as disciples and to learn transcendental meditation. Our reception was cold and distant. The man who opened the door passed his hands over our bodies as if to determine what energy could be emanating from them. Then, without saying a word, pointed to the exit door. The invisible hand of the one true God-who says, "Whoever comes to Me, I will never drive away"-was with us and kept us from entering that house.
The hot wind dried the clothes that we washed in the swift, warm water of the Ganges. The scenery resembled the descriptions contained in the pages of The Lives of the Masters, but no master or wise man appeared on the horizon--except a holy man in search offollowers. He offered to lead Jean-Victor to a mountain after being initiated and getting to
know "Baba" in a cave beside the Ganges.
This little man, as eager for truth as Jean-Victor, seemed to us a consolation prize sent by destiny. Jean-Victor politely declined his offer, without fearingfor a moment that he would lose his soul. It was Annie he was afraid of losing that day. Hand in hand, we went to Manali at the foot of the Himalayas.
We rented a home made of pine beams and a shingled roof from a family of farmers. Situated on the slope of a mountain, the house faced the "mountains of eternal snow." Without a word being spoken, we felt our hearts blessed by these men and these circumstances, which opened our eyes to the life of these simple farmers. Our eyes delighted in the sight of the old man with a white beard whose sheep followed him step by step to nestle against him at naptime under a cherry tree. We delighted also to see a young shepherd, flute at his lips, leading his little flock into green pastures along a path bordered by sparse pinewood.
Through these pastoral scenes, the Spirit of God softened our hearts, which had been closed to the nearness of his presence. We hoped to find God, but we still ignored the road leading to life. In an attempt to save our souls, we now began to meditate.
Tl"t
JEAN-VICTOR HAD a nightmare that hastened our return to Canada. He heard the unceasing cry of a person in anguish in the face of death. Weakened by dysentery, we decided to return home.
We had hoped for a glorious return from India, but our hearts were still empty, even though we had not spared any effort to fill them with silence for a God who remained unknown.
A new sadness awaited us at the airport. Jean-Victor's father was in intensive care in the hospital following a heart attack. To this day, Jean-Victor wonders if it was his father he heard crying in his nightmare. That evening, we prayed to the God of the universe to save his life.
Life returned to normal. Annie worked as a substitute teacher, and Jean-Victor found a job as a caretaker at a college. We meditated continually, but we also prayed to God.
A new book, La Cosmogony d'Urantia, circulated in our circle of friends, bought at a great price by a musician friend on a tour in France. This work of three volumes reinterpreted the Bible in a futuristic manner.
We believed we had found a guide capable of showing us the road to life. We read with an insatiable curiosity the volume on the life of Jesus.
Above all, two great ideas brought us much joy-that Satan was chained in prison incapable of action, and that there was a planet where we could continue our growth toward knowledge after our life on earth was over. We meditated and prayed more than ever, but we did not have peace in our hearts. We were anxious and the thought of death terrified us.
A young man in town-who had been converted to a belief in the God of the Bible four years previously-suggested he come to our house and compare what the Bible said with La Cosmogony d'Urantia. We accepted his proposal but could not understand his reluctance to admit that we were children of God just like him. We regretted that he was not more open to receive the new ideas we had found in La Cosmogony.
In the end, the only idea that we compared con· cerned Satan. After reading what was written about Satan in La Cosmogony, our friend asked us to read from the Bible a section of Paul's Letter to the Corinthians, where it says that Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. The falseness of La Cosmogony crumbled away to dust when faced with the authority of truth.
We experienced that night, in a small room on Saint Joseph Street in Sainte Therese, Quebec, the power of God's Holy Spirit, who convinced us of our error and blindness. Trembling, we admitted to our friend that we had been wrong.
Several days later, we accepted the invitation of a preacher named Fernand Saint-Louis to go forward to the front of an auditorium and receive Jesus Christ into our hearts as our personal Savior. The road to life that we had sought so long was offered to us, and we accepted it in front of a gathering of believers in Jesus Christ. God enlightened our minds to see Jesus as a living person ready to come into our hearts.
The next morning, we awoke with an indescribable joy because of the forgiveness Jesus had given us. We knew for sure that we had been saved, because the Word of God had promised it.
We had traveled the road to God, and we now knew the way. •
jean-Victor and Annie Brosseau live in DeuxMontagnes, Quebec, wherejean-Victor works for Mennonite Central Committee, a Christian relief and development agency, and Annie is editor ofLe Lien, a Christian magazine published by the Canadian Conference of MB Churches. This article first appeared in the MB Herald, another Canadian conference publication.
How do I talk about my faith to those who do not believe as I do1
Talking about
common values. For Christians, hearing that over 10,000 Vietnamese (many Buddhist) live in the INGDOM VALUES ARE radically different from
But many of us stop with prayer because we aren't sure north side of Chicago or that Muslim Kurds have settlements in Dallas, Los Angeles, San Diego, New York, Nashville and Asian Buddhist at work, the Middle Eastern Muslim at the St. Louis presents us with more than just an opportunity to chances to share the gospel with those of other faiths-the get to know or make friends with people from other cultures. It also gets us praying about open doors, about dry cleaner or the Indian Hindu family at school.
of what to do next. What do I say? Where do I start? Witnessing to people of these faiths is different from talking to the guy at work who went to Sunday school as a kid.
Here are some practical approaches that can help you step out and talk about your faith with people of other religions.
BY JAN JOHNSON
• Make friends. Relationships are foundational.
Pat Kammert, a quiet Christian woman, accidentally made friends with several Buddhists when her husband died from brain cancer. It started when Miriam, an accountant at the gas station she frequented, invited Kammert to go to human potential seminars. Kammert didn't like the seminars, but they provided company.
"One night on the way home, Miriam said, 'I want to know this Jesus you know.' I had never witnessed to her," says Kammert. Miriam had become curious about Kammert's life, noting that "there's something that keeps you going." Kammert told Miriam about her faith. Miriam accepted Christ, and the two of them led Miriam's Buddhist husband, Kiet, to the Lord. Kammert continued to go to the seminars with Miriam. On the breaks, Miriam's Vietnamese friends asked Kammert questions about Christianity. They wanted to know how she survived the death of her husband-the thing they most feared. She told them: her strength came from Jesus Christ. Through her on-gOing conversations and relationships, so many Buddhists accepted Christ that Kammert started a Bible study for them.
''You break a lot of bread," says Kammert. "They have to know you. You don't give a Bible lesson and then leave."
It's more effective to introduce the gospel through friendship than intellectual discussions because religion is more personal than intellectual for many nationalities. "For a Hindu, religion isn't a matter of doctrine, creeds and dogmas," says Premkumar Dhamaraj of the India Center for Missions (a division of the U.S. Center for World Mission), which works with Indians in the U.S. "Hinduism is primarily a search for truth and a search for God."
Faith is communicated better in friendly conversation than impersonal street witnessing or intellectual battles of wits. A Hindu or Muslim is not an enemy to be conquered, but a friend with whom to share the love of Jesus Christ.
• Ask questions. Some people think discussions about politics and religion start arguments, but it doesn't have to be that way. Once the relationship is built, ask questions like, What is the most common religion in your country? How would you describe your purpose in life? In tum, people will ask questions about your religion.
• Be informed. If you know the basics about another faith, you can begin with central issues they care about. For example, says Dhamaraj, many people begin conversations with Hindus by saying "Jesus died for you," but that contradicts what Hindus believe about karma.
"Hindus believe that even God can't change
karma (you reap what you sow)," says Dhamaraj. "It's better to start by agreeing with karma-people feel the consequences of their actions. Then go on. For the Hindu, [karma] means hopelessly trying reincarnated lives. So ask when they'll get out of that cycle. Does the God who created us want us to follow that cycle in hopelessness? No, he has united organically with humanity by being born and dying on a cross. Jesus takes our karma (consequences) for us. When you begin with what they believe, Jesus addresses a question Hindus care about."
• See their heart. Just as important as understanding beliefs, however, is understanding the Hindu or Buddhist or Muslim heart. What drives them? What do they care about? The Hindu heart, for example, searches longingly for God while the Muslim heart is concerned about works and judgmentday.
"They are eager to obey God because they fear punishment and they seek God's blessing because they fear calamity," says Fouad Masri, director of Arab International Ministry, a nondenominational ministry to Muslims in America that also sends short-term teams to share the gospel overseas. "Their strong devotion comes from fear." The grace of God is a radical but healing idea for the Muslim.
• Respect other cultures. To be cross-cultural, you put yourself in the position of being a learner. not a teacher, which can be difficult for those of us who come from a culture that is so dominant in the world. We don't always realize that people who are economically poor can be culturally rich.
Paul Hutchins, who works with international students through The Church at the Crossing at several universities in central Indiana, notes, ''We forget that when Europe was in the Dark Ages, Muslims were advanced in astronomy, mathematics and the acts. Their contributions have made possible some of the technology on which we depend today."
Cultural differences can complicate the simple dinner invitation-a stand-by in making friends. One couple had a barbecue for their Hindu friends, not realizing they were vegetarians and didn't eat chicken. And what we consider rude may be considered polite in another culture. An Asian student told Hutchins, "If a friend invites me to his house, it would be rude to say no to his face." He considered it more gracious to say yes, but not show up.
• Be alert for cultural misinformation. Other nations get their information about Americans from soap operas and the media, notes Masri. "They think that all Americans are Christians and anything American is Christian. For example, when a Saudi student told me he looked at a Christian magazine, I asked which one. He replied, 'Playboy.' I had to explain
Talking about Christ as tile Son of God is the most important but most difficult topic. World religions and New Age followers do not bellev, that Jesus is Gad in the flesh and the only path to salvation.
that womanizing is not a Christian value."
Americans form stereotypes as well. "Some Americans think all Muslims are terrorists," says Hutchins. "I asked a college professor about inviting a Muslim student for dinner, but he was afraid he would be inviting a terrorist into his home."
• Connect on a spiritual level. When Dhamaraj had a Hindu family for dinner and prayed for safety for the mother-in-law's upcoming journey to India, the elderly woman was touched. When she got back to India, she asked her daughter to thank him for his prayer and to pray for her other daughter who is pregnant. Says Dhamaraj, "Soon we'll be ready for the 'truth encounter' -leading them further into the understanding of who Jesus is."
• Simplify the complicated. When people have no biblical background and English is their second language, Bible studies are differentexploring one verse can take all night. Words and context are easily misunderstood.
In the Bible study Kammert led for her Buddhist friends, a detailed, verse-by-verse gospel study didn't work. "They kept saying I went too fast but I had slowed down. When I asked God how I could reach them, the phrase, 'Go back,' kept coming to mind. So I made a timeline, starting with Adam and Eve, and I told them bit by bit how things unfolded."
Kammert's insight was significant because Buddhists and Hindus often regard Christianity as a new religion (only 2000 years old). "Help them
WHAT WE BELIEVE-ARTInE 17 OF tHE MB CONFESSION OF FAITH
understand that Christianity began with creation," agrees Hutchins. "Look at the prophecies of Christ's coming, as early as Gen. 3:15."
• Center on Christ. Talking about Christ as the Son of God is the most important but most difficult topic. World religions and New Age followers do not believe that Jesus is God in the flesh and the only path to salvation.
Hutchins uses this approach with seekers: "You can come to know God the Father only through Jesus, who taught us God is the heavenly Father. If you seek to know God through Muhammad, you understand him only as an almighty, transcendent god. If you search to know God through Hindu sages, you go through a maze of philosophy to reach an unknowable god. Jesus is the only way to know the person God, our Heavenly Father."
• Expect God to work in you. Witnessing to Third World religions brings a new humility. "American Christians believe Christianity is right, and so we sound like know-it-alls," says Hutchins. "We need to humble ourselves and ask them what they know and what they think, instead of telling them what we know and what we think."
In this way, we learn to have the heart of Christ for those who desperately need the touch of God. •
]an]ohnson is a retreat speaker and author of Enjoying the Presence of God and Growing Compassionate Kids.
Christianity and Other Faiths
JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY
We believe that the saving grace of God in Jesus is the only means of reconciling humanity with God. Although salvation is available to all, only those who Put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ have ttfe assurance of etemal life.
GOD'S UNIVERSAL WI I Ness
rn>a has not left anyone without a wit- J ness to the qreator's goodness power.1)ue to human rebellion, people cti'Qsen tQ the truth. Whjle elemel1ts of truth may be found in other religions, SCripture warns against false teacl1ing. Christians treat people of other faiths and philosophies with respect, but lovingly and urgently proclaim Christ as the only way of salvation for all peoples.
SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD
God loves the world and does not want anyone to perish. In sovereign grace God may communicate with people in ways that are beyond human comprehension. The Bible teaches that those who reject the gospel are under divine judgment; the eternal destiny of those who have never heard the gospel is In God's hands. Our task is to proclaim Christ as the only way of salvation to all people in all cui· tures. The judge of all the earth will do what is just.
Gen. 18:25; Ps. 19:2-4; Eccles. 3:11; lsa. 46:1-10; lsa. 55:8-9; Ezek. 33:1-20; Jon. 1-4; Matt. 8:5-13; Matt. 25:31-46; Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 7:24-30; Luke 9:51-56; Luke 12:47-48; John 1:12; John 3:16,36; John 4:8-42; John 12:12-26; John 14:6; Acts 1:8; Acts 4:12; Acts 10:1-8,34-36; Acts 14:1617; Acts 17:22-31; Rom. 1:18-24; Rom. 2:1-16; Rom. 10:9-21; Rom. 11:33-35; 1 Cor. 3:11; 1 Cor. 12:3; 1 Tim. 2:4-5; 2 Pet. 3:9; Rev. 20:15.
New from Good Books
Meditations for Weary Parents
by Sandra Drescher-Lehman
You love your kids and you're not a grouch. But you do value order and you like some sense of control over your time and your environment. And you do get weary.
Moms, dads, and single parents will find renewed energy from these short, daily meditations. The author, too, has lived through these weary moments. She includes a short prayer and Scripture reading for each day.
$7.95 paperback
SANllI\A DRf.scHtR If.HM.\o'';
A Guide to Happy Family Cooking by Tammerie Spires
You'd like to spend more time with your children. You need to eat. You hope to teach your kids basic living skills-like cooking. Here's help. And good humor. Pointers without punishment. Each recipe section opens with recipes that are manageable for the youngest beginner and moves torecipes that build and refine techniques over time. lEach recipe notes the skills that it teaches.)
Another inspiring and useful book from the author of A Guide to Happy Family Camping and A Guide to Happy Family Gardening. $8.95 paperback
Jonas and Sally, a novel by Rich Foss
New in paperback!
This novel about sexual abuse and the search for redemption is captivating and well written Woss is a Mennonite pastor).
Young Jonas finds himself on an island, faced with a sensual and stubborn woman. Unforgettable. Very worthwhile. $11.95 paperback
Jonas and Sally is an excellent bookr - Ron Sider "This is one of the best 'Christian' novels I have read in recent times. " - Katie Funk Wiebe welcome addition to any fiction collection. JJ - Booklist "Each turn of the plot demonstrates key aspects of recovery. JJ - Christian Century
Tasting the Dust, by Jean Janzen
In her new collection of poetry, Jean Janzen demonstrates powerfully why she received The Creative Writing Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. Her writing sends us to explore the mystery of our connections to this earth, our dust and its dust. $9.95 paperback
"]ean]anzen's poems are lucid, clean, beautifully detailed. They pulse with a fine, subtle wildness and are filled with thepleasure and nourishment our bodies and spirits crave. " -Jeff Gundy, poet
AGukfeto HAPPY FAMILY Cooking
Gracias
The articles in the Guly 2000) Christian Leader about the immigration tours are great! I have heard several very positive comments and some people want to know when we [MCC) are having another tour because they want to be involved. This is exactly the response that we wanted. We want people to be asking questions-hard questions-and inquiring why these people are here and why they risk their lives to get here. We are all in "the pursuit of happiness," and Manuela (of "Bridging the Gap") thinks she has found it living in a rundown house in Central California. Muchas gracias.
Mary Elizondo MCC West Coast Office Sanger, California
Life, not mODes
In response to theJuly 2000 Christian Leader featuring Christians and nwvies:
What we have today is the work of "technicians" or "revisionists" or "idea men" who feel the need to innovate, to devise novel ties in order to help God's kingdom along.
We go to church one hour but watch NBA or NFL or movies for two to three hours. The issue is not length, but appetite. Why the misplaced desire?
What has become of standing unashamed for the gospel of Christ? No one is smarter than God. When he says to do his work in his way, we can be assured that he will produce his results for his glory. We don't need to get "creatiVe" on him. God knows exactly what we need to do and expects us to trust and obey him in child-like simplicity.
In addition, watching actors perform
WHAr READERS SAY
The Christian Leader welcomes brief letters on topics relevant to the Mennonite Brethren Church. All letters must be signed and will be edited for clarity and length. Send letters to Christian Leader, 7531 Delta Wind Dr., Sacramento, CA 95831 (e-mail: chleader@jps.net).
acts of violence, vulgar language, cruelty and lust can only dull my compassion for the victims of the real thing.
Luella R De Fehr Fresno, Calif.
More on the roles of women
In response to Danette Roland's letter to the editor "What readers say, "July 2000 Christian Leader:
When we reflect on "how people used to live," I wonder if we are not assuming a great deal.
The plight of women may not have been better in the time of Jesus than it is today. Do you think that, generally, husbands loved their wives less thanthey do today? We have divorce, beating and single mothers with children. We have abortion and killing. Now we kill the innocent and spare the guilty. After some reading, I leamed that mothers laid their babies under bridges for the wild dogs and pigs to eat. They also laid them in baskets on the water, abandoning them to whatever would happen. We can go on. Human nature hasn't changed. Adam and Eve were thrown out of the garden because they sinned. Cain killed Abel. We eat, sleep, hate, love, cry, cheat, are lazy and irresponsible-and more. And when it comes to slavery, we can find it in the measure of humanity all the way back in history.
When Christcame, he did I)ot come to change the ways of men and society, but to grant them salvation and the way to achieve it. Wrong as the above mentioned were and are, how much have they changed over time? Oppressive tactics are as old as humanity. Just look around you. Isn't it about the same? Much has to do with power-one over the other. Go where you will, power is one thing we relish. We all think we know what is best for the other person.
In Gen. 2:18, we read, "And the Lord said, 'It is not good for man to be alone. I will make him a helper comparable to him. '" Did this not place Adam at the top of the human species? But God did not give his creation someone to subjugate. God said all was good. We know God is
love. He sent his Son to us to die on the cross. Women are on an equal plane with men as far as people are concerned. Would God treat a woman, who is on an equal plane with a man, as a slave to the man? I have a problem with all of that.
But we need to think about this a little bit more. Are we bending God's intent a little in respect to husband and wife relationships? To protect the sanctity of the pair, God gave them the power to love one another. This, too, needs expansion. In 1 Cor. 7, Paul gives us guidelines. How do we Christian people respect those guidelines? Paul gives us those principles to live by so we can be happy, not to show us how to have power over each other. Though men and women are equal as people, I read the Bible to say that woman was created as "a helper" to man. A man needs the strength of a woman so he can face the responsibilities he has. It is up to him to provide for her and the children. Some of this is too heavy for him to bear alone.
I am much concerned about the future of our families. H a segment of us wants to press some of these matters too far, we will end up in more trouble than we already have. We may have more problems than we ever imagined.
We need to consider that Gloria Steinem is not our model. Yes, we need to improve ourselves much. Can we trust the Lord to guide in these matters? Maybe our ministers can teach us some of these truths. I sometimes wonder if they are afraid to enter this area. Then, let us folks open ourselves to the truths of Scripture.
I am not making any claims to knowledge in this important subject. We do need to trust each other more. We need to extend ourselves to others more. We need to accept the decisions our leaders make, trusting them to come forth with the answers we need. Some, we will not like. Where does obedience come into the picture?
I am only trying to get us to think on these things so we might better our lives to God's glory. The subject is far too important to give it only a little time. It will take someone wiser than I to satisfy even me.
John Suderman Dinuba, Calif.
Weary of criticisms
I was not born a Mennonite and my faith in Christ was born and nurtured through the influence of evangelical churches and parachurch organizations. When I began attending an MB church it was with the belief that I shared the fundamental convictions of Mennonite Brethren. It saddens me, though, each time I read your magazine and see your attempts to distance MBs from the rest of evangelical Christianity.
I've seen so many Christian organizations criticized in your pages, sometimes directly and other times indirectly. I've seen negative comments about Promise Keepers, Focus on the Family and Operation Rescue, among others. Most recently, Rose Buschman's column was sharply critical of a couple of organizations that work to prevent encroachment on the freedoms that have allowed the gospel to flourish in this country ("On the]ourney," August 2000).
I was most saddened, though, by Don Boddy's article ("A Simple Love Story," August 2000) criticizing the use of The Four Spiritual Laws. While I understand this booklet is only one of many to share the gospel and that it is not appropriate for every situation, I could not help but wonder why he was so negative about a method that has been so widely effective in sharing God's love. The first "law" is, after all, "God loves you and offers a wonderful plan for your life." The booklet ends with an invitation to talk to God and trust in him. I fail to understand why using it would make me seem "cold, nonrelational and disconnected" to Don Boddy or anyone else. And I fail to understand why any Christian would want to condemn a method of sharing the gospel that has been used to bring so many (several I know personally) to the saving knowledge of Christ.
Besides the Christian Leader, I regularly read Worldwide Challenge (Campus Crusade's magazine) and Focus on the Family's magazine. I have never seen Mennonite Brethren criticized in their pages. I get weary of the criticisms of our brothers and sisters in Christ who are involved in other ministries. I find myself wondering if Mennonite Brethren welcome Christians who are not prepared to renounce their affinities to evangelicals.
Ellen Beier Frazer, Mont.
Boyel's "Openness of God"
Marvin Hein responded to a question ("Inquiring Minds," August 2(00) about the "openness of God" issue that grew out of a controversy in the Baptist General Conference where some "concerned pastors" have questioned whether theology professor and pastor Gregory Boyd should be permitted to remain on the faculty of Bethel College (St. Paul, Minn.), a BGC school. Hein's summary of the issue closely followed the account of the issue carried in World magazine, which, in turn, agreed fully with Boyd's detractors. I would like to offer several thoughts in response.
• The issue is not one of the "biblical view of God" vs. a "post-modern view" that plays fast and loose with Scripture. Boyd admits that his position is not the orthodox one. For him, the only way to make sense of biblical teachings about God is to recognize that God voluntarily chose to give humans the genuinely free choice to accept or reject him. So far, so good. But when Boyd goes on to say that humans' choices aren't really free if God knows them in advance, he appears to challenge the conventional Christian wisdom that God knows all that ever was, is, and will be. But that does not mean he didn't read the Bible as carefully and try to follow it as faithfully as his detractors. I commend his outstanding book, Letters from a Skeptic: A Son Wrestles with His Father's Questions about Christianity, as a faith-reinforcer, certainly not a subtle temptation to head down a slippery slope.
• Everyone's interpretation of the nature of God is limited by finite human understanding. We are all like the blind men in the old Indian folktale, trying to describe an elephant, based on what their limited senses could perceive: "I think an elephant is very much like ... a rope /a wall / or something." So it is with our attempts to say what God is like. We work with what he gave us in Scripture and try to match that with the evidence of history, but we struggle to describe something with dimensions beyond what we understand.
I don't doubt that God could "know" everything in advance, if He chose to. But I can also conceive of the possibility that he voluntarily gave up some of that absolute certainty because humankind's free-choice love for him was that important. I visualize this as if I were playing chess against a grand master who understands and "sees" the game so well that he is in complete
control. If he preferred, he could end the game in a few moves. Or he can adopt a teaching mode, creating opportunities for me and reacting to my moves, always in control. In so doing, he allows me to understand and appreciate his mastery far better than if everything were scripted in advance. Is that the way it is with God? To me, at least, this image does not diminish God or lead to a dilution of the gospel or our need for the cross.
• Our attempts to understand God are also shaped by our human needs. A sign in my office warns: Beware of finding what you are looking for. The familiar, orthodox image of a God who knows in intimate detail everything that is to come appeals to many people precisely because it is tidy and comforting. The possibility that God is so powerful that his control of history isn't threatened by giving up individual decisions to individual humans is harder for us to wrap our arms around. Could it be that we are so sure of some things because we need to think we are sure of them? Martin Luther's great reformation hymn says that our God is a mighty fortress. Do we get it backwards when we feel compelled to build a mighty fortress to protect him from alternate understandings of one of his facets?
• God is what he is, and he isn't threatened by our continuing attempts to understand him. Not every Christian need grapple with the issues raised by Boyd and his challengers; they may be well served by "that old time religion." But there are those whose own questions, or those of persons to whom they witness, demand a non-formulaic answer. I am grateful that God is all-powerful and that his church is not a line of dominoes, all of which will certainly collapse at the slightest nudge to one. Ideas such as Boyd's open theism are truly "dangerous" only to those whose faith is fragile. Unless, that is, we agree that Menno Simons, who also challenged the existing orthodoxy with ideas that emerged from his study of holy Scripture, was dangerous as well. If, to seek a comparable situation, Lynn lost (professor at Tabor) or Delbert Wiens (professor emeritus at Fresno Pacific Uni· versity) were to offer a carefully-considered but unconventional idea, I hope we Mennonite Brethren would be confident enough of our faith to look at their total ministry before seeking to declare them unfit for conference service.
Dave Klaassen Anoka, Minn.
BY PHILIP WIEBE
Clean living
Christians are called to be different-and the best witness has always been a good life lived simply for the Lord.
Not long ago I walked by a parked car covered from front to back with bumper stickers-possibly every Christian slogan ever produced. I think I might have even seen an original "Honk if you love Jesus" sticker among them. With so many stickers to read, though, I doubt passing drivers could find it in time to actually honk.
I could appreciate the owner's candor in proclaiming his or her faith, but frankly the car made me feel a bit claustrophobic. Personally I've never put a bumper sticker of any kind on my car, probably due more to my tendency for tidiness rather than any philosophical bent. But it's also true that too often I've seen Christianlabeled cars ignore driving laws, engage in a bumper-sticker fights (Christian fish eats Darwin fish), and behave in other ways unbecoming to Jesus or the faith. Excuse the pun, but if you're going to put a Christian bumper sticker on your car, you'd better be prepared to back it up.
As I said, there was no way I could analyze the sticker-happy driver's motives since I'd never met the person. But later the mass of messages got me thinking about the idea of "clean living." Normally we think of that as staying away from certain types of behavior: obscene language, substance abuse, sexual immorality, and the like. In this case, however, I began to think of our call as Christians to live lives that are simple, direct and free of pretense and mixed motives. That's the kind of clean living Christ has called us to. I suppose it's fine to advertise one's faith with a bumper sticker; better yet is to live one's faith with unfailingly courteous, helpful law-abiding driving.
Sometimes modem American Christianity reminds me of that car full of bumper stickers. There's a lot happening on the surface, but what about underneath? The church these days is into trendiness and celebrityism and "market presence," all in the name of evangelism. But the best witness has always been a good life lived simply for the Lord.
I remember reading the confessions of a woman who recalled her attempts to witness to coworkers, back in the days before religious expression was banned in many workplaces. She carried her Bible prominently, talked about her faith at lunch and gave away books and literature. The response was decidedly unenthusiastic. Finally someone came right out and said, "Maybe we'd be more interested in your faith if you weren't always complaining about your job and criticizing your superiors."
The woman was stunned. Then she realized how she'd had it all wrong. Witnessing wasn't achieved by an advertisingcampaign, but by living out the basic biblical directive to love God and serve others. At that point the woman decided to leave her Bible at home and instead bring a better attitude and work ethic. People noticed, and she was able to share a true story of faith-how God had changed her heart through the feedback of an honest coworker.
We live in a day of mixed messages, convoluted motives and competing loyalties. During this season of politics, candidates say many things we can't be sure they mean. In our age of entertainment, the line between reality and
fabrication continues to blur. In this culture of affluence, many say there are things more important than money, then behave as if there is nothing more important than money.
Christians are called to be different. Ifwe're "living clean," it will be evident in a number of ways. First, we'll be what we appear to be. Chiding the prominent religiOUS leaders of his day, Jesus said, "On the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness" (Matt. 23:28). It's a tradition, unfortunately, that many "religious" people have carried on to this day. But clean living demands that our thoughts, words and actions go forth in God-pleasing harmony.
Second, to quote a well-known maxim, we'll say what we mean and mean what we say. "I tell you," Jesus taught, "do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool Simply let your 'yes' be 'yes,' and your 'no,' 'no'" (Matt. 5:34-37). Apparently it was common in Jesus' day to make elaborate promises and oaths regarding what one would absolutely do or not do, which tended to render the simple yes or no meaningless. How relevant in our day, when people say one thing and mean another without a second thought. Clean living, however, means we always speak clearly, carefully and truthfully.
Third, we'll be wary of fads and the "next big thing" coming our way every other week. Paul encouraged the early Ephesian believers to "become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming" (Eph. 4:13-15). Clean living keeps us above all that, walking the straight way with Jesus.
Perspectives On Stewardship is written with one purpose in mind, to educate and equip individuals to be good stewards. We are responsible for managing God's generous gifts during our lifetime and through our estate distribution. I trust that as you read this issue, you will think carefully of your role as God's steward. Perhaps one of the following articles will help you gain Perspective.
Jon c. Wiebe
President
';;1.
ace it. All of us;'want 10 leave
ullegacy.
In quiet moments, eve'n:the world's mQst philanthropists would'likely agt;ee that the greatest legacy is one that perpetuates In fact, at a time when more wealth thim ever 'before is beirig passed from one toaqother; parents grandparents 'alike are expressing concern over simply' bequeathing to' heirs., ,. The truth is that .carefuJ planning makes it possible to both distribute.an and do so.ln the' context of a that·, . aliows for lastin:g to' the values ,of .'
The Legacy of Twiri I's
IIitegrity Md Initiative might seem qifficult to include in an estate planning strategy.' These ate, after all, individual characteristics. Yet a sizeable bequest can challenge integrity arid initiative of otherwise strong children. For parents and in' plarining, at least part of the reason there is anything to .transfer is parents possess certain values characteristics,. These Include bonesty, 'a respec't for property, a view fOf the longteini, and anjIiherently conservative approach to an ,So, is there an estate plap.ning strategy that.provides for· increased maturity? Fortunately there ·are innovative ways in which time and can be built·into an estate plan providing fot a level of maturity is by the I's.
cant. an pg 2
A ,Two To Four Stage Distribution· '"" " ..
In simple terms, it is possible to an to, children (or in up to four stages. Stage one is the, gift of estate principal during life. The $10,000 "annual gift sion" makes this possible with virtually lio tax , And to help teach proper management of these gifts might well transfers of Stock or other types of property.'
Stage two is the transmission of principal at carefully planning to,rriinirnize' tax shrinkage. Effective instruments for this transfer tncIllde the bypass'trust and the irievocable insurance trust. "
, The Two Great Shortages in Your Church , and Your Life
Workshop with Dick Towner
Mon., Oct 16, '
8:30 am- 4:30 pm
Stage three is the distribution of incoine over a period of time after the death of both parents. This is with planning tools like the charitable remamder unitrust, specifically co"n, structed to distribute income over a period of ten ' " to -twenty 'years.
Su.ge four is helpful for especially large estates. Utilizing a charitable lead trust, estate principal can be transferred to heirs several years the death of both parents. When' carefully thought through, assets -that wili grow in value over time are used to fund the charitable lead trust " are used to pay charitable coqtributions for the prescribed period of years.
Impact of Planning
,when it is all said and distribution of an estate can be spread over two to four levels, "allowing "children the necessary time and maturity to learn management skills. These factors, when ,accompanied by definitive stated goals on the parlof the'parent via the Will, provideJor much more ,than an inheritance. With this kind of , thoughtful planning, the inheritance helps to insure the developm'ent 'of and integrity. What greater legacy could a parent or grandparent " hope to '
This unique all-day workshop will give you personal tools for the rest of your life and, through offer you program concepts for implementing a proven stewardship program In your church. In addition, it will give you and your team members a values-driven time management program.
Dick Towner, Director of Good Sense Ministry at Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, III., says there are three foundation stones upon which a "giving church" is built:
• Growing commitment- people learning what it means in day-to-day liVing
• Compelling vision of what God is calling that church to be and do
• Trust that leadership is handling the finances in a God-honoring way.
Part two addresses the other shortage in life - time. Take the time to invest in this workshop, and you'll see how these two critical areas can be integrated to honor God.
PRESENTED BY MB BIBLICAL SEMINARY & MB FOUNDATION
What' Your Endow-'ment' Will Do
Endowment funds are· ...growIng In, p,opularity as more and ,,' 'more donors "discover the 'remarkable , benefit8 they, provide. ' Perhaps you have even . of creating' one of these funds ,yourself.
our endowment, should you establishone, will accomplish many things. Here are just three toconsider:
i 1. Your Endowment Will Endure
Mennonite Brethren ' Foundation endowments are like artesian well's; they never run , dry. Only the income can be u!ied to meet the purposes of the endowment.
For example, let's say you I' create an endowment to provide I educational scholarships. Once I established, yourendowment will generate these financial I grants every year. Even after I you're gone, your endowment will live in perpetuity. A hunI 'dred years from will benefit from prudent planning ap.d generosity. etidliring quality makes endowments the perfect tool to create a lasting legacy.
Buildings may crumbie' and programs may change, but your I endowment will endure!
2. Your Endowment Will Enable i
Regularcash gifts to your I' favorite ministry certainly help I to meet financial 0bligations. , But what happens when'the I donor dies,? Or what if these I cash gifts are not so readily available in lean years?
Because of their enduring quality, endowments enable charities to plan al,lead with confidence. Endowment income can be projected and programs developed accordingly.
Sometimes our donors create endowment funds to enable ministries to accomplish they would not ordinarily be able to do through normal, , budget channels. For example, an endowment may provide ongoing resources for such things as staff enrichment, specialized programs and additional equipment purchases. , An endowment with Brethren Foundation can be used to benefit a· variety of organizations and ministry causes.
3. Your Endowment Will Express
When you establish an endowment, it is the ultimate expression of what is importantto you. Through your endowmeI,lt, you say, "This is an organization worthy of my resources. This is something I love and which is important to ' me and I want to help fulftll its mission far into the ftiture." This expression spreads ',to yoUr famijy as' well. Your children and grandchildren have added reason to appreCiate their heritage. The ongoing 'affect of your endowment reminds them , of who they are. It lifts their' own sights and inspires a benevolent spirit:
If you are looking something to endure, enable and, express, please take a mori).ent to complete and mail the Reply Form included in this issue.
What . Men noniteBrethren Foundation can do for
We can be of . assistance to you ... and assisting in faithful stewardship.
• Ministry Investment Fund
• Charitable trusts
.' Gift annuities
.·Donor-advised funds
Charitable estate planning
• fad Iitati ng gifts .
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(frontrowi left to right) Kim'
•.. Sh<iWrl3 Vdgt,DonnilSu Ii ivan;' (back rmy) Lynford Becker,. Jon Wiebe;. Dille. Regier .:
Tips for Year-End Giving·.
If you're people, you do your major , giving tow,ard the end of the year. This probably occurs fot severai reasons. The closing of the tax "season encourages iteinizers to income tax, :. 'deduc,'iions; a barrage of earnest appe-als by non, profits increases awareness of financial and many are simply pre-disposed to end the year by rriaking, a charitable gift. ,'-
Here are five tips to help you make the most ofyout: '. year-end giving:, ,
1. Calculate' yciur inl':oine. Tryto a: handle on your tax iia-bil,ity for the year. Did your , unearned income increase? Did, YdQ. sell any apprechited assets? '. 'wili you owe mpre, taxes? -
'rpis alonem.ay motiv-ate you to increase your giving before December "31. In fact, you may . even want to move some of your , giving forward from next year to create a larger income tax , deduction for yourself this year: may especially
find this "grouping of gifts" useful order to take advantage of an itemized tax return every other year. '
2; Review your stocks: Look at QIe stocks you have held for more than a year. Which opeS , appreciated the most? H , may b_e prudent for you to your year:-erid gift" using one, or mote of •. stocks. t!ere;s why: If ' you soid the stock you , wOilld incur gains tax oh appreciation. ' However, if you give the. ,i ,stock and allo\\:, the Ghai"ity to sell no one pays tax, And you get a charitable ,' , deduction. for the full amount. of the'stock; just as you woul<;l if your gift was made with cash. And what's more, if you ciUl'tuse all of incOJ1le tax charita- ble'deduction resulting from the gift, you c;an carry it forward for up to an additional five years Such'-gifts are deductible up to 30 percent of YOilr adjusted gross income.
3.' Consider a life-income gift Some chanties offer a variety of life":incoine plans to fit your ' needs. Yo\! can make a gift , noW, obtain tax benefits and , income for the of your l,ife. ' Sound too good to be -true? ,A few minutes of your time will convince you other-, wise. Makl? an- appointment with a qualified planned giving advisor. '
4. DC;>'your giving early. This is especially true jf you want to agiff of noncaSh assets real estate, etc.). It also applIes to ,life-iQcome giftS (gift ,annuities, trust arrangements, ; etc,). Your professional aq,vi- , - sores) are very busy as the year winfls down. The sooner YQU ' -can your gift activity going, ,'the it will be for everyQne' - • j' _concerned.
, 5. Talk to your advisor. , making any significant gift to a, charity or ministry, you ShOlJId have your CPA, attOrney or other advisor help yOI,l under- , stand the !mpaet: of your gift on' your income tax retum 'estilte. This will help ens\Jre your giving is prudent, -as \\;ell " as generous aDd 'joyful.
.. Here's a little true/false quiz to test your knowledge" . about using publicly traded. stock to make 'a charitable ., ."gift to' Mennonite .Bretnren '. 'Foundation.' Good'luck!
1. Ohlystocks tradeq on the Ne", Yqrk Stock Exchange cmi be used to make .charitaple gifts.
2. For tax is better to sell long-term stock, and give tlie 'c'asn to cmirity. _._. The value of a stock gift is determined on the date wheo Mennonite Brethren Foundation a letter from the donor in<;licating 'his 6r he{ decisibn to make :the gift.,
If you bUY'stock in Janu.arY and in . '. three months it Goubles jn value, you can give the( stock tq chari,ty in June and, avoid paying:capital gai.ns tax on the appreciation of the stoc::k.
5. It is normallybetter to give· stock that has depreCiate<;i in value rather . . than that hllS ·flPpreciated. .
6. For tax the of a . stock gift equais- the amount of cash· received by the charity after it sells the stock.
If you answered all of these que'stions '''false'' you.may'move to the. head of the class. On , tile other hand, if'you uS.ed the "T" word, or' were Ji/lsute of ofyorli use.the Reply Form in this newsletter tb'request a free brochure on making gifts with stock.
7. Most stock legal assistance to, -
We want' you to know the advantages of stock , gifts - and how easy these gifts 'are to complete!
INQuIRING MINDS
BY MARVIN HEIN
QPeople are saying that Preaching is more difficult today than in years past. With your long experience in both, do you believe this to be true? (California)
AI love to preach, even after three quarters of a century. I believe I have preached meaningfully to the congregations I was privileged to serve. I think that in most instances parishioners came to services eager to hear the Word expounded.
Forty years ago, the preacher was probably one of the few adequately educated, and thus it wasn't too difficult to persuade the audience that you knew something they needed to hear. Forty years ago most of our congregations were psychologically prepared to take counsel and direction. Forty years ago it might have been much more palatable to expound Scripture in a verse by verse style and have people accept it.
Today much more highly educated and sophisticated audiences listen to sermons. They may know a lot more than the preacher about many things. listeners to sermons are also less patient. They spend hours each week in front of the computer screen or the television and have become accustomed to "sound bytes" and messages that are terse and rapid. Attention span is much shorter, and our culture pushes onto listeners that information should be shared quickly and with a lot of pizazz.
All this makes the 4O-minute sermon boring for many. And because sermons are to be short, relevant and interesting, it is a temptation for some preachers to abandon biblical preaching and resort to "pop psychology" messages that can be done with flair and excitement.
All this adds to the difficulty in preaching to modern audiences. But I do not think we should abandon biblical preaching. Biblical preaching is not just citing a text and then wandering off from it to be "relevant." Biblical preaching should begin with a text, search out its
meaning to the original hearers, and then be applied to current situations affecting the lives of the hearers. That can be done in a relatively short time (though exposition does take time) and it can be done interestingly. But all this takes hard work.
Yes, contemporary preaching is probably more difficult than it used to be. But the Word has not changed. It stands prepared to be driven into the hearts of men and women and children by those chosen to preach it with vigor and wisdom and practical application.
QIs it possible that we who profess to follow Christ may be sinning when we scour the merchandising landscape to find the biggest bargains available? (Manitoba)
AThis question arose out of some comments made recently in the September 2000 issue of MCC's A Common Place magazine. A reader of that periodical wrote to the editor: "As I get to know more people in the Mennonite community, I notice how many are frugal in their spending. It's great to be frugal, but we must step back and view our spending habits. If we shop for the lowest price, we will find ourselves in the big block stores, supporting the interests of large corporations rather than local industries."
When is the last time you shopped in a "big block store?" I have to confess it hasn't been too long ago for me. The Super K-Marts and Walmarts and Sams and Lowes are not foreign to most of us.
Is there an ethical issue involved? Is it possible that paying the lowest price may not always be the most ethical choice? Many of us-Mennonite or not-are savers. We buy when there are bargains. We snip coupons and boast of how much money we save. A few of us behave in this manner because we must; many of us just love the game. And we could probably make a case, in the name
Have a question about a Bible passage, doctrine, conference policy, or other spiritual issue? E-mail Marvin at mheinl@fresno.edu or send your question to "Inquiring Minds, " c/o Marvin Hein, 4812 E. Butler, Fresno, CA 93727.
of good stewardship, for purchasing goods at the most economical price. It mayor may not be sinful to be so frugal. I think there's a case to be made for paying more but supporting causes and values you hold dear. It depends on what is most important in your life. And we probably could all have our consciousnesses raised about the propriety of doing business "at home." Is it important to you to know that your expended money is going into the hands of your friends and neighbors next-door rather than to a large corporation in some distant city? If one of your fellow church families was the owner of a "mom and pop" grocery store, would you think about whether or not it was more "Christian" to pay a bit more but support fellow believers who had given a lifetime to this hometown investment?
I'm not at all opposed to large corporations who provide jobs for many of our fellow citizens. They no doubt serve a very real purpose in our life and economy. They contribute generously at times to charitable causes. But should we remember that often those large corporations tend to be more "predatory" (as one of my friends said recently) in nature. They come into communities and drive out the smaller, home-based businesses. Is that an ethical issue? Is it not also true that the larger conglomerates are more prone to produce and sell products made with "cheap labor" in some distant land where children and the poor may be exploited?
No, I'm not prepared to say that being frugal is sin. The world economy is a complex thing. We will never know everything about the products that we buy. But there may well be occasions where we check our values, ask ourselves serious questions about our economic practices and remember that "cheaper" may not always be "better." I suspect that if we were wiser and more deliberate in our buying practices, we might well alter some of our purchasing habits.
ON THE JOuRNEY
BY ROSE BUSCHMAN
An unexpected blessing
Following a family with a Bible through the streets of Foz do IgUllfu, Brazil, led to an unexpected and treasured blessingfrom God.
It was Sunday morning. My husband and I were finishing breakfast and trying to decide what to do. We were in southern Brazil in the
city of Foz do where my husband participated in a professional conference and I went along for the ride. The conference was over and we had a free day before we were scheduled to catch our flights back to the U.S. Our sightseeing plans were disrupted because, through a comedy of errors, we did not have enough Brazilian cash to pay for the excursion we had planned.
Feeling rather sorry for ourselves, we decided to go for a walk and see if we could find the Pararui River which was shown on our map. We had only walked a few blocks when a family, carrying Bibles, came by. They smiled and said, "Bom dia," which is Portuguese for "good day." We smiled and returned the greeting. My husband suggested that we follow them. We came to a large white building which had do Crista" (Congregation of Christ) in large letters painted on it. We could hear people singing inside so we decided to join them.
As we walked up to the main front door, a woman quickly ran over to us, grabbed my arm and motioned for me to go with her. "See you later," I called to my husband.
She and I entered through a side door. I saw that men sat on the right hand side of the sanctuary (and entered through the front door) and women and small children sat on the left. Actually there were three sections of pews with most of the middle section reserved for a 50-plus member all-male orchestra-violins, woodwinds, trumpets, saxophones, tubas and other instruments--that accompanied the congregational singing while a woman played the electric organ. The room was
filled to capacity (approximately 350) with people standing along the sides. Everyone was dressed in their Sunday best, men in suits and ties and women in dresses and white shawls as head coverings. The scene reminded me of my childhood church in Canada, except that we had a choir instead of an orchestra and the women wore hats as a head covering.
Someone handed me a Spanish hymnbook and soon I was singing along with the congregation. The melodies of the hymns were those of my youth-Make Me a Blessing, Send the Light, Take Time to be Holy, A Wonderful Savior Is]esus My Lord. The orchestral accompaniment added a festive touch to the service.
This was a special service for this church because it was their monthly baptism Sunday. In this denomination baptism is the public declaration that the individual has decided to follow Christ. The lengthy sermon on the seriousness of this step, given by a guest speaker, was followed by a 45-minute "baptismal altar call." Men and women came forward, exited through separate doors, changed into special gray jumpsuits and then proceeded to enter the water to be baptized. The baptismal font was very similar to the kind found in our churches here. Two ministers officiated. One did the actual baptizing and the other made sure everything proceeded as it should. This second man also helped people into and out of the water. Fifteen people, mostly adults, were baptized.
After the two-hour service, my husband and I found each other again and were warmly greeted by the people. The church leaders made sure that they
visited with us. Some children studying English in school were rounded up to act as interpreters. We were given a handbook with all of their congregations, world-wide, listed in it. In Brazil, alone, this denomination has over 13,000 congregations with 121,000 members. In the U.S. they have 26 churches in 13 different states. When asked what church we were from I replied, "Somos menonitas." (We are Mennonites.) Immediately, one of the ministers recognized the word and said there were some in Curitiba, another city in Brazil, and in Paraguay.
A couple from the church invited us to their home later that afternoon. They found a neighbor who spoke German, and so he and I conversed in a language neither had used much in 40 years. They also invited their English teacher so that my husband and some of the men could visit. At one point some of us gathered around the piano and sang How Great Thou Art simultaneously in English, Spanish and Portuguese. I couldn't help but think, "Maybe this is how it will be in heaven."
That evening they took us to another church of the same denomination and this time we again found a sanctuary filled to capacity (approximately 500 people), standing room only, and an orchestra of about 75 musicians. The service was a simple one: four extended testimonies, prayer time when all prayed, congregational singing and a sermon. This time I sang from a Portuguese hymnbook.
Several times throughout our visit I reiterated, "Somos hermanos y hermanas en Cristo" (We are brothers and sisters in Christ). Even though we were strangers to each other, spoke different languages and lived in different cultures, there was still an instant bond when we met. Why? Because we are all part of the family of God.
Later that night when we finally got back to our hotel we were exhausted but thrilled. That Sunday, which began so dismally, turned out to be the highlight of our visit to Brazil. What an unexpected, but treasured, blessing God had in store for us!
Mission Phoenix off and running
Desert metropolitan area is first target city of MetroNet 200S-a plan to plant 20 new churches across the nation in the next five years
BY CARMEN ANDRES
Picture five new churchesall Mennonite Brethrentaking root in the next five years in a sprawling desert metropolis of 2.7 million, where there is room for only three percent of the population if they all attended church on Sunday. Now give the piCture a name-Mission Phoenix.
That picture is now one step closer to reality. Mission USA, the national church plant and renewal ministry, officially kicked off the program Sept. 24 at recent Phoenix church plant Copper Hills Community Church. The service
celebrated both the congregation's coming of age (see story next page) and the public unveiling of Mission Phoenix.
"It was an exciting time," says Randy Steinert, a member of the Mission Phoenix Task Force. Steinert also sits on the MUSA board as a representative of the Pacific District Conference Home Missions Board.
The spirit to plant churches was very much alive at the Copper Hills service, notes Steinert. "They want to reach others for Jesus," he says of the Phoenix congregation.
Planting seeds
Mission Phoenix is the first major thrust of MUSA's MetroNet 2005, a five year strategy announced last fall to plant 20 new MB congregations in major metropolitan areas.
MUSA leaders are some of the first to admit that MetroNet 2005 is an aggressive plan. According to MUSA executive director Ed Boschman, the choice to aim high was purposeful.
''When we talked about it," says Boschman, "[Twenty churches] seemed like a number bigger than what we could humanly envision and provided an opportunity for us to experience a miracle."
MUSA hopes to achieve the number through planting a cluster or family of churches in a city and expecting some of those plants to birth new churches within a five-year period.
Mission USA is the national church planting and renewal ministry of the U.S. Conference of MB Churches. Board members Include representatives from the Central. Southern and Pacific districts and their Home Mission boards. Central Southern and Pacific Conference district ministers and representatives from Pacific University. Tabor College. MB Biblical Seminary are ex-officio members.
Over the last several years, MUSA has helped plant seeds across the U.S. The agency is currently working with U.S. Conference districts in three church plants at various stages in Washington, Utah and Arizona. Since conceiving MetroNet 2005, MUSA has begun working with church planters in Tulsa, Okla., and Ashville, North Carolina. In addition to Mission Phoenix, MUSA is also meeting with local churches to study the viability of planting another congregation in the San Francisco Bay area of California.
"That's what's visible on the horizon," says Boschman, noting that MUSA might seem to be a bit behind on first appearances. ''We are counting on the multiplication process. We would expect that some of those churches would reproduce themselves within a four or five year window. [Reaching our goal] is certainly within the realm of miraculous possibilities."
MUSA's involvement will probably vary with each plant, says Boschman. "In some cases, Mission USA will be investing heavily. In other cases, it will be in partnership with districts and a local church or two."
Constituency support is also needed to reach the goal of 20 new churches in five years, says Boschman. "H we are going to do this effectively, we need a strong constituency commitment," he says.
Besides Phoenix, other MetroNet potential target areas include Bellingham, Wash.; Bakersfield, Calif.; Salt Lake City, Utah; Denver, Colo.; Minneapolis, Minn.; Omaha, Neb.; Wichita, Kan ; and Tulsa, Okla.
Seeds in the desert
On Sept. 24, however, the spotlight was on Phoenix, where two new con· gregations will be planted within the next two years.
"Our vision is that all the [Phoenix] church plants would give birth to another church over the next few years to net a total of five or six churches," says Boschman.
The new churches will be planted in close proximity to Copper Hills and each other. ''We are trying to find areas that are within shouting distances of each other so we can develop a sense of partnership and networking," Boschman says.
Small group dynamics-which have worked well for Copper Hills-will "probably be systemic to all of the
Copper Hills graduates
YOU could say that Copper Hills Community Church has come of age.
The three-year old Phoenix congregation eel. brated Its move from a church plant to a porting, free.standlng church Sept. 24, as Paclftc Dlstltct Conference district minister Henry DIck ofII. claoy welcomed the church to the district.
The congregation had a lot to celebrate-not the least of which was
events, Copper Hills had Its first public service In March 1998. Over 250 attended. The church then averaged around 100 for the first six months and has grown to a current attendance of approximately 190.
The church plant faced the traditional challenges that go along with church p1antlng-ftndlng funding and adequate leadership. But the biggest challenges were the everyday ones, says Klassen.
changed lives.
"'We came here with a dream of Impacting lives for Jesus," says Copper Hills pastor Brad Klassen, "'and that's what we see happening. "
Desert .........ng
Copper HHIs grew out of a partnership between Mission USA, the national church planting and renewal ministry, and the PDQ Home Missions Board. A Canadian from Toronto, Klassen moved with wife Elfie to Phoenix In June 1997. After many prayer walks and door-tCHloor sur· veys, they fonned two small groups, which grew quickly, says Klassen.
"God had prepared this community for us to be here," he reflects
After developing a core group of 27 adults, establishing leaders for ministries and putting together several outreach
"The greatest challenges are things like developing my own and our church families' Christ-Ilkeness-keeplng me and the people at Copper Hills focused on helping the people we love get connected and committed to the God we love," says Klassen.
The congregation helps each other face that challenge by centerIng their efforts on small groups, where many members form relationships which encourage and port them as they grow In Christ, says Klassen
"'Our whole structure Is built around the nurture and building of small groups," he adds.
Celebrating success
By objective criteria, MUSA and PDC can count Copper Hills as a success.
For example, the congregation Is committed to
financial giving, even donating $8000 to MUSA last spring.
But both Klassen and Ed Boschman, MUSA executive director, say they judge success In another way.
"The success Is In the testimony of how Copper Hills has changed peopie," says Boschman, citIng baptism testimonies and the Impact of small groups In people's lives. "For me and those of us In responsibility In various places, those are the kinds of things that we would say are the true signals of success."
Klassen agrees, saying the best moments are those when he can be a part of helping others get connected and committed to Jesus.
"'WIthout question, the best times are those when somebody Invites Jesus to take over their lives," he says. "'Why? Because that Is why we are In Phoenix•••• It's what we are praying for and working for. But most of all It Is why Jesus gave up his life. That's the whole deal right there."
Taking responsibility
During the Sept. 24 service, MUSA board resentatlve Randy Steinert symbolized Copper Hills' graduation by passIng a gold-colored baton to Klassen.
Klassen says Copper Hills takes Its graduation and responsibility to reach others for Jesus seriously. The congregation will be Involved with Mission Phoenix (see story prevIous page). In addition, says Klassen, they hope to send a group of members to help a local church In northem India. -GA
CARING
PALM VILLAGE
churches," says Boschman.
"Given that we work in a world that values relationship highly," he explains, "all of our churches will give priority to small groups and small group dynamics. We can meet relational needs and accomplish discipleship purposes in the context of those groups."
"Those are the most effective bridges of pre-Christian people into the community of the kingdom," adds Boschman.
While choosing locations is intentional, the ministries, leadership, and decision-making structures of the church are determined by the new congregation.
"With respect to what the church looks like in terms of ministries, form and style-those things are determined by the community that the church will be planted in," says Boschman.
Partnering to plant
Representatives from the Pacific District Conference and local MB congregations were on hand to celebrate the project's kick-off. Though MUSA is taking the lead on Mission Phoenix, they have teamed up with the PDC and Copper Hills to form the project's task force. Spirit in the Desert and Desert Valley Bible Church-two other local MB churches-are lending informal support.
"It is very much a partnership," Boschman emphasizes.
The task force will be facing the same challenges they would in other church planting endeavors-finding leaders and adequate funding.
"Finding leaders is the biggest challenge," says Boschman, referring to the need for both a church planter and task force-a type of interim elder boardfor each plant.
Boschman hopes to announce both the church planter and task force for the first of two new Phoenix churches by the end of the year.
In addition to leadership needs, each church plant will cost approximately $250,000 for a three-year period, by which time they are typically expected to be self-supporting.
To help meet funding needs, both the district and MUSA will contribute funds to support each plant. MUSA board members will continue their fund raising efforts as well as rely on newly formed fund-raiser positions. Delegates at the July 2000 national convention approved a budget that included funding of a part-
time development director and part-time regional fund-raisers, who will focus on raising funds for MUSA.
It is too early to tell how well the new fund-raising strategy is working, Boschman says. Art Ens started last spring as the development director, but the three regional representatives are yet to be hired.
"It's very early in the year, so it's hard to tell how that will impact [our budget]," says Boschman, adding that early signs are good. "Art has helped us strategize and structure communication to the constituency and be more intentional about fund raising."
In addition to current efforts to both staff and fund the church plants, Boschman reports that MUSA is looking for individual MB churches to get involved.
''We would love to have some of our churches across the nation ... become partners from a distance," says Boschman. He cites the involvement of I Laurelglen Bible Church (Bakersfield, I Calif.) in supporting South Mountain I Community Church in Draper, Utah. Members of that congregation were involved on the task force as well as financially supporting the Utah congregation, according to Boschman.
"That's a good model," he says.
Doing more together
Copper Hills plans to be one of those I congregations, according to pastor Brad Klassen.
It was appropriate that Mission Phoenix kicked-off at the Phoenix church. The three-year old congregation, celebrating its move from a church plant to a freestanding church in the Pacific District Conference, is a good example how a district and national ministry can work together to plant a church, says Klassen.
Reflecting on the joint celebration, Klassen says it really illustrated how people can do more together than as individuals.
''What's good for us as a church to realize is that we are part of a bigger family, that we can do some things together that we can't do on our own," says Klassen. "By partnering with our denomination, we can plant five new churches in five years and reach hundreds of people for Christ."
"And I think for me personallybecause that is where my heart is-that is what is so significant about [Mission Phoenix]." •
Confessions show global unity
International gathering of MBs share confessions of faith with goal of identifying shared core beliefs
The International Committee of Mennonite Brethren is on a treasure hunt to find the core beliefs its members share
Members of ICOMB-a fellowship of 17 MB national conferences-brought their confessions of faith to a meeting July 10-12 Representatives took the confessions back to their national conferences. They will study them to identify shared core beliefs.
During a 2001 regional consultation, planned for Brazil, ICOMB members will share findings from their study and create a summary of statements on which all the conferences agree.
The summary won't take the place of £tith confessions within national conferences, ICOMB representatives say. But it will give the conferences a stronger voice in the global family and foster unity.
"Churches in other nations started from North American missions efforts are growing up and becoming conferences in their own right," says Ike Bergen, Canadian representative.
"They want to help make decisions and have a voice in what the MB global
church is all about. We recognize both the need for global fellowship and for retaining national distinctives."
The summary's potential to unify is most important to Takishi Manabe of Japan, outgoing ICOMB chair.
"In order to become one in spirit, it's very important to share a common essence on what we believe from the Bible," he says.
ICOMB decided during its global consultation last year in BuWer, Kan., to begin the faith confession process. It asked members to translate their faith confessions into English and bring them to the July meeting, held prior to the Global Anabaptist Missions Consultation (GAMCo), also in Guatemala City.
About seven of the 12 representatives who attended the meeting brought their translated faith confessions. The conferences of the other representatives who attended share the faith confession used by MB churches in North America.
Bergen predicts the study will reveal much agreement. "From all I've seen so far, we definitely agree on the basics,
such as a triune God, and our Christology," he said. "Where we don't agree, we will leave that up for the individual interpretation of national conferences. "--by Laurie L. Oswald for Meetinghouse
Neufeld and Mireles join ICOMB exec
The International Committee of Mennonite Brethren is still developing as an organization but this summer the group took another successful step forward in the continuing process of learning to know one another as a global MB family, says Harold Ens, MBMS International general director and an ICOMB member.
One sign of that growth was the election of Alexander Neufeld of Gennany as the new ICOMB chair and Rolando Mireles of the U.S. as treasurer. They join secretary Harry Janzen of Brazil and vicechair Maximo Abadie of Paraguay as members of the executive committee. National conference reports provided updates and also gave representatives the opportunity to pray for one another.
In addition to the international confession of faith, the group discussed future ICOMB meetings and projects including a 2001 regional consultation in southern South America and a 2003 regional consultation in Congo. It was agreed that the 2002 ICOMB meetings will be held in British Columbia in conjunction with the joint U.S. and Canadian conference conventions.
Rolando Mireles, U.S. Conference vice chair, represents the U.S. Conference on ICOMB. -by Connie Faber
Web site to link MB conferences
In another move to foster global unity, the International Committee of Mennonite Brethren has decided to establish a Web site, with links to national conferences.
The conferences will post such items as events, prayer requests, testimonies and programs. Ike Bergen of Canada will coordinate communications for the site.
Using the Web is a practical way to develop a more global MB community, says Victor Wall from the Germanspeaking conference in Paraguay.
"Talking about internationalization on the theoretical level is exciting, but how does it become practical and usable on the local level?" he says. "The Web page can help us address that challenge."
--by Laurie L. Oswald
Celebrating 100 years of work
MB global mission agency celebrates centennial by ,. honoring the past and looking to the future
This month MBMS International officially celebrates its looth birthday-but, in fact, the dehominational mission agency has been celebrating for more than a year.
Last fall, MBMSI representatives attended the centennial celebrations of the India MB Conference as India was the first country to which MB missionaries were sent. The agency has published a book of first-person missionary stories and this summer hosted birthday parties complete with canvas bags as party favors for delegates attending the Canadian and U.S. Conference conventions.
According to MBMSI statistics, there are plenty of folks to join in the celebration.
The denominational mission agency,
established by North American congregations as the American Mennonite Brethren Mission Union, has sent 2,332 people as resident missionaries. Thousands more have served on short-
term assignments through Youth Mission International, Church Partnership Evangelism or for a variety of service projects.
"These people have given of their lives to share the Gospel," says Harold Ens, MBMSI general director. "They have preached the Word, healed the sick, taught life skills, given training in agriculture and industry, prOvided emergency relief, baptized new believers and helped start churches. A centennial is a chance to recognize and cele-
MB mission effort begins in Asia, Africa
first overseas denomlI national church planting work of North American Mennonite Brethren began 101 years ago when a group of missionaries traveled to India. The church that grew out of their work has grown to more than 400,000 pe0ple In 800 congregations throughout 1 la.
The next major mission effort was supporting Henry and Nettle Bartel who went to China In 1901. In December of last year, MBMSI general director Harold Ens visited a church In Caoxlan, one of the cities where the Bartels served.
"I was surprised to learn that over the past decade,
membership In the Caoxlan region has gri)wn from a few thousand to more than 18,000," says Ens. "They baptized 1,000 people in 1998 alone. God (has been) present long after our m. sIonarIes had been expelled."
The MB chutch In Congo was started through efforts of the A.A. Janzens In 1924, and was nurtured by dozens of missionaries over the following decades. Ens reports that when he lived In Congo In the early 70s, there was only one MB church In the capital city of Kinshasa. Today, there are 42 churches, with three more being added each year.
"During my visit to Congo In February, I met with 30 Congolese MBa who have a vision tor ml8-
slon," Ens says. "One Is reaching out to a people group In Brazzaville. We learned of plans to send a Congolese MB missionary family to Angola. several mlsslology students have a passion tor sharing the Gospel with Muslims. 0thers talked about bringing hope to the strIte-tom regions of Africa."
At this meeting, Ens states that he saw again that partnershIps with national MB conferences around the world are part of the Mure of MB mission.
"We have a chance to partner with Christians In Congo by combining our resources, to do things that each cannot do on their own," says Ens. -from an MBMSI news service release
brate those contributions."
According to Ens, that celebrationand the mission task-extends to the whole church. "All of us have a hand in the mission of Christ-whether by giving funds, praying for missionaries and new believers or hosting missionaries in our homes and churches."
While MBMSI traces its birth to congregations in the U.S. and Canada, in the future the sending church will include the 15 national conferences that today makeup the global MB family.
"These conferences stand ready to join with us," says Ens. "We and our partners may not always provide equal resources in all areas. But we need to build a vision together, sharing from the blessings God has given to us."
MBMSI is already testing mission partnerships with several MB conferences. Hiromi Takeda from Japan is serving on the Thailand team; Jose and Esperanza Prada from Colombia are part of the Peru team; and Cristoph and Antonia Hagele from Germany are long-term missionaries in Lithuania.
According to Dennis Fast, chair of the MBMSI board, the agency hopes to open up board membership to other MB conferences in the future. "Our goal is to eventually be an agency that is owned not just by Canadians and Americans, but believers from all comers of the globe," he says.
As he looks back at the conference's last century of mission, Ens emphasizes that it is only a starting point. "A quarter of the world's people still do not have access to the Gospel. This is the great unfinished task of global mission that is before us. We as North Americans cannot, and should not, attempt to finish this task alone." -from an MBMSI news 5ervice release
u.s. Mis gather regionally
Working together is common theme for u.s. MB district conventions
Wile the format varies from district to district, a common thread running through this fall's regional gatherings is cooperation-celebrating what Mennonite Brethren can accomplish when congregations work together as districts towards kingdom goals.
Southern District Conference
In an effort to share with as many people as possible their vision for a network of healthy Midwest congregations, , Southern District Conference leaders are employing the trickle down principle.
In September, information about individual SDC congregations and district ministries was shared with congregationalleaders dUring eight regional cluster meetings.
During October and November, each congregation is asked to emphasize SDC congregations and ministries during one Sunday service and to incorporate some of what was shared in the cluster meetings. A district video and brochure is also available.
"We're hoping that through leadership clusters, pastors and leaders will be better informed about what's happening," says SDC chair Don Morris, pastor of Pine Acres Church in Weatherford, Okla. "Then they can share that information with their congregation on a SDC Emphasis Sunday," says Morris.
Leadership cluster participants interacted with each other in small groups regarding various church leadership issues. Among the topics discussed was the need for calling, recruiting and training leaders, especially pastors. Resource people included the SDC executive committee and commission members as well as district minister Roland Reimer.
Pacific District Conference
The last time Kingwood Bible Church of Salem, Ore., hosted the Pacific District Conference convention in 1986, the PDC included 43 congregations. Fourteen years later, Kingwood is preparing for an event to which 104
congregations can send delegates and is sharing some of the hosting responsibilities with its sister congregation, Slavic Christian MB Church.
The remarkable growth the PDC has enjoyed thanks to church planting and the assimilation of 60 ethnic congregations is the focus of this year's convention to be held Nov. 10-11.
The Friday evening program will highlight transcultural congregations.
''We are looking forward to an evening of great celebration where languages and culture will come together with one voice celebrating God's goodness to us," says PDC minister Henry H. Dick.
The home missions banquet, normally held Friday evening of the convention, will be held Saturday afternoon in the form of a luncheon. The PDC Women's Missionary Society will meet Saturday morning and will attend the luncheon.
Fred Leonard, pastor of Mountain View Community Church of Clovis, Calif., will be the convention speaker. PDC chair Gary Wall, pastor of Vinewood Community Church of Lodi, Calif., will also address the delegation.
The business agenda will address integrating new congregations into the ministries of the district, doctrinal unity amid diverse styles of worship and leadership, uniformity in credentialing ministers and church planting.
Newly appointed Fresno Pacific University president Harold Haak will report Saturday and 11 new congregations will be accepted into the PDe.
The convention will be preceded by a California area home missions banquet Oct. 28 hosted by Neighborhood Church of Visalia, Calif. Stories and testimonies representing both church planting and transcultural church ministries will highlight the rally. Organizers anticipate the banquet may draw as many as 400 attenders.
Central District Conference
After their 1999 joint meeting with the Southern District at Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kan., the Central District
Conference convention was moved back to familiar territory.
This year's convention, held Oct. 2729 at Bethesda Church, in Huron, S.D., will focus on "The Church Tried and True."
"The church in many parts of the world is severely tried-there's lots of persecution," says Ron Seibel, CDC chair. "In North America we have tremendous trials of a different nature and we believe that this is very relevant to our setting here."
Featured speaker John Oros knows firsthand about persecution. Oros, persecuted in his home country of Romania, took his children and wife, left for bordering Austria and boarded a plane bound for Canada. Oros currently serves as the Canadian director of church ministries for Mission Without Borders, based in Abbotsford, B.C.
The convention will begin Thursday with a free soup supper. Other highlights will include a women's luncheon with Viorica Oros and a church planting banquet highlighting projects including Rolling Hills Church in Papillion, Neb. The business agenda will include a focus on how the district can support Rolling Hills Church. Other business agenda items were not available at press time.
North Carolina District
The North Carolina District annual convention Sept. 22-24 celebrated their 100th anniversary. Pakisa Tshimika, MBMS International staff member from Kinshasa, Congo was the keynote speaker and addressed the convention theme "Without a vision, God's people will perish." Peter Thomas, who has moved to Arden, N.C. to plant an MB church there, led a workshop and Earl Yount gave his last message as moderator.
A complete report of the convention will be published next month. Cook
FALL DISTRICT CONVENTIONS
Southem
Cluster meetings, September 10-28
North Carolina
September 22-24
Central October 26·29
Pacific November 10-11
Bridging gap with Catholics
Mennonites and Brethren in Christ seek to mend ,. relationship with Roman Catholics
Wen it comes to the worldwide Christian body, many Mennonite Brethren regard the Roman Catholic Church as a horse of a different color. But for others,unity should characterize the Christian community because-as the saying goes-a horse is a horse, of course.
Nzash Lumeya, an MB educator from the Congo, teaches among people groups in central Africa who think Catholics have one God and Protestants another.
"How," he says, "can we witness to the one true God? We call ourselves Christians. Our divisions and lack of unity as Christians are major deterrents to our witness. In addition, with the rising of Islam in Congo, we understand we must work together as Christians."
In an effort to better understand one another, dispel misunderstandings from the past and gain a more accurate knowledge about each other in the present, Mennonite World Conference representatives are meeting annually for five years with representatives of the Roman Catholic Church. MWC is a worldwide fellowship of about 90 Mennonite and Brethren in Christ national churches in 50 countries.
The third Mennonite-Roman Catholic international dialogue will take place next month and is hosted by the Mennonites. Cosponsored by MWC and the Vatican City's Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, the dialogue began in 1998 and is anticipated to run for five annual sessions after which it will issue a report.
Helmut Harder, a Mennonite from Winnipeg, Man., and Bishop Joseph Martino, a Roman Catholic from Philadelphia, Penn., are cochairmen. Two Mennonite Brethren were invited to be part of the dialogue team: Lumeya and Howard Loewen, academic dean at Fresno Pacific University. Other Mennonite participants are Mario Higueros of Guatemala, Andrea Lange of Germany and Larry Miller of France.
Rounds of dialogue
The first dialogue was hosted by the Mennonites in Strasbourg, France, and the Catholics hosted the second gathering in Venice, Italy. The themes selected for each meeting are announced a year in advance and participants do considerable reading to prepare. The two primary themes for the 2000 session are "The Impact of the Constantinian Shift on the Church"-with case studies on conversion, baptism and violence-and "What Is a Peace Church?"
The participants come into the third round having inched past the initial politeness between two parties who know each other only a little, but have reason to suspect each other a lot, say the Mennonite representatives.
Differences and similarities
Despite their vast differences in size and style, the Mennonites and Catholics have managed to speak pointedly to each other and to discover some common ground.
"One of the questions being faced by the Catholics is how they express grief and sorrow for the thousands of
Anabaptists who died at the hands of Christendom hundreds of years ago," says Miller, who is the MWC executive secretary and co-secretary of the event. "And yet they can't assume guilt for something today's church didn't do. What ought to say?"
"A fact we Mennonites must face is that we have often repeated and transmitted stereotypes of the Catholic Church," Miller says.
"Together, how do we work at coming to terms with these memories? How do we learn who each is today-and operate more accurately in that regard?"
The two groups have discovered they hold remarkably similar commitments and convictions, at least in some areas, many of them basic.
"We agreed that the Scriptures are
foundational for the faith and life of the church; that the church is the visible community of the people of God; that the church's mission is to bring the good news of salvation to all people; that the teachings and witness of the church have their basis inJesus Christ; that the chosen leaders are to minister to the church in a servant role; that Christ is present in the world through the church; that both groups have a zeal for the holiness of the church," summarizes Harder.
While Loewen sees significant differences between Mennonites and Roman Catholics, he says, "For any given theme we pursue, there are strong points of BOi))
divergence and strong points of connection. It's not an either-or."
"As Mennonites we think of ourselves in terms of our distinctives," says Loewen. "After 500 years, you develop a blind side to the things you have in common with others."
Talks bring self-discovery
The conversations were conceived originally to clear up the past and to understand one another better in the present. The get-togethers have also brought somewhat awkward yet beneficial self-discovery for the Mennonites. "We're having to try to articulate what is the core Anabaptist understanding of our particular identity and history," says Miller.
Loewen says the process of sharing the Mennonite faith and practice with the Catholic team is something like the process of translating from one language to another.
''We are finding a new way to translate our in-house understanding of who we are to the largest Christian body in the world," says Loewen. "For 500 years we've been a people who worked and walked (in faith) but we don't have a lot of written documents related to our beliefs. And now we're talking with Roman Catholics who represent a group who have thought through and written about almost every theological topic."
The interchange has highlighted another matter Mennonites have frequently dodged. Says Miller, ''We say decisive spiritual authority lies in the congregation or conference. But we haven't solved the problem of what to do when congregations or conferences have decisive disagreement. We don't have a well-developed theology of unity.
"The Catholics say decisive authority lies in the council of bishops. We don't like their answer, but I think we need to do more work on finding one that does make biblical sense to us," says Miller.
Loewen agrees. "When Mennonites encounter a crisis or difficulty, we divide and separate. We don't have a mechanism within our authority structure to act in any other way."
The meetings have provoked selfexamination and have also provided an opening for interchange at local levels that likely wouldn't have happened otherwise. Cochairman Bishop Joseph Martino, based in Philadelphia, has had conversations with Mennonite bishop Freeman Miller of the same city.
Catholic representative Joan Back of Rome reads MWC's publication and forwards material about various countries to Catholics living in those areas.
Harder road for some
The response of Mennonites to the Mennonite-Roman Catholic dialogue varies. Mario Higueros of Guatemala experienced a mixed response when he reported to his fellow Mennonites: "Some were astonished, others were skeptical, some were happy. The reaction in Latin America is divided because in many places the situation is still one of confrontation."
The tension between Mennonites and Roman Catholics in Latin and South America was evident when Mennonite Brethren educators from around the world met together during the 1999 International Committee of Mennonite Brethren global consultation. The Mennonite-Roman Catholic international dialogue topic generated considerable discussion in the education workshop.
"We North American (educators) could have talked for hours and the subject not come up," says Loewen, "but in an international setting, bangthere it was."
Representatives from South American countries spoke of being "converted out of Catholicism," of the clear distinctions and differences between evangelicals and Catholics and of the Roman Catholic Church as a mission field.
"We have to be sensitive to the tensions between Mennonites and Roman Catholics in Central and South America," says Loewen. "I believe we seven people represent with integrity a good cross section of the Mennonite church. We do our best to take into account these areas of sensitivity."
Loewen says the final report to be written at the conclusion of the dialogue may be helpful in situations in which Mennonites and Catholics have conflicts and can help signal to Catholics that Mennonites are to be treated with respect as fellow Christians.
Since Vatican II, the Roman Catholic Church has held similar dialogues with the Orthodox, Lutheran, Reformed, Baptist and Pentecostal traditions. With about 1 million members worldwide, Mennonites are the smallest group to participate in an international dialogue. -By Phyllis Pellman Good for Mennonite World Conference and Connie Faber
Global partnership fostered
Mennonites from around the world gathered to r strengthen growing partnership
During Mennonite World Conference General Council meetings July 17-23 in Guatemala City, leaders took steps to strengthen their churches' growing partnership-or as some call it, "communion."
Leaders asked MWC-a worldwide fellowship of about 90 Mennonite and Brethren in Christ national churches in 50 countries-to consider expanding its projects and funding and possibly changing its name to correspond with members' increased desire for interdependence and partnership.
"We need more than just a conference," says MWC president Mesach Krisetya of Indonesia. "Perhaps it could be a Federation, or an Alliance or a Communion.
"The church in the South is no longer the target mission by the church in the North. They are mature churches .... They are longing for partnership. So we need a revised paradigm for our
relationship. "
Expanded communion will take expanded resources. The council discussed where the funds will come from.
Funding for MWC's average annual operating budget of about $550,000 includes fair-share dues given by MWC member churches. Fair shares are determined by the World Bank's gross national product statistics.
For example, a fair share in 2001 from the African nation of Burkina Faso-which has 80 members in its national church and a per capita GNP of $24o-would total $1.
A fair share in 2001 from the emerging Mennonite Church USA-the transformation of the Mennonite Church and the General Conference Mennonite Church in the United States, with about 127,000 members-would total about $216,000 or $1.50 per member per year. The U.S. per capita GNP is $29,240.
Many council members said each member church needs to give its
resources, whether financial or spiritual, in the attitude that it all belongs to God.
"We should be talking tithing, not just digging into our pockets and throwing what's left into the offering," says Peter Stucky of Colombia. "We should be disciplined about this, and it (the fair-share formula) seems like a correct way."
Council members responded positively to the goal of broader communion by approving the appointment of an international planning commission to study possible MWC changes.
One of these changes includes the election of MWC's first woman president, Nancy Heisey of Harrisonburg, Va. Heisey currently serves as professor of biblical studies and church history at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg. She will become president at MWC's 2003 assembly, tentatively scheduled for Zimbabwe.
Because of recent political unrest, I MWC officers will visit Zimbabwe in October or November to assess the situation. H uncertainty still remains, MWC officers and staff will look for other sites. The final decision about the assembly location will come at MWC's annual meeting next year.
In other action, the General Council approved:
• the next phase of the Global Gifts Sharing Project, which involves compiling a detailed account of MWC church resources on each continent. Africa's inventory is complete, and others will follow.
• continued oversight of the Global Mennonite History Project, which includes a compilation of oral and written histories of eachcontinent. Latin America's volume is expected to be published in 2003, and others will follow.
• starting a Global Young Adult Exchanges Program, a cooperative endeavor proposed by MWC and Mennonite Central Committee. Program participants, aged 19 to 30, will study and serve in another country for a year.
• an MWC-Mennonite Resources Network Sabbatical Exchange for Church Leaders-a joint venture with MWC and the Franconia Conference (MC) in the United States. In the exchange, the two groups will annually approve a sabbatical in eastern Pennsylvania for a leader from the South.-by Laurie Oswald for Meetinghouse
CENTRAL VALLEY MB CHURCH HOSTS MCC YOUTH PROGRAM
California's lesser-known summer games
Here in this community kids playa lot of basketball and soccer. We wanted to do something different-like street hockey," says 18-year-oldJose Mireles.
Youth from the Parlier community gather at Iglesia Hermanos Menonita de Parlier (parlier MB Church) for the first hockey match of the "Summer Games" organized by Mireles as part of his assignment for Mennonite Central Committee's Summer Service Program.
Mireles and others distributed fliers in the community promising activities such as hockey, flag football and board games every Monday, Wednesday and Friday evening throughout the summer. The activities entertain youth from this neighborhood, near Fresno, and keep them out of trouble while their parents are still at work, he explains.
Faith Project Ministries, a community
outreach program affiliated with the Pacif· ic District Conference, was also served by Summer Service Program volunteers.
Eighty young adults of diverse ethnic backgrounds-21 in California alone-· served their home communities and gained leadership experience through MCC's SSP.
"It's not just a summer job," says Maricela Bejar, coordinator of the program for West Coast MCC. "They can make more money working anywhere else, but they do it because they want to serve."
The Summer Service Program allows young adults of diverse ethnic backgrounds to serve in their home communities and gain leadership experience. Summer Service workers are sponsored by Mennonite and Brethren in Christ churches, MCCD.S. arid other faith-based organizations.MCC news service
WIEBE SERVED SIX YEARS AS EDITOR
Rejoice! editor stepsdown
E
Philip Wiebe, editor for the Rejoice! devotional magazine, has announced his resignation effective Nov. 30, 2000.
Wiebe, Rejoice! editor since 1994, has accepted a position as editor in the Oregon State Archive division. During Wiebe's tenure, Rejoice! underwent a design change includ-
ing a new format, a brighter cover and the inclusion of passages from the I " ecnonary.
The devotional is a cooperative publi- U cation of Faith & life Press (General Conference Mennonite Church), Herald Press (Mennonite Church) and Kindred Productions (General Confer-
ence of MB Churches).
In addition to his other work, Wiebe is a regular Leader columnist. -GC/MC News Service and Kindred Productions
TRUE LIFE STORIES: A collection of stories and photographs has been published as a coffee table book In celebration of the 100 year anniversary of MBMS International. The agency collected and printed stories from missionaries that "shaped their walks of faith." True Ufe: Rrst-hand Stories of MI. slon is available through Kindred Productions (1800-545-7322 or klndred@mbconf.ca). -MBMSI
MORE NEWS
Essay winners
-Winners of the 2000 P.M. Friesen HIstory Essay Contest have been announced by the bl-natlonal Historical Commission. Darren Duerksen, currently studying at MB Biblical Seminary In Fresno, Is the winner of the graduate school/seminary division; Brian Penner, of Fresno Pacific University, Is the winner of the college/university undergraduate division and Sonya Kohut, a student at the MB Collegiate Institute of WInnipeg, Is the winner of the high school division. The P.M. Friesen History Essay Contest was established in 1992 to encourage original research and writing by students. -Historical Commission
Westgate recovering
-Jim Westgate, MB Biblical Seminary faculty member, continues to recover following his July heart transplant. West· gate Is no longer In the hospital but continues to live In the San Francisco area allowing doctors to monitor his progress. MBSS reports that his recovery Is progressing ahead of schedule.
MBs meet
- Delegates to the July convention of the Canadian Conference of MB Churches approved the appointment of three new staff and designated Toronto as the next key city In which to plant churches. The convention, held July 6-8 In Hepbum, Sask., was attended by 401 delegates and 107 guests, an increase over the previous convention. David Wiebe was appointedas executive director of the conference, a new position that replaces the former conference minister position and Is the lead staff position for the conference; Sharon Johnson was appointed as director of Christian Education MInistries and Bruce Elwood was affirmed as associate director of evangelism. The ministry of Bible scholar David Ewert, "retiring" after serving as chair of the Board of Faith and life, was affirmed by a lengthy standing ovation. -MB Herald
EMPLOYEES HELP CHILDREN GET TO NEW SCHOOL
FPU volunteers "guard" kids
"'\VJhile welcoming W their own students to a new semester, staff and faculty at Fresno Pacific University are helping get the neighbor kids to school.
FPU employees are acting as crossing guards at the comer of Kings Canyon Road and Willow Avenue to help children safely reach Greenburg Elementary School, which opened in August.
Kings Canyon is one of the busiest streets in the Southeast Fresno area surrounding the campus, and about 90 percent of the nearly 1,100 kindergarten through sixth-graders who attend Greenburg must cross the road's four lanes, says Vice Principal Bill Sems. During peak times 4,050 vehicles per hour travel the area, according to Caltrans, the state highway agency.
Wendy Wakeman, dean of the FPU School of Professional Studies, read an article on the problem in The Fresno Bee and saw helping out as a way to fulfill the university mission. "It's a need in the community," she says. "We thought we could do this to welcome
FPU's help is "a blessing," Sems says explaining the importance of having crossing guards at the intersection. Though many parents drive their children to and from school, guards are neces-
sary since Caltrans sets Kings Canyon green lights for no longer than 23 seconds. While adults need 21 seconds to cross, Sems says, "if kids drop a pencil or something, no way they could make it."
Volunteers work from 7:30-8: 10 a.m. "We try to schedule people for a week at a time to give the kids some continuity," says Arlene Mack, who coordinates the program
KEIM ADDRESSES MB COLT .EGE CONVOCATION
HowaniKelm wascommJs. sIoned as vice president of academic affaIlS and dean of the faculty at the Tabor Cot-
lege opening c0nvocation Sept. 4.
The celebration Included a faculty pr0cessional complete with academic
regalia. Kelm addressed the faculty, staff and students saying his vision for Tabor Included the Integration of Greenburg Elementary to the neighborhood."
''We are extremely appredative of Fresno Pacific University's , involvement," says Elizabeth Barg, executive director of the Volunteer Bureau, the nonprofit agency that trains, equips and monitors the
FPU is a Mennonite Brethren university located in Fresno, Calif.-FPU news service for FPU.
Tabor commissions VP
faith and knowledge, with hope for the future. A Tabor education should enc0mpass career skills, but focus on ethIcal choices, said K1em. -TC news service crossing guards.
Sems goes further. "It sounds melodramatic, but it's a matter of life and death," says Sems who has worked at schools where children were injured by vehicles. "[FPU volunteers] are setting an example of what community service can look like."
CHURCH
Baptism/membership
OLATHE. Kan. (Community Bible)Tom and Linda Cole, Gretchen Bailey and Sarah Rinker were baptized sept. 10. Dagmar Baugh was received into membership.
L1mETON. Colo.-Jim Kvaal was baptized and received into membership Aug. 27.
GARDEN CITY, Kan.-Greg and Sherri Suderman were baptized Aug. 13. They and Randy and Stacy Cundiff were also received into membership.
HILLSBORO. Kan. (Parkview)Junior Rodriguez was baptized and received into membership Aug. 13.
FREEMAN, S.D. (Salem)-Naomi Pullman, Roselyn Pollman and Benjamin Wollman were baptized Aug. 13. Audrey Weidenbach was also received into membership.
Celebrations
HILLSBORO, Kan. (Ebenfeld)-The congregation will celebrate its 125th anniversary July 27-29,2001.
DINUBA, calif.-The congregation kicked off its 75th anniversary celebration Sept. 10 with a combined service in the morning and a German supper in the evening. Featured events included special music, solos, histories, testimonies, congregational singing and German hymns.
FREEMAN. S.D. (Salem)-An open house Sept. 3 celebrated Melvin and Emma Hofer's 60th wedding anniversary.
HILLSBORO. Kan. (Parkview)-Pastoral couple Roy and Jean Keller celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with an open house Sept. 3.
HILLSBORO, Kan.-Clarence and Ferne Hiebert celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary Sept. 3 with an open house. Norton and Nellie Jost celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary Sept. 10 at the church.
YALE. S.D. (Bethel)-Delor and Delores Stahl celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary during an open house reception Aug. 20.
FAIRVIEW. Okla.-Doris and Melvin Cornelsen and Jean and Ben Boehr recently celebrated their
50th wedding anniversaries.
Fellowship
VISALIA, calif. (Neighborhood)The women's fall retreat will take place Oct. 27-29 at Camp Sugar Pine. The theme will be "Longings of the Heart" and the guest speaker will be Cindi McMenamin, author of Heart Hunger.
NEWTON. Kan. (Koerner Heights)-Churchgoers were encouraged to volunteer to host guests for a meal after worship on Sundays.
Ministry
COWNSVILLE. Okla. (Westport)-
The congregation will host an arts and crafts fair Nov. 4 as part of its harvest mission festival. The fair will include over 40 booths, live music, a bake sale, auction and a dinner that will include sausage, verenika, zwiebach and cherry mousse.
FRESNO. Calif. (North Fresno)The church was approved as a Mission USA "Target Church." The Target Church program supports local congregations in their ministry of outreach.
WEATHERFORD, Okla. (Pine Ac:res)-Pastoral staff members will share the story of the congregation's healing and growth as one of six storytelling congregations fea-
tured in the Evangelism Storytelling Festival Oct. 27-29. The Southern District Conference Church Extension and Evangelism Commission is a cosponsor of the event intended to stimulate a vision for evangelism and church growth and to facilitate networking among Mennonite congregations.
BEWNGHAM, Wash. (Barkley Hills Community)-Building renovations are completed and a grand opening worship service was held sept. 17. The newest Mission USA church plant is looking towards growth as the Sunday school attendance rises due to vacation Bible school attenders.
SAN JOSE. calif. (Uncoln Glen)An open house and ministry faire was held in place of Sunday school Sept. 10. The purpose of the annual event is to help people find out about ministry opportunities including Bible classes and small groups and includes a classroom open house and ministry displays.
WICHITA, Kan.-Joel Klassen was commissioned for seminary study Aug. 27. Klassen is attending Denver Seminary.
GARDEN CITY, Kan.-A PutTogether-School-Kits-Party was held Aug. 12 to finish the project before the MCC school kits were dedicated Aug. 13.
aOVlS, Calif. (College Communi-
LINCOLN GLEN HOSTS EVENT OCT. 13·14
Looking for a unique gift? If you live In San Jose, Calif., this month the place to shop Is the Intematlonal Gift Falre, hosted by Uncoln Glen Church oct. 13-14.
The Falre Is affiliated with Ten Thousand Villages, the Mennonite Central Committee job creation program, and Is the second largest of all the Ten Thousand Villages consignment sales. LGC's NOmla Voth, who works with Falre publicity, says this year's fair will offer $87,000 worth of merchandise.
"We draw customers and loyal patrons from the wider South Bay area, largely non-
NEWS FROM OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS ACROSS THE
UNITED STATES
ty)-Bill and Joyce Braun, Eloise, Naomi and Joe Janzen, Adam Schellenberg and Wilfred Martens formed an MCC Work and Learn Team in Honduras June 10-24. While there, the group was based at San Pedro Sula and was hosted by MCCers Gordon and LeAnna Wiens.
Proclamation
CORN, Okla.-Ed Boschman, representing Mission USA, spoke of church planting across the nation Oct. 8. Samir Youssef. with MBMS International, will speak Nov. 5, about his work in Arabic ministries.
BUHLER. Kan.-A variety of activities, including an all-church Sunday school assembly and breakfast videos, were planned for the arrival of Thailand missionaries Fritz and Susi Peters and their five children Sept. 20-24. Fritz spoke during the morning worship Aug. 27.
FRESNO, calif. (Bethany)-Educator's Sunday was celebrated with special speaker Harold Haak, president of Fresno Pacific University, Aug. 27. The morning worship service honored those in the community serving in the education profession. Members were encouraged to invite school principals.
MOUNTAIN LAKE. Minn.-The church welcomed Pakistan mission-
Bay area MB church hosts MCC gift faire
Mennonite," says Voth.
While other Bay area Mennonite congregations work with the project, Voth says the event draws heavily upon LGC volunteers and Is held In the LGC facility. Although the project Is Independent of the church, Voth says the congregation "offers a great amount of support:'
Ten Thousand Villages supports some 35-40 Third World families with full-time, year-round jobs.
For more Infomlatlon about the Falre, visit www.lntematlonalglftfalre.com.
aries Craig, Bridget and Mercede Hallman Aug. 25. A potluck supper was held Friday at the church, Saturday was full of meals in homes and impromptu contacts. Sunday, the Hallmans shared how God called them during the worship service, and the evening service included a report on their ministry plus informal fellowship.
Workers
FRESNO. calif. (North Fresno}New staff members have been installed. They are Lori Regier (children's ministries), Kevin Alvey (student ministries), Bob Gulack (adult ministries) and Tim Neufeld (contemporary service worship leader).
SIOUX FAUS. S.D. (Lincoln HiIIs}-Karl Graff is a staff member in evangelism and assimilation as a result of a grant provided to the church through Mission USA. Graff, who has moved to Sioux Falls with his wife Christin and their three children, is attending North American Baptist Seminary. Ron Wuertz has resigned as associate pastor but continues his involvement with the worship team.
REEDLEY. Calif.-Ray O'Neil began serving as minister of pastoral care Oct. 1.
WICHITA, Kan.-The church leadership invited everyone to a celebration Sept. 17 of John Warkentin's and Jo Schrock's ten years of ministry. Kim Bontrager (director of worship), Doris Prater (director of
music), Stacey Rhoads (director of church family ministry) and Rod Zook (missionary in residence) were installed as staff members and Ernie Friesen's interim ministry in caregiving was also recognized.
HIUSBORO. Kan.-Bruce and Janice Porter were installed as senior pastoral couple Sept. 17.
BUHLER, Kan.-Steve Fulmer was installed as minister of worship Aug. 20. A reception was given that night during the evening service.
ENID. Okla.-A special sending service was held for Mike, Kim, Megan and Madison Miller Aug. 13. The Millers are now working with Mission USA, the Southern District Conference and neighboring Westport MB Church to plant a church in Broken Arrow, Okla. A Mexican meal was followed by music, various presentations and surprises and a time of sharing and prayer. The Millers served Enid MB Church for more than ten years.
Youth
FRESNO. calif. (North Fresno}-A handchime choir was recently formed for students in grades 7-12.
PHOENIX, Ariz. (Spirit in the Desert}-June 18 was "Adopt a Child" Sunday. Churchgoers were asked to sign-up to pray for, bless and mentor a child in the congregation.
Deaths
BULLER, BERTHA, Corn, Okla., a
member of Enid (Okla.) MB Church, Enid, was born April 26, 1910 to George D. and Helena Heinrichs Ediger near Hampton, Neb., and died March 30, 2000, at the age of 89. On Oct. 23, 1932, she was married to Abe A. Buller, who predeceased her. She is survived by one foster daughter, Ida and husband Harry Leppke of Corn, Okla; one brother, Dan and wife Alma Ediger; two sisters-in-law, Helena Ediger and Lottie Ediger; one brother-inlaw, Bill and wife Marene Buller of Enid; three grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.
FRANTZ, LOUISE, Balko, Okla., a member of Balko MB Church, was born May 2, 1911, to Abraham J. and Julia Goertz Neufeld at Balko, and died Aug. 10,2000, at the age of 89. On July 16, 1933, she was married to Roland (RB) Frantz, who predeceased her. She is survived by two sons, Orlan and wife Carolyn, Balko, and Howard and wife Sonja, Balko; two daughters, Mildred and husband Lee Vogt, Denver, Colo., and Joyce and husband Jerry Sawatzky, Creede, Colo.; one brother, Alfred Neufeld, 11 grandchildren and 27 great grandchildren.
GOLBEK, EZRA, Reedley, Calif., was born Sept. 5, 1906, to Peter and Anna Baehler Golbek at Alva, Okla., and died Aug. 20, 2000, at the age of 93. On Oct. 18, 1931, he was married to Marie Driedger, who survives. He is also survived by three sons, Joel and wife Charlene, Lloyd and wife Carol and Darrell and wife Lila; four siblings, Jake
Golbek, Clarence Golbek, Viola Will and Phoebe Byrd, 13 grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.
KLAASSEN. RUDOLPH J•• Weatherford, Okla., a member of Pine Acres Church, Weatherford, was born April 6, 1906, to Peter A. and Maria Jantzen Klaassen at Hillsboro, Kan., and died Aug. 31, 2000, at the age of 94. On July 14, 1935, he was married to Edna Helen Bushman who predeceased him. He is survived by three sons, Dwight and wife Sharon of Platteville, Wise., Perry and wife Jeanie of Edmond, Okla., and Rolyn and wife Joyce of Peachtree City, Ga.; one daughter-in-law, Joyce and her husband Roger Hofer, Hillsboro, Kan.; seven grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.
NIKKEl, AGNES. Corn, Okla .• a member of Corn MB Church, was born July 28, 1910, to Jacob and Mary Suderman Heinrichs near Gotebo, Okla., and died Aug. 4. 2000, at the age of 90. On Jan. 10, 1932, she was married to John Nikkel, who survives. She is also survived by three sons, Monroe and wife Barbara of Wichita, Kan., Wes of Wichita, and Harvey and wife Linda of Jennison, Mich.; one daughter, Jane Webb of Cordell, Okla.; one brother, Paul and wife Viola Heinrichs of Corn; one sister, Linda Harms of Corn; two sisters-inlaw, Lillian Heinrichs of Corn and Kathryn Heinrichs of Hillsboro, Kan., grandchildren and great grandchildren
Clearinghouse
Have a position to fill? Looking for a new employment or ministry opportunity? Have a gathering or celebration to promote? Reach u.s. Mennonite Brethren through a Clearinghouse classified ad. The charge is 40 cents per word, with a $15 minimum. Withhold payment until an invoice is received. MB institutions advertising vacancies or position announcements may be eligible for a no-cost ad. Contact the editor for more information.
Otildren's Ministry Leader/ Otild Care center Director
Belleview Acres, a vibrant and growing church in Littleton, Colo., is seeking a Children's Ministry Leader/Child Care Center Director. Applicant's qualifications should include education and experience working with children, a big heart and lots of patience. Fax resume to Pastor Mike Andrews 303-979-7653.
Associate Pastor for Youth and Worship
Community Bible Church of Olathe, Kan., invites application for an Associate Pastor responsible for youth and worship. The church is a growing congregation of 200 people committed to reaching our community for Christ. Olathe is a rapidly growing suburb of 100,000 people located south of Kansas City. We are seeking an Associate Pas-
tor who is gifted in ministry to youth, developing leaders and guiding contemporary worship. Direct all resumes or inquiries to Search Committee, Community Bible Church, 1304 N Parker, Olathe, KS 66061, 913-7644633, cbc@microlink.net.
Stewardship/Planned Giving Advisor
The Mennonite Brethren Foundation is accepting applications for a stewardship/planning advisor. This full-time position is responsible for activity in the midwest and would be based in Hillsboro, Kan. Duties include encouraging and assisting Christians throughout the U.S. Conference of MB Churches in faithful stewardship. Specific responsibilities include planned giving, charitable estate planning, individual counseling, stewardship education and other Foundation-related activity. Candidates should possess strong interpersonal skills, demon-
Chilliwack Central AlB is a vibrant, growing church set in the midst of the beautiful Fraser Valley. It has a diverse and gifted congregation which averages 350-400 attendees. The Senior Pastor will provide strong leadership in a multi-staff setting with strength in the following:
• visionary leadership
• passion for community outreach and assimilation
• ability to relate well with young families
• strong pulpit ministry
strated ability to communicate, aptitude for detail work, willingness to learn, Christian commitment and desire to promote the work of the Mennonite Brethren. Direct inquiries to Jon Wiebe, President, Mennonite Brethren Foundation, PO Box V, Hillsboro, KS 67063; phone (316) 947-3151; fax (316) 947-3266; e-mail mbfound@southwind.net.
Staff Accountant
Mennonite Brethren Foundation seeks a full-time staff member for its office in Hillsboro, Kan. The Staff Accountant will assist the Vice PresidentlTreasurer in all accounting duties including accounts payable, expense tracking, budgeting, general ledger, fund management, audit preparation, etc. This is an entry-level accounting position for someone who desires to grow with an organization. Required qualifications include a bachelor's degree in a related field or equivalent work experience. The candidate must be a selfstarter with strong interpersonal skills and a commitment to working in a team atmosphere. PC skills are desirable. Send resume to Dale Regier, Vice PresidentlTreasurer, Mennonite Brethren Foundation, PO Box V, Hillsboro, KS 67063; phone (316) 947-3151; fax (316) 947-3266.
EMPLOYMENT-ftEALTH
Chief Executive Officer
Chief Executive Officer: Kings View Mental Health System (KVMHS), a Mennonite-sponsored not-forprofit organization, seeks a visionary CEO with strong financial acumen to lead its multisite organization in central California. Headquartered in Reedley, KVMHS provides a broad range of outpatient behavioral health services, social services, and residential services for adolescents from 20 locations in a 10 county area. Minimum candidate requirements are: active Christian involved in local congregation, appreciation of Mennonite/ Anabaptist heritage, Masters level education, 8 years of senior management experience, and strong interpersonal skills. Preferred candidates will have extensive healthcare and multisite management experience. Send resumelinquiries to Kirk Stiffney, Mennonite Health Services, 234 S. Main St., Suite A, Goshen, IN 46526 or fax to 219534-3254.
Why we share the good news
Brotherhood Beacon (a Conservative Mennonite magazine) carried a story in its December 1998 issue about the experiences of an_ overseas missionary who worked in a community of Hindus. In this particular country, he had to keep his identity as a missionary well hidden, otherwise he would have been cut off from the people he was trying to reach.
The missionary spent time with a well-liked old shopkeeper, who knew the missionary was Christian just as the missionary knew the shopkeeper was Hindu. One day their conversation strayed to religion. The missionary was thrilled, thinking this was the opportunity to witness that he was waiting for.
Instead, says the missionary, it was he himself who learned something.
The old man told the missionary he didn't understand Christianity. "There was no way he could give up his religion," says the missionary, "which was so much a part of his daily life to accept a new religion, which-from his perspective-was so much not a part of the daily lives of Christians he knew."
The shopkeeper's day was filled with meditations and prayers to his god. Each business transaction was blessed and each dollar thankfully offered to his god. His devotion was obvious both in private and in public. He couldn't understand giving up the god he could see for one he couldn't, worshiping one day a week when he worshiped several times a day, or doing business without the presence of his god to oversee it and bless it.
"Why," he asked the missionary, "would I want to try to convince others of my holiness with words, when they can see my devotion to my god? Why would I want to let only words teach my children, rather than my life?"
Though the missionary knew the old man had a limited and distorted view of the committed Christian's life, these questions gave him pause and propelled him into long, deep thought and prayer.
In the end, the missionary changed the way he witnessed to and taught new believers in that community. He continued to teach Scripture and exhorted the new believers to follow the teachings of Christ. But instead of imparting the Western cultural way of doing church and worship, he humbly asked questions and nurtured styles and forms that were natural to his new friends' culture. Worship and church became a daily and "day-long lifestyle" evident to the community-and it had an impact. This story sticks with me for many reasons. It teaches me a lot about people of other faiths-how important their faith is to them, how I can learn from them, and how I must be humble in my approach to them.
But the most striking element to me is the power of a "daylong lifestyle." The shopkeeper's devotion and worship of his god permeated every part of his life. It would take someone who
lived and breathed his or her own faith in order to tum his head. This makes me reflect on how I live my own faith. How can I expect others to give up their own faiths or embrace a faith for the first time if I do not show devotion and holiness in my own life?
Philip Wiebe points out in this month's "Ph'lip Side" that the best witness has always been "a good life lived simply for the Lord" and witnessing is first and foremost "living out the basic biblical directive to love God and serve others."
That biblical directive to love God and our neighbors comes from]esus' own lips (Matt. 22:34-40; Mark 12:28-34; Luke 10:25-36). The love he is talking about is agape love-a love that goes beyond affection and is directed by our will.
e.S. Lewis, in The Four Loves, says to understand love we do not start with our love for God but begin at the real beginning-God's love for us. "Herein is love, not that we loved God but that He loved us" (1 John 4: 10). "This primal love is Gift-love," writes Lewis. "In God there is no hunger that needs to be filled, only plenteousness that desires to give."
Lewis says this Divine Gift-love in us enables us to love others in the same way-with an overflowing, endless love. This love is focused on the other and not ourselves. We love our enemies as well as our friends. We love because we are loved.
This is good for us to remember as we contemplate talking about our faith with others. We can have the best strategies and methods for reaching and telling others about Christ, but ifwe don't have love we are no more than a "resounding gong or clanging cymbal" (1 Cor. 13:1).
Now, don't get me wrong. I tend to agree with those who say we need more evangelism and outreach programs and training. I have learned a great deal about how to share my faith in friendship evangelism training, and I will be the fIrSt to exhort others to get involved in outreach programs to their community.
But if we don't understand why we do what we do in the first place, our efforts are for naught. Without· love, we gain nothing (1 Cor. 13:3). It was God's love that led him to send his Son (John 3:16), and it is our love that is evidence to others of our devotion to Jesus (John 13:35).
We can't get this love on our own. It comes from God. To be transformed by this love and to be able to share this love with others requires a life of obedience. It requires a life where prayer fills our day. It requires a life where we recognize God's presence in our everyday life.
It is then that telling others about Christ will be a natural outgrowth of a life already lived for him. It is then that we will convince others of our holiness by our daily, minute-to-minute actions. It is then that we will have a faith where we teach our children by our lives as well as our words. -CA
