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Saturday, May 31, 2008

The Mennonite Heritage Center of Harleysville, Pa. invites the public to a symposium, Pilgrims on a Journey: Exploring Mennonite Spirituality Past and Present, to be held Saturday, May 31. It will run from from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the the Franconia Mennonite Church fellowship hall, located at 613 Harleysville Pike, Telford, Pa. This will be a time to explore how Pennsylvania Mennonites have wrestled with and expressed their spiritual life over the centuries.

The morning sessions will focus on stories from past generations of Pennsylvania Mennonites. Speakers include scholars and pastors John Rempel, John Ruth and Dawn Ruth Nelson. In the afternoon, several presenters of differing Mennonite/Anabaptist viewpoints will share from their own contemporary spiritual experience. The symposium will end with a panel discussion and time for questions. A catered lunch is included. Registration deadline is May 15, 2008 and the cost is $40. A limited number of scholarships are available. We cordially invite all interested persons to join us for this time of learning and thinking together.

At 7:00 p.m., a worship service, open to the public and free of charge, will be held at Klein’s Meetinghouse, Maple Avenue, Harleysville, Pa. (on the campus of Peter Becker Community). This service will explore the experience of 18th and 19th century Mennonite worship in ritual, song and the spoken word.

More information on the event is available here, or call the Mennonite Heritage Center at (215) 256-3020; www.mhep.org.

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By Marathana Prothro

In a meeting Sunday and Monday with the executive directors and board chairs of Mennonite Education Agency, Mennonite Mission Network, MMA and Mennonite Publishing Network (Mennonite Church USA’s churchwide agencies), the moderator and moderator-elect of Mennonite Church USA shared the Executive Board’s vision for a reformed and unified churchwide organization.

Moderator Sharon Waltner of Parker, S.D., and moderator-elect Ed Diller of Cincinnati, Ohio, expressed the board’s concerns to the group, which also included Mennonite Church USA executive director Jim Schrag and associate executive director Ron Byler. At its Feb. 8 to 9 meeting in San Antonio, Texas, the Executive Board stated that the denomination’s vision and call “is not adequately supported by our present relationships, behaviors and organization.”

To support the vision of Mennonite Church USA, the Executive Board is calling for a unified churchwide communication and identity system and a simple and cohesive funding system. The Executive Board is also suggesting that an additional person be added to the Executive Leadership staff with the goal of assisting the executive director to ensure churchwide ministries practice good stewardship by reducing duplication and increasing organizational effectiveness at meeting congregational needs.

Finally, the Executive Board believes that the unity of purpose needed to adequately support the vision requires the development of one, integrated board of directors for the denomination that would replace the individual boards for each agency.

“Too often, we appear scattered organizationally and motivated by narrow purposes and segmented missions that do not equip our members and congregations for ministry,” Waltner said. “Our future depends on our ability to grasp new relationships and behaviors that support community, equip our members and offer a clear, focused, unified identity and witness for Christ in the world.”

Waltner said the Executive Board came to these conclusions in two closed sessions without staff present at its San Antonio meeting. The board agreed it was important to share and discuss this direction first with agency executives and board chairs before public discussion. Area conference and constituency group leaders will be invited into the conversation later this month when the Constituency Leaders Council (CLC) meets March 31 to April 2 in Mt. Pleasant, Pa.

The Executive Board agreed at its September 2007 meeting in Newton, Kan., to lift up Vision: Healing & Hope and its missional church priorities as a framework for future board direction. The board said it would lead the church in responding to the Church Member Profile findings and would evaluate churchwide systems by how effectively they supported congregations.

Also at its September meeting, the Executive Board agreed it would accept its leadership position and authority in Mennonite Church USA. Waltner and Diller said this guiding principle was stirred by delegate responses at San José 2007 calling for the Executive Board to take a more prominent role in vision and leadership for the whole of the denomination.

Waltner and Diller said the denomination’s six year review, delegate table group responses from San José 2007, feedback from the Constituency Leaders Council, a 2006 CLC task force report, a 2005 funding study and the Church Member Profile 2006 all indicate a need for improving the ability of churchwide ministries to function effectively, to relate to each other and to support area conferences and congregations as they seek to join God’s work in the world.

“An increasing number of congregations and area conferences are calling for integrated churchwide communications and funding practices that bring clarity to their connection to other parts of Mennonite Church USA and support the whole denomination as a unit,” Diller said.

Waltner said that while the Executive Board has stated its desired outcomes, it wants to engage the other parts of the church in developing a plan for how to achieve them. She said the board wants the best thinking from across the church on how best to reorganize the denomination and its agencies in a way that best meets congregational needs.

One churchwide communication and identity system

The Executive Board sees redundancy—such as multiple news services, uncoordinated congregational mailings and competing organizational identities—in the area of communication as a hindrance to the denomination’s combined capacity to enable Mennonite Church USA congregations and members to strengthen their witness. At present, each of the agencies and Executive Leadership coordinates some joint communication, though the majority of each staff’s work is separate from the work of other staff. To remedy the duplication, the Executive Board calls for one churchwide communication and identity system that is headed by and in the denominational center.

Area conferences will be needed to help shape and participate in a new churchwide communication system. The board wants the system to include The Mennonite magazine so that all communication from church entities to congregations and their members will be integrated.

A simple and unified funding system

Currently, Mennonite Church USA has multiple funding systems that are complicated and lead to what appears to be competition among agencies, colleges, area conferences and related groups for funds. As the system currently operates, each agency is responsible for raising its own funds independent of the others. Executive Leadership does not actively raise funds from individuals, but relies on contributions from area conferences and agencies to support its ministries.

A funding study of Mennonite Church USA household giving completed in 2005 by Advancement Associates indicated that Mennonite Church USA is a small denomination with too many organizations competing with each other for the same funds. For board members, this raises a concern about whether existing church structures are sustainable—or relevant—for the future of the denomination.

The board calls for a simple and unified funding system that respects designations from donors while providing funding where it’s most needed in the denomination. The funding system, like the communication system, will be headed by and in the denominational center.

One integrated board of directors

At present, each agency and The Mennonite has its own board of directors that are responsible to the Executive Board. The Executive Board acts on behalf of the Delegate Assembly, the denomination’s decision-making body, when it is not in session.

The Executive Board is calling for an integrated board of directors for the agencies, Executive Leadership and The Mennonite that would make space for meaningful, connective voices from present agencies and conferences. The shape of a new integrated board will be the subject of discussion between now and the all-boards meeting June 19 to 21 in Columbus, Ohio, Waltner said.

Next steps

After the CLC joins the conversation at its March 30 to April 2 meeting in Mt. Pleasant, Pa., the Executive Board’s Executive Committee will meet to evaluate the discussions with agencies and conferences. The committee also will prepare for discussion with other churchwide boards June 19 to 21. Boards participating in that meeting include the Executive Board, Mennonite Education Agency, Mennonite Mission Network, MMA, Mennonite Publishing Network and The Mennonite. This meeting was set more than a year ago and will be the first gathering of all Mennonite Church USA boards of directors since its inception in 2001. Immediately following the all-boards meeting in Columbus, the Executive Board will have time to evaluate next steps. Those steps will be reported as they are discerned.

Diller shared his optimism about the future, “The strength of our vision, supported by clearer identity and stronger behaviors of community might surprise us in its capacity to invite increased support for all parts of our mission.”

SIDEBAR: A summary of delegate responses from the San José 2007 Minutes book
The Executive Board at the San José 2007 Delegate Assembly asked delegates, “In what ways do you recommend that Mennonite Church USA organizational structures be modified as the church moves into its next phase of growth?” This is a brief summary of the table group responses listed in the San José 2007 Minutes Book.

• Many delegates felt uninformed of the current organizational structure. They asked for specifics about what may or may not be working. One group wrote, “The structure is known but its usefulness and function is less well understood.”
• Delegates expressed a desire for Mennonite Church USA organizational structures to be driven by churchwide priorities.
• Delegates called for more streamlining or consolidation of activities among agencies, the Executive Board and Executive Leadership.
• Delegates highlighted duplication of ministry as a concern. One specific comment was “Executive Leadership and MMN both involved in peace initiative and missional church education—who is leading?”
• Delegates called for a more efficient funding system. “It would be wonderful to give to one rather than so many parts!,” one group wrote. Another responded, “(We) need a clear and easy way to distribute money to the groups in the church.”
• Delegates requested a proposal of how the Executive Board would change the structures, and some responded that “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it!”

Source: San José 2007 Minutes Book, pages 42 to 43.

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By Everett J. Thomas

Leaders from Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) and Mennonite Church USA held a day-long conversation Feb. 21 in Elkhart, Ind. The meetings—designed to help both groups with “right remembering” of the Protestant Reformation—included a capacity lunch-time crowd during a forum at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary. The event also made it clear that both groups have challenges ahead if the ecumenical effort is to be extended into congregational life.

In the fall of 2006, ELCA passed a declaration on the condemnation of Anabaptists. In it, Lutheran leaders said, “We express our deep and abiding sorrow and regret for the persecution and suffering visited upon Anabaptists during the religious disputes of the past.”

In response, Mennonite Church USA executive director Jim Schrag wrote a letter in April 2007 conveying appreciation for the declaration. Schrag said, “We are especially moved by the expression of ‘deep and abiding sorrow and regret’ for past persecutions of Anabaptists.” He called for a blessing on “future collaboration between our two churches.”

The “future collaboration” at the Feb. 21 meeting included a report from John D. Roth about the challenges ahead for Mennonites in this dialogue. Roth, a Goshen (Ind.) College history professor, and Paul Schreck, executive assistant to the ELCA Secretary, were featured at the event, entitled “Unbinding Each Other: New Possibilities in Mennonite-Lutheran Relations.”

Roth said that there are several challenges for Mennonites as they receive the Lutheran statement, including the attitude that “We were the true Christians being persecuted, and now 500 years later we are being vindicated.” He also said that Mennonites have taken on a martyr pathology. “When someone says, ‘I’m sorry,’ can we give it up?” he asked.

Roth also pointed out that “It’s relatively easy to start conversations with people who are quite different. The much, much harder thing is to initiate conversations with those groups who are just a little bit different . . . For Mennonites, it’s Beachy Amish and Old Order Amish and Conservative Conference.”

Schreck noted that two differences remain unresolved in the ongoing Lutheran-Mennonite dialogue: the relationship between the church and the state, and baptism.

“A breakthrough point for us,” said Schreck, “was the discovery that in the Mennonite ministers manual, Lutheran baptism is not automatically invalid. This is very important to Lutherans.”

Roth, who represents Mennonite World Conference on the Lutheran World Federation and MWC international study commission, listed several challenges for Mennonite Church USA in the future.

“The ELCA has a greater clarity about doctrine as formulated and who is responsible to speak on behalf of the church in an official way,” said Roth. “For Mennonite Church USA with its congregational polity, it’s been more difficult to know on whose behalf we are speaking—even at a global level.”

This issue is particularly difficult around the unresolved issue of baptism. “Lutherans would deeply appreciate a statement,” Roth said, “that baptism practiced in Lutheran contexts . . . would be fully recognized in all Mennonite Church USA congregations. For reasons of polity, we don’t have the authority to tell a congregation to do this” even if we thought it was the right thing.

Informal conversations between Mennonites and ELCA leaders began in 1986. The three-year dialogue began with a meeting at Goshen (Ind.) College in February 2002. André Gingerich Stoner, director of interchurch relations for Mennonite Church USA Executive Leadership, said that no further formal dialogue is planned at this point, but “the next step in our relationship is to facilitate serious encounter and conversation between Mennonites and Lutherans in two or three local settings.”

Stoner said another possibility is for representatives to be invited to each other’s national assemblies.

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Mennonite Education Agency has posted new prayers for Faith and Learning for the month of April. Check it out on the web at www.MennoniteEducation.org/PRAYERS.

Karen’s Place, the coffee shop ministry of Doylestown Mennonite Church will be open on Saturday, April 5, featuring acoustic singer-songwriter Mindy Boyd. There is no admission charge. For more information, please call the church office at 215-345-6377 or visit the website at www.karensplace.org.

Methacton Mennonite Church will be hosting a Pork and Sauerkraut Dinner and Silent Auction on Friday, April 11 from 5 – 8 p.m. Come early, stay late, and bid on the treasures at the silent auction. Adults - $8, Children, 5 to 11 - $5, 4 years and younger – donation. The church is located at 3081 Mill Rd., Fairview Village in Worcester Township, PA.

Steve Green, Christian recording artist and Grammy nominee, will be in concert at Grace Mennonite Church in Lansdale, PA on Sunday, April 13 at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 and can be ordered by calling 215-855-7718. For more information and directions, visit www.gracemennonite.org.

The Rosedale Chorale will give a program at Perkiomenville Mennonite Church on Sunday, April 13 at 6:30 p.m. The chorale, directed by Kenneth Miller, is a select group of 35 students from Rosedale Bible College. The program, which consists of selections ranging from the masters to contemporary, is free and open to the public. A freewill offering will be received. For more information or directions, contact the church office at 215-234-4011.

Everyone is invited to Methacton Mennonite Church on Friday, April 18 at 6:30 p.m. for a showing of the movie Chicken Run. This animated feature has been recognized as great entertainment for all ages. Free popcorn and drinks will be available. For more information and directions, visit www.methactonmennonite.org.

All are invited to the April monthly prayer gathering being held on Saturday, April 19 at Line Lexington Mennonite Church from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The time together will be spent in worship, prayer, and learning from each other about prayer initiatives in local congregations. Come to be encouraged! For more information, contact Sandy Landes, Franconia Conference Prayer Ministry Coordinator, at 215-723-5513, ext. 121 or email slandes@franconiaconference.org.

The Franconia-Lancaster Choral Singers & Orchestra will present Elijah by Felix Mendelssohn on Saturday, April 19, 7 p.m. at Souderton Mennonite Church. Ralph Alderfer is the conductor and Gary Garletts is the guest organist. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. Tickets are available from choir members or by sending a check payable to “Franconia Foundation” to P.O. Box 165, Salford, PA 18957.

Job Opportunities

Christopher Dock Mennonite High School is seeking applicants for the following two full-time faculty positions for the 2008-09 school year: Physical Education & Health and Social Studies with a focus on world cultures. Temporary positions (sabbatical fill-ins) are also available in the following areas: Athletic Director/Physical Education (first semester) and Math (second semester). Interested persons should send resumes to Elaine A. Moyer, Principal, at eamoyer@dockhs.org. An application for faculty positions may be found at Dock’s website, www.dockhs.org.

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All are invited to come enjoy coffee, praise and worship music, and fellowship at The Refuge Coffee House at Rocky Ridge Mennonite Church on Saturday, March 29 at 7 p.m. For more information, contact Nikki Diehl at 267-614-8195 or therefugecafe@gmail.com.

The Care & Share Shoppes in Souderton will be hosting the 2nd Annual Green Fair on Saturday, May 3. The Green Fair is an innovative community event promoting awareness of fairly traded items and “earth friendly” products and services. Vendor applications are being accepted now through April 3. For more information, contact Rebekah Moyer at tenksouderton@hotmail.com or 215-723-1221.

An Open House for prospective Early Childhood and Kindergarten students and families will be held at Penn View Christian School on Friday, April 4 from 9:00 – 10:30 a.m. Come explore Penn View’s classrooms, meet their instructors, and discover more about their program. For additional information, visit their website at www.pennview.org.

Job Opening

Dock Woods Community seeks a full-time LPN to work the 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. shift in their Assisted Living Department. Dock Woods Community offers a competitive salary and benefits package. Interested candidates should visit their website at www.dockwoods.com or stop by and fill out an application. You may also contact Human Resources at 215-368-4438 ext. 44112.

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(click the header to read all stories)

Read the articles online:

• A gift plain and simple: Encouraging each other to live out grace- Bruce Eglinton-Woods
• The house is being built- Noel Santiago
• Historic peace churches meet in Indonesia: What is peace in our land?- Aldo Siahaan
• From Zimbabwe to Pennsylvania and back: Extending the blessing- Renee Gehman
• Global shared convictions series: The love of God comes wearing skin- Blaine Detwiler
• About faith, grace, fear and a whole range of emotions: “I thought I was the most unqualified person”- Gary Parmer
• Building relationships: Bridging culture and community- Elaine A. Moyer
• A reflection from the Honduras trip- Marlene Frankenfield
  
• Called to a Mission in Marketing: Encouraging shopping with a conscience- Brenda Oelschlager
• Wanted: Ideas for Ministry- C. Conrad Martin

Click to View/download the printable PDF

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Bruce Eglinton-Woods, Salemsalempastor@netcarrier.comGod has moved Salem Mennonite Church to a number of changes through the last 15 years. The focus of this change has been to pursue being a grace-focused community.God seems to be challenging us to recognize that everything we have comes from him; our salvation, our transformation into Christ-like people, our provision to live in this world, and everything we need to live in his kingdom. None of this comes to us because of what we do or have done. It is a gift plain and simple. How then in this world of un-grace, where everything is earned and everything is paid for, do we live in grace, communicate grace and disciple people to live by grace?Through the initiative of Franconia Conference a learning community has formed, which includes Larry Moyer, Pastor of Rockhill Mennonite Church, Randy Heacock, Pastor of Doylestown Mennonite Church, Walter Sawatsky, Associate Conference Minister with Franconia Mennonite Conference, and me. All of these pastors have the same vision of creating grace-focused communities. We have been meeting since the summer to test out ideas and encourage each other in this pursuit.On a Saturday morning in February, we met with our congregational leaders to broaden this discussion within our congregations and to share experiences of living out this Gospel of Grace.Pastor Larry pointed out that the Gospel of Grace is a gospel that bears fruit (Colossians 1) and gives us the power to say no to sin and live godly lives (Titus 2). We have the desire to live our lives in this new way under the transforming power of grace to change us into new people and to invite others into this new life. We see a need to deal with the root causes of sin and not just the issues we see on the surface. We desire to see real transformation and not just condemnation and judgment of sin. We desire to journey with Jesus, become like him and invite others along on the journey.As the morning unfolded we had the opportunity to share together about how we have dealt with issues involving sexuality and generational differences within our congregations. At the end of the morning we had prayer for each congregation to continue on this journey with Jesus. At the end of the prayer time Noel Santiago, Executive Minister of Franconia Mennonite Conference, shared his impressions of what God was communicating to each congregation.While we will be evaluating this experience more fully it appears most of the participants found it to be very meaningful. Most desire to continue to meet together as congregations to encourage and equip each other and to continue on the journey to become grace-focused communities.I found the morning together with our leaders tremendously encouraging. I found encouragement in the desire of so many leaders to know and communicate God’s grace. I received confirmation for my sermon on Sunday in the prayer time. I found Noel’s prophetic word about our ministry at Salem to confirm what I had felt God was communicating to me. I look forward to continuing to meet together as pastors and as congregations to encourage each other to live out grace and be Jesus in this world.What are Learning Communities?An integral part of Franconia Conference’s School for Leadership Formation, learning communities are set to equip pastors and congregational leaders to empower congregations to embrace God’s mission through mutual support and resourcing.Franconia Conference congregations are taking God’s mission seriously. Many of us are re-examining our vision, values and structures. Many are investing more resources in outreach and community relationships. A learning community is for leaders. It is a vehicle for learning together and a place for congregational leaders to obtain support, develop ministry skills, expand our vision and apprentice new leaders.Learning communities are not a new concept. Various forms of pastoral support groups, study groups, prayer groups, dialogue groups and groups with other purposes have existed for years, if not centuries. What makes a learning community unique?

1. They are formed by pastors and their peers, rather than by denominations or conferences pulling together a group ofministers and suggesting that they relate to one another around a certain agenda.2. They take responsibility for their own learning. They are not dependent on outside direction to develop a learning agenda.3. Task comes out of relationship as participants bond as friends and in spiritual relationship with one another. They thendevelop the task-oriented agendas they desire to address.4. They invite respected congregational practitioners, consultants or coaches into their community for brief visits.5. They gather face-to-face, by teleconference, by e-mail forum, by videoconferencing and other means available to them.6. They gather on at least a semi-annual basis with lay leadersto cast vision and deepen leadership capacity in their respectivecongregation or ministry.

In order to thrive learning communities require fresh, relevant information, knowledge and wisdom, coupled with learning experiences that meet their perceived needs. They need someone to regularly gather them in a setting or with an agenda that is attractive and allows them to build relationships with one another. They need subtle nudging, administrative assistance and facilitation either by a peer or a respected third-party such as another pastor, a conference staff member or a coach.Contact Walter Sawatzky for further information and conversation about ideas or suggestions you may have at wsawatzky@franconiaconference.org or 267-664-5542.

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Noel Santiago, Executive Minister
nsantiago@franconiaconference.org

Grace… Peace… Blessing… Love… Goodness… Relationships… Encouragement… Ministry…

Almost sounds like the list found in Galatians on the fruit of the Spirit, doesn’t it?

God indeed is doing a new thing in our midst. Those who have gone before us have been faithful and their legacy of faithfulness continues to live today.

The prophet Haggai (2:9) once said, “The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house… And in this place I will grant peace….”

In these pages of Intersections we once again capture the “the glory of this present house” the Lord is building among us. This house is built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ, for truly no other foundation can be laid.

• As grace is experienced through becoming communities of grace, the house is being built.

• As peace is being sought in places of religious pluralism, poverty and injustice, the house is being built.

• As blessing is extended materially, spiritually and emotionally, the house is being built.

• As love shows up in unexpected skin, the house is being built.

• As God’s goodness comes in a way totally unexpected and a ‘yes’ is said, the house is being built.

• As relationships are forged across miles and cultures, the house is being built.

• As encouragement comes to help people through conscientious shopping, the house is being built.

• As ministry ideas are encouraged and offers to assist are made, the house is being built.

The house of God, a place of habitation where the glory of the Lord can shine forth, is being built among us!

In these pages you will get a glimpse of the house of glory being built through the lives, stories, works and words of those who write. The future looks bright, there is much to hope for even in the midst of a broken and dying world.

May you be built up in your inner being – the temple of the Holy Spirit – as you read the story of God’s movement in our midst. Blessings.

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