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Rose Bender
rosieb30@aol.com

I was going to learn about living simply. I was going to learn about living in community. I was going to experience what it was like to live among the poor. I was trading in my safe, warm, suburban Philadelphia apartment for a rambling, drafty, old house in Kernville. I was trading in easy access to the beach for a mountain view outside my front door. I would no longer have papers to grade, old friends to visit or a regular paycheck to deposit. Life would be different, but I trusted that God was directing me to lead a Service Adventure unit in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, for the next two years.

I had certain expectations before I even came here. I had enough short-term mission experience that I knew the basics. I knew I was to come with the attitude that God was already working here and I was going to participate with that initiated endeavor. I knew I would be given far more by those I was serving than I could give in return. And I knew that I should suspend judgment about people and programs already in place. I trusted that I would be the one who was transformed. But I still had a lot to learn.

Johnstown is an interesting city, like no other that I have seen. It has the friendly atmosphere of a small town—but with inner city problems. For the size, there are an overwhelming number of homeless, disabled, and mentally ill people. There is a pervasive sense of hopelessness, or at least a definite acceptance of the status quo. I think it is more than just that Johnstown is economically depressed. There is a poverty of the spirit. Even those who have money in Johnstown don’t seem to spend it here—they travel to Pittsburgh or Altoona or Greensburg to shop. When people find out that I moved here from the Philadelphia area, they ask in disbelief, “Why would you ever move to Johnstown?”

Though I am mystified by this city whose identity seems to be in the many disasters that have occurred, I do like living here. God has given me a genuine compassion and concern for those for and with whom I work. Walking to my job each day helps. It certainly gives me a vastly different experience than my old commute on I-95 into New Jersey. I stop and talk to my neighbor Darlene, wheel-chair bound, chain-smoking, and often complaining. I notice the skies and the mountains and the trees. I have time to pray as I pass by boarded-up houses and laughing children at the tiny neighborhood playground. Mostly, I am engaged with my environment in a way I never could be when I was driving in my car. The three participants in the program have also found this to be true. Whether it’s the children at Head Start, the YMCA, or the community center, or whether it’s the older folks at church—all three of them are becoming attached to this community.

As winter is setting in and the air is much colder, I am acutely aware of those folks around me without shelter and food. I walk by a soup kitchen just as people are gathering to go inside. One man in particular has caught my eye. His nose is misshapen and discolored—like it has been frostbitten. He is very friendly, but never asks for money. I often wonder where he sleeps. I have also noticed more community people coming into First Mennonite of Johnstown for Sunday evening worship. It is warm inside and there is a fellowship meal after the service. Last night, a new family kept talking to me after worship. They looked strange, smelled badly, and what they said did not make sense. I had to remind myself to look them in the eye, to treat them with dignity. But if the amount of times they hugged me was any indication—they surely enjoyed themselves. I have to admit, I was uncomfortable and blessed all at the same time.

However being here is still a challenge. All of my years of romanticized, philosophical musings about living in community among the poor and the powerless are smashing up against reality. After living by myself, living in community with 19-year olds is challenging. Mentoring takes patience and energy that I do not always have. It is hard to walk to work when it is cold and windy and my feet hurt. I get frustrated by the surrounding poverty and my inability to attack the root causes. Working part-time for minimum wage is personally challenging. I was a professional. I have a degree. Mostly, I hate not having money. And I hate that it is hard for me, because I know that I have chosen to live this way: others in my neighborhood have not.

As I enter into my fourth month here, I know the greatest lesson God is teaching me is the discipline of waiting. This is also particularly challenging for the young adults in the program. They want immediate results. So, together we are learning to wait. We wait to purchase needed items until money is donated. We wait on the world’s slowest computer. We wait on friendships to form. We wait on lives to be changed. We wait on God to provide. And while we wait, we find that we are being transformed, individually and as a community. We are learning to worship together. We are learning to look out for the interest of the other. We are learning to trust and to walk in obedience to God’s Word. We rely on the manna that God provides us for today, expecting that fresh manna will be there for tomorrow. And we share together in the surprise of getting more than we ever expected.

Rose Bender, formerly of Ambler Mennonite Church, is the Director of the Mennonite Mission Network’s Service Adventure House in Johnstown, PA. The three participants are Nikki Diehl (Perkasie, PA) from Rocky Ridge Mennonite Church, Aaron Gingerich (Kalona, IA) from Lower Deer Creek Mennonite Church, and Manuela Foerderer from Germany.

FMC Young Adults Entering Voluntary Service

Nicole Diehl, Perkasie, PA, began a Service Adventure assignment in August in Johnstown, PA. Diehl is a 2006 graduate of Pennridge High School, the daughter of Linda and Mark Diehl, and attends Rocky Ridge Mennonite Church.

Jessica Goshow, Perkasie, PA, began a one-year term of Mennonite Voluntary Service in August in Bethesda, MD. Goshow is serving as a legal and policy associate with D.C. Employment Justice Center. She is a 2006 graduate of Eastern Mennonite University, VA, daughter of Janet and John Goshow, and attends Blooming Glen Mennonite Church.

Matthew Ruth, Harleysville, PA, began a one-year term in September of Mennonite Voluntary Service in Fresno, CA, as a youth worker with Valley Teen Ranch. A 2006 graduate of Eastern Mennonite University, Ruth is the son of Sharon and Marlin Ruth and attends Salford Mennonite Church.

Katie Souder, Green Lane, PA, also began a one-year term of Mennonite Voluntary Service on August 14, 2006 in Bethesda, MD. Souder is serving as a caseworker with Samaritan Ministry. Souder is a 2006 graduate of Saint Olaf College, MN, the daughter of Susan and Ronald Souder, and attends Salford Mennonite Church.

Janelle Freed, Collegeville, PA, served in Youth Venture June 27-July 17, 2006 in Colombia. She is the daughter of Debbie and Ron Freed and attends Blooming Glen Mennonite Church.

Information provided by Bethany Keener, Assistant News Editor of Mennonite Mission Network (MMN), the mission agency of MC USA. MMN envisions all parts of the church fully engaged in God’s mission sharing all of Christ with all creation. More information about Youth Venture, Service Adventure, and Mennonite Voluntary Service is available online at mennonitemission.net.

Brad Glick
bsglick@yahoo.com

Editor’s Note: Each year Franconia Conference and Eastern District Conference award Clayton Kratz scholarships for emerging leaders who are preparing for roles in church leadership. This year Intersections invited Brad to tell his story and sojourn in pursuing a vocation at the intersection of church leadership and law school.

In my application to Emory Law School I wrote:

Within the Mennonite Church there tend to be two world views. The first more traditional view believes the responsibility of the person is to remain within his community, to prosper at a business, to support his family, and to be “the quiet in the land.” The second, more progressive view believes that as a church with a foundation of peace, justice and nonviolence, the person and the community have an obligation to engage the world in both voice and action.

Because of that obligation I decided to pursue joint J.D. (Law) and Masters of Theological Studies degrees at Emory University in Atlanta.

Looking back at my life, two places stand out as “home;” Lansdale, PA and Spruce Lake Retreat. My father, Jesse Glick, was Franconia Conference’s youth minister from 1976 to 1988. Following this my family moved to Elkhart, IN, and after two Indiana summers I decided to work at Spruce Lake Wilderness Camp as a counselor for what would be the first of four summers and become a career.

After graduating from Eastern Mennonite University as a Camping, Recreation, Outdoor Ministries major, I spent three years working with juvenile delinquents with Eckerd Youth Alternatives, an alternative wilderness program in New Hampshire. In 1999, to recoup from working and living with delinquents for 24 hours a day/six days a week, I worked as deckhand on a schooner off the coast of Maine. In 2000 I was privileged to come back to Spruce Lake Retreat full-time as the Expedition and Outpost Manager/Outdoor Education Teacher.

I loved my six years at Spruce Lake. Solidifying the foundation of the Expeditions program, planning trips, leading an exceptional staff, and developing relationships with parents and campers were tremendous experiences. During this time, I was led to pursue a joint law and theology degree. As I kept in touch with a few of the delinquent youth from New Hampshire and witnessed similar experiences at Spruce Lake, I became upset by the breakdowns in the school, welfare, and court systems of the state. I saw good kids who had suffered tremendous abuse, yet had a real inner strength and desire to change, floundering without any support from their families, communities, or schools. While some of these kids were not in the court system yet, circumstances were harming and inhibiting their actual and potential lives.

Christian ethicist Beverly Harrison states that children embody the visions and dreams of their culture. In a recent sermon the preacher described our current culture as an individualistic, therapeutic, militaristic, consumer society.

To truly help children and youth, a two-pronged approach is required. First, the inadequate support systems of the courts, schools, and welfare must be improved through legislation, program development, and the adoption of a restorative justice approach to criminal offenses, each necessitating involvement in the political world. Second, the church must counteract the toxic elements of our culture. This cannot be accomplished merely be creating separate Christian cultures, but by purposefully acting in the everyday lives of the persons around us to show by example a life lived by different principles and beliefs.

Mennonites have a prime opportunity to provide vision and leadership in each area. I was suprised in coming to Candler School of Theology, (a United Methodist seminary) to discover how much people like Mennonites/Anabaptists, or at least our theology. As persons like Jim Wallis, Stanley Hauerwas, and Brian McLaren are offering an alternate vision of what it means to be a relevant Christian in our world, many people are finding Anabaptist theology to be a clear articulation of these beliefs and principles.

Emory Law School’s newly adopted vision is to develop servant leadership. Enough persons in the world are concluding that leadership through coercion and domination is neither healthy for those being led, nor the leaders themselves. Our 500 year tradition of servant leadership in the Mennonite church is an opportunity and an obligation to the world to demonstrate both in voice and action an alternative life based on principles of community, peace, justice, and non-violence.

Brad Glick is in his second year of a four year program at Emory Law School and Candler School of Theology in Atlanta, GA, pursuing a vocation to connect theology and the law into transformative leadership.

2006 Clayton Kratz Award Recipients

Marta Castillo: Marta is pursuing a Certificate of Christian Leadership in online Theological Studies from Eastern Mennonite University in anticipation of entering pastoral ministry. She is a member of Nueva Vida Norristown New Life.

William Eberly: William is pursuing a Master of Divinity at Eastern Mennonite Seminary, VA, in anticipation of becoming an associate pastor or member of a pastoral team. He is a member of Eastern District’s Zion Mennonite Church.

John Michael (Mike) Metzler: Mike is pursuing a Master of Divinity at Eastern Mennonite Seminary, VA, in anticipation of entering the pastorate and possibly church planting. He is a member of Towamencin Mennonite Church.

Tim Moyer: Tim is pursuing a Master of Divinity at Eastern Mennonite Seminary, VA, in anticipation of entering the pastorate. He is a member of Towamencin Mennonite Church.

Yvonne Platts: Yvonne is pursuing a Master of Arts in Urban Studies with a concentration in Community Development at Eastern University’s School for Social Change and cites 2 Corinthians 5:18 as her inspiration for ministry. She is a member of Nueva Vida Norristown New Life and a member of PUMP (Philadelphia Urban Ministry Partnership).

Maria Joy Rodrigez: Maria is pursuing a Master of Arts in Counseling at Eastern Mennonite University, VA, in pursuit of counseling in a church related setting. She is a member of Franconia Mennonite Church.

Susan Slozer: Susan is pursuing a Master of Arts in Counseling at Biblical Seminary, PA, and cites 2 Corinthian 5 as the inspiration for her ministry pursuit in reconciliation and emotional healing. She is a member of Perkiomenville Mennonite Church.

Erin Odgers
eodgers1982@yahoo.com

Two years ago, I moved to southeastern Pennsylvania after graduating from Messiah College. My first introduction to Anabaptist theology was during my time at Messiah. I was drawn to the focus on community, service, and nonviolent peacemaking, resulting in a desire to attend an Anabaptist church. Online I found an abundance of Mennonite churches in the area, and after visiting only two churches I found a congregation to attend regularly—Plains Mennonite. From the moment I walked in the door I was met with warm welcomes by congregants asking genuine questions to find out more about me and from where I came. Instead of relying on designated greeters and the pastor to welcome visitors, many members took it upon themselves to welcome me individually.

The hospitality did not end after the Sunday morning worship, which had been my experience at many other churches I have visited in the past. For the next two months I could count on an invitation to Sunday lunch by different members of the congregation, providing an the opportunity to learn to know each other on a deeper level and allowing me to gain a sense of inclusion in the congregation. I can remember some of the many invitations to lunch with Arlin and Esther Shisler and John and Marcia Parker, eating Vietnamese with Henry and Charlotte Rosenberger along with Larisa Friesen, an open invitation to Indian food at Paul and Rina Rampogu’s home, and discussing our experiences in other countries over lunch with Heather Hoover.

The congregation expresses this sense of community through community night meals held on six Wednesday evenings in the fall and spring. After dinner there is presentation on a selected topic that encourages the congregation to discuss ways to apply their faith to current issues in the local and global community. This spring’s topic was on mental illness and for two Wednesday evenings we watched a move on suicide and its effects on those with personal encounters.

The movie opened up discussion to a sensitive and often ignored topic that has affected members of the church. This enabled participants to express their feelings and experiences regarding suicide to others who have not experienced this pain on a personal level, gaining a better understanding of the issue. Not only did I experience community in this environment, but the congregation’s intentional effort to discuss real world issues provided a way to make Anabaptist faith relevant in the world and in my life.

One struggle within a closely knit community is the tendency toward a sense of isolation. The longer I am a member of the Mennonite community within the Franconia Conference in southeastern Pennsylvania the more I find myself interacting only with other Mennonites. It is important that we understand the value of interacting with people from diverse backgrounds, including race, ethnicity, and religious expression, to break down barriers and increase understanding of each other combined with the recognition of Jesus’ call for his followers to be in the world acting as agents for reconciliation of human to human relationships and God to human relationships.

I would like to see individuals and groups in the church use the gifts that Anabaptism has to offer to the community through the building of intentional relationships with people from backgrounds different from our own. A few possibilities may be to attend cross-cultural events in the community, go to another country on a service trip, attend a multicultural church, or host a volunteer from another country. Finding ways to intentionally interact with people outside the Mennonite community can create a community that is more inclusive and less isolated, sharing gifts and learning within a world in need.

Erin Odgers is a 20something social worker who lives in Lansdale, PA. She is happy to be a part of the congregation at Plains Mennonite Church.

Reaching Beyond the Mennonite Comfort Zone

While highlighting the Mennonite values that drew him to the denomination, Will Schirmer challenges the practices and underlying attitudes that make Mennonites appear exclusive to those on the outside in his book: Reaching Beyond the Mennonite Comfort Zone: Exploring From The Inside Out. The following is an excerpt from chapter 4, entitled A Close-Knit Community – How that Appears to Outsiders:

In the sixteenth through twentieth centuries, Mennonites lived in small communities throughout Europe and Russia. They were members of agrarian societies and held together by common religious belief and practice, common language, and at times, persecution. This strong sense of community migrated with the Mennonites over to the United States and Canada and had remained with them to this day.

A strong sense of community is not bad­—there are many positives to it. However, those outside the community may perceive the community as one they can’t get in. Many people view Mennonites as they do the Amish—a person is born into the society; it is not something to be joined. Those who view matters from this perspective are primarily spectators—they have no interest in becoming part of the community. They make observations and draw conclusions from brief exposure.

Those who want to be part of the community—someone who wants to attend or join a Mennonite church, for example—see it differently. They are attracted to the sense of community and want to be a part of it. They want to share on the closeness that is already established. It’s this group of people, who want to belong, who often find it hard to be integrated into the Mennonite church community, mainly due to actions and words of some members.

Can a church create an atmosphere that causes people to feel separated? Can a church create an environment that enables people to overcome feelings of separation and assimilate them into the church fellowship?

—Excerpted from Reaching Beyond the Mennonte Comfort Zone by Will Schirmer, Cascadia Publishing House/Pandora Press (2003)

Russ Mast
rmast@dockwoods.com

“Service stimulates the mind and unleashes God-given gifts and passions.” So says Dock Woods Community resident Claude Good, as he describes the vision behind a recent mission and service fair for Dock Woods residents.

“I am very concerned about people who retire and think the productive part of life is over,” says Claude. “So many people have ‘bloomed’ in their older years. They’ve found something that was stirring within them all their lives, and now they are free to explore it more fully.”

When Claude considered serving on the spiritual life committee at Dock Woods, he began to think of how central Jesus’ example of service to others is to our Anabaptist faith and wanted to ensure that such an active spirituality was promoted. Claude explained, “I began to think about how volunteering can add ‘zest’ to an older adult’s life, and before I knew it I was passionately discussing the need to promote service and volunteerism across our campuses.”

The spiritual life committee shared Claude’s vision and began planning a mission and service fair to connect residents with opportunities to serve. The event featured representatives from 20 service organizations including MCC’s Material Resource Center of Harleysville, MAMA Project, Liberty Ministries, American Red Cross and Amnesty International.

Rick Young of Liberty Ministries commented, “In my experience, this is the first time an area retirement community has sponsored such an event, and the opportunity to interact with older adults and discuss opportunities to minister and serve has proven valuable—both for Liberty and for the Dock Woods residents.”

For many years, Dock Woods has partnered with Liberty Ministries on the group’s Christmas stocking program, distributing bags of toiletries to prisoners around Christmas. Now the vision is expanding. As Rick explained, “Following the great conversations I had with Dock Woods residents, our staff at Liberty Ministries is actively brainstorming about new ways to enable older adults to share in our ministry to prisoners and their families.”

The volunteer coordination office of Dock Woods Community was also on hand to promote service within the community, an area where Dock Woods already excels. Countless residents join with volunteers from the broader community each week to run the gift shop, interact with residents in skilled nursing, assist with activities in assisted living, and much more.

“Walking into the mission and service fair’s array of displays gave the feeling of walking into a smorgasbord of service adventures, each offering exciting opportunities for service,” said Merlin Hedrick, Director of Pastoral Services at Dock Woods. “Our hope was to inspire even more to see how easy and rewarding it is to make a positive difference in the world.”

In addition to helping organize the event and attending as a resident, Claude Good also represented Franconia Mennonite Conference’s WORM Project. As residents approached Claude’s booth, he explained how medication was available to help prevent worm infestations in children for just pennies a pill, making this medication available in approximately 70 countries worldwide.

Following the fair, a resident approached Claude about bringing WORM Project coin collection containers to an upcoming Dock Woods resident prayer meeting so residents could give the jars to their grandchildren. Only time will tell how many more lives will continue to bloom, as older adults respond to the stirring within them to give of themselves and make this world a better place—one service adventure at a time.

Dock Woods Community

A vibrant community that integrates continuing care retirement living with affordable housing and services for older adults and families, Dock Woods Community is a living dedication to the enhancement of life for older adults and families, rooted in the Mennonite heritage of Christian values.

www.dockwoods.com