Uncategorized

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

Eli Detweiler
iwantafignewton@aol.com

For as long as I can remember, Mr. Wiens would take students out to breakfast just to talk things over. I used to make fun of people that would actually agree to go out with him, thinking that it was kind of odd how the Vice Principal was hanging out with students. One day, Mr. Wiens popped me the big question. “Do you want to go to breakfast tomorrow?” Not wanting to get on his bad side, I agreed. The decision to go with Mr. Wiens to breakfast was possibly the greatest choice I have made so far in my high school career.

Besides my parents, Mr. Wiens developed into the adult in my life that I could come to and share my problems, questions, or joys that I wanted to share. Coming from Souderton Area High School, I was not used to this kind of attention from a teacher. I tended to be think that you were sent to the vice principal because you were in trouble. Not so with Mr. Wiens.

Mr. Wiens is more than just an authority figure—he tries to be your friend, and I’m glad to say that he is my friend. I know that if I do something wrong, I will not get special treatment, but get punished the same as anyone else. And this punishment may be even worse because I will have to live with knowing that I let down someone important to me.

One memory with Mr. Wiens that I will never forget is our Mennonite Secondary Education Council (MSEC) touring choir trip. Mr. Wiens and I are hardcore CD touring choir groupies and the choir had their MSEC concert in Lancaster, PA. Mr. Wiens and I saddled up and made the trip west. Although I don’t really remember what we talked about during those car rides, I do remember that I gained a lot from them and also gained a lot of respect for Mr. Wiens as a person and a friend.

There are many examples of how Mr. Wiens cares for Christopher Dock and its activities. He is always seen at boy’s soccer games, field hockey games, baseball games, band/orchestra concerts, and touring choir concerts. He is a guy who loves his school and loves his students.

Mr. Wiens is a person that I can look up to. He mentors me whether he wants to or not. When I look around and see his relationships with people, I know how I want my relationships to be. He is a guy that I respect in his actions with the school and with his peers. He is an authority figure to me, but he is also a friend. He’s a pretty good guy to get sushi with as well.

Eli Detweiler is a senior at Christopher Dock Mennonite High School and attends Salford Mennonite Church.

Christopher Dock Mennonite High School

In partnership with the family and the church, developing the God-given abilities of students in preparation
for responsible stewardship of life as members of God’s people in a global society.

www.dockhs.org

Conrad Erb
conraderb@gmail.com

This summer, a torrent of rockets and shells fell on the earth as Lebanese militant fighters associated with Hezbollah clashed for 34 days with the Israeli military. By the time a ceasefire came into effect, over 1100 Lebanese and 150 Israelis had lost their lives, and over 1 million civilians were displaced as a result of the conflict, according to Israeli and Lebanese government sources.

The effects of the war have put a tremendous strain on the infrastructure of the country, and Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) has launched a relief effort to deliver close to $1 million in material aid to the people of Lebanon. Over 5000 miles away from Beirut and Jerusalem, nestled in the rolling farmland of Harleysville, PA, a long, narrow building sits on a small hill. While it may not appear to have a connection to Lebanon, it is an integral part of MCC’s relief efforts there and in many other countries around the world.

At the Harleysville Material Resource Center (MRC), comforters live up to their name. Each week, scores of volunteers from surrounding communities gather to transform leftover materials into cozy bedspreads that Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) incorporates into their relief work in impoverished or trauma-stricken areas. People all over the world, including many in our own country, receive well-crafted comforters and necessary life supplies—a true “comfort” in a time of need.

MRC is one of nine centers in North America that collect and consolidate material aid in support of MCC’s material relief programs. With over 50 regular quilting volunteers, 45 churches that donate materials, and numerous community groups that contribute additional time and resources, MRC offers strong support to national and international relief work.

A small building, nestled in the rolling farmland of eastern Pennsylvania, houses this remarkable venture. Inside, a group of volunteers surrounds three wooden frames, chatting and making jokes as they quilt and knot comforters. The combined support of churches, community groups and individual volunteers yields impressive results: over the past two years, MRC has supplied over 2,500 comforters to the material resource center in Ephrata, PA, from where they are shipped overseas to support MCC’s relief efforts. The largest comforter donations come from a group of volunteers living at the Souderton Mennonite Homes. “They do 40 comforters each month!” Dorothy Detweiler reports.

MRC is also home to a major relief kit program involving health kits, school kits, newborn kits and kits for people living with AIDS. Materials for the kits are collected from local church donations and then wrapped in colorful fabric bags, tied with ribbon and packaged for transport to the resource center in Ephrata, from where they are distributed to countries throughout the world. According to Mildred Moore, warehouse coordinator at MRC, recent relief efforts have included shipments to aid victims of Hurricane Katrina in the southern U.S. and of the 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean. The Ephrata resource center recently sent 6,000 kits to Jordan for distribution in the region, and the center is collecting items that will be part of a major campaign by MCC to provide material assistance to the people of Lebanon in the aftermath of a devastating war between Lebanese militant Hezbollah fighters and Israel.

In most cases, the assembled kits are distributed to thousands of people around the world, and the volunteers who pack the kits never meet the recipients. In March 2006, however, Mildred had an opportunity to participate in an MCC-sponsored delegation to distribute kits in Central America. The delegation went to Honduras to visit the Mama Project, a children and youth health and education program. Mildred saw a bundle of school kits being distributed and recognized that they were from Harleysville. “We were privileged to hand out the kits.” Mildred says, “Not all of us can to go Honduras, but this is a way to serve MCC and offer another kind of comfort.”

Fabric is collected from Care and Share Shoppes in Souderton and cut into squares that are used to make patches for quilts. Is there any material that can’t be used for some project? “Not many!” She laughs. “We don’t throw much away.” Mildred turns around to open a room where rolls of fabric six feet high lean against the walls. Last year, a drapery store went out of business, and the excess inventory filled the entire room. The rolls of fabric are now used as backing for quilts—and already half of the rolls have been used by volunteer quilt-makers.

Although MRC supports the work of MCC, Norman Good and Dorothy Detwiler are proud to point out that MRC receives no financial support from MCC, relying entirely on private donations for its operations. Norman explains that the total annual operating budget of the center, including rent, utilities, telephone, and miscellaneous costs, is only $5,000. “We are very low budget,” he says with a laugh. To support its operational expenses, the MRC holds an annual fundraising dinner and has a volunteer program making rags to sell to area oil companies. “Everything is voluntary, one hundred percent,” says Norman.

Next year, MRC will begin an exciting chapter in its history. The center recently received a donation of nine acres of farmland near Elroy, PA, from retired farmer Nelson Souder. MRC’s new resource center will share space with Mennonite Disaster Service, the MCC’s Meat Canning program, and a storage facility for Care & Share Shoppes. The new center will occupy nearly 15,000 square feet of warehouse space and offices—six times as large as the current building. Groundbreaking is scheduled to begin in late 2007, and fundraising efforts have already begun. With a budget just under $2 million, of which $50,000 has already been raised, Nelson is optimistic about the fundraising goals: “Based on the influence of MCC and the fact that we are working with Franconia Mennonite Conference, Eastern District Conference, and the Brethren in Christ churches, we have a strong base of support to draw from. I have every bit of confidence that they will support the project.”

MCC Material Resource Center of Harleysville

MCC Material Resource Center of Harleysville serves as a liaison between the MCC Material Resource Center of Ephrata and peace churches of Eastern Pennsylvania. Through this outreach, we share God’s love, hope, and joy in the name of Jesus Christ.

www.mcc.org

M. Christine Benner
m.christine.benner@verizon.net

David Kochsmeier hosts Life With God Broadcast, a radio show playing 30 minutes of preaching, teaching, and a few hymns each week. David is usually the one preaching and teaching. I asked him what he considered the program to be.

“Certainly not a duty,” he answered, leaning back on the chair. “And not a business, though there must be business sense.” He thought about it a moment. “The best word to describe the Life With God Broadcast is an opportunity. An opportunity to proclaim the gospel of Jesus.”

Seven radio stations (including one in Puerto Rico) carry the Broadcast each week. The projected number of people within reach of those seven stations is 30 million. Not all of those 30 million people tune in, admits Kochsmeier. But the potential is there—this is the opportunity.

Weekly, Kochsmeier records in his in-home studio. His messages spring from the perspective of Anabaptist understanding “in a way the broader community can relate to.” As he preaches, he imagines his listener: a faithful supporter driving to church, a mental health patient seeking hope, a woman in prison, a teenager flipping channels on the car radio, an elderly man in a retirement home—any soul who has stumbled onto the program and waits long enough to be touched.

Although Life With God Broadcast began in 1962, Kochsmeier got involved 11 years ago almost by accident when he ran into Earl Anders at Spruce Lake Retreat. Knowing Anders was considering stepping down from his radio position, Kochsmeier inquired about the search for a replacement. Anders read this as a sign of interest and took Kochsmeier’s name to the board as a candidate. Kochsmeier was offered the job. After negotiating some working conditions with the board of Steel City Mennonite Church, where he was serving as pastor, Kochsmeier accepted and has done both ever since.

Years ago, Kochsmeier entered Hesston College as a pre-med major. Everyone, including Frank—his hometown barber—was proud that this Arizona farm boy was going to be a medical doctor. But Kochsmeier’s plans began to change. He soon realized that he wanted to be a pastor. Going home for break, he wondered how he would break it to his friend, the barber, who had been so proud, so attentive. Avoidance worked for a while, but a coincidental street meeting with Frank brought the issue to a head.

“I want to come over to see how the doctor’s doing!” Frank told Kochsmeier. “How’re the studies going?” The young man braced his nerves and told Frank he had changed majors. He expected Frank to try to persuade him to change his mind. But that wasn’t what happened.

“That’s really great,” Frank told the young man. “Doctors help people live for ninety years; pastors help people live for an eternity.”

“I took that as my confirmation of a call, and I haven’t looked back since. As long as God chooses to use me,” he said, “I’ll be glad to serve. I feel so humbled to be used in this way. The opportunity to have my life, my voice, intersect with other people is very rewarding, humbling, and exciting.”

For Kochsmeier, it’s all about trust. His work on the radio is mostly one-sided. He talks into the microphone, trusting someone is listening, trusting God is working through his words. There have been signs of success: letters, monetary gifts, prayer. “Don’t think we can judge success on dollar amounts,” Kochsmeier said, “Success is lives being touched and transformed that will be in Heaven because of it. I doubt that, this side of Heaven, I’ll ever know that.”

Life With God Broadcasts

Proclaiming the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

by Patrecia Fernanda
pat2_1604@yahoo.com

On September 16, 2006, the winner of Indonesian Idol 2005, Michael “Mike” Prabawa Mohede, visited Philadelphia. I had the privilege of interviewing Mike before he began practice with Philadelphia Praise Center’s worship team who joined him on his ministry tour stop in Scranton, PA. Mike was born into a Christian family and grew up in a relationship with Jesus. He shared how his faith was tested after his father “went to the eternal home” in 2001. Mike’s relationship with his father was very close and he not only lost his father but also a mentor. “God is always good,” he testified. “At that time I was ready to start my college years and the loss of my father made it seem that every door was closed but God worked in a different way. He opened many doors for me and I believe in every test there is always a purpose.”

When I asked Mike how he feels about winning the Indonesian Idol contest, he joyfully said “unbelievable and unpredictable.” He had dreamed of becoming a singer since he was 11 and after winning Indonesian Idol he’s more passionate about singing for Jesus. Now he is eagerly planning to make an Indonesian gospel album. “Ministry, like my worship and song, is telling a story. I hope every time I sing I can be a media for people meeting face to face with God to recharge their faith.”

Even with the blessing of being the Indonesian Idol, Mike considers himself a quiet and shy person and is uncomfortable with the attention his fame has brought him. Simply eating at a restaurant can make him the center of attention. He likes to be with ordinary people where not many know who he is. He is an normal man who wants to buy a house for his mother and hopes to marry a woman like her someday.

It’s amazing when God works through someone as humble as Mike who lets God se him for his purposes more and more.