News

Pastors from Ripple take Refuge at Oasis

July 30, 2015 by

While many in a congregation may take refuge in Sunday morning worship service, or in the council of their pastor, where do pastors go to take refuge?

Tom and Carolyn Albright, two of the pastors at Ripple, have been through many ups and downs since founding Ripple in 2006. What started as a conference related ministry has now grown into a congregation of over 100 people in downtown Allentown. They went from farmhouse suburban living, to a downtown city apartment, and have been pastoring Ripple through much growth and many moves from space to space over the years. For them refuge was found this summer at the two week Oasis program, part of Eastern Mennonite Seminary‘s Summer Institute of Spiritual Formation (SISF), which provides training and optional certification for spiritual directors.

The Albright’s felt the call to move to urban ministry at Oasis and returned this year for a time of refuge and spiritual direction. Read more about Ripple and the Albright’s time at Oasis here.

Being Church Together – FMC invites Resolution/Statements at Fall Assembly

July 30, 2015 by

Franconia Mennonite Conference is one body in Christ, as 1 Corinthians 12:13-14 says. Yet living as one body, is not always easy as there are many parts to the whole.

Throughout Franconia Mennonite Conference we see the different parts of the body of Christ as we have differences in perspectives, mindsets and convictions. Yet, as one body, it is important to be able to move forward together.

This year, the conference board has decided to invite resolutions for discernment at conference assembly. In the Franconia Mennonite Conference context these “resolutions” will be known as Church Together Statements. These statements give pastors, delegates, and congregations a way to shape the focus and work of the conference, proposing to the body how to live and move forward as we are church together.

In a letter sent earlier this week to pastors, Ertell Whigham, executive minister, and Joe Hackman, Church Together Statements committee chair, stated, “At this year’s assembly we will not entertain Church Together Statements that recommend changes to Franconia Mennonite Conference bylaws or polity. Rather, we seek statements that continue to foster a deepening of relationship and witness between pastors and congregations. We appreciate all you have been doing to build relationships through the conference and hope this spirit of one body is reflected in the Church Together Statements.”

The letter goes on to say, Church Together Statements are invited that:

Support the conference’s mission of equipping leaders to empower others to embrace God’s mission.
Propose ways in which to apply the MC USA Kansas City resolutions to the Franconia Mennonite Conference context.
Propose ways for Franconia Mennonite Conference pastors and congregations to continue to deepen relationships in 2016.

All Church Together Statements will be submitted to the conference administrative coordinator to be reviewed by the Church Together Statements committee. This committee represents some of the geographical, cultural, and theological diversity present in the conference. The committee consists of Joe Hackman (Salford) as chair, Angela Moyer (Ripple) as co-chair, Aldo Siahann (Philadelphia Praise Center), Robin Long (Blooming Glen), Ken Burkholder (Deep Run East), Kris Wint (Finland), and Donella Clemens (Perkasie).

This committee will discern with pastors, and conference board and staff which of the Church Together Statements should be brought before the delegate assembly this fall. For more information on Church Together Statements and the process for submission take a look at the Church Together Statements Policy for Franconia Mennonite Conference Delegate Discussion and Action.

The Calling of a Delegate

July 23, 2015 by Conference Office

By Barbie Fischer

As Conference Assembly is approaching, it’s time that we discern who within our midst is called to be a delegate for our congregations. All ordained and licensed leaders who hold active credentials in Franconia Mennonite Conference are called to be delegates. All conference board members are called to be delegates. In addition, congregations are given the opportunity to discern who from their elders and deacons may be called to be a delegate and also who amongst their congregation members may be called to be a lay delegate.

A delegate is defined as one who is chosen or elected to vote or act on behalf of, or for, others. In the context of the conference, a delegate is not just a role — it is a call. A call to represent a piece of the body of Christ. A call to represent a congregation or conference related ministry. Delegates are a vital piece to the functioning of the conference.

1 Corinthians 12: 13-14 says “For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.”

The fact that the body of Christ is made up of different parts is evident in Franconia Mennonite Conference as we have differences in perspectives, mindsets and convictions. Yet, as we are all part of one body, it is important that we are able to move forward together. In order to do this we must confer with one another, listen and hear from the different parts of the body.

Every year, Conference Assembly is set aside for delegates from each congregation and conference related ministries to listen, hear, and “discern the direction of the conference vision and objectives by conferring together.” (Franconia Mennonite Conference bylaws Article IV, Section 1).

To aid delegates in their call, Franconia Mennonite Conference has created a Delegate Ministry Description, outlining that delegates are expected to:

pray for God’s Spirit to lead us all in being a faithful and worshipping community.
keep aware of what is happening within Franconia Mennonite Conference between assembly sessions and facilitate two-way communication between their congregation and the conference.
attend and participate in all regular and special conference assembly sessions.
provide a post-assembly report to their congregation.

Deacon/Elder and lay delegates are chosen by their congregations. In order for the conference to assist in equipping these delegates for Assembly, it is important that they are identified by their congregations on an annual basis and that the congregations affirm that their appointed delegate(s) are able to attend the Conference Assembly, scheduled this year for November 14^th.

As Conference Assembly is quickly approaching, the conference will be supplying congregational leaders with information to assist in discerning their deacon or elder, and lay delegates. A delegate selection worksheet and guidelines can be found HERE and a copy of the delegate ministry description can be seen HERE.

May the Holy Spirit guide us as we discern who is called to represent our piece of the body of Christ. May the Spirit grant us wisdom as we discern together as the body of Christ the next steps for our conference.

The Gathering: Multi-congregational, Intercultural Worship Service

July 22, 2015 by Conference Office

by Colin Ingram

Six Franconia Conference congregations banded together to organize an intercultural worship service called “The Gathering”. Several hundred people from different ethnic backgrounds, speaking different languages, gathered for this worship service at Souderton Mennonite Church on Sunday, July 19. In attendance were other Franconia Conference Church members, the members of Indonesian Light Church, along with the host families and around 30 participants from the Global Education Conference, a week-long Mennonite World Conference global educators’ meeting that was held the week before at Christopher Dock Mennonite High School.

People gathered to worship, hear Scripture, listen to a sermon, and fellowship over food.

The service included Indonesian, Spanish, and English languages with the call to worship and sermon both being translated. The scripture reading was done in Hindi, French, and English. The event was a chance to “learn other cultures,” according to Carlos Aguirre, from Centro de Alabanza. He was impressed by the other Christians in attendance.

“I will take away the joy that I have in my heart, to know that there’s other people helping the body of Christ to grow,” Aguirre said.

The Gathering was organized by Bally Mennonite Church, Centro de Alabanza de Filadelfia, Nations Worship Center, Philadelphia Praise Center, Salford Mennonite Church, and Souderton Mennonite Church. It was sponsored by the Franconia Mennonite Conference.

The sermon was given by Dr. Paulus Wadjaja, professor and program director at Universitas Kristen Duta Wacana in Indonesia and member of the Mennonite World Conference Commission.

“I think we all left the service sensing God’s presence, realizing how God speaks in multiple ways through multiple people and recognizing that even if we’re not hearing our own language we can still lift our hands and be able to worship together knowing we’re worshipping the same God,” pastor Jim Laverty, Souderton Mennonite Church, said.

Worship songs, including English hymns led by Rob Yoder, Salford Mennonite, and Spanish contemporary songs lead by the Centro de Alabanza worship team, were among the worship sets. Nations Worship Center closed out the service by leading the congregation in “How Great Thou Art.” The first verse was sung in Indonesian. The tune was familiar enough for English-speakers to sing along in English, or they could join in by reading the Indonesian words from two large screens. The team then led the second verse in English.

Herald Bazuki, Nations Worship, said, “It was very good [to gather in a multicultural environment] because we came from a very small Indonesian community, so mostly we speak our own language and now we can hear other languages as well. But everybody speaks the same ‘Christ’.”

Juanita Nyce, Salford, said, “I have an 11-year-old son and I think that sometimes the church doesn’t look like the world actually is, and I want him to stay in the church. Today I think this is a vision of what’s possible.”

Following the worship service, all were invited to partake in a fellowship meal that included some Indonesian and Hispanic foods. People fellowshipped with one another while enjoying music played by members of Philadelphia Praise Center, Centro de Alabanza, and Indonesian Light.

A multi-congregational event like this is a possibility for next year and following years, according to Laverty, who helped plan The Gathering.

Franconia Mennonite Conference is looking forward to continuing to support churches in multi-congregational worship services throughout the year.

Barbie Fischer, Franconia Mennonite Conference, said, “This time together has made me even more excited for our conference assembly worship service this fall.”

The conference assembly worship service is a time for Franconia Mennonite and Eastern District Conference members to join together in worshiping the Lord. This year’s conference assembly worship is scheduled for 7:00 pm, Friday, November 13^th at Penn View Christian School.

Garden Chapel Camp Blessed By Rising Teacher/Summer Service Worker

July 22, 2015 by Conference Office

By Colin Ingram

Courtney Drew thought all she was doing was helping to set-up and decorate the room of her Grandmother’s elementary school class a few days before school started. She was in middle school at the time and was not expecting the onslaught of thank-you notes she received from the students. From that time on, Courtney desired to be a teacher.

As an elementary and special education major at Delaware State University, Courtney has learned a lot about teaching. Through the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) summer service program, she is now applying what she has learned in the classroom to her work as the assistant director for Garden Chapel’s summer camp in Dover, New Jersey. Her program supervisor is Garden Chapel member Amy Zorilla.

“I start my student teaching soon, so I really feel like this is preparing me to become a teacher because I have different age groups and there’s always a conflict—someone who’s not paying attention or maybe doesn’t concentrate as easily,” Courtney said. “It’s up to me to find a way to keep everyone engaged and make them want to be involved.”

According to Courtney, the overall goal of the camp is to reinforce the Christian faith of the children.

As the assistant director, along with director Vison McCrae, she is responsible for the smooth running of the camp. Some of her responsibilities include filling out paperwork, handling and making registration forms and permission slips, operating parent and camper orientations, and camp counseling.

The six-week Garden Chapel Summer Camp runs from June 29 to August 7. About 25 campers ages 5 to 12 gather from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday. The camp operates as two three-week sessions. The kids are from the church and surrounding community.

“I learned from Courtney how to discipline the kids better than I could have on my own and show them to do what they are supposed to,” counselor Ashely Smith said.

When she’s not calming kids or settling their disputes as a counselor, she is helping run the camp activities. The kids learn drama lessons at theatre, make crafts in art lessons, watch movies, play basketball, and jump on a moon bounce during free time. Each day campers have a devotion time before attending two separate Bible studies for older and younger kids. Overseeing the activities has helped prepare her as a teacher to lead children.

“Her authority with the kids makes me think of her as a leader,” counselor Michael McCall said. “She knows what to do and what to say.”

Courtney discovered the MCC service program when she was looking for grants to use for Garden Chapel’s camp. In past summers, Courtney was a camp counselor for Peer Place camp programs.

Clearances Necessary to Protect our Children: Child Protection Resource

July 16, 2015 by Conference Office

As congregations continue to implement the new Pennsylvania child protection laws, Franconia Mennonite Conference is working to develop resources for the congregations to be available on FranconiaConference.org. While policy changes and trainings are required, under the new law, the most immediate item needed is clearances on employees and volunteers who have “direct contact” with children.

Understanding who needs clearances and getting all of the documents in order can be overwhelming. To aid in this process here are the need to know items.

Who needs clearances?

All employees age 14 and older and volunteers over the age of 18 who have “direct contact” with a child or children. A child is defined by the law as anyone under the age of 18. Direct contact can be defined as those acting in lieu of or on behalf of a parent or guardian, someone providing care, guidance, supervision and or has routine interaction.

For Franconia Mennonite Conference congregations, individuals needing clearances include:

All credentialed leaders
Sunday School Teachers and assistants
Nursery volunteers
Any childcare worker during special events or service times
Youth sponsors/ leaders
Chaperones for events

What clearances need to be obtained?

All individuals requiring clearances will need to complete the:

If the individual is paid for their position OR has lived outside of Pennsylvania in the past 10 years, then they are required to complete the:

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Criminal Background Check which is processed through Cogent.

It is expected that if an individual has lived in Pennsylvania for the last 10 years and/or is applying for a volunteer (unpaid) position that they would:

sign a “swear and affirm” document as they are not required to complete the FBI background check.

A sample of a “swear and affirm” document can be found here. Also, Souderton Mennonite Church currently uses a “Volunteer Covenant” that can be viewed here.

Jesus welcomes a child with open arms to sit with him and says in Matthew 18:5, “whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.” Through this we see that the act of providing nurturing spaces for children is an especially holy act. For this welcome to be truly extended to children in the context of our congregations, our churches must be places of refuge and safety. Completing the clearance process for congregational and conference volunteers and staff is not just a compliance with the laws of Pennsylvania: it is a way to live out our calling in Christ to bless, welcome, and nurture children.

For additional information on clearances required under the Pennsylvania Child Protection laws, visit Keep Kids Safe PA: Clearances. Stay tuned to Intersectings and FranconiaConference.org for more resources and information to come.

New Hope Fellowship Utilizes Service Worker

July 16, 2015 by Conference Office

Deborah Nganga is looking to spice up her Spanish and step up her leadership through serving at New Hope Fellowship as a summer service worker through Mennonite Central Committee (MCC).

Eighteen-year-old Deborah has attended New Hope in Alexandria, VA for about seven years and is looking to learn leadership skills while serving at her church in the 10-week MCC Summer Service Program from June 8th to August 17th. She is working under the direction of New Hope’s pastor Kirk Hanger and his wife Marilyn. New Hope meets for Sunday worship at Bethany Lutheran Church.

As an MCC service worker, Deborah is helping New Hope in whatever way needed. Some of her staple work is helping the church secretary with office work. Another assignment is interviewing church members and writing articles on them. She also assisted with New Hope’s Vacation Bible Schools (VBS). In addition, Deborah will also be going on a service trip to Mexico for two weeks, as a part of her summer work.

“Overall, I think it’s an opportunity for her to be involved in her local church and to experience a variety of ministry opportunities,” Pastor Kirk said. “She’s helping us, but I think in the process she’s growing, stepping out of her comfort zone.”

For VBS, Deborah helped teach and supervise the kids. Her main responsibility was leading arts and crafts. Furthermore, she created a puppet show series to teach lessons about the Bible.

New Hope also ran a shorter VBS at one member’s apartment complex for the kids of the community. Deborah found it somewhat challenging, because most of the kids spoke Spanish. Deborah said although uncertain at first, she was glad to see the kids participate in singing.

“It was actually very good, the kids were actually very interested and asked a lot of questions,” Deborah said.

Just as she is teaching, she has also been learning some Spanish for the two-week Mexico trip. Part of her service program is equipping her by expanding her reach to people by learning Spanish. She has been required to complete online Spanish programs. The first week of her Mexico trip involves medical service. Her second week she will work at an orphanage.

In past summers Deborah worked at an animal clinic. In her free time, she likes to read, watch movies and go swimming. Deborah plans to study accounting at the University of Mary Washington as she starts her freshman year in August.

On the Way: The Journey Continues

July 9, 2015 by Conference Office

by Barbie Fischer, bfischer@mosaicmennonites.org

It was only a few short days ago that 57 members of Franconia Mennonite Conference returned from MC USA convention in Kansas City. This was a convention unlike all others, pain was clearly written across many faces. As Mennonite World Review reported in their article MC USA convention: Sharing pain, seeing Jesus on July 7^th, “It might have been the pain of exclusion due to sexual orientation. Or of feeling the church has agreed to tolerate sin. It might have been the pain of sexual abuse. Or of concern for the future of a church sharply divided on how to relate to sexual minorities.”

There was also pain regarding the lack of resolutions put forward prior to convention to stand with our brothers and sisters of color, especially in the wake of church burnings, and the shooting at the Emmanuel AME Church in Charleston, SC. The pain was also present as delegates recognized the loss of life that would continue in Palestine and Israel as the resolution regarding standing with Palestinian Christians was tabled for two years. That pain led to the drafting and approval of a resolution on Saturday to stand with MCUSA partners for peace in Israel and Palestine. With all of this pain, the question remains, where do we go from here?

The theme of this year’s convention was “On the Way.” Throughout the week speakers in worship services and delegate sessions spoke on the Emmaus road story in Luke 24. The story begins with the finding of the empty tomb, where the crucified Christ was laid. This news is reported to the apostles before two leave for a trip to the town of Emmaus. Along this journey they encounter Jesus, although they do not know it is him at first. As they talk of all that has happened they miss that Christ is in their midst. They recognize Jesus only when they begin to break bread. As the men return to Jerusalem and Jesus appears before the disciples they still doubt. Christ bears the wounds of the cross, revealing the pain he endured. The pain that led to this moment and now has made it possible for his ascension into heaven, which is where this chapter ends.

This is not the end of the story, rather the beginning of a new chapter. Pain is not always a bad thing. Christ’s pain led to the salvation of God’s children. What happens with the pain endured? Christ’s pain led him to God’s side as he ascended into heaven.

As Franconia Mennonite Conference moves forward and continues into this new chapter, may the conversations not be so all consuming that the sight of Christ among us is lost. May the pain felt by sisters and brothers be acknowledged as Christ acknowledged his and may this pain draw us closer to God as Christ’s did him.

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