The people at Blooming Glen Mennonite Church are PEOPLE ON A JOURNEY WITH JESUS!
The congregation meets weekly at 9:30 am for worship with Sunday school following. Blooming Glen is a 259 year old, 725 member congregation that meets at 713 Blooming Glen Road, Blooming Glen, Pa. The congregation is served by three pastors: Firman Gingerich, Lead Pastor; Michael Bishop, Pastor of Music and Worship; and Mary Nitzsche, Pastor of Pastoral Care and Spiritual Formation. Kim Moyer serves as Children’s Ministry Director, relating to more than ninety children. Kim shares ministry to the Junior High Youth with Donna Wilkins, Interim Youth Pastor, who also relates to the senior high youth. Four lay persons are currently serving as sponsors and teachers for the young adults.
The congregation is deeply committed to Christian education with strong mentoring, Sunday school, and Summer Bible School programs. Pastor Michael Bishop directs the adult and junior choirs and also plans major musical worship events throughout the year. Hearty congregational singing and instrumental music are part of worship expressions weekly.
The Congregational Leadership Board provides leadership along with five foundation groups: Elders, Gifts Discernment, Trustees, Stewardship, and Spiritual Formation. The Leadership Board is challenging the congregation to reach out to our local community, encouraging the congregation to listen and learn and extend hospitality.
Members are involved in many ministries in the community and each Sunday school class partners with a mission worker. School kits and health kits are collected for Mennonite Central Committee weekly and on Thanksgiving eve congregants bring food to help people in need. In November, homeless families participating in the Interfaith Hospitality Network are hosted in the newly renovated farmhouse.
Pastor Mary Nitzsche gives leadership to the pastoral care ministry and eight pastoral visitors assist. Sunday school class shepherds and deacons also provide care to class members, seniors and those with special needs.
The opinions expressed in articles posted on Mosaic’s website are those of the author and may not reflect the official policy of Mosaic Conference. Mosaic is a large conference, crossing ethnicities, geographies, generations, theologies, and politics. Each person can only speak for themselves; no one can represent “the conference.” May God give us the grace to hear what the Spirit is speaking to us through people with whom we disagree and the humility and courage to love one another even when those disagreements can’t be bridged.