Panorama Spring 2013

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Celebrating with the people and congregations of Pacific Southwest Mennonite Conference s p r i n g 20 13

A leap of faith

Conference takes a bold step by unearthing ‘buried talents’ to invest in future vitality

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ongregational representatives meeting in Pasadena in February strongly affirmed a proposal to draw from the Pacific Southwest Mennonite Conference rainy day accounts for the next three years to build a more robust structure with a “fully functioning staff” –– including a minister of mission, a youth ministry liaison and a secretary –– as well as designate $100,000 to church planting grants and $65,000 to a seed fund for an envisioned Los Angeles Anbaptist Center.

In what one delegate compared to the parable of the talents – “you’re not supposed to bury them in the ground” –– PSMC has been sitting for years on more than $500,000 in reserve funds, much of it proceeds from the sale of church properties and accumulated interest that were turned over to the conference.

Over the past year, the conference board has been reviewing its priorities and advancement goals. Together with a gathering of leaders and stakeholders, it took a closer look at the reserve funds and how they could be used effectively to better support the three main conference priorities: healthy churches, effective leadership, missional focus.

“The way we’ve functioned in the past is on a shoestring,” said moderator Brian Fry, adding that congregational giving in recent years has been inadequate to meet needs. “We’ve found it difficult to even support the cost of a full-time conference minister, so our budgets –– and messages to you –– have been that if we can fill this position, that’s all we need.

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Building connections in youth ministry

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SMC has a new youth minister! John Murray, a part-time youth pastor at Trinity Mennonite Church in Glendale, Ariz., has accepted a new quarter-time position as conference youth ministry liaison and will provide leadership for PSMC youth activities, resources and training for youth leaders in congregations, and help strengthen relationships among PSMC, the national denomination and the Youth Ministry Council.

“My biggest hopes for this position, and for the conference as a result, is a broader connectedness in all the work we’re doing,” says Murray, who sees great potential in youth leaders in various congregations working together, sharing resources and tapping into a wider network.

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On the road to Phoenix 2013: It’s not too late to sign up

What a 1st century apostle can teach the multicultural church

From Semarang to Fresno, it’s all ‘mission possible’

Seeking the peace of the city with a gun buyback program

Peace Center launches into action

A leap of faith:

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PSMC invests its ‘buried talents’

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Panorama is a publication of Pacific Southwest Mennonite Conference, which unites and serves congregations across Arizona, California and Nevada.

Does your congregation get short shrift in Panorama?

Help get the word out about what’s going on in your neck of the Pacific Southwest by adding Panorama to your email announcements or newsletters list, or by letting us know about your Facebook page.

Short articles, announcements and photographs are also always welcome.

Write to the editor, Doreen Martens, at: dmartens@ pathcom.com (905) 829-9640

Continued from page 1 “We’re not doing everything we can and should do under that model, so what we want to convey to you is what we believe would be a ‘fully functioning’ staff.”

At the time of the assembly, the staff consisted of a half-time conference minister and half-time lead elder (with Dick Davis filling both functions), a quarter-time administrator and a contract bookeeper.

Adding a half-time minister of mission focused on church planting and other missional activities would carry the work already being done on a volunteer basis a step further. A youth ministry liaison would provide support for youth work in congregations and bring youth together regionally. And a quarter-time secretary would provide much-needed office support.

About $160,000 of the funds will be kept as reserves, but the rest put to work as “an investment in mission to further the conference priorities,” in faith that as relationships are strengthened and membership grows, giving and support will also expand to make the new staff configuration sustainable over the long term.

Gathering in small groups in a “bench banter” session, delegates reacted cautiously but positively to the proposal.

David Augsburger of Peace Fellowship pointed out that investing in maintenance is important, recalling a Fuller Seminary president who was fond of pointing out that in the story about the men who lowered a lame man down to Jesus through the ceiling, “nobody cared about the roof.

And I’m here to talk to you about paying for the tiles.”

There were questions about how a youth minister would intersect with local youth activities, and suggestions that perhaps the “mission minister” would be more aptly dubbed a “minister of relationships” to reflect the importance of folks in the pews having a personal connection with what’s happening in the broader church.

Some suggested tweaking the plan a little, perhaps by using some of the designated grant funding not for new church plants, but to help struggling immigrant churches with tentmaker pastors become stronger and eventually birth daughter churches. “Once the church is established they will be able to support PSMC properly,” suggested Helen Mfwilwakanda, of Wholicare Community Missionary Church.

Satisfied the plan meets with broad approval, the board plans to put the question formally to delegates at a truncated summer assembly July 1, just prior to the national convention at Phoenix 2013.

On the road to Phoenix 2013!

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t’s not too late. You don’t want to miss out on your best opportunity ever to attend a Mennonite Church USA assembly, close to home. All members of Mennonite churches are welcome to attend the adult, high school, junior youth or children’s conventions in Phoenix, July 1-6, on the theme of “Citizens of God’s Kingdom: Healed in Hope.

Learn all you need to know by visiting convention. mennoniteusa.org, including speakers, activities, seminars, special events, costs and lodging, and much more.

You can even register online.

The adult sessions will focus on how we can better discern together what the scriptures are saying and what God is calling us to do in response. Various passages will be studied first in “table groups” and then in plenary sessions. We will learn about biblical/communal discernment in a general sense and then explore new and deeper ways to discern God’s will together on the matter of immigration – an issue that touches all of us and has deeply divided Americans.

Delegates will also learn about the goals already achieved in MC USA’s Purposeful Plan and help discern the priorities to which God is calling the church in the future.

And there’s lots more: Join the “travelling choir,” or participate in a learning tour to the border; take part in a Friday night prayer walk through places of hope and suffering in downtown Phoenix; and get set for a whole block of special “learning experiences” on the topics of immigration, peacebuilding, justice work and anti-racism that may include everything from salsa dancing to a cross-cultural simulation game.

And if that gets a little too heavy, there are fun events as well: you can choose from various sightseeing excursions, make a visit to Wet N Wild outdoor water park, enjoy the Wednesday Night Gospel Extravaganza or indulge your funny bone at Improv Comedy Night. There’s a special Urban Youth Gathering featuring Christian hip hop artist Sean Slaughter.

You may register for the convention right up until it begins, but the last date for early registration rates ($199 for the adult convention), is April 25.

If you’ve already signed up as a delegate or attendee, be sure to prepare for the convention through updates in the new Resource Center on the MCUSA website under “Preparing for Phoenix 2013”. You’ll find it at mennoniteusa.org/resource-center.

‘Youth ministry is always changing, always dynamic’

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John Murray on his new role as youth ministry liaison Continued from page 1 “There’s also potential for youth ministry to happen in a lot of places where it just hasn’t been possible, for lack of resources and lack of direction,” he said.

Murray supervises the junior and senior high ministries at Trinity. He is a graduate of Hesston College, where he majored in youth ministry and minored in music. He’s also pursuing a bachelor of arts degree from Prescott College with a focus on cultural studies.

The job description suggests a broad set of responsibilities, from organizing regional youth group gatherings and offering training sessions for congregational youth leaders, to organizing youth retreats or camping experiences and service opportunities, and generally advocating in congregations for youth and the “hopes, concerns and needs of youth.”

Murray expects the biggest components of his work to be linking existing youth ministries, working with regional groups of youth leaders and individuals to provide resources, and perhaps doing a bit of training.

“Sometimes, it’s just: ‘Hey, we’ve got a couple of kids and willing volunteers, but we don’t know where to go for this kind of resource.’” n his three years in youth ministry in Glendale, Ariz., at IArizona Trinity, Murray has connected with youth leaders in through the local Combined Youth Fellowship, as well as others, such as the youth leaders at Pasadena Mennonite and Maranatha Christian Fellowship in California, with whom he will be working at Camp Keola this summer. He’s noted a strong desire among youth workers to bring their junior and senior high kids together in regional gatherings, like the Southern California interchurch HYPE events that were pioneered by Rebekka Stutzman at Maranatha, in Northridge.

With only a quarter-time position, Murray won’t be able to travel a great deal, but he hopes to help equip regional groups to put together events, and to see events like HYPE happening all over.

“With the groundwork Rebekka laid, hopefully we can continue to spring off of that and develop that to create similar events, relative to the region, in other places, and use our (regional) interconnectedness and bring it to the conference level.”

Every youth ministry is different, he notes. In fact, “in youth ministry, especially if you’re talking about high school, every four years it’s a completely new group. Let alone the yearly exchange –– with youth, personalities are developing so (the members) are very close to new people every year. Youth ministry is always changing, it’s always dynamic.”

Working interculturally is also an exciting challenge, he says. “Personally, I have a passion for opening people up to having those different experiences, and opening up our world view. In a ministry perspective, what better way to break down barriers at a young age, rather than having to talk about that later?”

As a very diverse conference, PSMC offers an “amaz-

Did you know?

A youth group at Maranatha Christian Fellowship.

ing opportunity to be leaders, to take advantage of those opportunities,” he said. urray’s appointment marks a big step forward for M PSMC, which has not had a paid youth minister before. Stutzman, the former youth pastor at Maranatha, carried the liaison role as a volunteer for several years.

Before leaving for a new mission assignment with a church in Germany last year, she offered an impassioned plea to delegates at the 2012 summer assembly to make raising up the next generation of followers of Jesus a priority in their congregations.

Creating an official youth ministry position was one of the intitiatives approved by delegates at the February assembly in Pasadena. It’s hoped this and the other new roles will become sustainable long-term as the conference grows and the value of these initiatives is recognized by way of congregational giving.

Murray says his first challenge is to compile contact information on who’s already involved in youth ministry across the conference. He’s encouraging youth leaders to send him an email at johnmurray@pacificsouthwest. org, with information about their location, church and youth group.

And there’s a first big event already in the works, designed for youth groups who are heading for the Youth Assembly in Phoenix in July. On the Sunday evening just before the convention begins, youth from across PSMC and select groups from other parts of the country are invited to a rally at Trinity Mennonite that will include a concert by the convention youth band, connection-building fun and input from leaders that will prime the pump for the themes they’ll be talking about all week.

The whole group will enjoy a sleepover at the church before heading out to community service projects in the morning –– after which they’ll head to their hotels.

“I’m really excited about this,” Murray says of the new job. “I think if we can get connections going and work together on it, we can get some exciting things going here in the Southwest.”

The world Anabaptist family now numbers more than 1.7 million baptized believers, in 243 national conferences of churches, in 83 countries.

By region, the totals are: • Africa 38.3% • Asia/Pacific 17.8% • Europe 3.6% • Latin America and Caribbean 10.5% • North America 29.8% Of the total membership, more than 72% are affiliated with Mennonite World Conference.

You can access these and many other interesting facts and figures at MWC’s World Directory, online at mwc-cmm.org/ article/world-directory

Becoming ‘interculturally competent’

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1st century lessons for a 21st century church

‘When missionar-

ies first came to this country, they did not see that God was already here. The indigenous people were already praying to the Great Spirit, the Creator; many of their beliefs were already aligned with the way of Jesus.

The fact is, the Christian church could have learned some deeper spiritual truths from indigenous

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people.

Participants hailing from Congo, Switzerland and California take part in a “bench banter” discussion during the February PSMC assembly, a group unique for the fact it held the discussion largely in French.

Opposite page: another mutlicultural discussion group.

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eing the church in an increasingly diverse society isn’t easy,” says Iris de Léon-Hartshorn, Mennonite Church USA’s Director for Transformative Peacemaking. “We can learn from each other if we do not judge, but demonstrate love by forming authentic relationships with people who are different from us, even within our own group and tribe,” she told delegates at the February assembly in a keynote address.

She may have been preaching to the converted in the Pacific Southwest conference, which has been actively grappling with diversity since its founding. But as de Léon-Hartshorn pointed out, becoming comfortable with diversity takes a lot more than appreciating one another’s food and music. It means acquiring a whole new set of deep skills which she sums up as “intercultural competence.”

Many communities of color, she points out, are bicultural – to survive in the United States, they must become competent in understanding and navigating the dominant culture as well as their own. Those who were born into the dominant culture don’t feel that pressure and may not even understand the gap that exists.

De Léon-Hartshorn pointed to Paul’s encounter with philosophers on Mars Hill, recorded in Acts 17, as an example of what it means to share the gospel with intercultural competence. To a crowd that expected philosophical debate and intellectual reasoning, Paul spoke in a

different way than he would in a synagogue, and in a way that reflected his understanding of the dominant philosophies of the Greek culture at the time. He complimented them on a positive aspect of their culture, then stood by a statue to an “unknown god” and shared with them the gospel. Some wanted to know more; others did not; but Paul did not judge them and left the door open to dialogue. Paul understood and respected valuable elements of the culture to which he was speaking and was able to find a point of entry there to present the gospel, de LéonHartshorn pointed out.

She drew a sharp contrast with how European Christians dismissed what was positive in Native American culture and often ruthlessly worked to destroy it, to their own great loss.

“When missionaries first came to this country, they did not see that God was already here. The indigenous people were already praying to the Great Spirit, the Creator; many of their beliefs were already aligned with the way of Jesus. The fact is, the Christian church could have learned some deeper spiritual truths from indigenous people, in particular their understanding of Creation and our interconnectedness, and their ideas about restorative justice.”

Authorities often insisted on cutting the hair of boys and men, disregarding the fact that long hair was seen as a sign of spirituality, and that to cut it was a sign of mourning. “These were not acts of being uncivilized, but symbols that had spiritual meaning to them,” she said.

“Intercultural competency and our understanding of power and privilege is a must if we are to be an effective church.”

Becoming “interculturally competent” is difficult and takes practice and mistakes. It’s not the objective things like food or clothing that matter, “But the subjective things like values, roles, religious practices, expectations, work ethics, myths,” de Léon-Hartshorn said.

“We must also accept other cultures without judgment.

This does not mean you agree with everything, but you recognize that all people and cultures are created by God. You must be able to see God at work within other cultures. You have to allow cultures to decide for themselves what Christianity looks like within their culture. You need to learn the truths that God has about other cultures that we need to learn.

“In a nutshell, it’s the ability to see what we hold in common; the acceptance of differences, and the ability to adapt to differences in ways that are loving and compassionate.”

Too often, de Léon-Hartshorn said, we haven’t taken the time to understand the really important things about each other, yet are ready to make judgments.

“The church is called to be a different paradigm, but we’ve often fallen into the footsteps of the world. We must work at authentic relationships, encounter God in our relationships, be open to learning about other cultures and stop being judgmental. The church I know is a church of unconditional love and grace ––

Mission possible

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Members of Family Mennonite, a largely Belizean church in Los Angeles, lead singing at the assembly. why wouldn’t we want to share what the Creator has shared with us when we encounter the “other”?”

Mennonite Church USA is working at helping churches and conferences become more “interculturally competent,” in part through creating an “intercultural development inventory.” It’s a profile that can be done by a group or even an individual that will reveal the level of your current intercultural skills, on a continuum from a “monocultural mindset” that denies or avoids differences, to an “intercultural mindset” that shifts thinking and behavior to bridge the differences.

“Sometimes,” de Léon-Hartshorn said, “people are shocked because they tend to think they’re futher along the continuum than they really are.”

But she’s excited about the inventory because it’s not simply “critical,” but rather hopeful and developmental: it makes it possible to identify and learn the skills you need to build to move farther along.

“The biggest challenge is how we adapt to differences, because adapting means changing. We can’t stay where we are. ... To change from something we know to something we’re not sure what it is, is hard,” she said, giving the example of how it took months to deal with a particular MC USA money issue when dealing with a variety of groups – Indonesian, Chinese, African-American, Latino – because each had a different way of making decisions.

Being interculturally competent, she said, means you “automatically start thinking: What culture am I entering into? What does that mean, and how should I adapt to that?”

t may be a small and fluid group, but if you want to find the beating pulse of PSMC churches and cuttingedge missional work, there’s no better place than a meeting of the Conference Mission Team.

At its February gathering held in conjunction with the assembly in Pasadena, the group met in a vast downtown church building that is home to, among other congregations, one of PSMC’s newest members: Wholicare Community Missionary Church. Pastor Jules Massamba and trustee Simon Roger shared some of the history of the congregation, which was founded in 1993 by Congolese immigrants. Wholicare’s members hope to find a larger space of their own to expand their ministry to underprivileged children and do more cross-cultural education and counseling with families –– both of which are difficult with the limited time they have to use their rented space.

The group heard about plans to update the CMT’s document on church planting to expand its scope to fit with current projects of various churches, and continued talking about creating a youth service experience in the greater L.A. area that fits the multicultural, racially diverse realities of Southern California a little better than traditional Mennonite Voluntary Service.

Clare Ann Ruth-Heffelbower shared the amazing story of COSA –– Circles of Support and Accountability –– which employs volunteer groups who, through friendship and monitoring, help sexual offenders avoid repeating their crimes after release from prison.

Though the original government grants have run out, the project continues to run on a shoestring and has expanded to include regular community dinners that draw church people into the support network. (Read more about COSA’s work in the next issue of Panorama).

Ami Dieye of Mennonite Central Committee introduced a proposal to fund a PSMC young adult to participate in the GAP Institute program in June, in the Arizona learning track about border issues. The young person would then be employed by MCC for the rest of the summer, learning about immigration issues and speaking in churches to raise awareness of the challenges facing new immigrants, including undocumented people.

Conference minister Dick Davis also noted the work done by Pastor Sunoko Lin and his Maranatha congregation, which will be leading an orientation for young people going to Semarang and Salatiga, Indonesia, this fall as part of the Radical Journey, a Mennonite Mission Network one-year program in cross-cultural learning and service for young adults.

The next CMT meeting –– open to anyone interested –– is scheduled for Aug. 10, in Southern California. For more details, contact Pastor Steve Penner at stephenjamespenner@gmail.com .

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PSMC heads to Phoenix Pacific Southwest Mennonite Conference usually holds its annual summer assembly on the third weekend of June. This year, because the national denomination is holding its convention in our own backyard (Phoenix) in early July, delegates at the February assembly approved combining the two events.

PSMC will convene for just a three-hour session on Monday, July 1, in Phoenix to take care of business issues, to allow participants to enjoy all the other opportunities the convention offers.

Not sure how best to get there? Convention organizers are considering chartering buses to make travel easier for West Coast folk, at a cost of about $25 per person. Buses would pick up in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Email PSMC administrator agneschigoji@ pacificsouthwest.org if you or your church are interested in this travel option.

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What’s the scoop?

People and events

improved refugee protections and the need to review international economic policies to address the root causes of unauthorized immigration.

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PSMC Moderator Brian Fry speaks at the February assembly, where delegates approved in principle a plan to dedicate portions of the conference’s reserve accounts to creating a “fully functioning staff,” church planting grants and seed money for an L.A. Anabaptist Center.

hat to do with all those 1.5-generation kids?

It’s a common problem among multi-ethnic or immigrant churches –– a frustrating cultural gap between first-generation newcomer parents and their Americanized children. Those so-called “1.5 generation” teens feel neither fully Nigerian/Indonesian/ Mexican/Belizean/Korean –– nor completely American, either.

How can our churches better promote conversation, respect, and deeper love among the generations and make the church a place where people of all ages find a place to belong?

Pastors, youth leaders, parents and youth, Grade 9 and up, are invited to explore ways to bridge the gap by attending a 1.5 ReconGeneration Table Talk event being organized by ReconciliAsian, the new Peace Center being developed by PSMC pastor couple Hyun Hur and Sue Park Hur. The Saturday morning (10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.) event will take place May 11 at Pasadena Mennonite Church.

The goal is to come together and share each other’s stories of understanding our identity in America, and our identity as Mennonites of color. What are the obstacles we face as immigrants? What is our shared hope? How can we move together as God’s family and church?

Please RSVP to sueparkhur@gmail.com or dickdavis@pacificsouthwest.org. hristian leaders representing the breadth of Christian C denominations in the United States issued a strong, urgent call for fundamental immigration reform at their Jan. 29-Feb. 1 gathering in Austin, Texas. The diverse Christian Churches Together organization includes Mennonite Church USA as well as leadership from Catholic, Evangelical, Pentecostal, Protestant, Orthodox and historic black churches. Participants agreed on basic principles for immigration reform: an earned path to citizenship, priority of family reunification, protecting due process for immigrants and the integrity of U.S. borders,

Conference Minister Dick Davis invites prayers at a time of blessing for newly licensed or ordained leaders at the February assembly: From left, Davis; Gordon Smith, an ordained pastor from Western District now serving as senior pastor at Mennonite Community in Fresno; Tina Schlabach of Tucson, an ordained pastor originally from Indiana-Michigan conference now licensed by PSMC; Pastor Femi Fatunmbi, who heads the Pastoral Leadership Committee; Glory Bautista of Pasadena Mennonite, licensed toward ordination as a chaplain; and Pastor Joe Roos, also part of the PLC. Jonah and Mimi Yang (not pictured) were also introduced as the leaders of the New Hope Hmong congregation in Fresno; Jonah is approved for ordination and Mimi is already licensed.

Pablo Kim, the trilingual new pastor of Church for Others in Temple City, Calif., was born in Korea, educated in Paraguay, and has been licensed toward ordination.

Recent GAP participants now a young person in your church 18 or older (high K school and college) with leadership potential? GAP presents a great opportunity.

GAP stands for Global Anabaptist Peacebuilders, and it’s an opportunity for young Christian leaders from across the country to participate in a summer of active learning about the complex issues of relief, development and peace in the name of Christ. The GAP Institute, on the campus of Fresno Pacific University, offers a selections of courses “designed to challenge, excite, and stretch minds through classes, field trips and activities.” There are both on-site courses (in Fresno) and off-site courses.

On-site courses for the week of June 13-21 include: Care for Creation: through field trips and hands-on experience, students will study complex issues in sustainability, gaining a broader understanding of global environmental issues.

Migration and Resettlement: learn about the diverse people groups in the Central Valley through their migration history, culture and theology.

Food Security: students will be exposed to our food systems, through agricultural practices and issues, concepts of sustainability and other current justice issues from a biblical standpoint.

Restorative Justice: students will be introduced to the concept and principles of restorative justice – including its

historical and theological roots – through practical application in local communities.

Advocacy (for returning students): young people will learn how to be agents of change, advocating for justice with local and state lawmakers.

Even more exciting are the off-site programs, which include: Peacebuilding on the Arizona/Mexico border (issues experienced by borderland communities) Disaster Relief with Mennonite Disaster Service (onsite work and theological reflections on restoring lives affected by disaster) The cost for members of Anabaptist churches is half price –– $500 –– and scholarships are available to disadvantaged members of PSMC churches who might not otherwise be able to afford to participate. For more information, visit westcoast.mcc.org/gap-institute. mong Mennonites in North America have been H building relationships with church leaders in Thailand for more than 15 years in hopes of establishing an Anabaptist presence there, a work that began with Pastor Shoua Moua of Fresno. Through his visits, three Hmong pastors from Thailand eventually came to the U.S. to pastor Hmong Mennonite churches, but in 2010 there was a breakdown in the relationship between Hmong Mennonite Churches Mission, the Thai churches and Mennonite Mission Network. In November 2012, a North American delegation of several pastors, including Pastor Jonah Yang of the new Fresno Hmong congregation, New Hope, met with about 15 church leaders in Thailand. They studied Anabaptist history and theology together with an emphasis on the ministry of reconciliation and what that might look like for Thai Christians.

And they listened to the vision that the Thai Hmong churches have for supporting their congregations and future church plants. The group was able to talk about their misunderstanding and seek forgiveness from one another –– and to commit themselves to continued dialogue and partnership in ministry. (From an article in The Mennonite.) ike hundreds of congregations around the United L States, Pasadena Mennonite held a “Preach-In on Global Warming” in February, sponsored by Interfaith Power & Light. The Adult Education time was devoted to viewing and discussing Hungry Tide, a documentary about the Pacific nation of Kirabati, whose very existence is threatened by rising sea levels. During worship, the congregation heard from several people about global warming and ways we can respond as people of faith.

The church’s involvement in the “preach-in” drew the interest of filmmakers at Green Planet Productions, who asked to film part of the morning for a documentary on the future of energy, which will show how important faith groups are to the environmental movement. rinity Mennonite Church in Glendale, Ariz., will T host a four-day STAR (Strategies for Trauma Awareness and Resilience) training event from June 2529, just before the start of Phoenix 2013, the convention of Mennonite Church USA. STAR training, based on a model developed by the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding at Eastern Mennonite University, is designed to empower leaders, professionals, caregivers

and lay people to promote healing, build resilience, address trauma and stop cycles of victimhood and violence in traumatized communities and individuals. The inter-faith program draws on trauma healing research from the fields of neuropsychology, restorative justice, conflict transformation, peacebuilding and faith. Alumni include 2011 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Leymah Gbowee and the recently elected president of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mahamud. STAR training is sponsored by the Minnesota Peacebuilding Leadership Institute. For more information about STAR, visit www.starphx. eventbrite.com he April 5-6 West Coast MCC Sale raised about T $203,000 for the work of Mennonite Central Committee. Among the local entertainment was guitarist Chris Janzen of Mennonite Community Church, whose Menno Power Trio with saxophonist Curtis Buettner and drummer Mitch Ross performed on the Fresno Pacific University campus. undraising events are not only fun, often they reflect F the unique communities who dream them up. Here’s a couple we heard about over the past couple of months: • Mennonite Community Church in Fresno has a very active youth program that has been working hard at raising money to attend the Youth Assembly. Among their events was a zwiebach sale (double buns popular among Mennonites of Dutch-German-Russian background), which doubled as an opportunity for older members to teach the young a new skill.

• Miracle of Faith Mennonite Church in Los Angeles held a dinner fundraiser, selling full meals including dishes favored by the church’s many members of Belizean origin. The Dukunu Dinner, for example, featured stewed chicken, beans, potato salad and three dukunus (a kind of tamale that typically includes sweet corn and coconut, wrapped in banana leaf) and, to top it off, coconut tarts.

The Oxtail Dinner included oxtail, rice and beans, salad, plantains and coconut tarts.

If you or your youth group have enjoyed some unique fundraisers, please share your ideas with other congregations. Write a note (and better yet, send a picture!) to panorama@pacificsouthwest.org.

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May 11 ReconGeneration 1.5 Table Talk for immigrant churches at Pasadena Mennonite Church May 17-18 Southern California Festival & Sale (MCC) Upland June 13-21 Global Anabaptist Peacebuilders Institute Fresno Pacific U. June 30 PSMC All-Youth Event Trinity Mennonite Glendale AZ July 1 PSMC Summer Assembly Phoenix July 1-6 ‘Citizens of God’s Kingdom’ Mennonite Church USA Convention, Phoenix

Left, Mary Koop, 90, of Mennonite Community in Fresno, shows young people how to shape zwiebach. The church youth group made and sold a whopping 40 dozen of the buns to help fund their trip to Phoenix 2013.

Above, a mouth-watering dinner with plantains as served up at Miracle of Faith Mennonite Church.

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The Palm Sunday Peace Parade makes its way through Pasadena on March 24.

Photos by Tim Nafziger

Seeking the peace of the city

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he Iraq War may be over at last, but the Christian peacemaking movement it spawned in Pasadena marches on stronger than ever.

The annual Palm Sunday Peace Parade – a public witness originally organized by Bert Newton and other members of Pasadena Mennonite Church that now draws Christians from across the city – turned its focus on “turning swords into plowshares” a little closer to home this year.

In the wake of recent mass shootings in the United States, including the Newtown massacre of children, peace parade organizers prayerfully took on a new initiative: Persuading the city to offer a gun buyback program.

Their hope was that churches and other donors would fund the purchase of gift cards that could be given to people in trade for weapons they were prepared to give up.

They hoped the guns turned in, under police auspices, could then be melted down and refashioned into a public artwork displaying God’s intent for peace on earth.

The response went beyond their wildest hopes.

One February morning, expecting to meet with the city manager about their idea, co-organizers Jill Shook and Melissa Hofstetter had rallied supporters, including Pasadena Mennonite Pastor Joe Roos and moderator Thea DeGroot, to join them.

To their surprise, the little group unexpectedly found Police Chief Phillip Sanchez joining the meeting – and expressing support for the initiative.

“I’m in shock at the pace of God at work today,” Hofstetter wrote in an email to the congregation about their meeting with the city’s public safety council later

that day.

“Both Jill ... and I had our hands on our purses, ready to leave city hall quietly after a long and informative session on public safety (with timely themes raised such as "violence as a contagious illness"), when the chief of police unexpectedly stood up and specifically addressed the issue of the buyback to the committee –– a polished presentation which he had apparently crafted after our morning meeting. It wasn't even on the agenda.”

The committee talked extensively about the idea, with members commenting that Pasadena didn’t “want to get left behind” on a movement to curb gun violence and expressing faith that funding could be found.

“The city manager who was at the morning meeting had heard well our Christian vision for the event, and the centrality of the Christian message was referenced during tonight's session,” Hofstetter wrote, adding: “Jill and I looked at each other with wide eyes on several occasions.”

A formal proposal was approved in mid-March for a buyback day on May 11. People who turn in their guns will receive $50 gift certificates for non-working firearms; $100 for handguns, rifles or shotguns; and $200 for military-style assault weapons.

The group’s effort did not go unnoticed.

In the weeks since, the peace parade, the gun buyback and Pasadena Mennonite itself have been the subject of several positive news stories in the press, in a city that has suffered its own share of gunfire tragedies.

“There was consensus that we had to expand our vision from fighting against war and begin to address gun violence after the Sandy Hook shootings and what was going on locally. We had just had those murders on Christmas,” Shook told Joe Piasecki of the Los Angeles Times, recalling a Dec. 25 shooting death and a subsequent police chase that ended in a car crash and two more deaths –– followed by a series of other violent crimes.

The Christian community was quick to pitch in.

PMC’s Thea DeGroot created a dove-and-rose logo for the program. The Flintridge Center (which works on violence and poverty issues in Pasadena) agreed to manage donations. Local businesses got in on the act, encouraged through an organized “call-in”. A popular eatery called Robin’s Wood Fire BBQ offered to donate 25% of

the value of receipts designated for the buyback. The Ten Thousand Villages store in Pasadena planned to hold a benefit sale April 28, devoting 15% of all purchases to the buyback.

In just 35 days, the combined donations of individuals, businesses and local churches, including some connected with Pacific Southwest Mennonite Conference, brought in nearly $17,000 to fund the buyback.

The Peace Parade provided an apt kickoff for the push for donations.

The night before featured an eclectic Peace Concert that included, from Pasadena Mennonite, pianist Anne Colley and Murry Hammond, bassist with the Old 97s alt-country band, as well as Madeleine Cameron, a student at the Peace and Justice Academy who read her award-winning essay about Martin Luther King Jr. On Palm Sunday, the parade, a joyfully ecumenical, family-oriented walk bookended by worship and public witness, began as always in a poor part of the city and proceeded to its commercial heart at Paseo Colorado.

The route was chosen deliberately to mirror Jesus’ palm-strewn journey into Jerusalem, from the fringes of his society into its center of political and economic power. Two donkeys – to the delight of children – were part of the procession, which had many participants waving palm branches, singing and carrying handmade signs with peace messages.

But efforts at encouraging peace in the city won’t end there. On May 11, while police close part of a downtown street for a four-hour drive-through gun collection operation, the buyback organizers will be nearby, holding a Peace Source Fair on nearby Thurgood Marshall Street to highlight local violence prevention resources – including ReconciliAsian, another peace initiative growing out of PSMC. And those “plowshares” are underway, too. The group is already thinking about the process for placing public art and has connected with local metal sculptor Chris Slattof to think about what new artistic shape the melted-down guns could take.

While the city’s cooperation has been gratifying, writes Hofstetter, “the heart of the mission and vision resides with the people of faith, who will have led the way well.”

Gun buyback co-organizer Melissa Hofstetter, left, and another committee member with artist Chris Slatoff, center, and a clay model for one of his works.

P a n o r a m a 9

Supporters pray a blessing on Sue Park Hur and Hyun Hur at the Jan. 21 launch.

Peace center launches in L.A.

F

ounders Hyun Hur and Sue Park Hur chose an auspicious date for the “official” launch of the new L.A. ReconciliAsian peace center. Jan. 21 marked the birth of Anabaptism (the date of the first baptism in 1525), Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, and the birthday of Hyun’s mother, who was able to come from Japan to celebrate the event, held at California International University in Los Angeles’ Koreatown.

The occasion included participation from many PSMC leaders, including conference minister Dick Davis, Church for Others Pastor Pablo Kim, Charletta Erb of Bartimaeus Cooperative Ministries and Christian Peacemaker Teams, and Al Dueck of Pasadena Mennonite, a co-leader of the Hurs’ support team.

Main speaker Don Mosley, onetime director of the Peace Corps in South Korea, a leader with Habitat for Humanity, and founder of Jubilee Partners, spoke about the housing project he has been trying to get going in North Korea for six years. Fear and misunderstandings on both sides have stalled this audacious project, but listeners were inspired by Mosley’s determination to keep working for peace and reconciliation.

Gifts from local Mennonite congregations were deeply symbolic: from Peace Fellowship came the famous portrait of Dirk Willems, the Anabaptist martyr who turned back to rescue his pursuer from the river; from Pasdena came a peace lamp, reminding us that we are the light of the world and that Christ’s light shines on us all. Two local Korean pastors expressed their excitement about partnering with

ReconciliAsian in the future.

The peace centre has since found office space in the home of Pasadena Mennonite, and has a busy schedule of events planned.

On March 1, Sue was delighted to be invited to speak at the Reedley Peace Center, in one of the first communities to welcome Korean immigrants, on yet another auspicious date. The March First Movement, organized in Korea in 1919, was one of the most effective non-violent resistance efforts in history. About 2 million Koreans rose in a massive non-violent demonstration for freedom against their maltreatment by Japanese colonists. They followed this rule: “Whatever you do, do not insult the Japanese; do not throw stones; do not hit with your fists, for these are the acts of barbarians.” Despite their nonviolence, more than 7,500 died. But the movement brought significant improvements in their lot, and influenced the likes of Mahatma Gandhi.

The Hurs also received a warm reception at First Mennonite Reedley, where Hyun spoke on Sunday.

In mid-April, 20 people gathered for an advanced conflict transformation workshop led by Dr. Ron Hammer, who integrates family system theory as a tool for conflict transformation that can then be applied to church and family contexts. Participants were invited to bring in case studies from the Korean American church community to work on them in groups and get feedback.

On May 11, the peace center will sponsor the 1.5 ReconGeneration Table Talk (see page 6 for details).

For more about the Hurs’ work, visit ReconciliAsian.com .

P a n o r a m a 10

PSMC contacts Moderator Brian Fry BrianFry@ pacificsouthwest.org

Conference Minister Dick Davis dickdavis@ pacificsouthwest.org 214-608-6334 Youth Ministry Liaison John Murray JohnMurray@ pacificsouthwest.org Resource Advocate Barbara Ewy abewy@cvip.net

Conference Office 379 N. Campus Ave. Upland, CA 91786 agneschigoji@ pacificsouthwest.org 909-243-5003 Office Hours: 9 -11 a.m.

Tuesday & by appointment

Web site: www. pacificsouthwest.org

News you can use:

Resources for congregations

I

n a fast-paced world full of distractions, spiritual practice can help us become more centeredmore in touch with ourselves and others, more in touch with the world around us, more in touch with God. Sacred Pauses: Spiritual Practices for Personal Renewal, by April Yamasaki, is an introduction to this more centered way of life.

The author, a Mennonite pastor in British Columbia, begins with her own longing for personal renewal. What would it take to feel renewed every day? Instead of waiting for a vacation to smooth out the tensions of life, instead of waiting until the end of the week to shed our weariness, what if we could take time out every day? Live a renewed life every day? Be refreshed by God every day?

Sacred Pauses offers simple ways for readers to do just that. Each chapter explores a different spiritual practice –– from the classic disciplines of Scripture reading and prayer to other creative approaches such as paying attention, making music, and having fun. With plenty of stories from real life and ideas to try, this book is personal and practical. Its flexible format is appropriate for personal use or in a group, every day or any time. The book, $16.99, may be ordered at mennomedia.org. hristians believe that God is C everywhere, and often speak of sensing God’s Spirit. But how can adults help children understand the wonder, power, and essence of God? Breathe It In: God Gives Life, MennoMedia’s 2013 vacation Bible school curriculum, seeks to do just that. “We want this curriculum to guide children to understand that God is the giver of life, and always present with us,” says Mary Ann Weber, MennoMedia managing curriculum editor. “Through Breathe It In they’ll hear Bible stories of breath and wind, explore how God’s own breath was used to create people, and how the wind of the Spirit helped the young church to grow. We hope that through these stories they’ll discover the life-giving breath of God.” MennoMedia produces a new vacation Bible school curriculum each year, each organized around five stories, adaptable to a traditional daily vacation Bible school program or to a 12-session midweek or club plan. Breathe It In sessions draw on Scriptures from Genesis, Ezekiel, Matthew, and Acts.

“We present the Bible content in many ways, to draw

Pacific Southwest Mennonite Conference

kids in and help them connect with the themes,” says Weber. “For instance, the Bible stories are always introduced through a dramatic skit, and each worship time includes songs related to the Bible stories. A variety of activities build on the story and theme, both to help kids connect more deeply and to give them a chance to respond to the ideas presented in their own way.”

Breathe It In may be ordered in an all-in-one boxed set including everything needed for planning and preparation.

All items are also available separately. Find details and order at www.mennomedia.org/vbs. ifty Shades of Grace: Stories of F Inspiration and Promise is a collection of inspiring stories about experiencing God's grace in the midst of everyday life. Each of the fifty stories will uplift readers with profound narratives about life and faith. This book explores what grace looks like in action –– even in a world jaded by violence and unforgiveness –– and how it can triumph over great tragedy with mercy and hope. Order from mennomedia.org for $12.99 (just $9.09 through May 1). he latest issue of On the Way is available at T www.mennoniteusa.org/on-the-way. It focuses on church-to-church Relationships, highlighting how MC USA is building relationships with alternative church groups and Christian intentional communities. It challenges Mennonites to consider how we’re living up to our theological commitments. ision: Healing and Hope banV ners make a great addition to your sanctuary, foyer, fellowship hall or other gathering area. They’re available for purchase online in three languages: Spanish, Indonesian and English. (Cost varies from $135 to $235 depending on style.) Follow this link to order: mennoniteusa.org/ resources/healing-and-hope-banners

Support for PSMC Pacific Southwest Mennonite Conference gathers California, Arizona and Nevada churches in partnership for leadership, mission and congregational renewal.

Giving by congregations and individuals ensures that conference ministers are funded, mission activities flourish, and resources are available for church nurture.

Donations may be sent to: PO Box 39038, Phoenix, AZ 85069