September 2000

CHRISTIAN

How do we reach young people for Jesus in a culture where creating your own religion is the way to go?

FIRST WORDS

T••• from the editor

here was a lot of talk about our youth at the national convention of U.S. Mennonite Brethren churches. In anticipation of our growing need for pastors and church leaders, delegates and leaders discussed the need to tapthe shoulders of youth who hear God's call for ministry.

It seems appropriate, then, that the Leader issue that reports on the 2000 national convention would also focus on our youth. In our first article, Wendell Loewen helps us to understand how we can reach youth for Jesus in a world where it is acceptable to make your own religion. Next, Danette Baltzer Roland challenges Christian parents to to keep their focus on God and examine their motives as they make decisions in raising their children. In our final article, Sandi Hannigan gives us some hints on how to help build our children's faith as we answer their questions about God.

Building was also the focus at the national convention of the U.S. Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches. This year's convention reflected the culmination of several years of anticipating and undergoing changes. With the impending dissolution of the North American General Conference we share with Canada, leadership has been preparing to pick up responsibility for the bi-national ministries. At the same time, leadership has been working to strengthen and grow existing U.S. ministries. The result was the proposal of a near $1 million budget and reports of the growth and challenges faced by U.S. ministries. You can read about this and more in our special coverage of this event.

As our focus on youth and our coverage of the national convention takes up most of this issue, our BodyLife news section is reduced. In addition, we aren't able to include letters to the editor, Forum or the Let's Talk features. These will return in our October issue.

God bless. -GA

COMING

• SEPTEMBER lO-28-Southern District Conference cluster meetings in local churches

• OCTOBER 26-29-Central District Conference convention, Huron, S.D.

• NOVEMBER lO-ll-Pacillc District Conference convention in Oregon

How do we reach youth in a culture where it's acceptable to make your own

WENDELL LOEWEN

8 Making little idols

As we focus on giving our children the best that life has to offer, we may be walking a thin line of idolatry. BY

DANETTE BALTZER ROLAND

Children are made to be curious. This can be a challenge for parents-especially when questions deal with faith and spirituality.

SANDI HANNIGAN

DEPARTMENTS

• How will you do it?

• Climbing the mountain in Denver 20

• Hear the call-take action 21

• Becker gives challenge-and bids farewell 22

• Ministries get new home 24

• Revised bylaws approved 25

• Youth take charge at convention 25

• Evangelism gets center stage 26

• Cacophony of voices rise up 27

• Connecting to each other 28

• Training leaders top priority 29 • Foundation reports on its work 29

EDITOR

BOARD OF COMMUNICATIONS:

The Christian Leader (ISSN 0009-5149) is published monthly by the U.S. Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, 315 S. lincoln, Hillsboro, KS 67063. The Christian Leader seeks to inform Mennonite Brethren members and churches of the events, activities, decisions and issues of their denomination, and to instruct, inspire and initiate dialog so members will aspire to be faithful disciples of Christ as understood in the evangelical/Anabaptist theological tradition. However, the views expressed in thispublication do not necessarily represent the position of the Christian Leader, the Board of Communications or the Mennonite Brethren Church.

The editors invite free-lance article submissions, essays to Forum and letters to the editor. Forum is open to members or attendees of Mennonite Brethren churches. The essays can address any issue of relevance and interest to the faith and life of the Mennonite Brethren Church and should be no longer than 800 words and include the home church and occupation of the writer. A SASE must accompany articles and forum essays.

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How do we reach youth for Jesus in a culture

where you can make your own religion?

ock is a teenager in your youth group who's been consistently attending your in-depth Bible study. He's been asking some good questions. He's participated in several mission trips and has shown real spiritual growth.

You consider asking him to serve on your ministryteam.

Then you discover he's actively involved in a group that studies and seeks to practice the principles of Eastern religions.

When you confront Brock about what you see as clear contradictions, he responds, "What contradictions?"

Scenarios like this are occurring at an increasing rate. Many teens today are desperately seeking to fill the spiritual void they know exists inside themselves. But, even at the peak of spirituality, Christianity is usually at the bottom of the list.

Shifting times

For years our world has been experiencing an enormous cultural

Ishift. We've moved from the "Enlightenment"-a period of human autonomy that ended with modemityto the "postmodem" era. In modem, enlightenment thought, the slogan might have been:

"To know anything you must begin by doubting everything." Everything must be proven. Truth is primarily discovered with the principle of doubt-not faith. The question then emerged, "If you have to doubt everything, how can you get to God?" It's difficult to come to an empirical, verifiable understanding of God because God stands outside of that. This thinking led to atheism and then to the Christian defense of faith known as Christian apologetics.

Postmodernism has emerged as a reaction against modernist thought. It declares that humans aren't so smart-that rationality is not the be all and end all. Now everything's up for grabs.

Jimmy Long, author of Generation Hope, sees four major changes in this cultural shift. Propositional truth is being replaced by relative truth. Individual autonomy is giving way to community. Scientific discovery is being challenged by experienced reality. And human progress and optimism is yielding to suspicion and mistrust.

We're leaving a modern world with its rational, scientific understanding of reality and entering a new, global culture, defined by artistic, mystical and supernatural orientations. This colossal cultural shift represents what some are calling a second reformation for the church-an opportunity to rethink the manner in which the church interacts with the world.

Postmodernism in our youth

Stanley Grenz, author of A Primer on Postmoderntsm, believes the guiding principles of postmodern thought and behavior are emotion, experience, community and friendship. Here's how those principles shape teens.

• They experience truth. Postmoderns trust what they can feel or touch. Since everyone experiences different realities, there may be many truths. Researcher George Barna in Generation Next finds that four of five teens reject the notion of absolute moral truth and instead favor a relativistic view of right and wrong.

• They're searching spiritually. Teens are starving for spiritual experiences. But their all-out, unashamed search-which can draw from any number of belief systems (organized or personal)-may or may not include Christianity.

• They piece together their theology. Young people refuse to buy wholesale everything they've been taught in church. They'd rather choose what to believe. As if in a cafeteria line, teens will select what they like best from various faiths and form their own composite religions.

Generation X author Douglas Coupland calls this search "Me-ism." In the absence oHormal training and traditional religious principles, many students participate in contradictory faith practices.

• They're highly tolerant. Most students see tolerance as the supreme value. Each person has the right to what he or she believes. Postmoderns are angered when they're arrogantly told there's only one way to believe. Moral diversity is something to be celebrated.

• They want to belong. Community is extremely important to postmoderns. Because many grew up feeling unwanted, teens gravitate to anyone who validates their pain. The cry is, "Where can I find true friendship?" Life is experienced in the context of the wider community. It's individual and communal-me and we.

Now what?

In the midst of this monumental cultural shift, how can youth workers and the church respond?

To begin with, youth workers shouldn't approach modernism as the "right" philosophy and postmod·

ernism as "wrong" or vice versa. We must be willing to wrestle with the realities of the postmodern movement on a day-to-day basis. We're in a postmodern world. We can't escape it and shouldn't ignore it.

As radical as this shift may seem, if we look carefully, we'll discover that we can still communicate the unchanging good news of Jesus Christ. Yes, there are real challenges, but there are genuine opportunities too.

Challenges

In "A Second Reformation Is at Hand" (Youthworker, JanuarylFebruary 2000), youth and postmodern specialists Mark Driscoll and Chris Seay articulate a number of major roadblocks preventing the church from connecting with young people of the new millennium. Here are a few worth considering.

• Personal salvation. Postmodern teens think in terms of communities and tribes. They make decisions together. Today we see a youth-oriented, tribal understanding, interpreted and lived in the context of community. Kids don't come to youth meetings by themselves. And in the end, they tend to make decisions for Christ together.

This view pushes against our evangelical understanding of salvation. We concentrate on our decisions as individuals to receive Christ and see ourselves as responsible for our own actions and decisions--a belief closely linked to Western culture and modern thought. As a result, we've individualized salvation and privatized faith to the extent that we're in danger of losing a sense of the corporate nature of the church.

• Propositional truth. Postmodern teens define truth experientially and relationally. Over the years the church has moved away from the complexity of Scripture's story and has reduced the gospel to a set of propositions-"The Four Spiritual Laws" or "just pray these words, receive Jesus and you're done." That closely describes evangelism in the modern era. As long as teens buy the propositions, they're converted. Since many young people spurn the notion of propositional truth, it's not really working anymore.

• Cynics and skeptics. All too familiar with life's pain, today's teenagers are jaded. So, young people are calling into question much of what the church proclaims. For years our preaching has been topical and therapeutic-"Five Points to a Better Self-Esteem," "Three Steps to Successful Christian Living" and so on. But teens today know that life isn't that neat and tidy. Their intelligence is insulted. "We don't buy the American dream," they say. "We can't stomach the idea that ifwe're good Christians, we're going to be a certain political bent, climb the corporate ladder, move to the suburbs, get a good job and have four cars."

How can we reach

,Worship Ideas

• Use the arta. For the postmodern student, God is most readily experienced through art-and often in more significant ways than pure theological truth can provide.

Narrative Ideas

• Use bibilcal storie.. This doesn't mean we Ignore the rest of Scripture. Rather, we can use biblical narratives as the primary texts for communicating the gospel and then use other passages (such as Paul's epistles) to illuminate a story's principles.

•S ..... our stor.... Students want us to be real and transparent with them. They want to know that how we encourage them to live Is lived out in our lives. But we must also tell them about our failures, too. Our students need to be able to see and examine every facet of our lives-and how the gospel affects all those parts. In addition, students need to see and hear how God is working in their peers' lives, as teens usually relate best to other teens.

We need to allow students the chance to use not only the art of their culture, but also to become the creators of artistic works that symbolize their relationships with God.

Any artistic medium can carry emotional weight if it's based on truth and created with skill. If it describes what students are feeling and thinking, the artistic works allow students to find themselves in the story of that painting, song, sculpture, poem or monologue.

• Informal gatherlnp. Provide opportunities for teens to gather and talk about what they leamed and discovered during church services. It's often through these informal experiences that students begin to apply the truths that were shared.

Postmodem kids are saying, "Let's do real lifewarts and all. Let's be honest. Let's open up the whole Bible-the whole story."

The bottom line is kids know when we're trying to sell them something-and they don't want to be sold anything. They want to live out an authentic, life-tested faith and experience the living God in the midst of real life.

Opportunities

When his ministry was challenged, Jesus declared that "new wine must be put into new wineskins" (Luke 5:37-38). Those words still ring true today. While recognizing its challenges, the postmodem shift also offers some new opportunities for the church.

• The spiritual quest. Spirituality is cresting. A recent MlV survey revealed that 99.4 percent of young people believe in God. Corporations are using spiritual themes to sell products. New television shows center around the mystical and miraculous. Leonard Sweet, author of Soul Tsunami: Sink or Swim in the New Millennium Culture, believes we're living in one of the greatest rediscoveries of the soul in the last thousand years-and much of it is taking place outside of Christianity.

An episode of television series The X-Files offers a

Ideas for community

• Small Groups. Small groups allow students to share their pain and to encour· age and practice being Christ to one another.

• Gateway experiences. Retreats, mission trips and similar opportunities allow students to see Christianity lived out 24 hours a day-and reinforce the idea that biblical faith is relevant to every aspect of life.

• Be with the We know an incarnational style of relationship works best with students. Yet, we must be transparent, genuine and vulnerable with them. Yes, we must meet them where they are. But while going to football games and band concerts is important, just being there isn't enough. We must actively pursue our teens, get involved in their lives and help them desire to grow in their relationships with Christ. -WL

glimpse into this reality. Renegade, postmodern Roman Catholic Dana Scully goes to confession. She wants God, but not the modem God. She asks, "Do you believe in miracles?" The priest gives a very modem answer-the birth of a baby, the rising sun. But Scully means events that defy explanation. She doesn't want the old answers. She wants the impulse of the God of the Bible. A sense of the awesomeness of God, a sense that God is speaking.

Teenagers are very open to the idea of a God that is at work in their lives and in the world. What an open door! Youth workers have freedom to speak from their own vantage points. For Christians, there's nothing more basic than saying the word "God" and declaring that we are redeemed by Jesus Christ. There's no need to translate our stories into safe, neutral terms. We can liberally use God language as we share our own spiritual journeys.

• The desire for community. Postmodem teens aren't coming to the church to get goods and services. They're coming to experience and to join family. They're coming to begin a pilgrimage for beauty and expreSSion. They're coming for a place to serve, for vulnerability, repentance, prayer and the miraculous. This is huge-it'S a move toward our biblical understanding of the church.

We believe the church is not a collection of indi-

viduals but a covenant community in which "members are mutually accountable in matters of faith and life" (MB Confession of Faith, Article 6). We understand community to be the goal of God's program for creation. It encapsules the biblical message. In Createdfor Community, Stanley Grenz puts it this way: "God is at work in the world, and God's purpose in this activity is to establish a 'community'-a reconciled people who enjoy fellowship with God, with one wother and ultimately with all creation."

There is a gospel answer to the longing for community. We, the body of Christ, are a people belonging to God. The task of the church is to be people of God in the' world. Being the church. Being a commUnity. What a powerful apologetic.

• Use of story. Easy, pat answers are just not acceptable to postIDodem teens. They know that life is complicated and messy and that a "five-step approach" isn't realistic.

The biblical story is a lot like life-often complex, painful and puzzling. Students relate to it completely. But along the way we've lost the central story of Scripture. Young people don't understand how their stories interweave as a community in the church and how their stories corporately connect with the stbry of God.

Tell stories. Tell the story. Teens want to see and hear how others are living out their faith. They leam best through stories. Gary Zustiak says, "A good story conveys a truth to the listener because it provides a picture of reality. Good stories allow people the' chance to reflect upon their own life experiences and find answers to their own problems" (Tbe'Next Generation).

Using narrative, we can bring students to a crossroads where they can finally experience God, community and life in an authentic way.

Resources for a,

• Understanding of truth. While modems define truth propositionally, postIDodems help us rediscover the way in which truth is relational. Truth is both. It is part proposition, but Jesus didn't say, "Come follow me and I'll give you propositions to be tested in a lab." Instead, he said, "I am the way and the truth" Oohn 14:6). Jesus offered himself and his life. And those who seek the truth are invited into a relationship with him.

In essence, biblical truth is a relationship. The modem world has lost that. We've boiled down biblical truth to precepts and principles. For the most part, that's how we've been leading people to Christ.

Jesus, who majored in relationships with the disciples and others, did teach doctrine. But the propositions came in the context of a walk with a person. God didn't send us a set of propositions, God sent us a person-the person of Jesus.

Reaching teens

The unchanging gospel is true in any culture. The challenge before us is to put the gospel in the new millennial culture so it can confront postIDodem teens where they live.

This time in history-right now-could be one of the greatest opportunities the church has ever had to reach teens. Making the most of the opportunity may require reevaluating our ministry approaches. We must affirm teens' quests for God, tell them the truth about life, nurture them in the context of a loving community and continually call them to a vibrant relationship with the living Christ .•

Wendell Loewen is assistant professor of Biblical Studies at Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kan., and serves as the Southern District's youth minister. He is a member of Parkview MB Church in Hillsboro.

The unchanging gospel is true in any culture. The challenge before us is to put the gospel in the new millennial culture so it can confront postmodern teens where they live.

In this bro8d selection you're almost certain to find the answers to your questions about postmodemlsm.

• Cultu,e Shift: Communicating God's Truth to Our Changing World by David W. Henderson

• Generating Hope: A Strategy to, Reaching the Postmodern Generation by Jimmy Long

• An Intrusive Gospel? Christian Mission In the Postmodern World by C. Norman Kraus

•A Peculia, People: The Church as Cultute In a Post-ehrlstlan Society by Rodney Clapp

•A Primer on Postmodernlsm by Stanley J. Grenz

• Soul Tsunami: Sink or Swim In the New Millennium Culture by Leonard Sweet

• The Millennium Myth: Hope for a Postmodern World by N.T. Wright

As we focus on giving our children the best that I ife has to offer, we may be walking a thin line of idolatry.

I watched TV one morning, Regis and Kathie Lee were discussing "Why do they market it toward the kids and young people?" Kathie

e gearedtoward youth.

marketing. Kathie Lee wondered why it was that most commercials Lee asked. "They don't have the money-their parents do."

want and then ask their parents. Add to the mix the many parents who want their children to have what they never did, and you have a solid

advertising strategy.

It's an innocuous enough argument. My husband often says, "My

The answer came to me easily enough. Children decide what they arents always made me wear the cheap shoes, and everyone else had Nikes. I don't want my kids to wear generic shoes."

Okay, maybe shoes aren't a terrible item on which to spend a few

extra bucks. Shoes are a necessity, after all, and often the better brands LLI Z do last longer.

c( But the argument grows stronger as we buy more and more or make C choices based on what is best for our children. As we focus on giving our > r::a kids the best that life has to offer, we may be walking a thin line of idolatry.

Our motivations for doing anyone thing are often layered and multiple. Decisions surrounding our children are no exception. Concern for and focus on our children can guide our choices in everything from purchases to education in ways of which we may not even be aware.

Take computers, for example. We bought our first computer several years ago. We were thrilled to make such a huge move into the 90s. However, we were quickly inundated with the "necessity" to buy educational programs. Soon our computer no longer functioned for business purposes because the memory was ruled with Reader Rabbit and Math Blaster games, not to mention that my husband and I could never get on the computer when we needed to. Within a year, we bought another computer-this time exclusively for our business.

Toys are another major marketing area that plays on our concern for our children. We are so overwhelmed with items we can buy for our children that there is no way we could ever keep up with the philosophy, "I want my kids to have what I never had." There are few toys left that compare to the toys we had in our childhood days. We weren't denied these toys-they just didn't exist when we were kids.

Politicians and political causes also hone in on our concern. Get the American public to feel guilty that they are not doing enough for their children, and you've got them. Environmental issues are heralded with statements like, "Save our planet today for our children's tomorrow." If a politician has a workable educational plan, then he has a sure platform to win-over the parent vote. Gun control issues are peaking because children are being killed by other children. We are being pushed, pulled and run in circles in attempts to make our children's lives safer, better and more secure.

Concern for our children also influences our choice of churches. The churches that are doing the best in my hometown of Denver are those that provide the best children's programs. It's not uncommon for parents to go from church to church looking for the best program. They may even leave their home churches if their children are not getting the best available.

Our children's education is also of great importance to us. My husband and I have enrolled our children in a Christian school. We have sacrificed greatly in order to provide the best education with a good Bible education as well. We make many financial sacrifices so that our children can be assured of the best future that we can provide for them.

Most of these things are not bad in and of themselves. After all, as parents we have a responsibility

Where your treasure is

In Exodus in the Ten Commandments, we learn that anything that comes before God is idolatry. Jesus said, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life-he cannot be my disciple" (Lk. 14:26). Jesus also reminds us, "where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matt. 6:21).

Have our children become our treasures instead of God?Clearly there is a biblical mandate to remember who God is and where our priorities should be. As Christians, have we made idols of our children?

In 1990, I was diagnosed with precancerous cells and had to undergo laser surgery. When I was first diagnosed, however, I was mistakenly told I had cancer. As anyone knows who has been faced with the "c" word, I began to face the fragility of life. I was angry because I had two small children who needed me. How dare God take me away from them! Who would watch over them? Who would hold them during the night when they were feverish and coughing? I was overwhelmed with my responsibility to them.

But I was also full of pride about my importance to their existence. During my anger and temper tantrums, God turned me around very directly. He finnly reminded me that he was the one who had made me and my children. He brought me into this world, and he could take me out of it. He could even create another one just like me. Then he also lovingly and gently reminded me that he would not leave me nor forsake my children.

God has given us children-his creations-to care for for a time. We are charged with the responsibility to raise our children in the path that leads to life more abundantly. But we don't always remember this.

Ironically, it may not be the things we do for our children-such as the schools we choose, the guidelines we set or the church we attend-that affect them the most. It may boil down to how we live our life.

Making idols

Scripture tells us that idolatry is placing our faith in something or someone other than God. With our children, this can take a variety of forms-from when our value or self worth becomes dependent on our children's behavior or their success to when our parenting techniques become more important than getting on our knees to pray for our children or when schools and activities become the key to our children's future rather than a personal life with God. When these things become more important than God, then we are running the risk of bowing to the gods of popular culture.

Often, the Israelites had not stopped believing in God when they were punished for idolatry in the Old Testament. More times than not, they were still worshipping him-but they were also turning to other "methods" to help God out. When they prayed for offspring, they bowed down to fertility gods so that they covered their bases by not only praying to God but also bowing down to what was popularly known to aid in fertility. Pop wisdom and methods are very similar to the gods of old. They provide an addition to what God has promised. We're covering all our bases, looking to all the worldly wisdom to "aid" God.

This does not condemn decisions like placing our children in Christian schools or the need to be good parents. But we need to ask ourselves: Where is our faith? Do we look at schools as keys to our children's success or are they supplementing the faith they are learning at home? When our children are rebellious, do we tum to parenting methods first or do we get on our knees? Is our need to be good parents such that we spend more time thinking about parenting than being faithful followers of Christ, crying out to him on a daily basis, placing our children where they rightfully belong-in the hands of God?

Making the right choices

So, what should we focus on as we raise our children?

Ironically, it may not be the things we do for our children-such as the schools we choose, the guidelines we set or the church we attend-that affect them the most. It may boil down to how we live our lives.

When I reflect on how my parents raised me, it is never hard to recognize that they weren't perfect. But it was not my parents' attempts to be perfect that taught me the most. Nor was it lectures on how to be a better person that have molded me as an adult. Frankly, most youth group lessons and discussions led by my parents are long forgotten.

The lessons that taught me the most were those my parents weren't necessarily intending to teach. The lessons that taught me the most were the ones that taught Mom and Dad first. When they struggled with tithing or buying groceries with our last $50 for the month, they taught me about faith. They taught me about caring for the poor when they provided food for a poor family that lived down the block. And they taught me about evangelism through personal relationships when they brought our cousins into our house, bathed them, fed them and took them to church.

As I reflect on the type of parent that I want to be, I am drawn to a model which is an unlikely one for parenthood. She really didn't have a lot of influence on her child. In fact, she was only a large part of his life for three short years. Samuel's mother, Hannah, was so assured that her God could care for her child that even at the tender age of three she gave him to Eli and God to be raised as a priest in God's temple. Who knows the trauma that would be attributed to that separation by today's psychologists. But obedience called and she laid her sonher only begotten son-in the arms of her Lord.

Contemplating the choices I make in providing for my children, my prayer is evolving away from selfish wishes. I no longer pray that I will be the best parent and raise the best kids I can. I no longer desire to know all the right words or exactly what discipline is needed to produce a certain behavior. My heart's desire and prayer is that I can become the kind of person that follows God in the most private of moments-and in those times when only my children are watching .•

Danette Baltzer Roland is a freelance writer living in Denver, Colo., with her husband and four children. 1bey have also had three foster children, two of whom are currently living with them. 1bey are members of Garden Park Church in Denver.

Answering children's questions about

he task of spiritual nurture is a significant part of parenting. We have one chance and don't want to "blow it." We want to handle kids' questions appropriately.

The good news for parents is that we don't need to be fearful. There are simple things we can all do to answer our children's questions about God.

As a mother of two "questioning" preschoolers, I wanted to know how to best respond to the many questions I was being asked by my boys. These questions ranged from my three and a halfyear-old asking, "Why do we say 'amen'?" to a constant

"Why, Mommy?" by my two-year-old.

We need to teach children to be curious or to ask questions. It is part of thei( nature. Deut. 6:20-21 says, "When your children ask you, 'What do the testi· monies and statues and judgments mean ... ?' then you shall say .... " It is not a matter of if your children ask you but rather when your children ask you.

What are the major questions children raise? Questions generally fall into the following categories: death, suffering and pain, God, heaven and hell, the world and sex and family life.

It is impossible to list all of the questions that children ask about God and all of the possible responses. In fact, our responses will vary tremendously from child to child, depending on age, temperament, understanding and family beliefs and practices.

However, there are some generai principles that can be applied to most kids'

questions.

Children are made to be curious. This can be a challenge for parentsespecially when questions deal with faith and spirituality.

Why is it so important for our children to know the Bible narrative? It is the glue that binds us together. It gives us a common story. Don't listen to cheap talk that our children are bored with Bible stories. C.S. Lewis claimed our children are choosing other religions because they don't know what Christianity really is. And Christianity has a story, a salvation story that is conneded to real people and to us.

A keyway to explain God to children is without words. We tell God's story through our own lives.

Tips for answering your child's questions

• What is your child really asking? An old joke makes a good point. A little boy asks, "Daddy, where did I come from?" The father launches into an explanation on how babies are made. Sensing his son's confusion afterward, he asks, "What made you think of that question?" The boy replies, "Well, Tommy said he came from Boston, and I just wanted to know where I came from."

Many of the questions children ask are misleading to adults. Consequently, it is important to make sure you know what your child is asking before you answer it. Let's say your child asks, "Why do people kill each other?" Is she trying to understand the motivation behind murder? Is he angry at someone and afraid he'll lose control and kill them? Is she frightened someone is going to hurt or kill her?

The parent who asks, ''What do you think?" or "What's happening to make you think of that question?" before answering the question will tailor their response to the child's real concern

• How much should you say? Don't give answers which are too simple. Children deserve the right to chew on big, rich, complicated ideas. Children deserve an encounter with God which invites them to peek into the depths of true mystery. Children deserve to be introduced to a God whose complex and infinite attributes will unfold before them, not in the span of a single bedtime story, but over a lifetime of loving reflection, prayer and religiouslymotivated action.

Children are capable of great religious experience. Some parents approach children as empty vessels into which religion must be poured. There is within the inner life of a child the capacity for wonder, creativity and intense sensory experience. It is best to draw upon their own deeply-felt experience rather than superimpose our adult ideas.

On the other hand, children feel frustrated when they want a Simple, clear statement and their parents give more information than they wanted to know. Kids simply tune out and let the grown-ups spin their verbal wheels. A good rule of thumb: If you are not sure if you should say more, quit talking. Kids witllet you know if they want more. They'll simply ask another question.

You can also check whether to give more information by asking for feedback. Ask your child if they know what you mean, or ask another question to see if he or she is processing the information you've offered.

• Tell your children what you believe, while making it clear that they must make their own decisions. We cannot impose our belief in God upon them but rather offer it to them out of love and desire for their well-being. Encourage children to think for themselves. Invite them to share their feelings and thoughts about God. Don't deny them the privilege to think differently than we do.

We educate our children to think, and then criti· cize them if they don't come up with the same answers as we do. Second-hand religion is unlikely to hold as deep a meaning for children as first-hand fittings. Trust them to make their own decisions.

• Don't be afraid to say "I don't know." God is real but complex. There is great mystery in faith. Encourage children's curiosity, reflection and wonder. Let children know that some questions are difficult to answer and understand. However, try to fol· low any statements of what you don't know with statements of what you do understand.

• Check your attitudes. As you interact, check your attitudes. Parents who establish a pattern of open listening and discussing with their children at a young age will keep the doors open for discussion with their teens at a later time. Teens want to be treated as people with minds, not just as extensions of their parents.

Check your body language. Kids sense when you are embarrassed, impatient or unwilling to talk about the question they have asked. Make eye contact with your children to show you are interested in what they have to say. Get down to their eye level. Use appropriate physical contact to show you are focusing on them. Put your arm around their shoulder or hold their hand as you interact.

• Let children watch you do the religious things you do. A key way to explain God to children is without words. We tell God's story through our own lives. Letting them see you engaged in religious behavior will do more than a thousand books to stimulate questions and teach them that God is real in your life. If they see you pray, they will want to know more about prayer. If they see you reading the Bible, they will want to know more about Scripmres. They learn best about God by seeing how God impacts your life. Modeling is still the most powerful teaching tool.

• What if your child doesn't ask questions? First, ask yourself if you are really approachable. Does it seem like you are always in a rush? Do you only half listen, nodding and saying, "uh-huh"? Do

you glue yourself to the television or newspaper so that your children can only talk to you during commercials or when you tum the page?

Model open communication for your children. Share your feelings about everyday events. Create opportunities for your children to ask questions that you think they should be asking. For example, if you are watching a TV show of a child telling another child that he feels like he caused his parents' divorce, you might ask, "Do you ever wonder if dad and I got divorced because of something you did?"

• And finally, realize it is a tough job. There is no definitive book, video or course that can tell you how to answer your children's questions so that they will tum out to be well-adjusted, happy, productive citizens. It's pointless to expect yourself to answer every

question in a perfect way. A good dose of humor, humility and hope is needed for today's parents.

Being a good parent today means being able to guide your child through a myriad of concepts and values that might be foreign to your way of thinking. You might also be experiencing your own questions and stresses from today's pressures. As you go through this journey, remember to be gentle with yourself-you are not alone in this pilgrimage. "Ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you" (Luke 11:9) That's a promise that]esus gives to each one of us .•

Sandi Hannigan lives in Kitchener, Onto 1bis article was first printed in the Evangelical Visitor, a publication of the Brethren in Christ.

Building in children

Some of the best occ....... fer building our faith are the tI..... we're going ebout our ...... _11fe routI..... SomethIng trIfIIen a conversation, a memory or a storr that mak us think about our life with God end each other. Below Is en ectIvIty-8eckye Adventure from God'. Great 0Utd00rfI: FaIfIt IIII,,,,,ng FamIly Activities (Feith. ute Press) by W IIemm. ThIs activity Is designed to help you end your kids talk ebout end Uye your faith while you ere outdoors. If you would Uke further Int'ormetIon about this publlcetlen, eell (800) 743-2484. AItlo, YIsIt www.mboonf.OI1IIklndred.htm or ...1 (800)545-7322 fer more ............. from Kindred ProductIons, the MB publlehlng house, fer building faith In children.

",.,.. the Lord • •• .",." creature. ami f#yIIJII blrdtJ. -Psalm 148:7,10

Expedence the edY..aure: Your backyard is a great place for a treasure hunt. Each person should find a bug or beetle, dig up a worm, find an insect or animal home (spiderweb, bird's nest or cocoon) and collect three kinds of leaves. Feel free to add other items to your list.

Telk ut the beckyard: Of all your friends and relatives, who has the backyard you like to go to the most? Why?

T".8bout the BIble verse: There is so much life in a backyard. List all the creatures and birds you have seen in your backyard. What can we leam from bugs, frogs and birds about praising the Lord?

SomethIng to think about: What is in your backyard? A swing set, barbecue, garden, bench? Imagine trying to fit all your

backyard "stuff" onto an apartment balcony. For many families in North America, a balcony is their only backyard. Many families are very oreative with their "yard." I've seen balconies filled with flowers and vegetables, park benohes and lawn furniture. I've even seen a balcony with a birdhouse. Whether you have an acre or a square foot, your yard is a blessing to be shared.

TIll to do:

• Find a spiderweb and try to make a model of it using string dipped in white glue or paper maohe mix. Work on wax paper or an inflated ballon. When it is dry remove the wax paper or deflate the balloon, and·hang up your web decoration.

• If it is a "fluffy cloud" day, lie on your and look for backyard shapes in the clouds.

• Playa game of crabwalk basketball. Instead of dribbling, carry the ball on your stomach. Modify the game according to the

size of your players and the size of your yard.

Prey: Using Amerioan Sign Language or your own actions, dramatize this prayer. "Thank you, God, for blessing our yard with life. Life in the grass, the flowers, the vegetables and the trees. Life in bugs, spiders and flies. Life in mice and frogs. And life in us. Amen."

Closing: Gather together for one minute to listen to the chorus of birds, crickets and frogs singing their praise to God. If possible, do this just before the sun sets.

Digging Deeper: Set up a lemonade stand, sell garden produce or do yard work for pay. Send the proceeds of your backyard business to an agency that works with homeless children in your city or In a city near you.

BY PHILIP WIEBE

A weirdwired world

Our recent vacation reminded me how easy it is to get caught up in an empty e-existence-and how refreshing it is to literally unplug.

Early in August, after an unusually hectic June and July, my family and I were finally able to get away for a week's vacation.

We'd made plans to visit our two favorite destinations here in Oregon-the beach and the mountains. What sticks out in my mind about leaving town was the process of extricating ourselves from our electronic devices. My wife turned off her cell phone and pager; I watched my computer screen grow dark and recorded a message: "Sorry, won't be back in the office until a week from Monday."

What a great feeling.

During our time off, which included a lot of biking, swimming,beachcombing, reading, lounging, tennis, table games, and other low-tech activities, I got to thinking about my inclination to view vacations as "getting away from real life." Yet there we were spending our time outdoors in real live nature, enjoying person-to-person communication without the aid of phone receivers or modem cables. Pondering this, I wondered if we were actually getting away to real life.

I worry about the hyper-insulated world we're creating for ourselves. Last year there was a lot of hand-wringing over the prospect of "Y2K" computer crashes and power grid failures. Many wondered if we'd come to rely too much on high-tech progress and the electrOnic way of life. Was there ever a potential crisis that disappeared from the collective consciousness faster than Y2K? At 12:01 not only did any sense of foreboding fly out of people's minds, but everyone seemed to acquire the desire to hook their lives up with even more wires and cables and screens and entertainment gadgets.

There's a great line in the excellent movie Show, based on the true accounts of a game show scandal that happened in television's infancy in the 1950s. When evidence surfaced that a certain quiz show was "fixed" in order to enhance ratings, an investigating lawyer unraveled the situation and proved this was indeed the case. As it turned out, the viewing audience was considerably less outraged by the revelation than expected. In fact, game show ratings soared. Reflecting on these events later, the investigating lawyer mused, there at the dawn of W: "We're all in such a hurry to get television, but I think it's television that's going to get us."

Our recent vacation reminded me how easy it is to get caught up in an empty e-existence-and how refreshing it is to literally unplug. The experience called to mind several more thoughts on the subject:

•I saw a magazine ad for a little keyboard and screen unit, pictured on an outdoor table with the caption, "Email for your deck." My gut reaction to that was: Why on earth would I have the slightest interest in getting e-mail on my deck? If I'm out on the deck, it means I'm either grilling something, spending time with family or friends, or enjoying a bit of fresh air. Typing messages or reading e-mails about how I can "get rich working nine minutes a week" are not high on my list of things to do at this point.

Even more chuckle-worthy was the ad's claim that this dandy unit would save me the "hassle" of going inside to check e-mail on my computer. Walking

ten steps and waiting 30 seconds has now become a hassle? Such a prospect is reason enough to unplug and reevaluate where this electronic age is going.

• When my wife's cheap cell-phone service came to an end, we decided to go without cell service for awhile to see if we really needed it. I was amazed at how many people, when we shared our intentions, looked at us as ifwe'd taken leave of our senses. No cell phone? How would we manage?

A week later we suddenly wondered that ourselves. When our car broke down in the middle of nowhere, Kim and I looked at each other as if to say, "Perfect timing." After only a few minutes, however, someone stopped to help. They went to call a tow truck and even brought juice pouches back for my kids. While we waited for the tow, a half-dozen more people pulled over along the lonely stretch of road to offer assistance. Perhaps cell phones weren't essential to one's existence after all. After the breakdown, in fact, we went for an entire year without needing one even once, until Kim started a new job with on-call time.

• Last fall we took a weekend opportunity to stay in a relative's vacation trailer, which was parked in a remote, woodsy area known for flyfishing, hiking, and silence. As one who often encourages people to seek peace and quiet in their lives, it surprised me that I began to worry a little about the prospect of too much peace and quiet. With no 1V or computer or phone, would we get bored?

Not at all. The deep, musical peacefulness of woods and water turned out to be amazingly refreshing and renewing. It was the perfect antidote to the incessant buzz and whine of this weird wired world.

INQUIIUNG MINDS

BY MARVIN HEIN

QHow does our belief compare to the Left Behind series by Tim Lahaye andJerry B.]enkins? (Colorado)

AThe inquirer refers, of course, to a series of books written by the two evangelical writers who use the fonn of "novel" to suggest what might be God's "scheme of the ages."

How does our Mennonite Brethren Conference view on eschatology compare with those of the "left behind" ilk? That isn't too difficult to answer if you go by our official statements. Our newly revised General Conference Confession of Faith simply states that we believe the Lord will return visibly and triumphantly at an unknown hour and that we should be prepared. The confession goes on to state that in the meantime the church is to be a missionary organism and urges us not to be afraid even of death, since at his coming we shall receive new bodies and be with Christ.

There are further comments in the confession regarding the destruction of evil, judgment and the believers' entrance into God's eternal reign. There is no use of the word "rapture" nor even "millennium," and certainly no discussion of pre/post/a-millennialism. Were all these words taken out of the Confession of Faith when it was recently revised? Not at all. Those words have never been a part of our confession historically.

Some have observed that they've "seen more details of God's 'plan for the ages' in our confession." In some instances individuals and/or institutions or even district conferences have added details and have written their own versions. But these have not come from our General Conference Confession of Faith, a document affinned by both the Canadian and U.S. national conferences. Such documents are based largely on the confession but contain details that have never been part of the General Conference Confession of Faith. I have perused our confeSSiOns, including the translation of the original statement of faith

used by Russian Mennonite Brethren in the late 1800s. In none of them are eschatalogical details given. Almost all of the statements are directly from Scripture-things we can be certain are true. With every revision of our confession there have come cries for a more detailed description of just exactly how the end times will be ordered by God. Always that suggestion has not been accepted. Never in our confessions has there been any doubt that Mennonite Brethren believe firmly in the Second Coming. No question has ever been raised by our confessions about Christ's coming being literal. Always there has been the call for prepared living and the promise of ultimate victory with Christ.

Nevertheless, many of our members want a more detailed scheme. My hunch is that a majority of Mennonite Brethren agree, more or less, with LaHaye and]enkins' suggestions about details. But these are not part of the official position in our Confession of Faith.

Qdivided about some of our current trends in worship.

But I'd like to take a different approach to this question-instead of answering this question myself, I am asking readers to respond. What are the reasons behind the current trend of more physically demonstrative practices of singers and worship leaders?

Is this trend a result of a style in vogue in evangelical churches in 2000? Or is there a deeper movement occurring? Are cheers after a testimony or baptism simply the spiritual equivalent to the "wave" at a football game, or do they mean something more? lf raising of

Instead of answering this question myself, I am asking readers to respond. What are the reasons behind the current trend of more physically demonstrative practices of singers and worship leaders? Respond by mail or e-mail to the addresses below.

In our contemporary worship services, what is the rationale for the more physical, demonstrative practices of singers, especially worship team leaders? Examples include raising of hands, closing of eyes, tapping offeet, cheers, etc. (California)

AThis question was raised one evening while four of us satisfied our taste buds with ice cream and shakes in a favorite restaurant. It could have been raised at our Denver convention where we spent a great deal of time singing choruses, often acting more like Pentecostals than the "quiet in the land."

It is obvious to those of you who frequent this column that this three-quarters of a century aged writer is just a bit

Have a questton about a Bible passage, doctrine, conference poltcy, or other spiritual issue? E-matl Marvin at mhein1@fresno.edu or send your questton to "Inquiring Minds, c/o Marvin Hein, 4812 E. Butler, Fresno, CA 93727.

hands follows biblical suggestions, should we at times also be "lying prostrate at his feet"? Some of us who are older question the need to stand throughout worship-is standing the best posture for worship, or can sitting be just as worshipful? Also, what is the rationale for repeating choruses rather than singing them once or twice?

What about the practices of worship leaders and teams? Are worship leaders prompters for the congregation? Do closed eyes, for example, serve as encouragement for the audience to do likewise, or is it a private act of the leader? lf it is a private act of the leader (perfectly legitimate, it seems to me), what is the role of the team leaders? If the action is communicating something to the audience, do closed eyes generally enhance communication or hinder it?

What do you think?

I would really like to know your views. I promise to be fair and, if history repeats itself, I'llieam things I didn't know. Respond by mail or e-mail to the addresses below. I look forward to hearing from you.

ON THE JOLHNEY

BY ROSE BUSCHMAN

How will you do it?

The teaching that occurs at all levels of childrearing suddenly seems to stop where spiritual development is concerned-but it is the most important.

The other day I watched a young mother holding her infant daughter. With the little one cradled in her arms she was checking to see that everything was okay. It was one of those

"a-picture-is-worth-a-thousand-words" moments.

There is no doubt in my mind that she wants to do the best job she can to raise her daughter to maturity. The question is, "How will she do it?"

It would be so nice if children came with a detailed set of instructions on how to raise them correctly, with a trouble shooting guide that covered aU possible contingencies. Unfortunately they don't.

Sometimes it's easy to know what to do. When a little one pulls a dresser drawer on top of herself and splits her nose open, the mother rushes her child to the emergency room where skilled doctors repair the damage.

When a child gets in with the wrong crowd and starts using drugs, parents look at each other, wring their hands in despair and ask, "What do we do now?"

In spite of this, many parents are doing a very good job. They religiously teach their children good hygiene practices, acceptable manners and moral values. They make sure they get to soccer practice on time and have everything they need to be successful in school. They spend quality time together as a family with lots of love to go around.

It's what happens to the development of a child's spirituality that concerns me. Parents may insist that the child brush his teeth every day, at least twice, take piano lessons and join the summer reading program at the public library. But when it comes to teaching him religious beliefs they retreat and refuse to become involved. "Let him make up his own mind. I wouldn't want

to brainwash him," they say. The teaching and indoctrination which occurs at all other levels, suddenly stops where spiritual development is concerned. And yet, this is the most important part of a child's life.

Even Christian parents sometimes seem to be lax in this area. They insist that teaching spiritual values and theology is the church's responsibility. Or they send their children to a Christian school so that the teachers will do it for them.

The theology children learn as they are growing up will guide and influence them when they become adults. This theology is not only taught in Sunday school, church and/or family devotions. Parents and other adults "teach it" by how they live. Children learn theology, sometimes the kind we don't want them to have, from their peers, from the 1V programs they watch and the video games they play. They get it from the books they read and the concerts they attend.

In a recent 1V newsmagazine report, I saw firsthand what a new "rapper" is doing with and to our younger teens. He is white, young and very popular. His music has a message that is extremely negative. He uses very bad language, degrades women in his lyrics, and sends a vulgar message to his audience. His concerts fill big stadiums and he is raking in big dollars. I watched in horror as they showed a clip of his audience giving an extended middle finger "salute" with both hands.

At one point a reporter stopped a mother in the parking lot who had just dropped off her 13 year-old son at this rap concert. "Do you know what goes on at these concerts?" he asked her. She shook her head and so he proceeded to

tell her. All she did was shrug her shoulders and say, "Well, if I don't bring him then he will hire a limousine and come on his own." She didn't seem to care too much about what her son was being exposed to.

Uyou haven't heard about Harry Potter, then I wonder where you've been this summer. The frenzy of the release of the fourth book in that series was all over the news reports. These books are making serious inroads into the thinking and theology of millions of children. The first three books sold over eight million copies and the fourth book brought amazon. com a quarter of a million orders before it was even released.

Supporters claim these books are getting huge numbers of children back into reading in spite of competition from 1V and video games. That is true. I talked to a local school librarian who says she has five copies of each of the books and they are always checked out. Critics charge that the books take children into the world of wizards, magic, potions, spells, invisibility cloaks and broomsticks. That is also true.

The Christian community is divided over the value or danger of these books. One commentator admitted that "I've spent more time wrestling over Harry Potter in the past months than over any other subject." After reading the first book in the series and looking at what others have said about it, I find myself struggling as well. I can understand why children are turned on by the fast moving plot of the story, but I am also disturbed that all this "fun" takes place in a supernatural, witchcraft setting. I have serious concerns about the theology the children are learning.

I wish I had some answers but I don't. However, I am deeply concerned that parents take an active role in finding out what kind of theology their children are being exposed to.

Go with your children to their concerts (you don't have to sit with them) and read the books they are reading. Then discuss together what you have heard and read. You will find it to be an enlightening experience. And you will defmitely have something to talk about with your children.

What Men non ite Breth ren Foundation can do for

We can be of assistance to you ... encouraging and assisting in faithful stewardship.

• Ministry Investment Fund

• Charitable trusts

• Gift annuities

• Donor-advised funds

• Charitable estate planning

• Facilitating gifts

• Providing capital for our churches and institutions

• Endowment management

• Stewardship education

Mennonite Brethren Foundation Staff: (front row, left to right) Kim Kroeker, Shawna Vogt, Donna Sullivan; (back row) Lynford Becker, Ross Merritt, Jon Wiebe, Dale Regier

A GATHERING OF PRAISE

In a festive banquet setting, Mission USA presented accounts of God at work within the US Conference in the area of church renewal and church planting. At the July 28 event those attending the conference met to worship, listen to testimonies of God at work, and to celebrate the beginning of two new projects. 1) Crosswise, a singing/ministry group from Tabor College, leads worship. 2) Ed Boschman, Mission USA Executive Director, shares the Mission USA story. 3) Shirley and Dale Nachigall of Surprise, Ariz. assisted with the event. Shirley is Mission USA's secretary.

4) Celebration! A festive bouquet of balloons features Mission USA's colors of gold and black.

For information about church planting and renewal opportunities you may now reach us at: Mission USA, 333 West Melinda Lane, Suite 200, Phoenix, AZ 85027·2926. Phone: 623-434-3301, Fax: 623-434-3299.

MISSION USA BOARD:

Brad Barnes, Bakersfield, CA

Ed Boschman, Phoenix, ftZ

Phil Glanzer, New Hope, MN

Joe Johns, Weatherford, OK

Loretta Jost, Aurora, NE

Brad Klassen, Glendale, ftZ

Nancy Laverty, Jones, OK

Fred Leonard, Clovis, CA

Bill Loewen, Wichita, KS

Stephen Reimer, Shafter, CA

Randy Steinert, Bakersfield, CA

Gary Wall, LOdi, CA

Ex Officio Members:

Henry Dick, Fresno, CA

Clinton Grenz, Bismark, N.D.

Roland Reimer, Wichita, KS

Clint Seibel, Hillsboro, KS

Jim Westgate, Fresno, CA

Climbing the mountain in Denver

After a challenging climb this summer, u.s. Conference convention delegates embraced the budget-and vision-for the national conference

,'GBY CARMEN ANDRES AND CONNIE FABER

0 get your mountaintop experience," declared North Carolina pastor Terry Hunt, challenging the 338 people attending the U.S. Conference convention July 28-30 to seek out God and his vision for their congregations. Hunt was referring to how he and a handful of other Mennonite Brethren leaders gathered one night on the top of a North Carolina mountain to seek out God and his vision for the North Carolina district.

For many of the 253 delegates, however, the Denver, Colo., convention itself was a mountaintop experience-a

chance to embrace the vision guiding the national conference into the future.

But like most mountaintop experiences, there was a mountain to climb first.

This summer, that mountain took the form of a budget proposal, which neared $1 million-$332,740 above the previous year's budget.

For delegates, that was a stiff price tag to swallow at first.

"This is a huge increase," said Larry Martens of North Fresno (Calif.) MB Church, after the budget was formally introduced to delegates on Friday morning. "Every congregation and other institutions will be under pressure. We [dele-

gates] have to go back to our churches and defend this [budget]. We need to be able to go back to our congregations with a sense of unity."

Originally scheduled for Friday, the budget vote was delayed until Saturday morning, giving delegates time to caucus and conference leadership a chance to visit individually with delegates to answer questions and explain the reasons behind the numbers.

Leaders explained that strengthening the national conference was the bottom line. The 1oo-year old U.S./Canadian partnership known as the General Conference is in the three-year process of being dissolved. U.S. Conference leaders are faced with the task of both adopting the North American conference's binational ministries-faith and life, resource publications, missions and seminary education-along with shoring up and reshaping exisiting U.S. Conference ministries.

This would take staff and money. The majority of the budget increase was due to the addition of the eqUivalent of two full-time staff members-a full-time conference executive director and part-time fund raisers spread throughout the constituency-and increased efforts by Mission USA, the national church planting and renewal ministry.

On Saturday morning, after all was said and done, the majority of delegates

embraced the budget by a vote of 145 to 32-with 81 percent affirming the new budget and, as some point out, the national conference vision for the future.

Saying that the U.S. Conference was at an important crossroads, Reedley MB Church delegate Marvin Just said the Reedley delegation was going "on record as supporting the budget."

But it took a steady climb to the top to get there.

Major budget concerns

The major concerns voiced by delegates centered on the addition of staff members-especially fund raisers-and the seemingly large increase in the budget's bottom line.

Why the new staff

• New staff members needed. The need for a national executive director stems from the retirement of administrative secretary Lynford Becker. Since 1990, Becker served in the part-time position with little financial implication on the conference budget. His work was first subsidized through the MB Foundation and later he served on a volunteer basis.

During Saturday's final budget discussion, U.S. Conference chair David Reimer defended the need for a full-time administrative employee.

"When the General Conference is dissolved, we will need a presence," said Reimer.

While Canada's national structure is well developed, until five years ago U.S. Conference ministries were downsized and stood in the shadow of a strong binational conference. With the addition of the binational ministries, Reimer noted the need for leadership and staffing.

"With Lynford's resignation and the loss of [General Conference executive secretary] Marvin Hein, we need someone full-time communicating our vision and working together with other agencies," said Reimer.

Earlier in the convention, Reimer spoke of the need to develop new U.S. Conference goals. "We believe Lynford's replacement should be visionary," said Reimer. "Someone who would help U.S. Conference leaders write a new vision for the next years. We had a vision statement to guide us through 2000, and now it's time to draft a new one."

Ken Neufeld, Board of Trustees chair,

Hear the call-take action

Delegates were challenged to do more than hear the words of keynote speakers David Reimer and Henry Schmidt-they were asked to take actIon.

Calling out pastoral leaders for new and exIsting congregations was the focus of the 2000 U.S. Conference conventIon. ReImer, U.S. Conference moderator, and SChmidt, MB BIblical seminary presIdent, addressed the convention theme, "Hear the

"identify people who have a heart" for ministry.

"Will you help?" he asked. "Will your church be part of the process of calling out leaders for tomo"ow?"

"'The call"

Saturday evening, Schmidt Illustrated the value of calling out men and women for pastoral ministry and broadened that call of God to Include all Christians.

SChmidt invited three

calh leaders for a new millennium" from Romans 10.

WItness and calling

Given life's brevity, Reimer challenged delegates to take advantage of every opportunity to witness to their faith.

"We think we have no burden to give witness, " said Reimer, "That we haven't earned the right to ask a person about their salvation unless we've become good friends with that person."

Reimer also emphasized that Christians are responsible to send out witnesses. "When something or someone Is sent, someone else does the sending," said ReImer. "You don't send yourself."

Emphasizing the value of a local congregation calling out youngsters who grow up in the congregation to pastoral work, Reimer encouraged delegates to

pastoral staff members and one recent MB Biblical seminary graduate to tell how they were called Into ministry. A common thread running through the stories was the Influence pastors, family, members of local congregations and college Instructors had on them as children and young people.

SChmidt encouraged delegates to "use their ears" to hear what "God's spirit Is saying to his pe0ple, to the church and more speclflcally to Mennonite Brethren."

..It's harv..tli.....

"It's harvesttlme," said Schmidt. "If God has ever set before the church an open door, It's today •••• There Is an openness to the Gospel today that Is unprecedented. " In spite of a new openness to spiritual matters, the U.S. Is struggling, said

SChmidt. Among statistics Schmidt cited was the weekly loss of 300 pastors and the loss to other relIgious groups of 5,000 U.S. Christians a week.

ThoUgh Mennonite Brethren are projected to need over 500 pastors, church planters and missionaries in the next 10 years, SChmidt said he Is encouraged by the commitment today's 20-yearolds have for the unsaved.

"Harvesters are on the horizon," he said. "There are harvesters coming but there's a gap in between."

A call'" acIioD

"It's COnfession time," said SChmidt. "We've messed up In our communication. We must clarify what the call of God really Is. The call of God Is first and foremost for all of us. "

SChmidt emphasired that the vocation of every Christian Is to "say yes to Jesus," and that ministry should not be associated with one's job or profession. "Our occupation needs to serve our vocation as a Christ follower," he said. "My first calling and Identity Is as a person of God. Let's quit using 'Christian' as an ad,IectIve. "

Returning to his earlier theme of calling men and women to ministry, SChmidt said, "It's commitment time. Are you and I available?"

SChmidt's challenge was picked up by Ed Boschman, Mission USA executive director, who closed the service. Pledge cards were distributed askIng for Individual commitments to various levels of participation in calling out leaders In local churches. Conference leaders will follow up on signed and returned cards, said Boschman. -eF

said the executive director would also be responsible for raising funds for all conference ministries.

"The executive director will emphasize conference to church relationships," said Neufeld. "The fund raisers will emphasize individual to conference donations."

• Fund raiser concerns. Delegates also expressed concern over the growing number of fund raisers among denominational ministries and agencies.

The conference hired a quarter-time fund raising director last spring and proposed to hire three more quarter-time regional fund raisers. Their primary goal would be raising funds for Mission USA, the conference's largest ministry.

"We're paying for all these special fund raisers and we're supposed to increase our giving," said one delegate. "Wouldn't it be better to give through the church offertng rather than pay for special fund raisers?"

Neufeld agreed. "It would be simpler.

It would be wonderful," he said. "We spend a lot of money to collect money from ourselves. But it is happening. The denomination has taken the path of keeping our ministries in front of the people [by using fund raisers)."

In his Saturday presentation, Neufeld also summarized and addressed concerns delegates had shared with him regarding additional staff:

• To whom are the fund raisers accountable? Fund raisers will be accountable to the Board of Church Ministries, the U.S. Conference leadership board which serves as conference in interim, and supervised on a daily basis by Mission USA director Ed Boschman.

• Where are the fund raising costs in the budget? While the fund raisers will solicit funds primarily for MUSA, "the first dollars they raise will have to go towards the BCM budget because that's where the line item is for their cost," said Neufeld.

• Will they raise funds for all U.S.

Conference entities? When fund raisers meet with individuals interested in supporting a U.S. Conference ministry other than MUSA, the fund raiser "should pick up a check for that ministry and get it where it belongs," said Neufeld.

"These fund raisers will be cultivating new money," Neufeld added. "We believe there is new money out thereparticularly among the 35 to 55 year-old people who we believe are able to make contributions. "

Why the bottom line increase

Delegates were also concerned by the 35 percent increase in the budget over last year. Neufeld also addressed those concerns on Saturday morning.

• What about this big increase? General Conference divestiture and an expanded MUSA vision were the basic reasons behind the increase, said Neufeld.

"There are things that we as a U.S. Conference are going to be picking up

Becker gives challenge and bids farewell

"This Is my God, these are my people, this Is my mission."

This Is how delegates should approach the communion table, retiring U.S. Conference executive secretary Lynford Beeker said as he concluded his sermon before celebrating communion during the convention's closing service on Sunday morning.

Those words might well describe Becker's many years of service with the U.S. Conference as well.

This past December, Beeker relinquished his role as U.S. Conference administrative secretary, a part-time position he filled for over 10 years.

Beeker has exhibited a strong commitment to the Mennonite Brethren people. He's been a local church pastor, church planter and the U.S. Conference minister. He's traveled the constituency extensively In his work for Tabor College, the MB Foundation and the U.S. Conference. He was Instrumental In helping

the conference define Its vision In 1983. Beeker continues to work asa field representative with the MB Foundation, an agency he headed for more than 10 years.

His sermon reflected his philosophy about being part of God's people.

"Communion gives us the wonderful opportunity for three simple statements of who we are, where we are and what we are about," Becker said, taking his cues from 1 Cor. 11:23-29.

• This is my Cod. "We are saying we serve a loving King, that our sins are forgiven," Becker explained, adding that by saying this, "we've heard the call-we're here."

• n.ese are my people. Communion, according to Becker, is a statement of commitment to the universal and local church. "We accept all fellow believers as brothers and sisters" in the cornmunity of believers, said Becker. He challenged delegates, adding that "some

and additional budget and staff are needed," said Neufeld, referring to new staff needed as the conference adopts North American ministries and strengthens existing national ministries.

Neufeld also pointed out that the budget was actually modest.

"For a national denomination of our size, a total budget of $1 million is still moderate."

• Ifwe don't meet the budget,

from last year."

Neufeld pointed out that the budget will rely upon the increase in church giving, but the majority of the rest of the budget will be implemented on a "spend-as-you-get-it" basis.

The biggest increase in the budget comes from MUSA, said Neufeld, but the ministry is committed not to spend funds if they are not available.

"[The MUSA] budget is predicated on

will we go into debt? "The answer to that question," said Neufeld, "is a qualified no. We will not go into debt if church giving increases by 10 percent

churches are less than healthy because they cannot say 'These are my people.'"

• This is my mission. Through communion, Becker pointed out, we proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. This gives us a global mission, said Becker. He gave four reasons to be missionmlnded-lt expresses love to God, It Is an awareness of the tragic fate awaiting those who do not belleve,lt expresses a great hunger for God, and It Is our response to God's blessings we have experienced. "The message will not Change," said Becker.

$131,000 from the conference and the balance coming from funds raised by the BCM fund raisers. In the event those funds are not raised, that money will not

"Christ died, was burled, rose again and made provision forour sins."

After Becker's sermon, delegates took up his challenge as they celebrated communion at tables presided over by MB pastors from various ethnic and racial communities that make up the U.S. Conference.

Earlier In the convention, asa token of appreciation for his years of service and cornmltment to the MB church, Becker was presented with a watch Inscribed with his name and the phrase, "Thank you for hearing the call." -Carmen Andres with Ellynne Wiebe

be spent," said Neufeld, noting that MUSA has been faithful to that commitment in the past.

Embracing the vision

By the end of the Saturday morning budget session, most delegates were behind the new budget. Several delegates spoke from the floor affirming the choices made by conference leadership and the need for an increased budget.

While the vote was in favor of the budget-and with it, the vision presented by conference leadership--there was still some concern. Before the vote, a delegate from California noted that one in four dollars collected by the fund raisers will be used to pay the expense of hiring them. Because of this and other concerns, he stated that his church's delegation could not support the budget.

Earlier in the convention, North Carolina pastor Terry Hunt acknowledged that mountaintop experiences aren't always easy, but there is a need for vision.

"The Bible tells us that without a vision my people perish," Hunt told the delegates. Then he paused. "Without a vision our people will perish."

Though talking about North Carolina district's vision, Hunt's words could be applicable to the U.S. Conference. Judging by the vote passing the budget and comments from the floor, most convention delegates seem to have seen and affirmed the vision they saw this summer-even with its challenges.•

MBMS International it\; n 1900-2

Ministries get new home

Delegates vote to embrace global mission agency and create new board of faith and life

Delegates to the 2000 national convention took action to take responsibility for the first of the ministries of the bi-national General Conference, embracing the 100 yearold global mission agency MBMS International and creating a national board of faith and life.

Wichita 1999 affirmed

One of the first actions delegates took at the U.S. Conference convention was to affirm the decision made at the 1999 General Conference convention in Wichita to divest the binational ministries (ranging from the seminary and mission agency to the faith and life board) to the U.S. and Canadian conferences. This cleared the way for the first ministries slated to change hands-board of faith and life and MBMSI.

BFL is formed

Delegates voted to create a national board of faith and life with responsibilities in denominational polity and the confession of faith.

Prior to the creation of a national BFL, the U.S. Conference referred any matters at the national level to the General Conference BFL.

A continuing relationship with Canada will be a priority, reported General Conference vice chair Lyndon Vix. National conferences will have the opportunity to identify issues to be , processed jointly, said VlX.

At the national level, delegates charged leadership to work toward equal representation from districts and immigrant groups on the board (see "Revised by-laws approved" on page 25) as well as ensuring there is good communication between the national and district BFLs.

In response to concerns about the relationship between the national and district boards and the role of district ministers, Reimer explained that the

agendas of the two organizations were different. Districts are primarily concerned with licensing and local polity issues, said Reimer. "But we need to be mindful of communicating between levels," he added.

Reimer also reported that district ministers currently sit on the Mission USA board, whose annual meetings would fall during the same time as the new BFL board. "We may need to rethink that," Reimer said.

Delegates elected board members, who will work out policies and procedures for the board. Those board members are J. Epp of Lustre, Mont., Valerie Rempel of I Fresno, Calif., LynnJost of Hillsboro, Kan., John Warkentin of Wichita, Kan., and David Loyola of La Grulla, Tex.

IIMBMSI is embraced

When U.S. delegates voted to become one of the two sponsoring national conferences that gives ownership to MBMSI, they did so knowing that Canada and the U.S. would not always be alone at the board table.

MBMSI's transition from the General Conference to a national conference ownership model has given them a unique opportunity. The 100 year-old mission agency-which has sent out , 2,332 long- and short-term missionaries--is looking forward to a time when they will be owned by national MB conferences around the world.

"We are already testing mission partnerships with Japan, Colombia and Germany," said MBMSI president Harold Ens during his report. "Our goal is to be owned by not only North American conferences but by all MB conferences around the world."

At the national level, delegates voted to make the MBMSI member of the Board of Church Ministries (U.S. national leadership board) a voting member and elected board members. U.S. Board members are Dennis Fast of Reedley, Calif., Delores Friesen of Clovis, Calif., Gary Janzen of Fairview, Okla., Dean Kliewer of Reedley and Marlene Wall of Wichita, Kan. -CA

Revised bylaws approved

Delegates focus on changes made affecting capital " assets and board membership

In addition to bringing a budget recommendation totaling almost $1 million and recommendations to enfold two General Conference ministries into the national structure (see stories on pages 20 and 24), the U.S. Conference Board of Church Ministries brought a series of bylaw revisions to the delegation for approval.

Rewriting the U.S. Conference bylaws was a natural outcome of a variety of changes made recently by the conference, said Ken Neufeld, Board of Trustees chair who also chaired the committee charged with revising the bylaws.

In rewriting the bylaws, references to the General Conference were deleted and whole sections of the General Conference bylaws regarding conference organization were incorporated into the bylaws as per the request of the General Conference trustees. Neufeld said the bylaws were also brought into conformity with current practice and more inclusive language was used.

Delegates reviewed the proposed bylawsarticle by article. Floor discussion focused primarily on two issues: capital assets and board membership.

• Reverting to conference property. The discussion regarding capital assets stemmed from a statement taken

directly form the General Conference bylaws: When a congregation dissolves or withdraws from the conference, its capital assets become the property of the district conference. Neufeld indicated the proposal strengthened each district's ability to handle such cases according to their bylaws and the statement was passed.

• Equal representation. Delegates were also concerned that the proposed bylaws required all boards to include representatives from the Central, Pacific and Southern district conferences but did not require representatives from the Latin America and North Carolina district conferences. Delegates also spoke of the need to include individuals from immigrant people groups on national boards.

After a number of options were considered, it was agreed that over the next two years, BCM will consider how conference boards can be structured to best represent the contributions of all people groups, district conferences and congregations geographically removed from the five conferences.

Other reports

Under the umbrella of BCM, a number of other reports were given.

• New vision for outreach in

North Carolina. Reimer reported that BCM has affirmed a new vision for outreach and ministry recently adopted by the North Carolina district conference. Delegates heard from Terry Hunt, pastor of Bushtown MB Church in Lenoir, N.C., about the vision for outreach to all people groups in the greater Lenoir area. Three congregations located in Caldwell County plan to merge and enter into a building program that will eventually include a family life center and sanctuary with seating for 1,000. A first-step in the new community outreach effort was a youth rally scheduled for August 11

• International meeting of MBs Rolando Mireles, U.S. Conference assistant moderator, reported on the July 1012 gathering in Guatemala City of the International Committee of Mennonite Brethren. The 23 representatives from 17 national MB conferences met to continue work on developing a global MB confession of faith and to share and support the ministries in which each of the conferences are involved.

• Christian service programs being explored. Rose Buschman reported on the biennial activities of the Peace Education Commission. She informed the delegates that the commission is exploring the possibility of reviving an adult service program and requested comments and input on the idea.

Other reports under BCM came from a representative of the national youth conference planning committee and the nominating committee. --CF

Youth take charge at convention

T

he u.s. Conference convention wasn't only for adults-chlldren and youth also had a role to play.

Children at "pia'" AcconIIng to the kids, their experience at the convention was just as good as the adults.

Volunteers with Youth Mission Intematlonal, an MB shortterm mission program, provided the programs for about 30 children, ages 5-12. The weekend culminated In two short skits offered during the Sunday momlng servlce--one sketching the travails of the prodigal

Youth at work

Over 20 MB high schoolers

spent most of the weekend In the Inner city areas of Denver. Working with Inter-Mennonlte Inner-clty ministry program DOOR, the teens had the

opportunity to talk with people who lived on the street, partJc.. lpate In street worship, work In a soup kitchen and fellowship with each other.

According to Michael Reimer, 15, of Callfomla the experlence-arranged by National Youth Commission chair Stuart Pederson-was well worth the trip to the convention.

"I would like to encourage more people to show up to share God's love," Reimer says. "This has been my fourth conference, and I have attended one International conference. Not one has been disappointing."

-from a report by Michael Reimer

CHRIS nAN LEADER son and the other the story of David and Goliath. -eA

CHRlsnAN LEADER

Evangelism gets center stage

Delegates treated tcr-and challenged by--<hurch planting and renewal ministry evening

Black and gold helium-filled balloons on each table, door prizes and the lighthearted banter of the two Chuck Buller and executive director Ed Boschman-who were seated on bar stools created a relaxed and informal atmosphere at the Friday night dinner and program highlighting Mission USA.

But the dual thrust of their presentation took on a more serious tone-spiritually lost people can have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ if Mennonite Brethren will answer the call to share their faith. A second emphasis, critical in light of the budget debate, was that the financial cost of planting new churches is a worthy investment.

Providing statistics and man-on-thestreet comments illustrating American's ailing spiritual health, Boschman laid the foundation for a review of MUSA's vision and strategies targeted at helping people in existing congregations win others to Jesus Christ, at planting new congregations targeted at the unchurched, at training new church leaders and at pro-

moting a personal and denominational passion "to win some."

Financial realities

Boschman and Buller also detailed the financial realities the board faces. They noted that the 2000-2001 MUSA budget is projected at $474,550 compared to $322,000 for the previous year. Theyalso emphasized the board's commitment to spending only those monies it receives from the U.S. Conference general budget and those funds raised by board members.

"We will spend as we have funds," said Boschman.

Boschman and Buller thanked the MB Foundation for their contributions and introduced Art Ens of Fresno, Calif., as the leader of a team of regional part-time fund raisers the U.S. Conference hopes to hire to raise funds for MUSA and other conference ministries.

Personal stories throughout the evening peppered Boschman and Buller's more factual report. Lyndon Vix of Wichita, Kan., talked about his involvement with MUSA as a financial supporter.

"I've never been a church planting fan," said Vix, recounting earlier MB church planting efforts. "But the methods used by Mission USA represent a new direction in church planting that I think can be successful for us. I take those signs to heart and am enthused about them. There is a recognition that you can reach unreached people not only through church planting but through existing churches."

The evening also included a review of current and projected MUSA efforts, first in church renewal and then in church planting.

Church renewal

''We're giving new energy and focus to the church renewal side [of the MUSA mandate]," said Buller earlier in the evening. "We ran pretty hard and fast after church planting but we recognize at this point that half of our task is church renewal."

LorettaJost, church renewal task force chair, reminded delegates that they "live on the third largest mission field in the world," a field delegates will return to without a passport or visa.

Jost encouraged delegates to return to their local communities having changed "our thinking because we have such a concern for the lost we are willing to walk in their shoes."

Jost said that for the near future MUSA's church renewal efforts will focus in two areas: encouraging existing congregations to develop holistic small groups and placing interns with local congregations.

Stories told by representatives from Belleview Acres Church in Littleton, Colo., Kingwood Bible Church in Salem, Ore., and Hesston (Kan.) MB Church helped personalize MUSA's target church and congregational refocusing programs.

Delegates were also introduced to two neighborhood outreach programs being promoted by MUSA: Neighborly Evangelism Ministries' "Love Thy Neighborhood" Christmas parties and Mission America's "The Lighthouse Movement."

Church planting

MUSA church planting chair Steve Reimer talked about why and how to plant churches and reviewed the board's plans to plant a cluster of congregations in Phoenix, Ariz., over the next five years.

Three church planters interviewed a member of their congregations about

their faith pilgrimage and experience with the local MB church plants. Church plants represented in this dialogue were Rolling Hills Church of Papillion, Neb., Copper Hills Community Church of Glendale, Ariz., and South Mountain Community Church of Draper, Utah. The church planters also updated the delegates on recent happenings in their congregation.

Two new church planting ventures were introduced. Peter Thomas, most recently pastor of Faith Bible Church in Omaha, Neb., has moved to Ashville, N.C., and is planning to work with the North Carolina District Conference in planting a church.

Mike Miller, most recently associate pastor at Enid (Okla.) MB Church, and his wife Kim were commissioned as the new church planters for a congregation in Broken Arrow, Okla. This church planting venture is a cooperative effort between MUSA, the Southern District Conference and Westport MB Church.

Boschman dosed the MUSA report with a reminder to delegates that pastors for new church plants and existing congregations will emerge as the denomination "asks the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his field." The evening dosed with a prayer time around the banquet tables. -CF

Cacophony of voices rise up

Slavic, Korean and Ethiopian words and songs ,. encourage delegates

In some ways the sounds that accompanied the Integrated Ministries report Saturday evening were an appropriate reminder that if all U.S. Mennonite Brethren would gather for worship in one location, it would be a cacophony of voices.

Convention delegates and guests listened to testimonies from Slavic, Korean and Ethiopian pastors and enjoyed a variety of Christian music amid the clatter of dishes and the hustle of banquet attendants serving the evening meal.

The program was chaired by Loyal Funk, 1M director and conference minister. Special music was provided by a quartet of Slavic youngpeopIe who sang in both Russian and English. An Ethiopian choir, dressed in white tradi-

tional African clothing trimmed with bright colors, sang and danced, accompanying themselves with clapping, drums, cymbals and an electronic keyboard.

"Our prayers are answered"

The miracle of a 21st century U.S. MB conference made up of congregations from at least eight different cultural groups was expressed best by Korean pastor Daniel Kim of Glendale, Calif.

"I grew up in a Christian home with early morning prayer meetings," said Kim. "We prayed for the Soviet Union and North Korea, thinking [that evangelism] was impossible. Now I see here Russian Christians and we can travel and teach the Gospel in North Korea. God has answered our prayers."

Kim shared his personal testimony, told of his affiliation with Mennonite Brethren and spoke of his dream two years ago to plant a new church. Today his congregation is growing, emphasizes evangelism, works with homeless people and is involved with mission work in North Korea.

Walter Illyin of Slavic Gospel Church I in Bellingham, Wash., spoke of his conI gregation's joy in having a building in which to worship. "The day of the Lord is approaching," said Illyin. "Let's get I together while we can."

Denver a mission field for Ethiopians

The newest Ethiopian congregation to affiliate with the Mennonite Brethren is located in Denver and is pastored by Endashaw Kelkele, a young and energeticman.

Kelkele described how Communism has prompted 10,000 Ethiopians to immigrate to Denver. ''Job opportunities in Denver are attracting people, including our own, and we want to reach out to them," said Kelkele.

Fairview (Okla.) MB Church has part, nered with the Ethiopian group as a sister congregation and representatives of the two churches gathered on the stage I for a prayer of dedication blessing their I partnership.-eF

Connecting to each other

Seeking better ways of communicating is the theme ,. of board's presentation

Innovations in technology and a desire to connect with everyone in the denomination were emphasized in the Board of Communications report Saturday morning.

Two years ago, most U.S. Conference board and denominational ministry reports relied on the spoken word, with occasional illustrations via overhead transparencies, videos or computers. That changed at the 2000 convention as most boards and ministries took advantage of computer technology to augment their verbal reports with PowerPoint presentations.

BOC used a power-point presentation to illustrate their report on how the Christian Leader, the denominational publication, makes use of new technology in producing the magazine.

The presentation, narrated by editor Carmen Andres and associate editor Connie Faber, included photographs of past editors and printing technologies and graphically showed how staff members in Sacramento, Calif., and Hillsboro, Kan., use current electronic technology to produce the magazine.

New connedions emphasized

In an effort to connect with the electronic community, the BOC has spearheaded efforts to develop a u.S. Conference site on the World Wide Web.

BOC member Phil Neufeld announced that the new U.S. Conference web site will be up and running at www.usmb.org by Nov. 1 and will be "something you can be proud of." Start-up costs were provided by a grant from the MB Foundation.

Neufeld said having a MB presence on the World Wide Web S ,,...- --lliL.--.L_., is an important way for the ..,"'"" denomination to connect with the electronic community. Neufeld said some folks browse web sites "just looking for anything" while others are serious seekers of meaningful spiritual content.

While BOC ministries are keeping step with new technologies, chair Kathy Heinrichs Weist emphasized the board's desire to continue its traditional emphasis on building community among MBs. Weist said that for many delegates the Denver convention is like a family

reunion but is a family to which individuals in her Sunday school class in Kingsburg, Calif., would not feel connected.

Connecting newcomers who don't "read the obituaries first" with other MBs and denominational ministries is a BOC goal, said Weist.

Weist said the Leader could help preserve the denomination's history while also forging new relationships among members of U.S. Conference congregations.

"Communication is vital for us as a national body," said Weist. "It unifies us as a family of believers."

Budget constraints

Weist spoke of BOC's recent financial struggles to publish a quality magazine in spite of a series of budget reductions designed to help fund other conference ministries.

"We're thankful the 2000 budget restores the Leader to its previous barebones level," said Weist. "But a limited budget doesn't keep us from dreaming and challenging ourselves to increase the quality and finding new ways to make connections [with newcomers to the denomination]."

Weist listed a number of current BOC concerns: improving the Leader's print quality, budget restrictions that eliminated the 2000 readership survey and providing publications in other languages.

Denominational resources reviewed

The BOC report was followed by a brief report from the binational Board of Resource Ministries represented by executive secretary Michael Dick and Kindred Productions manager Marilyn Hudson.

Dick asked for prayer as the negotiation team for the divestiture of BRM ministries will be meeting in September to finalize the transition to Canadian and U.S. Conference ownership.

"We believe that in order to be effective in ministry as a denomination, we need to be involved in creating some resources that are unique to our history, the present and the future," said Dick.

Dick and Hudson also highlighted a number of new resources including a youth devotional guide on prayer, a new adult Bible study series and the release of three new books. Author Philip Wiebe was available to sign copies of his first book, It Takes Two to Tangle, during the lunch break. -eF

Training leaders top priority

Colleges and seminary report their challenges and

,.. successes as they seek to call out and train leaders

Mennonite Brethren schools reported their commitment to calling out and training leaders for the MB church.

Seminary

The MB Biblical Seminary, located in Fresno, Calif., is holding fast to this goal in the midst of planning for upcoming changes in structure.

"The sand has shifted," reported seminary board chair Ron Toews, referring to the impending transition of the seminary to national conferences as a result of the divestiture of the binational General Conference.

The seminary is slated to be transferred to the North American conferences by 2002 .. "We have hard work ahead of us," said Toews.

Seminary president Henry Schmidt is confident the seminary can meet the challenges.

"God has given us strong resources at the seminary," he said in his report.

While working towards their transition to the national conferences, the seminary is focusing on "training men and women for kingdom work," said Schmidt.

Referring to enrollment statistics,

Schmidt pointed out that the seminary is succeeding in working toward that goal.

Schmidt also reported that the seminary's partnership with Mission USA is resulting in a number of students in the church planting program.

Tabor College and FPU

"We are getting it done at Tabor College," said president Larry Nikkel of the Hillsboro, Kan., college, reporting on the college's commitment to tum out leaders for tomorrow's church.

Expressing a concern that there is a declining percentage of MB students, Nikkel challenged delegates to think carefully about their children's education. "It's not only the kid's decision," he said, referring to the responsibility of parents.

Though Fresno (Calif.) Pacific University is experiencing transition after president Allen Carden's recent resignation, Pacific District minister Henry Dick reported that FPU is also "excited about giving leadership." Dick reported that "so many students are looking for opportunities to serve that we can't find enough opportunities." -CA

Seeking to be faithful stewards

Stewardship min,.. istry sounds call

JonWiebe, MB Foundation presI-

dent, encouraged convention delegates to remain faithful to Christian stewardship principles during Friday'S MBF luncheon.

'We need to answer the call," said Wiebe, "to prevent riches from sapping our foundation as a denomination."

Wiebe said Mennonite Brethren can "declare our values and push back the world's values" by doing three things: becoming "involved in the financial community of faith" where It is possible for "your money to go where you can't;" more specifically, supporting MB ministries; and being God's steward.

MBF is answering the call to stewardship by offering the denomination four services: fund management, loans, stewardship education and planned giving, said Wiebe in his report on MBF ministries.

As of Dec. 31, 1999, MBF was managing $34,460,055 and through Its planned giving services had funneled $1,550,777 to various MB agencies and other ministries. MBF has currently loaned $22,916,322 to churches and church workers for facility needs.

MBF is headquartered In Hillsboro and has regional representatives In California and Oklahoma. -eF

New missions model explored by gathering

Sharing gifts key to working together in a new missions model

The global Anabaptist church is changing, calling for a new missions model. Participants at the Global Anabaptist Missions Consultation (GAMCo) discussed the features of these changes and envisioned how to share their gifts for God's kingdom in the new millennium.

The gathering of about 200 people from about 50 countries was held in Guatemala City July 12-16. It was the first missions meeting held on such a far-reaching scale for Mennonites and Brethren in Christ around the world.

Participants included leaders of conferences and mission agencies, missions experts and mission workers. MB participants came from Angola, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Congo, Germany, India, Japan, the U.S. and Uruguay and included representatives from MBMS International, the North American MB mission agency.

The Council of International Ministries, a group of North American mission agencies and affiliated overseas ministries, and Mennonite World Conference, a fellowship of 84 Mennonite and BIC national churches in 50 countries, co-sponsored the meeting.

''We emerged [from the consultation] with a greater desire to work together as mission agencies," said Dennis Fast, MBMSI board member who attended GAMCo. ''We sensed that most of the significant things being accomplished today, especially in difficult places in the world, are being done in partnerships."

Growing global church

GAMCo opened the eyes of North American mission leaders to what is happening around the world says Juan Martinez, MBMSI missionary who participated in the consultation.

"There was a recognition that current

models of mission work based in North America needs to change so that missions can become a worldwide enterprise," says Martinez, who chaired the vision discernment team charged with writing a findings report.

"I would have liked the North American agencies to be more open to making the changes necessary to go forward," said Martinez in an interview after the event. "Because these agencies respond

to constituencies that may not yet have a worldwide sense of mission, it may be more difficult for the agencies to make the changes necessary than for people in other parts of the world to do mission in new ways."

Churches in Asia, Africa and Latin America-begun from early 20th century missionary efforts from churches in North America and Europe-have now surpassed their parents in numbers of members.

Of the world's more than 1 million Anabaptist church members, more than half live in the developing countries of the South and East. They have fewer material resources than those in more affluent countries but are rich in relational gifts and spiritual zeal.

This shift has created the need for a , new missions model, based on gift-shar-

ing. Under this model, countries with varying resources and gifts would be givers and receivers in missions and forge reciprocal relationships that break cycles of Northern and Western dominance. Financial resources would work in tandem with spiritual riches, recognizing they all belong to God.

A vision discernment team drafted a consultation findings report that tried to put feet to the goal of a gift-sharing missions model. A continuation committeeconsisting of representatives from all continents-will further study and test the findings in its own groups and regions before forging a recommendation for a flexible global missions structure. The committee will bring the recommendation to the 14th MWC assembly, set for , Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, in 2003.

Change difficult

The findings reportgleaned from dialogue and input from general sessions, regional mission interest groups, continental caucuses, workshops, fellowship and worship-showed a desire for !?I more interdependency and celebration of God's gifts diso tributed throughout the worldwide church.

The report received mixed • reviews. Some thought it didn't go far enough in defining structures or that it pushed for making commitments too soon. Others felt that aside from any , imperfections in the report, the consulta, tion had accomplished its most important goals of fostering relationships, renewing vision and building solidarity.

The findings report encouraged the Mennonite World Council General Council to establish a global missions council. Its tasks would include communicating about missionary efforts around the world and promoting regional and national mission consultations and projects.

The findings also showed that participants committed themselves to relying on God through prayer and worship; to recapturing the historic Anabaptist zeal for proclaiming and living the gospel as expressed in the New Testament; and to developing mission strategies that embrace the biblical teaching on peace and justice. -by Laurie L. Oswald for Meetinghouse with Connie Faber

GERMAN MB MISSIONARIES HOPE TO EXPAND PROGRAM

Troubled Lithuanian teens experience transformation

Two years ago, some Lithuanian Christians found Tomas by the roadside, fully drunk and in a state of delirium. He was only 9 years old. Today, while his body no longer grows because he is an alcoholic, his mind and heart are open to learning about Jesus' profound love. This summer Tomas, and other troubled Lithuanian youth like him, took part in the first camp run by the Lithuanian Christian Fund. Twenty-five teens from troubled backgrounds gathered to participate in sports and recreational events June 9-11. In the midst of the

activity they also caught a glimpse of the Father's heart of love, forgiveness and acceptance for them.

"I experienced an exceptional openness to the heart of God as I led our daily sessions," said Christoph Hagele, MBMS International missionary to Lithuania from the German MB Conference. "One third of the teens indicated they wanted to know more about how they could start a lifelong journey with Jesus."

"One third of the teens indicated they wanted to know more about how they could start a lifelong journey with Jesus. " -MBMSI missionary Christoph Hagele

The camp drew teens from the Good News Club, a program run by the Lithuanian Christian Fund. Since the camp,

First woman elected head ofMWC

The Mennonite World Conference General Council elected Nancy Heisey of Harrisonburg, Va., as MWC president-elect July 21.

MWC is a worldwide fellowship of about 90 Mennonite and Brethren in Christ

national churches lS in 50 countries. Heisey; associate professor. of biblical studies and church history at Eastern Mennonite Universiry in Harrisonburg, will be the first woman president in MWC's 75-year history. She is also the first

most of the teens have returned to the club. "Their behavior has significantly changed as they now recognize Jesus' love through our love to them," said Hagele.

Hagele and others involved with the club plan to expand their involvement with the teens this fall. They will offer computer classes and tutoring. "We want to support [these children and youth] in becoming healthy contributors to their communities. Jesus' love can bring transforma- . tion to all of their

experiences."jeaninejanzen,

MBMS International

president-elect, a position created for training purposes. She will become president at MWC's 2003 assembly. -from a Meetinghouse report

MORE MWC NEXT MONTH: Mennonite World Conference held Its annual General Council meetings July 17-23 in Guatemala City. Agenda Items focused on expanding MWC projects and funding to enhance the level of partnership and Interdependence among Its members. A complete report of the MWC General Council meeting will be published In the October Issue of the Leader.

NEWS

2003 MWC location

-Mennonite World Conference has tentatively set Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, as the site for the 14th MWC assembly in 2003. The decision, made by the MWC General Council July 22, is tentative because of recent political unrest In Zimbabwe. MWC officers will visit Zimbabwe In October or November to assess the situation. If uncertainty remains, MWC officers and staff will look for other sites. -Meetinghouse

FPU hires advancement VP

-Mark Deffenbacher has been named vice president for advancement and university relations at Fresno Pacific University, a Mennonite Brethren university located In Fresno, Calif. Deffenbacher has served for seven years as executive director of the Fresno Pacific University Foundation, a position he will continue to fill. He is certified as a fund raising executive by the National Society of Fund Raising Executives and Is also an ordained minister in the Church of God. -FPU

Helping each other

-The 200 participants in the Global Anabaptist Mission Consultation held July 12·16 in Guatemala City provided aid to several people during their gatherIng. Six GAMCo people donated blood for Dale Wolgemuth, Eastern Mennonite Mission medical missionary to the Monte Cristo area in Guatemala, following a heart attack. According to latest reports, Wolgemuth, who was flown home to the U.S. for medical care, is doing well. An offering totaling $900 was collected for the eight representatives from the Democratic Republic of Congo who lost their luggage In transit. Eventually the lost luggage caught up with them, and the Congo delegates passed on some of the gifts they had received to others who had also lost luggage. -MWG

U-SERV TEAM HELPS WITH MISCELLANEOUS REPAIRS. PROJECTS

Volunteers help fix up church

USERY volunteers assisted two Bellingham, Wash., congregations with construction projects July 10-28. Don Loewen of Rosedale Bible Church and Arnold Funk from Northwest Community Church, both in Bakersfield, Calif., Lee Willems of Reedley (Calif.) MB Church, John Smith of Dinuba (Calif.) MB and Charles Ewert of Kingsburg (Calif.) MB Church, placed roof trusses and

plywood sheet panels on the walls of Slavic Gospel Church.

Projects at Barkley Hills Community Church, a Mission USA and PDC church planting project, were varied. The team placed t-bars and ceiling panels throughout the facility except for the sanctuary, installed modesty panels in the restrooms, installed classroom shelves, framed interior walls including those in

CORRECTION NOTICE: In "MB churches transform for summer Bible school programs" (August 2000), Ray Anderson's wife should be Identified as lois. We apologize for the error. the associate pastor's office, installed various doors, did sheetrock work and placed mopboard in various rooms.

family

U-SERV is a ministry of the U.S. Conference that sends volunteers to assist local congregations With special projects. -from a U-SERV report

CHURCH NE CHURCH

Baptism/membership

LITILETON, Colo. (Belleview Acres)-Brent Hawkins, Diane Jenkins and Lyle Jenkins were baptized and received as new members July 2. Jennifer McKernan, Richard McKernan and Chris Sandifer were accepted into membership.

Celebrations

LAWTON, Okla. (Faith Bible) -The congregation has completed construction of their new facility at a new location. Dedication services and a fellowship meal is scheduled for Sept. 24 beginning at 3 p.m. The public, and especially neighboring MB congregations, are invited to celebrate this occasion. Billy Ellis, interim pastor and Roland Reimer, Southern District Conference district minister, are the guest speakers.

EDMOND, Okla. (Memorial Road)-Paul and Gladys Klassen were recognized Aug. 6 at a luncheon for their 25 years of pastoral ministry. The Klassens have served congregations in South Dakota and Oklahoma.

SAN JOSE. calif. (Lincoln Glen)The community was invited to attend an all-church picnic to celebrate 60 years as a congregation July 2. Games were played and door prizes handed out. A brief orientation of the church was given to guests.

Fellowship

REEDLEY. Calif.-Women of the congregation hosted a cooking class Aug. 7. A local chef prepared dishes and women were given the recipes to take home. A family fun night was held July 26 at Camelot Park. Participants were offered a special package which included food and ten tokens for rides including bumper boats and gocarts.

DINUBA, caUt.-Everyone was invited to attend the summer celebrations throughout the month of July. Different activities included family Olympics, movie night, a cake decorating contest, Veggie

Tales night and a swim night.

ULYSSES. Kan. -The congregation hosted a community musical program July 30 at which each church supplied one musical number. The program benefited the Ulysses Ministerial Association's work with indigents and transients.

MOUNTAIN LAKE, Minn.-The congregation hosted a musical program by the Blackwood Brothers Quartet July 24. The group, formed in 1934, sings in a traditional southern style. The concert attracted a large crowd so seating was provided in the sanctuary as well as the dining hall.

BAKERSFIELD. calif. (Laurelglen)-Pastoral staff members Roger Poppen and Ken Cross will lead a trip to Israel Feb. 20-March 1, 2001. The group will visit Mount Carmel, the Sea of Galilee, the Jordan River, Jerusalem and more.

Ministry

HAYS, Kan.-North Oak Community Church will be hosting The MissionariestoAmerica Sept. 12-18. MTA is comprised of 20 individuals from 20 different countries and three sponsors. MTA members are all on staff with Teen Missions International.

WICHITA, Kan.-The congregation will host MBMS International's Team 2000 Sept. 2-25. The team will spend time visiting area churches on Sundays and be involved in mission projects in different settings throughout the week.

BAKERSFIELD. calif. (Heritage Bible)-The congregation held prayer dinners for the month of August. The meal was followed by a devotion and small group prayer time focused on praying for the church and the upcoming school year.

TOPEKA, Kan.-Sixty children attending the summer vacation Bible school July 17-21 collected items for 75 school kits for Mennonite Central Committee. This was more than twice the number the students collected last summer.

NEWS FROM OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES

OTES

Proclamation

HAYS. Kan.-A Saturday night worship service began Sept. 9. The format will be the same as the morning service.

WICHITA, Kan.-Because of the decision to not hold any Sunday School classes in August in order to give teachers a sabbatical, worship services were unique. The kidfriendly worship series revolved around the book of Ruth. Such themes as commitment, diligence, sacrifice, integrity, and how our lives fit into the larger purposes of God were taught. Accompanying the lesson was a supplementary workbook provided by the Kid's Ministry Team created for families to use together throughout the week.

SHAFTER, Calif.-A piano concert was given July 28 by Christopher and Johnathon Smith. Selections included humor, meditation and inspiration as well as the "Mennonite Piano Concerto."

HIUSBORO. Kan. (Ebenteld)Songs led by the youth group worship team and a message from associate pastor Vaughn Jost rounded out Youth Sunday July 16. Students who attended Southern District Conference summer camps gave camp reports.

CORN, Okla.-Mike and Cindy Epp and Ken and Marilyn Fast spoke of their ministry at Pan American Christian Academy, Sao Paulo, Brazil, July 12. Afterwards, refreshments were served.

TeachingINurture

SAN JOSE, calif. (Lincoln Glen)New discipleship ministries were discussed at the annual church meeting in July. Bible study groups focusing on spiritual growth and equipping and supporting church workers will be initiated in fall. In January, a 16-week class for adults that focuses on skills necessary for spiritual growth will begin.

CORN. Okla.-Harold Nickel, Ph.D., conducted a four hour seminar on "Dealing with the Difficult Issues of Daily living" Aug. 6-7. The seminar offered a counseling

model designed to assist those who want to "be truly free in Christ."

Workers

CORDELL, Okla. (Bible)-Leonard Vogt is the interim pastor.

BUHLER, Kan.- Steve Fulmer began serving as the minister of worship Aug. 14. He and his wife LaDonna moved to Buhler in early August.

HARVEY. N.D.- LaRue and Barbara Goetz will serve as interim pastoral couple. Goetz has served as executive director of Steer Inc. for 29 years.

WICHITA, Kan.-Stacey Rhoades was affirmed as the new director of church family ministry July 16.

DELFT, Minn. (carson)-Pete Tschetter began serving as interim pastor in July.

Youth

HILLSBORO. Kan.-Youth pastor Rod Jost and 13 youth group members traveled to Denver for a missions experience with DOOR, an inter-Mennonite inner-city ministry. They were joined by the youth that had come to Denver via the U.S. Conference convention. They reported on their trip Aug. 6 during Youth Sunday.

Deaths

FUNK. LEONARD FRANK. Reedley, Calif., a member of Rosedale Bible Church, Bakersfield, Calif., was born Oct. 19, 1916, to Jacob M. and Sarah Jantzen Funk in Oklahoma, and died May 8, 2000, at the age of 83. On Oct. 19, 1941, he was married to Viola E. Hodel, who predeceased him July 3,1996. He is survived by two sons, Dennis and wife Sharon and Gordan, all of Fresno, Calif.; three daughters, Norma Beck, Sacramento, Calif., Janice and husband Frank Barter. Buena Park, Calif., and Shirley and h\Jsband Daniel Roberts of Fresno; one brother, Walter J. Funk, Oregon, 10 grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

GLANZER, TIMOTHY PAUL, Mendota Heights, Minn., a member of Salem MB Church, Freeman, S.D., was born June 16, 19S0, to Paul and Florence Glanzer at Huron, S.D., and died July 9, 2000. He is survived by three sisters, Esther and husband Jerome Decker of Grand Forks, N.D., Nedine and husband Frank Thera of Mendota Heights, and Sharla and husband Phil Nyvall of Edina, Minn.

HIEBERT, pmR EDGAR, Hillsboro, Kan., a member of Ebenfeld MB Church of Hillsboro, was born March 21, 1913, to Peter P. and Margaret Claassen Hiebert near Hillsboro and died Aug. 10,2000, at the age of 87. On Oct. 21, 1941, he was married to Elma Dirks who predeceased him July 2, 1969. He is survived by one daughter, Arlene Crawford of Topeka, Kan.; two brothers, Otto and Louis, both of Hillsboro; one sister, Lillian Entz of Newton, Kan., two grandchildren and one great granddaughter.

JANZEN. WALTER, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, former MB pastor serving in Manitoba and Ontario and Harvey and Minot, N.D. and on district and provincial boards, was born March 29, 1928, to Henry H. and Catharine Andres Janzen, and died May 15, 2000, at the age of 72. He was married to Edith Neufeld, who survives. He is also survived by three sons, Les and wife Lynda, Richard, and Kenneth and wife Jill; two daughters, Marilyn Cecil-Smith and Barbara JanzenSchmidt and husband Peter

Schmidt, and six grandchildren.

KOEHN, MIKE MURPHY, Fairview, Okla., a member of Fairview MB Church, was born Aug. 9, 1935, to Nat and Linda Koehn near Fairview, and died July 10, 2000, at the age of 64. On Dec. 27, 1958, he was married to Mary Helen, who survives. He is also survived by three daughters, Pam and husband Stuart Keast, Kim and husband Craig Yarbrough, and Shelley and husband Eric Ballard; five brothers, Harold, Lawrence, Claude, Leonard and Martin; two sisters, Rosetta Schmidt and Wilma Ciskowski, and five grandchildren.

KROEKER. MARTHA D•• Reedley, Calif., a member of Reedley MB Church, was born Jan. 21, 1904, to George and Anna Dick at Waldheim, Saskatchewan, Canada, and died July 7, 2000, at the age of 96. She was married to John Kroeker, who predeceased her. She is survived by one sister, Hilda Heinrich, and 37 nieces and nephews.

MAISCH, ESTHER, Visalia, Calif., a member of Neighborhood MB Church, Visalia, was born Sept. 2S, 1908, near Eureka, S.D., and died July 10, 2000, at the age of 91. She was married to Theodore Maisch, who predeceased her. She is survived by three sons, Maurice, Harold and Stanley; two daughters, Ruby Mayer and Goldie Frederick, 12 grandchildren and 21 great grandchildren.

REIMER, DAVID, Reedley, Calif., a member of Parkview MB Church of

Hillsboro, Kan., was born Sept. 19, 1905, at Canton, Kan., to Peter D. and Sarah Unruh Reimer and died Aug. 7, 2000, at the age of 94. On Feb. 9, 1930, he was married to Tena Kliewer who predeceased him Oct. 6, 1983. He is survived by four sons, Donald of Willington, Kan., John of Tecumseh, Kan., James of Hobart, Okla., and Richard of North Platte, Neb.; one daughter, Eva Pauls of Fresno, Calif.; 14 grandchildren, 16 great grandchildren, six step grandchildren and six step great grandchildren.

SCHMIDT, MARVIN, Hutchinson, Kan., a member of Buhler (Kan.) MB Church, was born Feb. 16, 1923, to Albert and Martha Kliewer Schmidt at Cordell, Okla., and died July 29, 2000, at the age of 77. On Aug. 1, 1943. he was married to Tillie Regier, who survives. He is also survived by one daughter Sherylene and sonin-law Jerry Groening, seven sisters, six brothers-in-law, and three grandchildren.

SCHULTZ. ANNA LOUISE, Reedley, Calif., a member of North Enid Mennonite Church, Enid, Okla., was born Aug. 15, 1910, to Gerhardt G. and Eva Huebert Toews at Henderson, Neb., and died July 25, 2000, at

the age of 89. On June 25, 1948, she was married to Albert J. Schultz, who predeceased her. She is survived by one brother, Melvin Toews and wife Esther, San Jose, Calif., and one sister, Mary Brandt Braun, Reedley.

THIESSEN. FRANK. Inman, Kan., was born April 28, 1928, to Jacob C. and Lizzie Pauls Thiessen near Buhler, Kan., and died July 26, 2000, at the age of 72. In June 1949, he was married to Darlene Schmidt, who survives. He is also survived by four sons, Duane and wife Lynn of Springfield, Va., Stan and wife Jolene of Hillsboro, Kan., Gary and wife Dandy of Holton, Kan., and Myron and wife Ellenel of Baton Rouge, La.; and nine grandchildren.

THIESSEN, ROSEMARY. Peabody, Kan., a member of Parkview MB Church of Hillsboro, Kan., was born Nov. 6, 1947, in Hillsboro to Jake and Mary Warkentin Thiessen and died Aug. 11, 2000, at the age of 52. She is survived by her daughter, Bridget of Hillsboro; her mother; two brothers, Jim and wife Joyce and Linden and wife Doreen, all of Hillsboro; and one sister, Enid and husband Jerry Cady of Marion, Kan .•

CORRECTION: The obituary notice for Ruben Ollenburger printed in the July issue incorrectly listed his survivors. His survivors indude his wife June; two sons Jaryle and wife Jan of Hesston. Kan •• and Royce of Buhler, Kan.; one daughter Charlene and husband Lou Lingo of Santa Paula, Calif.; two brothers, Clarence of Fresno. Calif•• and Elden of San Jose, Calif.• five grandchildren and one great grandchild.

Clearinghouse

EMPLOYMENT--CHURCH

Children's Minstry Leader/ Child care Center Director

Belleview Acres, a vibrant and growing church in Littleton, Colo., is seeking a Children's Ministry LeaderlChild 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.

EMPLOYMENT--CONFERENCE

Stewardship/Planned Giving Advisor

The Mennonite Brethren Foundation is accepting applications for a stewardship/planning advisor. This full-time position is responsible for

When first published in 1976, Morewith-Less Cookbook by Doris Janzen Longacre struck a nerve with its call for every household to help solve the world food crisis. Now with more than 800,000 copies around the globe, it has become the favorite cookbook of many families. Full of recipes from hundreds of contributors, More-with-Less Cookbook offers suggestions "on how to eat better and consume less of the world's limited food resources."

This 25th-anniversary edition features a new foreword along with the original collection of recipes-spiced with anecdotes, comments, and tips gleaned from 25 years of cooking More-with- Less.

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, demonstrated 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.

Full-time faculty

Fresno Pacific College, the undergraduate school of the University, seeks full-time faculty for the following areas; Biology, Literature/Critical Theory, Composition and Rhetorical Studies, and Theater/Performance. Positions begin August 2001. General FPU required qualifications include; Christian commitment and lifestyle consistent with the college goals, doctorate or nearly completed doctorate in an appropriate field, and demonstrated college level teaching ability and ability to work harmoniously with students and faculty in a liberal arts environment. Send a letter of application to Dr. Howard Loewen, Provost, Fresno Pacific University, 1717 S. Chestnut, Fresno, CA 93702, phone (559) 453-2023, fax (559) 453-5502. Applications will be reviewed beginning September 15, 2000 and the appointment will be made as soon thereafter as a suitable candidate is secured. Fresno Pacific University, in its hiring practices, does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnic or social background, sex, age, or physical handicap. Women and members of minority groups are especially encouraged to apply. Full descriptions and required qualifications pertaining to the individual positions are available at the FPU Website a www.fresno.edu and also at the CCCU Website at www.cccu.org.

ANNOUNCEMENT-MCC AUCTION

Rocky Mountain Mennonite Relief Sale & Auction

The Rocky Mountain Mennonite Relief Sale and Auction will be held Saturday, October 21 at the Arkansas Valley Fairgrounds in Rocky Ford, Colo. The event will include hundreds of quality auction items, dozens of booths, handmade quilts and good food. Activities include 5K run/walk, auctions, music program and more. A restored 1938 John Deere A tractor and treadle Singer sewing machine will be auctioned. All proceeds go directly to meet human needs throughout the world through the work of Mennonite Central Committee. For more information, please call (719) 384-7914 or (719) 384-6620.

Turning a corner

Iguess you could call it a kind of epiphany. I was driving around in town about a week after returning from the national convention of U.S. Mennonite Brethren churches. As I wound through neighborhood streets, it dawned on me that I had turned a corner in my life. Sometime back-I really can't tell you exactly when-Jesus and his people became my people.

Then my palms grew clammy on the steering wheel. While I've known for some time that I'd made that change in my life, I hadn't really been aware of something else-turning that corner was somewhat unnerving and not just a little frightening.

[VB BEEN A CHRISTIAN most of my life. I accepted Jesus as my savior when I was a child and was baptized at 19 when I rededicated my life to him. Though I've struggled over the years-sometimes harder than others-I've generally remained committed to the church, in love with God and continued to seek his will to my life.

But over the last decade or so, some things changed. My faith has ceased to be primarily a personal quest and started to become a quest shared with others. My faith has begun to turn from an inward focus to an outward focus. God's people became my people.

Who are these people?

They are my church. Since choosing to see my church not as place to be served but rather a place to serve, I have received a great deal more than I give. As I work side-by-side with this new family, I am humbled by the power of God's work in individual lives. Their testimonies often make me realize how far I've come and how far I have yet to go.

This family extends to a network of MB churches across the U.S. Through them I've learned the power of God's work in a corporate body. A pastor in North Carolina, schoolteachers in south Texas, farmers in Nebraska, church planters in Utah, Ethiopian immigrants in Washington, college students in Central CalifOrnia-when all of us work together we can do so mucfi more than as individuals or a single church.

And then there are my MB brothers and sisters around the world. Oh, what we can learn from their faith and endurance for the gospel. In spite of having to flee their homes because of wars- and violence, these men and women continue to fervently preach the gospel and minister to their communities.

This international family easily crosses denominational and lines to include all Christians. From close friends in Sacramento who are members of an Assembly of God church to Wycliffe missionaries in South America that I only read about-we walk hand-in-hand in the family of God.

But God's family extends beyond those who know him. God's heart is aching for the lost. So they have become my

people too-and perhaps this has made the biggest difference in my life. It is my walk with them that has brought the greatest pain but also the greatest joy.

Making God's people my people is exhilarating and exciting. It deepens both the purpose and meaning of my life.

So why were my fingers clamping down on the steering wheel?

It's rather selfish, really. Life isn't necessarily easier now that I've turned this corner. In fact, life is somewhat harder, and I experience moments of cold fear. You see, making God's people my people gives me more opportunity to fall short. I make a lot of mistakes-more now than ever. I fail more because there is more at which to fail. I am more aware of my inadequacies and foibles because I have more opportunity to reveal them. I say the wrong thing. I do the wrong thing. I hurt people. I let people hurt me. I watch people hurt each other. For a perfectionist like me, those are hard things to swallow.

But that's part of the territory if God's people are to be my people. I'm still flesh and blood, and the flesh is weak. Yet God demands that we try harder than ever to love each other in spite of our failures, in spite of our constant tendency to take control rather than let God be who he is. That's tough, and many of us-myself included-would rather live simpler, less humbling lives.

But there really is no turning back. God has changed my heart. He is molding it into his own heart. I am seeing the world through his eyes. God has become the touchstone and center. I experience incredible and unexplainable joy and fulfillment as well as sorrow and pain as I walk with both fellow Christians and those who do not know God.

It's probably not a coincidence that my personal epiphany occurred so close to the national MB convention. pur national MB family is turning its own corner of sorts. As part of that family, it's my corner too.

We are taking on more responsibility. We are embracing more ministries. We are planting more churches. We are trying to strengthen and grow existing ministries. As we turn this corner, our chance for failure rises because there will be more things to fail. That scares me.

But these ministries are not intangible or disconnected bodies. These ministries are made up of those schoolteachers from Texas and college students in Central California, the farmers from Nebraska and Ethiopian immigrants in Washington. They are my people. They are your people.

I am excited about our future. I am exhilarated by the opportunity to be a part of a people who are stepping out on what they hear God telling them. Oh, I'm scared too. But, as I discovered in the car that day, that's part of the territory when I make God's people my people.--CA