The Mennonite Central Committee Project for August 2009 is School Kits. Several thousand kits have been distributed in northern Iraq, where they provided crucial supplies for school children. School kits are distributed in useful double drawstring cloth bags (11 inches by 16 inches) which you can sew yourself, or simply donate contents that will be placed in a bag by volunteers. Kits can be dropped off at the MCC Material Resource Center in Harleysville. Call the Resource Center at 215-513-9561 for more information. Contents (NEW items only)
4 spiral or perforated notebooks (about 8.5″ x 10.5″ and 70 sheets)
4 unsharpened pencils
1 ruler (flat, flexible plastic; indicating both 30 cm and 12″)
12 colored pencils (in packaging)
1 large pencil eraser
All are invited to a benefit concert on Friday, July 10, 6 p.m. at Penn View Christian School. Three bands will be performing: Hello Kelly, To Tell and Skyhawk Drive. Proceeds will go to Angel 34 a childhood cancer support organization. For tickets and information visit www.myspace.com/andrewsanswertocancer.
Zion Mennonite Church invites the community to a Free Outdoor Family Movie on Friday, July 17. “Bolt”, with the voice talents of John Travolta and Miley Cyrus, will be shown by the barn and will begin at dusk. (In the case of inclement weather it will be shown in the Fellowship Hall.) The movie and popcorn are free, drinks and candy will be sold for a minimal cost. Zion Mennonite Church is located at the corner of Front Street and Cherry Lane in Souderton, PA. For information call 215-723-3592 or visit www.zionmennonite.org.
Free Family Film on Saturday, July 18 at 8:30 p.m. The animated Disney film “Bolt” will be shown outdoors on our 30′ screen (indoors if it rains) at the corner of 4th Street and Chestnut Street in Perkasie, PA. Bring lawn chairs, the kids and relax. Free popcorn and prizes! Plus inexpensive snacks for sale. Earn free drinks for the family by donating school supplies which will be given to areas effected by wars or natural disasters. Visit www.perkmenno.org or call 215-257-3117 for more information.
Persons interested in a Christian response to immigration are invited to attend And You Welcomed Me: A consultation of the people of God on Immigration. This information-packed weekend of workshops, worship, and networking will be held September 18 - 20 at Lakeview Camp and Conference Center, Waxahachie, TX. Visit www.MennoniteMission.net/Immigration for information and online registration. An early registration discount available until August 25.
Steve and Annie Chapman will present a concert at Spruce Lake Retreat Lakeview Program Center on Saturday, August 1 at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door or $40 dinner / concert package. The dinner / concert package includes a delicious chicken BBQ meal, the concert and premium reserved seating. Call Spruce Lake Retreat at 800-822-7505 for tickets, reservations and information.
Conference Center Hours During Columbus
The Mennonite Conference Center will be open for reduced hours from June 29 - July 3 due to the Mennonite Church USA Convention in Columbus. Office hours will be as follows:
Monday, June 29 - Thursday, July 2 : Open 9 a.m. - noon
Friday, July 3 : CLOSED for the Fourth of July
Abundant Life: Economic Justice for All Campaign
Mennonite Central Committee invites congregations to participate in its Abundant Life:Economic Justice for All Campaign. The campaign is focused on four areas of U.S. policy. During this time of economic crisis, please consider taking one or more of the following Sundays to pray, reflect and act for economic justice for all.
July 19, 2009 - And Many Were Healed: Health Care for All
October 25, 2009 - Proclaim Jubilee: A New Beginning
January 31, 2010 - Secure Dwelling Places: A Home for Everyone
April 25, 2010 Let Justice Roll Down: Trade for the Common Good
Mennonite Church USA Convention 2009 will take place in Columbus, Ohio, June 30 to July 5, but people who don’t make the trip physically can still experience convention on the Internet like never before.
The Executive Leadership communications team will provide Web and social media coverage of the churchwide convention for the first time this year. In addition to the official convention web site there will be a presence on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube as well as a Blip.tv channel.
The overall strategy for using social media to keep all parts of Mennonite Church USA connected to the convention was shaped by communications intern Tim Blaum of Goshen, Ind., and Web content manager for Mennonite Church USA Executive Leadership Chris Rahe.
“We see this as an opportunity to experiment and seek new ways of allowing convention participants to help us tell the story of what happens at conventions,” Rahe said. “We know that Mennonites are increasingly taking cues from our society, and we want to make sure we’re communicating in ways that allow us to interact and be relevant in the 21st Century.”
New videos will be uploaded to YouTube and Blip.tv daily during Convention 2009. Videos will include exclusive interviews with some of the speakers and presenters, other scenes from the convention and daily video updates.
To access the Convention 2009 videos, visit the YouTube site here or the Blip.tv site here.
Twitter users inside and outside of Columbus will be able to interact in real time by following the MC USA Twitter link where convention goers will be able to post about their experiences 140 characters at a time. A hashtag of #MC_USA09 has been suggested for all convention-related posts. Twitter accounts are not necessary to see the posts.
Others may be more comfortable with Facebook. Mennonite Church USA has had a Facebook page as well as a convention Facebook group since last year, and the pages will be regularly updated throughout convention. People can join the convention group by going to www.facebook.com and searching for “Mennonite Church USA Convention.”
Fans can upload photos and videos, post on the wall and join in convention discussions on the discussion board.
Rahe and Blaum are looking forward to reaching out in new ways.
“Social media are a great tool for the church to extend the Columbus experience to others outside the city,” Blaum said. “It also helps integrate with other communities in new ways by interacting with individuals who notice our activity in Columbus via our presence on the Web.”
Members of the Mennonite Church USA Executive Director Search Committee were initially told by some in the church that it would be difficult to find qualified individuals interested in becoming the new executive director of Mennonite Church USA. Some suggested that no one would complete an application without being specifically asked to do so.
After a June 6 meeting in Chicago, the search committee is delighted to report that these fears were unfounded. More than 80 people were nominated or self-applied for the executive director position. Most of these individuals were personally contacted by the committee, and many spent additional time praying and discerning about their personal call to this churchwide role.
One thing became very clear to the committee. Each of the more than 80 people nominated or who had applied for the position is deeply engaged with the vision and mission of Mennonite Church USA and in the work that God is doing in the world. Based on these contacts and the gifts these men and women possess, the search committee is confident that the future of Mennonite Church USA will remain strong and that its efforts to join in what God is doing in the world are on track.
Describing the search committee process, Keith Weaver, moderator of Lancaster Conference, said “I am impressed by the way the search committee continues to work together. We are now focusing on a smaller number of persons and we are beginning exploratory conversations with some potential candidates.”
Committee member David Sutter, a pastor of the Kern Road Mennonite Church in South Bend, Ind., added, “We feel that the individuals who have applied for or have expressed interest in this role have significant leadership gifts. Our commitment continues to open ourselves to the Spirit’s leading to identify the person who will best fit the leadership needs the church has identified for these times. As the process moves forward, we welcome new applications from anyone who feels called to apply. Until an individual is named to the position, the committee is open to consideration of all applications received. We give thanks for God’s leading.”
Juanita Nuñez, a search committee member and a pastor of Ebenezer Christian Church, Apopka, Fla., shared, “We are praying for our work and for all of the persons involved in the search process, and we are trusting in the leading of the Holy Spirit.”
In responding to questions about the progress of the search, Ed Diller, moderator-elect and chair of the search committee, has routinely responded, “Finding the right person is the most important work of the committee. While there may have been some advantages in introducing the new executive director at the Delegate Assembly in Columbus, the timing of the appointment has always been seen as secondary to finding the person that God is calling to this position at this time.”
The search committee continues to request for prayers from the church for the ongoing discernment process and asks all members of Mennonite Church USA congregations to pray that the Holy Spirit will be active within the committee and in the lives of all who are involved in the process.
The June issue of Peace & Justice News by the Peace & Justice Committee of Eastern District and Franconia Conference is now posted at www.easterndistrict.org/pjnews/pjn0906.pdf. This month’s issue features stories from several congregations about their work for peace and justice.
Whitehall Mennonite Church has been sponsoring a Burmese refugee family since September 2008. Recently they became aware of another refugee family from Burma seeking a sponsor congregation in the United States. Would you be willing to help? Whitehall Mennonite is prepared to share information that they have learned during their 9 month sponsorship. Please contact Urbane or Janet Byler at bylerju@ptd.net or 610-767-6766.
Job Opportunity
Men-O-Lan Camp & Conference Center is currently seeking applicants for a full-time Guest Services Director. Responsibilities include managing group reservations, contracts and service; management of food service coordinator and housekeeping. Self-motivated individual must have a minimum of 2 years customer service experience. Preference also to be given to applicants with experience in reservation logistics, database software and management skills. Employment package to include competitive wage, potential on-site housing, 100% paid health insurance and retirement plan. Deadline for resumes is July 31, 2009. All resumes may be faxed to the attention of Bryan Smith at 215-679-0226 or emailed to bsmith.menolan@gmail.com. Visit www.menolan.org for more information.
Amy Gingerich, a member of Summit Mennonite Church in Barberton, Ohio, has been appointed to the newly created position of Herald Press editorial director at Mennonite Publishing Network (MPN).
“I am very excited about the work of Herald Press, and its mission of addressing issues important to Mennonites and other Christians today,” says Gingerich, presently working as managing editor of Gather ’Round, a Christian education curriculum for children, youth and adults published cooperatively by MPN and Brethren Press.
“At a time when many people are interested in Anabaptist ideas, I believe Herald Press can be the voice of Anabaptism to the broader church.”
At the same time, Gingerich is “passionate about the future of the Mennonite church. I look forward to collaborating with Mennonite agencies and authors on books that will shape our understandings of what it means to be followers of Jesus.”
“We are excited to have Amy join us,” says MPN executive director Ron Rempel. “Her passion and skills will help us to build on the strong foundation of Herald Press, and grow in new directions so we can better serve the church and its witness in the world.”
Prior to her work with Gather ’Round, Gingerich worked as a reporter, section editor, copy editor, columnist and page designer from 1998 to 2004 for the South Bend, Ind., Tribune and the Vacaville, Calif., Reporter.
In addition to teaching Sunday school and being part of the worship and nurture committee at her church, Gingerich is a member of the planning committee for the 2009 Mennonite Church USA Assembly.
Gingerich has a Master of Divinity from the Pacific School of Religion in Berkley, Calif., and a B.A. in communication and Bible-religion from Goshen College. She also studied at Eastern Mennonite Seminary.
Mennonite Publishing Network is the publishing agency of Mennonite Church USA and Mennonite Church Canada. It provides materials that equip the church to experience and share the gospel from an Anabaptist perspective.
Resources Available
There are numerous new copies of Maintaining the Right Fellowship by John Ruth and What Mennonites Believe by J.C. Wenger available at the Mennonite Conference Center. Feel free to stop by and pick up these free copies! They will be available at the conference center front desk until July 20.
Date Correction
“A Day Apart” for pastors and credentialed leaders of Franconia Conference will be held on Wednesday, September 9 instead of September 8 as listed in previous communications. Location and times remain the same. See Notes to Pastors dated June 11 for more information.
Thank you for your prayer support of Mennonite education. The Mennonite Education Agency has posted new Prayers for Faith and Learning for the month of July at www.MennoniteEducation.org/PRAYERS.
For great concerts in your own backyard by some of the best in Christian music, come to Spruce Lake Retreat’s Public Concert Series this summer! You’ll hear Christian artists like Steve and Annie Chapman, John G. Elliott, The Envoys, Steve Garrett and Vocal Union … also the Franz Family, Higher Ground, No Better Cause and Buddy Greene. For information and tickets to these public concerts (or to make reservations for the entire retreat of which these concerts are part), call Spruce Lake at 800-822-7505 or visit www.sprucelake.org.
Phil Keaggy, an acoustic and electric guitarist and vocalist, will perform at the Sherman Theater in Stroudsburg Saturday, July 18. The 7 p.m. concert, sponsored by Spruce Lake Retreat, features a highly acclaimed musician who has released more than 50 albums. Concert tickets are $33 (Gold) and $23 (Silver), available by calling Spruce Lake at 800-822-7505 or online at www.shermantheater.com.
Spruce Lake Retreat’s FAMILY WEEKS (July 10-16 and August 23-28) offer the opportunity to give your children the most valuable thing you own — your time. At these family events, you’ll enjoy a balanced mix of spontaneous and scheduled time for all sorts of fun together. And throughout each week, there is plenty of time for nourishing your walk with Christ. For more details and to make reservations, call Spruce Lake at 800-822-7505 or visit www.sprucelake.org
Germantown Mennonite Historic Trust is hosting “Making Art, Making Peace” on Saturday, June 27 at 10 a.m. at the historic Germantown Mennonite Meetinghouse. Philadelphia artist Melinda Steffy (melindasteffy.blogspot.com) will lead participants in reconstructing a personal printed item. Participants will need to bring old books, letters, sheet music or other sort of printed material — that they’d be willing to “destroy” and reconstruct. A variety of drawing materials will be provided for this process of transformation. Christopher Friesen, program director at Germantown Mennonite Historic Trust, will share stories from the history of Germantown. This program will stimulate participants to recognize the role that memory plays in the interactions that we have on a daily basis, a necessary step in peacebuilding and reconciliation. Cost is $10. Call 215-843-0943 for further details.
The Vegetable Basket Program is beginning for the summer season on Monday, July 13! Weekly Monday morning drop-off locations are as follows: Deep Run East Mennonite Church, Blooming Glen Creamery Apartments, Franconia Mennonite Conference Center, Indian Valley Mennonite Church and Plains Mennonite Church. Recipients this year are: Cornucopia Food Cupboard, Emmanuel Evangelical Congregational Church, Hatfield Church of the Brethren, Keystone Opportunity Center, Manna on Main Street and The Shepherd’s Shelf. For more information, contact Moriah Zimmerman at 215-575-0444.
“A Day Apart” for Pastors
Pastors and credentialed leaders of Franconia Conference: You are invited to “A Day Apart” planned just for you by Franconia Conference on Wednesday, September 8 from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. at Camp Men-O-Lan. The purpose of the day is to provide a space and time for you to come away and spend time with God in a beautiful, relaxed setting to be refreshed and restored. There will be opportunities for guided prayer, worship, being alone and being in a small group, as well as personal prayer ministry with a prayer team. Lunch will be provided. Please RSVP by Wednesday, September 2 to Sheila Ruth at sruth.menolan@gmail.com or 215-679-5144.
Sharing Prayer Events
Pastors and Prayer Leaders of Franconia conference churches: Is your congregation planning a prayer event to which you could invite others? A prayer vigil, a concert of prayer, equipping in the area of personal and corporate prayer? Please pass this information along to Sandy Landes, Prayer Ministry Coordinator at slandes@franconiaconference.org, to post on the Franconia Conference website.
MMA invites Pastors to a Webinar
MMA invites you to Moving from Financial Survival to Missional Focus with author Diana Butler Bass and pastor Graham Standish on Wednesday, June 17 from 3 to 4 p.m. The webinar will take place at the MMA Office, 199 Telford Pike, Telford in the Basement Conference Room. For more information, contact Randy Nyce at 267-384-5350 or randy.nyce@mmapartners.org RSVP’s are helpful but not necessary. The webinar is co-sponsored by the Alban Institute and the Lake Institute on Faith & Giving and is part of the series Congregations and the Economic Crisis: Conversation. Perspective. Guidance.
Commentaries available
A pastor would like to give away a 12 volume set of The Interpreters Bible Commentaries in good condition. Email wayne@perkmenno.org if you are interested.
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Members of the Mennonite Church USA Executive Director Search Committee were initially told by some in the church that it would be difficult to find qualified individuals interested in becoming the new executive director of Mennonite Church USA. Some suggested that no one would complete an application without being specifically asked to do so.
Amy Gingerich, a member of Summit Mennonite Church in Barberton, Ohio, has been appointed to the newly created position of Herald Press editorial director at Mennonite Publishing Network (MPN).