Conference News

Learning & Loving God in MCC Summer Service Program

August 8, 2012 by Emily Ralph Servant

by Ben White & Millie Penner, Mennonite Central Committee

When asked what he was looking forward to as he began his Summer Service Worker term with MCC East Coast, Cesar Solis said, “I’m looking forward to learning . . . the best thing about being a Christian is you get to learn new things every day.” A recent graduate of high school, Cesar is working to discern both what he will do and who he will be. This young man is committed both to learning and to loving God.

Cesar will have plenty of opportunity to learn and love both God and God’s people this summer at New Hope Fellowship in Alexandria, Virginia. Working with a kids club and youth group is one part of his job, but he also has the opportunity to think with others about supporting another church in New Jersey through a significant transition. Cesar has a willing spirit and seems to thrive on taking risks. His pastor Kirk Hanger is working to give Cesar many opportunities to learn. Cesar’s God-given enthusiasm will make his Summer Service term enjoyable. The grant from Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) East Coast Summer Service Worker program makes it possible.

The MCC East Coast Summer Service Worker program is a short term leadership development program for young adult people of color between the ages of 18-30. This Summer Service Worker program partners with churches and other organizations to provide leadership opportunities for young people. The church or organization, along with MCC East Coast, work together to pay Summer Service workers for their efforts. Franconia Conference also contributed to Cesar Solis’ grant.

Summer Service Workers 2012 — This year’s participants in MCC East Coast’s Summer Service Worker program. Photo provided.

In June, MCC East Coast and MCC Great Lakes Summer Service Workers participated in a week of orientation in Philadelphia, PA. Participants learned from largely urban speakers about MCC and what it means to be a young Christian leader of color. Summer Service Workers also form friendships among themselves during the orientation. These bonds of friendship and support are strengthened through regularly scheduled conference calls in which they share their joys and frustrations during their terms of service.

This summer there are eleven East Coast Summer Service Workers from New York City to Puerto Rico who are learning much about leadership and taking risks.

Please pray that East Coast Summer Service Workers see themselves as God sees them—gifted individuals with much to offer the world.

The MCC East Coast Summer Service progam considers new partnerships each year. Interested churches or organizations should visit the website for further details.

Backward Jazz

August 8, 2012 by Emily Ralph Servant

by Jacob Ford, Franconia

I read Blue Like Jazz backwards. It was the story of a guy who had the whole concept of love figured out, who went into the woods as his facial hair slowly retracted, and eventually ended up as a child in a conservative Christian household.

No, here’s what I actually mean:

Well, first, a little backstory. In June, RELEVANT Magazine published an article on Donald Miller and the new movie based on his book. Like any good pop culture Christian magazine dealing with a potentially good pop culture Christian movie based on a good pop culture Christian book, the article dug down to the inspirations and environmental elements which led to the author writing certain words and not writing certain words in what eventually became the finished book. But what happened next was fascinating. About halfway through the article, the claim is made that Blue Like Jazz inspired not only a mindset and some inspired thinking among its readers, but was instrumental in birth of an entire new concept of Christianity, a “shift in evangelical culture.”

Generally, we’re talking about the newish liberal quasihipster kind of Christian culture (you may recognize us), but it gets much deeper than I just made it sound.

This is where the backwards comes in. Without realizing it, I had already begun to align myself with this new culture, before reading Blue Like Jazz. As I read, I felt my ideas being validated just as much as I was hearing new ones. I was seeing much of my own thinking on a page written by someone else. This connection made it even more personal and frustrating when I read something that didn’t seem to match up with my thinking. It was fascinating. Rather than simply being inspired by a book I was reading, I was reading a book which was inspired by something I was already a part of.

Read the book. Watch the movie. Do both. Read then watch. Watch then read. I’m not one of those parental crazies ranting about how no movie should ever be watched before it is read (I still have something like eight pages left to read and I might go watch the movie anyway before finishing the last few paragraphs just to bother people).

But here’s my unexpected advice: Don’t watch or read it with a totally open mind. Have your own thoughts. Bring your personal opinions. If you love/hate the church, continue loving/hating the church. Yes, be ready to change your thinking, but make sure you actually have your own thoughts. Blue Like Jazz might change your mind on at least a few things you previously thought were unshakable, but it can only change something if it’s already there.

I hope to soon watch Blue Like Jazz backwards. And not in the Benjamin Button sense.

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Franconia Mennonite Church’s Youth and Young Adults are sponsoring a movie showing of Blue Like Jazz at the Grand Theater in East Greenville (252 Main St, East Greenville PA 18041, 215-679-4300) on August 8, beginning at 7 PM. Tickets are $5. For more information about the movie visit http://www.bluelikejazzthemovie.com/.

Learning to listen across generations

August 7, 2012 by Emily Ralph Servant

by Joe Hackman, Salford (Harleysville, Pa.)

Salford listening — Joe Hackman and Sanford Alderfer from Salford congregation. Salford is focusing this year on learning to listen across generations. Photo by Tim Moyer.

“Thank you for listening!” say several excited young children at the end of every episode of Salford’s Listening Project. Our church has been doing a lot of listening these days.

Last summer we set aside several months for prayer and discerning what God might be calling us to for the next several years. The discernment led us to something pretty basic: learning how to get better at listening to God.

In the next several years we will be learning to listen for God in our personal lives, in our local community, in hospitality, and in difficult conversations. This year we’ve given special focus to learning to listen to God in intergenerational relationships.

One young woman who recently joined our church told me, “The reason I’m drawn to this community is that older people are curious about my family and me. They really want to know who we are and what we’re thinking.”

But trying to get different generations to listen to one another and for God’s movement in those relationships has proven to be a joy and a struggle. Some of our ideas have flourished while others have not.

Salford’s Listening Project invites people from across generations to sit in our old sound booth above the church sanctuary to share and record stories of faith with each other. In a recent episode, two women discussed a time when the church prevented a person in FBI training from serving as a youth sponsor because he was required to carry a gun. For the woman in her 80’s, this was a time when church leadership took a stand and did not compromise on a core belief. For the woman in her 30’s, who was a member of the youth group at that time, the same story created much hurt; she interpreted it as a low point in her experience at Salford. Sharing the story and the different ways it was understood helped both women listen for God’s movement in both the joy and pain of this event.

But intergenerational listening hasn’t always been a success. After Easter we started an intergenerational Sunday school class called “Jesus through the Ages.” We had willing participants (mainly Gen Xers and the Silent Generation) gather around tables and look at scripture passages together, led by a team of skilled facilitators. But, try as we might, the class struggled to thrive.

Why? We’re not completely sure. But we learned that different generations have different expectations for Sunday school and how it should be formatted. We decided to cancel the class after July and encouraged folks to return to their regular classes—which are traditionally split along generational lines.

I remember a few years ago the theme for the Mennonite Church USA Convention was “Can’t Keep Silent,” and I sometimes think of the irony: our congregation believes God is calling us to listen right now! The church is called to offer people a new way of life brought about by the presence of a countercultural, spirit-filled reality. And in a world that is increasingly polarized by talking heads on radio, television, and Twitter feeds, Salford needs to do the hard work of learning to listen to God and to each other; this is a message of good news for our church and our world.

Conference students receive Everence scholarships

August 1, 2012 by Emily Ralph Servant

SOUDERTON, PA – Everence has announced that three Franconia Conference students are among 42 recipients of this year’s Everence college scholarships. The scholarship program encourages young people to explore the integration of faith and finances while helping them on their educational journeys.

The scholarship awardees are:

Jacob Ford, Souderton, PA; Jacob attends Franconia Mennonite Church and is a student at New York University.
Sarah Nafziger, Mohnton, PA; Sarah attends Vincent Mennonite Church and is a student at Penn State University.
Rachel Speigle, Telford, PA; Rachel attends Blooming Glen Mennonite Church and is a student at Northeastern University.

Nearly 200 students from across the country applied for scholarships for the 2012-2013 academic year. Recipients were chosen based on academics, extracurricular activities, leadership, community involvement and responses to an essay question.

Students wrote essays about someone who models the concept of stewardship.

“We were encouraged to see that so many students have people in their lives who set an example of how to be good stewards of their time and resources,” said Phyllis Mishler, member benefits manager for Everence. “They’re learning important lessons about how much impact a spirit of generosity can have.”

One student received a $3,000 scholarship, three received $2,000 scholarships and 38 others received $500 scholarships for the upcoming school year. For a complete list of scholarship recipients and their photos, visit Everence.com.

Rachel Speigle, Blooming Glen congregation

Everence helps individuals, organizations and congregations integrate finances with faith through a national team of advisers and representatives. Everence offers banking, insurance, and financial services with community benefits and stewardship education. Everence is a ministry of Mennonite Church USA and other churches. To learn more, visit Everence.com or call (800) 348-7468.

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Did you know about the Area Conference Leadership Fund? The ACLF gives grants for seminary training to members of Franconia and Eastern District conferences. Find out more about it or make a donation here.

Construction projects build kingdom in Philadelphia

August 1, 2012 by Emily Ralph Servant

by Sheldon C. Good
Mennonite World Review

PHILADELPHIA — Nearly two dozen adults and youth from Franconia Mennonite Church served here recently as part of an effort to literally build the kingdom of God.

The volunteers ventured from suburban Telford to work with Kingdom Builders Construction, an Anabaptist-related nonprofit, on July 21. They nailed, drilled and hauled materials to help convert a 6,000-square-foot section of a large warehouse.

Kingdom Builders Construction, or KBC, is turning the old warehouse into a multipurpose space that will include a workshop, offices, material storage and rooms to host volunteers.

Also, a new congregation, Christ-Centered Church, will eventually worship there in a makeshift sanctuary.

Read the full story at Mennonite World Review

Bekah Ford, Issac Moyer and Derek Cassel, volunteers from Franconia Mennonite Church in Telford, Pa., place a chalk line on a tool storage structure being erected in Kingdom Builders Construction’s future headquarters in a North Philadelphia warehouse. — Photo by Sheldon C. Good/MWR

Paint a Piece of History!

July 26, 2012 by Emily Ralph Servant

by Liz Einsig Wise, Executive Director, Germantown Mennonite Historic Trust

Germantown Historic Meetinghouse — Volunteers from around Pennsylvania helped paint the historic Germantown meetinghouse in June. Photos courtesy of Germantown Mennonite Historic Trust.

The historic 1770 Germantown Mennonite Meetinghouse is a powerful symbol of the origins of the Mennonite experience in America and an important touchstone of the Anabaptist faith. Now cared for by the nonprofit Germantown Mennonite Historic Trust (a Conference Related Ministry of Franconia Conference), the Meetinghouse hosts hundreds of visitors each year, from school groups learning about early Mennonite history to genealogy enthusiasts and others generally interested in American colonial life. Others discover the Meetinghouse in the context of visiting Historic Germantown, learning for the first time of the Mennonites’ central role in early Pennsylvania and about the Mennonite influences contributing to America’s first written protest against slavery.

With a very small staff (less than one full time equivalent) and a modest budget, most of the grounds upkeep for this historic site is done by volunteers. On June 9-12, GMHT’s Paint a Piece of History! Work Week hosted 50 volunteers from all over the region who donated over 237 hours of labor to spruce up the Meetinghouse and grounds.

Two primary tasks awaited: repainting the 1908 Sunday School Room and the wrought iron fence that runs the length of the property. With ready enthusiasm, volunteers from Souderton Mennonite Church, Boy Scout Troop 1719, Frazer Mennonite Church, Oxford Circle Mennonite Church, Germantown Mennonite Church, Circle of Hope Brethren in Christ Church (Broad & Washington and Frankford & Norris campuses), VolunteerMatch, and others all pitched in. Skilled volunteers also began work on the exterior wood trim of the Meetinghouse.

Even with so many hands, work remained unfinished at the end of the official work week. Fortunately, during the last week of the month, another group from Elizabethtown Brethren in Christ Church, in Philadelphia for a work week with Kingdom Builders Construction, helped finish the project (and even more grounds work!) with another 175 hours during one of the hottest weeks of the summer.

Before the paint was even dry, the Meetinghouse hosted a tour group, a jazz concert and a game night! Coming up, the “Dog Days of Summer” on August 11 will feature GMHT’s 3^rd Annual Rook Tournament & Barbecue sale, as well as live music and frozen treats on the lawn. Later this year, their beloved Christmas Candlelight Service, featuring special ensembles from several congregations as well as a cappella congregational singing, will be held on Saturday, December 8.

Germantown Mennonite Historic Trust welcomes individuals and groups for tours by appointment, or during Historic Germantown’s “2^nd Saturdays” on the second Saturday of every month from May through October from 12:00 – 4:00 p.m. A special presentation customized for your group may also be arranged at your location. For more information or to schedule a tour, please contact GMHT at (215) 843-0943 or gmht@meetinghouse.info.

To face the violence in courageous ways

July 19, 2012 by Emily Ralph Servant

Franconia Conference members joined Christians from all over the Philadelphia region for a Good Friday vigil outside a gun shop. Photo by Jim McIntire.

by Amy Yoder McGloughlin, Germantown Mennonite Church

One Sunday night in February, my husband, Charlie, and I awoke to lights flashing outside of our house. We live on a quiet street in the Mt. Airy neighborhood of Philadelphia, and nothing much happens here, so the lights surprised us. We expected to see the fire department outside, but it was the SWAT team.

A disabled neighbor had been murdered by a guest of his roommates. That man was armed and hiding somewhere in the building.

It was unsettling that something like that could happen on our sweet, family-centric block, a place where we knew each other’s names, and shared each other’s stories. But even more unsettling was that the next morning it was as if nothing had happened. No one was talking about it, there was no police tape, and kids played on the sidewalk and porches, just feet from where this man’s life was taken.

Charlie and I couldn’t get past the reality that we had never met this neighbor, didn’t know his name, and couldn’t even contact his family to extend our condolences. Violence in Philadelphia, and in cities all over this country, is swift and deadly. But it’s also quickly erased.

A few weeks ago, a young couple at our church moved onto a struggling block in East Germantown. After spending a hopeful weekend with their neighbors on an adjoining block, cleaning up trash and hanging large pieces of art, they learned that within twenty-four hours a dead body had been dumped there. They could not stop the violence despite their good-faith efforts.

Another young woman from our congregation was recently assaulted at her neighborhood corner store. After being committed to making Germantown her home, she began to have doubts. Could she look this kind of violence in the eye every day and keep her passion for justice and sensitivity towards others?

At Germantown Mennonite, rooted solidly in the Anabaptist tradition, we long for peace in this world, for a day when violence will end. We stand in front of gun shops to protest illegal gun sales, we try to make safe spaces in our neighborhoods, we call our state representatives to let our voices be heard. But we are only human. We grow weary. Violence is overwhelming and we grow tired of hearing the stories. There’s just too many of them. And they can become too heavy to hold.

Inspired by Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT), we long to be in solidarity with people who are hurting. But, it’s clear that we do not always have the tools to do this in our own context.

Germantown Mennonite is exploring the possibility of a CPT delegation to Israel/Palestine next summer. We hope to be joined by other Christians from the Philadelphia area who are committed to non-violence in our own communities and throughout the world. Our prayer is that as we look at violence in another place and see how communities of faith face the violence in courageous ways, we will be inspired, encouraged, and given new visions and new tools to answer the violence we see in our own communities.

If you are interested in a Philadelphia CPT delegation to Israel/Palestine, Germantown Mennonite will be hosting Tarek Abuata, the Israel/Palestine coordinator, at our congregation on Sunday, August 5^th. After we worship together at 10am, we will follow with a potluck, then a time to speak candidly with Tarek about interest in a delegation of this kind. All are welcome to join us as we explore this possibility. If you are interested, but cannot attend a meeting, please contact me at pastoramy@germantownmennonite.org or 215.843.5599.

IVEP participants enrich host families’ lives

July 11, 2012 by Emily Ralph Servant

By Emily Wil, Mennonite Central Committee

IVEP hosts — Bonnie and Dave Moyer currently are hosting Elisabeth “Lisa” Spredemann of Brazil, right, a participant in MCC’s International Volunteer Exchange Program, in their home. (Photo courtesy of Bonnie and Dave Moyer)

AKRON, Pa. – Over the years, Bonnie and Dave Moyer, Zion congregation, have provided a home away from home to four young people from around the globe. In the process, their own lives have been enriched.

The Moyers, in their mid-50s, have hosted four young people, two from Indonesia and one each from Brazil and France. The three women and one man lived with the Moyers at different times as part of Mennonite Central Committee’s (MCC) International Volunteer Exchange Program (IVEP).

“Each is as different from the other as night and day, but each is special,” Bonnie said. “They are strong in their personal faith and courageous to leave everything they know and come here.”

Now in its 62nd year, IVEP provides cross cultural experience to Christian youth, many but not all from Anabaptist congregations from around the world, said Andrea Geiser, coordinator of the IVEP U.S. program. In July, 53 young people will finish a year of IVEP service in Canada and the United States.

A new group will arrive in early August, and openings for hosts in Canada and the U.S. are still available.

“This is a chance for us to show hospitality to a brother or sister in Christ,” Geiser said. “Part of the program is to live with a local host family to learn the local culture and connect with a community. It does take extra time to host an IVEP participant, but hosts say again and again how their lives are enriched, their children learn and they have a very positive experience.”

The Moyers believe many people deny themselves the joys of hosting IVEP participants because they harbor unrealistic perceptions of what’s involved. The Moyers themselves worried whether they could fill the role.

“We wondered if we could do it without child-raising experience of our own, and we thought we were too boring for the younger set,” Bonnie said. What’s more, they each work more than 40 hours a week.

However, the couple is committed to international understanding. Bonnie manages a Ten Thousand Villages store in Souderton, which sells fairly traded crafts from around the world, and Dave served with MCC in Belgium from 1978 to 1980.

In 2005, a sponsor contacted Bonnie directly with an urgent need for someone to host an IVEP participant. She and Dave made a quick decision to participate as hosts, and they have never looked back. Dave said his concern about keeping an IVEP participant engaged and active was unfounded because the young people also become involved in their workplaces and congregations.

The Moyers adopt a low-key approach – giving their guests some individual living space while including them in family meals and as many or as few of their activities as each desires.

“They are young adults, not children. They have a purpose in being here and a job to go to. Their brains are tired at the end of the day, and they need some space,” Bonnie said.

However, Dave was thrilled when Edwin Hindom, who is from Papua, Indonesia, took a lively interest in his activities.

“He always wanted to be at my side and was fascinated by tools and machinery,” Dave said. “Edwin liked yard work and really enjoyed helping me with anything that involved the chipper/shredder especially, but also the lawn mower, weed whacker, power saw, cordless drill and snow blower.”

Food is one area where the Moyers try to accommodate their guests’ personal preferences. “You can make someone feel at home if you give them something familiar to eat,” Bonnie said.

Bonnie plans frequent meals with pasta for their current IVEP guest, Elisabeth “Lisa” Spredemann from Brazil, who says she could eat it every day. They found hot sauce for Nur Ninda Natalia “Lia” from Java, Indonesia, and for French woman Lucille Toilliez, who loved crepes, Bonnie would make a batch and freeze them so that Toilliez could help herself each morning.

Spredemann said her biggest worry coming into the program was whether her limited English would hamper her efforts to do a good job at her assignment as a recreational activities assistant at two retirement homes.

This is a common worry, Bonnie said, but she thinks IVEP participants are too hard on themselves. Host families help their guests build confidence with simple reassurance that they’re doing their jobs well and that their English is understandable and improving.

To learn more about the IVEP program, visit ivep.mcc.org.

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